25 Most Effective Finishers In WWE History, Ranked

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• Finishing moves are one of the most important parts of a professional wrestler's skillset. Fans know when a wrestler hits a finisher it tends to signal a match is coming to a close. However, not every finisher is effective as some wrestlers kick out of their opponents' finisher with little bother. Furthermore, the greatest finishers in WWE history are ones that can be used on any opponent. Wrestlers who have finishers that can't be hit on every wrestler will have to find a different way to win a match. The most effective finishers in WWE have seen wrestlers win major matches, and their finishers are protected if their opponents rarely kicked out of it.

A finisher is as important to creating a wrestling superstar as great promo skills and an ability to wrestle. Since the 90s, finishers have defined the careers of many superstars in the WWE. Not every finisher is pretty, and some moves are out of this world. Whether it's a 450 Splash or a DDT, wrestling finishers have vastly different levels of efficacy when used against an opponent, especially in the WWE.

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15 Best Finishers In WWE History, Ranked

A Powerbomb, for example, is always an interesting move for fans to see a wrestler win with, but the success rate of the move can vary judging on the size of the opponent or how violent the sell looks. Many top rope finishers also vary in ineffectiveness since they have the slightest margin for error. If a wrestler doing a frog splash lands 6 inches away from his opponent the move looks like it inflicts little damage. This list will examine 10 finishers that are so effective they can be done virtually anywhere against anybody.

UPDATE: 2024/02/05 07:30 EST BY TEVON KING

Finishing moves are one of the most important parts of a professional wrestler's skillset. Fans know when a wrestler hits a finisher it tends to signal a match is coming to a close. However, not every finisher is effective as some wrestlers kick out of their opponents' finisher with little bother. Furthermore, the greatest finishers in WWE history are ones that can be used on any opponent. Wrestlers who have finishers that can't be hit on every wrestler will have to find a different way to win a match. The most effective finishers in WWE have seen wrestlers win major matches, and their finishers are protected if their opponents rarely kicked out of it.

25 Victoria's Widow's Peak Was An Innovative Women's Finisher

The Widow's Peak Was Devastating

The Widow's Peak is one of the most devastating finishers which was used by two-time WWE Women's Champion Victoria. Victoria's variation of the Widow's Peak is a Gory Neckbreaker, and it looks painful when she drops to the ground alongside her opponent.

Victoria won her second WWE Women's Championship with the Widow's Peak, and since Victoria is tall she can hit the majority of her opponents with the move effortlessly.

24 Kevin Nash's Jackknife Powerbomb

Big Daddy Cool Got A Lot Of Mileage Out Of The Jackknife

• Nash defeated Bob Backlund in a matter of seconds with the Jackknife to win the WWE Championship
• Nash's Jackknife Powerbomb is different to the usual powerbomb.

Powerbombs are generally used by taller wrestlers as they can get more elevation when they drop their opponents to the ground. Kevin Nash's Jackknife Powerbomb looked devastating compared to the usual Powerbomb.

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Nash would lift his opponents in the air and he would drop them to the ground with authority. Nash's Jackknife was effective as he beat Bob Backlund in a matter of seconds in November 1994 to kickstart his lone WWE Championship reign, which he'd hold for 358 days.

23 Kane's Chokeslam Made Any Opponent Look Small

The Big Red Machine Won Several Championships With The Chokeslam

• Kane won the ECW Championship with the Chokeslam at WrestleMania 24
• The Big Red Machine has a devasting Chokeslam as he gets his opponents high in the sky
• Kane arguably has the best Chokeslam in WWE history

The Chokeslam has been synonymous with Big Show, Kane, and The Undertaker who have all picked up huge wins with the finisher. The Phenom has other finishers as does Show but all three have men have the Chokeslam in their repertoire.

It's a simple but effective finisher as they choke their opponent, lift them off the ground, and slam them into the mat. Depending on how heavy their opponent is, it can be difficult to pull off to perfection. Kane arguably is the best user of it however as he consistently stuck with it for the longest time and used it to win multiple world championships, some of them happening very quickly like his win over Chavo Guerrero at WrestleMania 24.

22 John Cena's STF Wasn't Pretty, But Was Effective

Cena Added The STF To His List Of Finishers In 2005

John Cena implemented the STF into his repertoire, and it has been a smart move for Cena to add to his skill set. Cena uses the Attitude Adjustment, but the STF can be done on any opponent, and when Cena cinches it in it's hard for wrestlers to get out of it.

Cena has won multiple WWE World Championships with the STF, and when he's unable to keep his opponents down with the AA, the STF usually gets the job done.

21 Batista's Batista Bomb Is Noted As Being An Awful Bump To Take

The Animal's Batista Bomb Is A Devastating Finisher

The Batista Bomb was the ideal finisher for Batista as he is a tall wrestler, and his powerbomb wasn't an ordinary one. It was a sit-out Powerbomb, where Batista would lift his opponent like a normal powerbomb and drop to the ground alongside his opponent.

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Batista has beaten the likes of Triple H, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, John Cena, and several other WWE legends with that move. It helped make Batista a star as he had a finisher that fans could get behind.

