In order for a finishing move to get over in WWE, it needs to be presented strongly on WWE programming...
A wrestler’s finisher being kicked out of every other match is a sure-fire way to derail the credibility of the finishing move, so WWE must only permit the specific finishing move to be kicked out of on rare occasions.
One of the main criticisms directed towards modern wrestling is that finishers aren’t protected. Top PPV matches feature numerous finishers being kicked out of, and for better or for worse, this has become a standard and expected part of matches.
Thankfully, over the years, WWE have committed to protecting certain finishing moves, meaning that when the finisher was hit, it was an expectation that the match was officially over.
So, with that being said, let’s take a look at 10 of the most protected finishing moves ever.
10: Gunther – Powerbomb
Since Gunther’s call-up to the WWE main roster, everything about his presentation has been praised by fans. Gunther has continued to have stellar, acclaimed matches, and he has vastly improved the ‘sports-entertainment’ elements of his character.
One of the things that makes Gunther stand-out compared to other wrestlers on the roster, is the fact that he can seemingly win a match with any move in his extensive yet decorated repertoire. Whether that be a lariat, a submission based-move or his powerbomb, Gunther’s matches are always exciting because it’s hard to work out just what move is going to signal the end of the match.
Speaking of Gunther’s dreaded powerbomb, this move has been protected extensively by WWE, and it’s almost presented as Gunther’s last resort finisher that he will use to put a definitive end to his opponent.
If Gunther ascends to the main event scene in WWE, and enters into the World Title picture, his PPV main events could make for fascinating viewing, that could offer fans something brand-new when it comes to World Title matches on major events.
9: The Rock – The People’s Elbow
Although The Rock’s People’s Elbow finishing move isn’t exactly the most devastating finisher ever, it was marketed and presented as credible and legitimate. Despite the move literally being an elbow drop with added theatrics, it was rarely kicked out of especially during the height of The Rock’s run during the Attitude Era. Whenever a wrestler did manage to kick out of the move, it received an enormous reaction, and it goes to show that even the most basic of moves have the ability to get over if they are protected.
The question of if the move would get over today is an interesting one, and it’s hard to definitively say. Would a top wrestling company such as WWE commit to protecting a move of this nature? It seems rather unlikely.
8: Baron Corbin – End of Days
In modern wrestling, it is extremely difficult to come up with a new finishing move, and it’s even harder for WWE to protect the move. A typical pro wrestling match, particularly those in a PPV main event slot will feature a finishing move being kicked out of, but thankfully, when it came to Baron Corbin’s finishing move, the End of Days, WWE changed the formula.
Due to the move looking absolutely incredible, WWE put considerable effort into protecting the move, meaning that it was never kicked out of for years, and when WWE decided to have a wrestler kick out of the move in 2022, this creative choice received a mixed response.
Corbin was wrestling Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 38, and when he hit the move, the fans were convinced it was over, but shockingly, McIntyre kicked out. The spot of McIntyre kicking out received a big reaction, yet some fans questioned if this was the right time, and some continue to believe it didn’t need to happen. Even Corbin himself said he fought to protect the move, and it’s rather refreshing to see a wrestler care so much about their chosen finishing move.
7: Hulk Hogan – Leg Drop
The Legendary Hulk Hogan was known to use the leg-drop finishing move during his career, and whilst the move is basic in nature, as in it’s just a leg-drop, a move that can be seen at least a handful of times on RAW each week, the move had aura and gravitas attached to it.
WWE and Hogan managed to protect the move for years, and when Hogan dropped the leg, it was a signal to fans that the match was officially over. Hogan no matter where he went in the world was always reluctant to have a wrestler kick out of the move, which may have been a smart choice, as wrestling’s #1 guy without a doubt should be protecting their finisher as much as possible.
6: The Undertaker – Tombstone Piledriver
Early on during The Undertaker’s WWE career, The Tombstone Piledriver was presented as one of the deadliest moves around. If the move was going to be kicked out of, then it would only be ultra-top guys that would be permitted to do so, and this was a great call from WWE, as the move is still considered to be one of the most iconic finishing moves of all time, and it’s up for debate if the iconic status remains if it wasn’t initially protected.
Ultimately, wrestlers kicking out of the finishing move became a theme particularly during WrestleMania events. It was expected that an Undertaker WrestleMania encounter would feature at least one kick out of the move, which whilst somewhat impacting the credibility of The Tombstone, the spot was always a fan-pleasing moment so it’s understandable why WWE did it.
