The fundamentals of professional wrestling rely on merely just two aspects, the promo work and the in-ring ability of a performer. While WWE initially focused more on the former of the two, in the past decade has started to put more emphasis on the action inside the squared circle as well, as the industry and product have evolved.
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What makes matches great are the moves which are performed, whether those are a transitional one a devastating finisher, or just a simple technical submission. They have had a steady presence in the promotion for several years, and have been performed by undercard workers and main-event talent alike.
10 Diving Elbow Drop
The Diving Elbow Drop has been a move which has been frequently performed inside the squared circle since its inception days. The move sees a wrestler jumping from the top rope onto a grounded opponent, with their elbow crashing into the chest of the opponent. The move was made famous to the mainstream WWE fan base by the use of it from "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
However, following Savage exiting the WWE, the move was adopted by Shawn Michaels who used it as a setup for his Sweet Chin Music finisher. After HBK's retirement, it was CM Punk who made the move a regular part of his arsenal. In recent times, Kairi Sane and Bayley have been the ones to regularly use the move in their matches for the company.
9 Powerbomb
To perform the Powerbomb, a wrestler lifts their opponent onto their shoulders and then drops the opponent down back first onto the mat with full force. The move has been used in the WWE for a long time, with various wrestlers using different variants of the devastating maneuver.
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Among these, the most popular ones have been the "pop-up" Powerbomb, which is currently being used by Kevin Owens and the "Batista Bomb", which was used by Batista and was a sit-out version of the move. A standing variation of the move was frequently used by Kevin Nash and The Undertaker, with the latter calling it "The Last Ride".
8 Sharpshooter
The sharpshooter is one of the most well recognized submission holds in pro wrestling history. The move was made famous by the legendary Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who used it as his signature move. To apply the hold, one would tangle the legs of a grounded opponent, lock their own leg in between the then apply a boston crab, which would apply pressure both on the legs and the back of the opponent.
However, Bret was not the only one to use the move in the WWE, as his younger brother Owen Hart would frequently use it as well. The hold would then get passed onto the younger generations of the Hart Dungeon such as David Hart Smith and Tyson Kid, and now is currently being used by Natalya. During the Attitude Era, the Rock used to perform the iconic move too on rare occasions.
7 German Suplex
The German Suplex is a variant on the iconic suplex move, which is widely used in both amateur and professional wrestling. To perform the move, a wrestler grabs their opponent from behind and then falls back with full force which ensures the opponent going into the air and then falling on the back of their neck.
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Similar to a traditional suplex, the German variation of it has been used frequently since the golden era of wrestling. However, it was Kurt Angle who gave the move widespread popularity during the Attitude Era as his entire wrestling style revolved around moves used in the amateur and freestyle formats.
6 Figure-Four Leg Lock
The figure-four leg lock is submission move made famous by the "Nature Boy" himself, Ric Flair. To apply the hold, Flair would cross the legs of a grounded opponent and then fall on mat himself and putting all his weight on one leg which would also be pivoting with the legs of the opponent.
This would create immense pressure onto the legs of the opponents. In recent times, the move has been used in the WWE by Flair's daughter, Charlotte, and sometimes by The Miz.
5 Superkick
In modern day wrestling there are barely any moves which are used more than the superkick. The move is basically a high side thrust kick and was made prominent to the WWE Universe through its use by Shawn Michaels.
The Heartbreak Kid dubbed the move as "Sweet Chin Music" and used it as his finisher throughout his career. After Michaels' retirement, many top stars started to use perform the move regularly, such as the likes of The Usos and Dolph Ziggler.
4 619
The 619 is a move made famous by Rey Mysterio. To perform the move, Mysterio would set up his opponents hanging onto the ropes while they are down their knees and then swing through the middle rope to perform a double kick. He would, in most cases, follow up the move with a frog splash or a springboard pin fall.
What makes the move so special is its exclusivity and how unique it is, with fans on their feet as soon Mysterio sets up his opponents for his signature maneuver.
3 Stone Cold Stunner
The Attitude Era was by far the hottest time for WWE, both commercially and from a product perspective. It was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who was leading the camp for the company at the time. Everything regarding the Texas Rattlesnake was perfect, whether it was his character work, promo ability, or his finisher, the iconic Stone Cold Stunner.
The Stone Cold Stunner would receive a pop like no other move, as it suited perfectly the character. Moreover, what would make the move even better would be the hilarious over-the-top selling of the move done by some of Austin's adversaries.
2 Spear
For a long time there was an unspoken rule in the WWE, and that being that no two wrestlers can have the same finisher. However, the Spear is the only exception to it. In fact, at the time of writing, Roman Reigns, Edge, Charlotte, Bobby Lashley, and Bron Breakker are all currently using the move.
To perform the move, a wrestler runs into a standing opponent and crashing shoulder first into the middle section of the opposing athlete, doing serious damage to their ribs and stomach.
1 RKO
When it comes to the best move in the WWE, or in fact all of professional wrestling, there is no move that comes near to the RKO. The move, which has its name based on the real life name initials of Randy Orton, is a variation of the Cutter, with Orton adding a sense of unpredictability to it.
What makes the move so special is that the 14 time World Champion can connect it at any time and can counter literally any move with it, which creates for an amazing in-ring moment.
