Wrestling is an extremely entertaining sport, and the biggest spectacle often comes at the end of a hard-fought match. When the combatants are tired and the match is about to wind down, the best wrestlers will cap things off with a stunning, stylish finisher that indicates to the crowd that this battle is over. Here are the best finishing moves in the history of wrestling.
30. Atomic Leg Drop
Let’s start off with a silly one that is remembered more for the man who used it than on its own merits. The Atomic Leg Drop doesn’t look all that painful, and it’s not even a particularly stylish move. But, look man, it’s the Hulkster’s finisher and it holds a special, nostalgic place in the hearts of many wrestling fans.
29. The Stomp
Wrestlers ranging from Seth Rollins to Finn Balor have made variations of the classic “Curb Stomp” their bread and butter. There’s a lot to be said for a boot to the back of the dome, and the right performer can make this move look downright deadly.
28. Styles Clash
In addition to having an awesome name, AJ Styles’ finishing move looks like an absolute world-ender for the recipient. Grabbing the opponent in an arm lock with his legs and a leglock with his arms before angling them to the mat and dropping them onto their exposed belly is Styles’ signature move for a good reason.
27. Go to Sleep
CM Punk wasn’t the only person to use Go to Sleep as their finisher, as KENTA also claims ownership of the move. Either way, it’s a great finisher with a lot of options for unpredictability and the added bonus of allowing its recipients to show off their dramatic side.
26. The Spear
The running takedown known as the Spear is a ubiquitous finisher that has been employed by plenty of wrestlers throughout the years, perhaps most notably Goldberg and Rhyno. It might be straightforward, but it’s effective and it sells the momentum and power of the move’s practitioners.
25. The Jackhammer
That’s right, more Goldberg. The guy was unstoppable in the late 90s and early 00s, and his noteworthy riff on the classic piledriver is also pretty hard to beat. His huge physique and powerful delivery sold this move any time he caught some poor jobber in his iron grasp.
24. The Double Moonsault
Ricochet is known for his absurd movements off the top rope, and the whirling Double Moonsault is likely his most eye-catching finisher. While it’s not as iconic as the 630, it’s arguably harder to pull off, so it earns its spot on this list.
23. The Sharpshooter
Bret Hart’s iconic submission finisher, the Sharpshooter, is probably the move that made him famous. It’s so deeply connected to Canada than any pro wrestling event in the country should include at least one Sharpshooter as an homage to the country’s most well-known wrestler.
22. The F5
Brock Lesnar’s absurd finisher is huge, athletic, and genuinely frightening. Lesnar is a mountain of a man, so it stands to reason that his finisher should look like it could actually end someone. And wow, does it, because it doesn’t take much to sell this spinning, whiplash-inducing move.
21. The Swanton Bomb
Jeff Hardy is one of the best to ever do it. Don’t believe me? Watch a video of him landing the Swanton Bomb. This high-flying flip brings so much pain to his opponents that you instantly feel the impact as soon as he touches down, whether he’s doing it off the top rope or from a tall ladder above the ring.
20. The Bank Statement
The Bank Statement is a vicious-looking finisher involving a simple cross-face hold and a maneuver that looks like it could break an opponent’s back if held too long. Submission finishers are a special breed, and none are quite as gnarly-looking as Sasha Banks’ impressive match-ender.
19. The Elevated Powerbomb
Sometimes you just want to see a wrestler pick a guy up to his shoulders and then drop him to the mat. It looks amazing, it’s easy for anyone to sell, and it’s beloved by fans all over the world. If you need a good-looking finisher to end a match that the crowd is really into, you can’t go wrong with an elevated powerbomb.
18. The Frog Splash
Wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero and Kevin Owens can bring out multitudes in the stylish and beautiful Frog Splash. No matter which version is your favorite, everyone can agree that seeing a big performer leap from the top rope, splay out all their limbs, and then fall on some hapless opponent rules.
17. The Tombstone Piledriver
Undertaker and Kane have ended many Wrestlemania matches with the brutal-looking Tombstone Piledriver. When performed correctly, this move looks career-ending. When performed incorrectly, it can actually be career-ending, so it’s a good thing its practitioners are professionals, huh?
16. The Big Boot
Test, Rhea Ripley, and others know how to land a stellar big boot. Towering performers with broad wingspans know how to make their moves look larger-than-life, and the big boot is one of the best showstoppers in the business for the wrestlers with the physique to sell it.