5: Jake “The Snake” Roberts – DDT
It’s hard to watch a modern-day pro wrestling match without a DDT being used. The DDT is unfortunately just as common as a headlock in today’s wrestling, but at one point in time, the DDT was one of the most protected finishers in all of wrestling.
When Jake Roberts used the move, it was a signal that the match was over. Roberts’ version of the move was perfect, and it’s a tough task to find a better version of the move. WWE insisted that the move was protected, and when Roberts wrestled The Undertaker at WrestleMania 8, it was a huge deal that the DDT failed to put down The Deadman.
Roberts has been rather open in relation to his thoughts on the move being overused in modern wrestling. Rather comically, on the DDP Snake Bit podcast, Roberts stated that it doesn’t bother him that everyone uses the move, and everyone kicks out of it, as it shows that Roberts and his version of the move are vastly superior.
4: Santino Marella – The Cobra
Santino Marella’s Cobra finishing move was a comedic move that was clearly designed to appeal to children, yet WWE managed to protect the move for years, so much so that nobody kicked out of the move until 2012.
WWE protecting any move is a rare sight in the PG era, and it was never made clear why WWE were so persistent with their efforts to keep the move credible and threatening.
According to Marella during an interview with Chris Van Vliet, his finishing move was the perfect move because he was able to hit it on anyone of any size:
“And later I found out that it was the perfect finisher. You can do it at any time to any size person. And then I saw another article recently about how statistically-speaking it’s one of the most effective finishers of all time. One person kicked out of it without the sleeve, Sheamus. And one person kicked out of it with the sleeve, Daniel Bryan. So and I’ve probably given, a thousand Cobras? That’s 99 percent, point 98.”
3: Big Show – KO Punch
When Big Show debuted the KO Punch, it gave him an instantly credible finishing move. Someone of Big Show’s size punching his opponent in the face was a conclusive end to a matchup, and WWE tried to keep the move as protected as possible, especially early on during Big Show’s run with the move.
If the move was kicked out of, there was usually a delay between the move being delivered, and Big Show attempting a cover. This was a great decision, as it could be logically explained that the wrestler eventually came round after being knocked out, but they were still feeling the dreaded effects of the sinister punch.
One of the most notable times the move was kicked out of was in 2012. Big Show was wrestling Sheamus for the World Title at the Hell in a Cell event, and when Sheamus kicked out of the move, the fans in attendance lost their minds. This was the right place and time to feature a kick out of the move, as it made the babyface Sheamus look incredibly tough and resilient.
2: The Dudley Boyz – 3D
The 3D is without a doubt the most protected tag-team finishing move of all time. When Bubba Ray and D-Von delivered the move, it was always the end of the respective matchup, and the move was protected so much that in 2004, when The Undertaker was booked to kick out of the move, he outright refused.
According to Bubba Ray during an appearance on Broken Skull Sessions, The Deadman acknowledged that the legendary tag-team had protected the move for so long, and there was no point in him kicking out of the move if it didn’t mean anything:
“Nobody kicked out. If we hit the move, maybe there was a save or a pull-out…nobody kicked out. As a matter of fact, at the Great American Bash when it was The Dudleyz versus ‘Taker, we said to ‘Taker, ‘If you want this…’ and he said, ‘Nope, you protected it for so long. We’re not gonna do it if it doesn’t mean anything.’ respect him so much for that.”
1: Randy Orton - The Punt Kick
Randy Orton has one of the most celebrated and beloved finishing moves of all time. The RKO is arguably the most famous wrestling move of the past three decades, and even non-wrestling fans are fully aware what the RKO is, and what legendary wrestler delivers the move.
Orton’s secondary finishing move, introduced in 2007, is known as the punt kick, and it sees Orton kick his opponent in the skull. Due to the nature of the move, it only makes sense that the move is protected. This move shouldn’t just win a match, but it should put wrestlers out of action for the foreseeable future, and WWE did a great job during the first few years of Orton using the move in preserving it as much as possible.
To date, the move has never been kicked out of, yet over the past few years, there have been a few issues with the presentation of the move. When Orton has been using the move outside of matches, wrestlers have oddly been no selling the move. Wrestlers have been able to withstand a punt kick, and the next week act like nothing happened. Notoriously, in 2020, in an infamous segment on RAW, Shawn Michaels sold the move as if it was a traditional wrestling move, and this led to a ton of questions surfacing surrounding the credibility of the once protected move.