15. The Lariat
What’s better than the classic clothesline? It might be old-school, but it’s synonymous with professional wrestling for a reason. It’s just a great move! It looks amazing from the stands, it gets the crowd going, and everyone can understand how a move like that could easily knock out a professional athlete.
14. The Figure Four Leg Lock
Ric Flair’s incredible-looking submission hold might be old-school, but it’s also a classic. There’s nothing quite as painful-looking in the world of submissions as the Figure Four, and it’s versatile enough to be used in a variety of scenarios. And, as a bonus, it makes the crowd go “woo!” when they see it, so it’s always welcome.
13. The 630
Ricochet’s 630 is a huge move that comes off the top rope and brings so much momentum to bear that you can’t help but marvel at the athleticism required to land it without actually breaking someone’s neck. Ricochet never saw a move he couldn’t add some new flourish to, and the 630 is no exception.
12. The 619
Rey Mysterio’s 619 is a close cousin of Ricochet’s 630, though some argue it’s not exactly a finisher. Still, Mysterio incorporated the spinning kick into enough finishing sequences that it might as well count as much as his West Coast Pop or just a classic striking takedown.
11. The Pedigree
Triple H’s signature finisher, the Pedigree, involves holding the opponent’s arms in a lock behind their back while squeezing their neck with his thighs. It’s an astonishing-looking move that quickly shot the wrestler to prominence and defined his long and storied career in the business.
10. The Doomsday Device
The LOD (and later Road Warriors) made an entire tag team career out of The Doomsday Device as a thrilling finishing move. Animal would lift one unsuspecting opponent onto his shoulders and then Hawk would launch himself at them off the top rope, flipping them around to the mat in an athletic display of skill. And, of course, pain.
9. Rock Bottom
The Rock Bottom isn’t particularly flashy, as wrestling finishers go, but Dwayne Johnson can sell the dang thing like nobody’s business. Landing a Rock Bottom after a long match is a surefire way to get a huge pop from a crowd, and that “pure electricity” is enough to make anyone crack a smile.
8. Black Mass
The Black Mass, a devastating striking finisher from Malakai (formerly Aleister) Black, is among the most impactful-looking strikes in the wrestler’s arsenal. A spinning strike that can send opponents reeling, Black Mass is a one of those crowd-pleasing impacts that can end a match with an exclamation point.
7. Attitude Adjustment
John Cena made the Attitude Adjustment a more popular move than it probably would have been in the hands of a less stylish wrestler. Still, it’s a memorable and beloved part of wrestling history due to the sheer power Cena had to bring to bear to lift his opponent onto his shoulder to actually land the thing.
6. The Burning Hammer
The Burning Hammer is a reverse Death Valley Driver that sees a performer hold their opponent in a Torture Rack before dropping them directly onto their noggin. It was pioneered by hardcore Japanese wrestler Kenta Kobashi and remains a fan favorite despite (or perhaps because of) the extreme skill required to safely execute the maneuver.
5. The Lion Tamer
Jericho’s showstopping hold, the Lion Tamer, is a rare type of submission hold that requires extreme talent on the part of both performers. It’s a stunning-looking move that involves holding the opponents’ legs in the air while kneeling on their head, which is a painful-looking and stylish way to end a match.
4. The One-Winged Angel
This move gets a bit of a bump up the list by merit of being named after one of the greatest video game villains of all time (Sephiroth of Final Fantasy) and is further evidence of Kenny Omega’s video game bona fides. It’s part pile-driver, part submission hold, and all power.
3. Sweet Chin Music
Shawn Michaels is a lovable madman in the ring and his iconic behind-the-back superkick, Sweet Chin Music, is unpredictable and stylish in ways few other finishing moves manage to be. Who doesn’t love seeing the Heartbreak Kid “tune up the band” before unleashing this finisher? They don’t call him the Showstopper for nothing.
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2. The Cutter
It doesn’t get much cooler than the Diamond Cutter and the RKO. These are such iconic, eye-catching finishers that both variants served as the ultimate moves that made the careers of Diamond Dallas Page and Randy Orton, respectively. Grabbing the opponent by the neck and then whipping them to the ground in a sudden show of force is just wrestling perfection.
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1. The Stunner
Listen up because I’m only going to say it once. The Stunner is the single best finisher in the history of wrestling. It’s fast, it’s brutal, and it looks like Stone Cold is straight-up killing people with it. And that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so.
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