20 Eddie Guerrero & Rob Van Dam's Frog Splash

Latino Heat And RVD Clinched World Titles With The Frog Splash

• Eddie Guerrero dislocated his shoulder in his debut WWE debut match in February 2000 when he executed the Frog Splash
• RVD's Five-Star Frog Splash is slightly different to Eddie's
• Eddie defeated Lesnar with the Frog Splash for the WWE Championship and RVD saw off Cena to win the WWE Championship with the Five-Star Frog Splash

The Frog Splash is an effective top rope finisher when pulled off successfully. Eddie Guerrero was the specialist of the Frog Splash as was Rob Van Dam, whose Frog Splash was called the Five-Star Frog Splash. The positive thing about the Frog Splash is that it can be hit on any wrestler of any size.

You know RVD has hit a strong Five-Star Frog Splash when he is clutching his ribs afterward. Both Eddie and RVD have won the WWE Championship with their respective versions of the Frog Splash. It's down to personal preference on who's finisher was better as both had their merits.

19 The Undertaker's Hell's Gate

Undertaker's Hell's Gate May Be The Most Feared Submission In WWE History

The Undertaker has the Tombstone Piledriver, Last Ride, and Chokeslam as his finishers but in 2008, Undertaker added a submission maneuver called Hell's Gate. Hell's Gate is actually a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu chokehold known as a Gogoplata, which makes sense as Undertaker is a real-life fan of mixed martial arts.

The Deadman traps his opponent by pulling their throat to his shin, and they tap out almost instantly. Undertaker's opponent would bleed from the mouth, and he beat Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 24 with the move.

18 Charlotte Flair's Figure Eight Adds A New Spin To A Classic

The Queen Has Won Many Women's Championships With Figure Eight

14-time WWE Women's Champion Charlotte Flair will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. The Queen has a strong skillset, and Figure Eight has been a successful submission finisher for Charlotte.

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Figure Eight is almost identical to the Figure Four Leglock which her father Ric Flair uses. However, Charlotte cinches the hold by bridging her body and many of her record-breaking 14 WWE Women's Championship reigns have been won all thanks to Figure Eight.

17 Roman's Reigns' Spear Brought Him A Record-Breaking Title Reign

The Tribal Chief Can Thank The Spear For Many Victories

• Roman Reigns has won all of his six World Championships with the Spear
• Reigns' Spear can be hit on any opponent
• The Tribal Chief has defeated the likes of Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and The Undertaker with the Spear

The Spear is one of the most effective finishers in WWE history with several wrestlers using the maneuver. The likes of Edge, Roman Reigns, and Goldberg have used the Spear as their finisher. The Spear can be used on any wrestler as it doesn't require a wrestler to lift their opponent.

Edge has used the Spear very well as he won multiple World Championships with it. The Spear looks well when the Rated-R Superstar has nailed his opponent in mid-air or off the ladder with the move. Ultimately though, nobody can deny Roman Reigns' Spear is the most devastating as he is one of the longest reigning world champions in WWE history.

16 Bret Hart's Sharpshooter Has A Near-Perfect Win Rate In WWE

The Hitman's Sharpshooter Is Debilitating

• Bret Hart defeated Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship with the Sharpshooter
• Hart's Sharpshooter is unique as he sometimes starts the move when he is on the ground
• Hart's Sharpshooter has been used by the likes of The Rock and his niece Natalya

Bret "The Hitman" Hart has mastered the Sharpshooter and it is one of the greatest submission holds in the history of WWE. Hart would turn his opponent over onto their stomach as he locked their legs and applied pressure by leaning back.

Hart has won several championships with the Sharpshooter, but he fell victim to the move at Survivor Series 1997 when he dropped the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels in the Montreal Screwjob. Furthermore, Hart's Sharpshooter has been used by his niece Natalya, who executes it well, which isn't a surprise.

15 Kurt Angle's Ankle Lock

Angle Made WWE Legends Tap Out On A Nightly Basis

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is one of the best wrestlers to compete in a WWE ring. Angle has two strong finishers, the Angle Slam and the Ankle Lock. The Olympic Gold Medalist's Ankle Lock is a fantastic submission hold as he leaves his opponents writhing in pain.

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Angle defeated Steve Austin for his second WWE Championship at Unforgiven 2001 with the hold. Angle grabs his opponent's ankle and in later years, he cinched it in by going to the ground and grapevining his foe's leg by applying more pressure leaving his adversaries no choice but to submit.

14 The Rock's Rock Bottom

The Great One's Rock Bottom Was Sometimes Used To Set Up The People's Elbow

The Rock got a pop from the WWE Universe when he executed the People's Elbow, but the Rock Bottom is more effective out of the two finishers. It has a much more devastating impact, can be executed onto weapons such as a chair and table and makes more sense as a final blow than The People's Elbow which started off as a joke with his fellow wrestlers.

Rock has won multiple WWE Championships with the Rock Bottom, and more importantly, Rock can hit the Rock Bottom on large opponents which is a bonus.

13 John Cena's Attitude Adjustment

Cena's AA Is A Fantastic Move That Can Be Hit From The Top Rope At Times

John Cena will go down in history as one of the greatest WWE performers of all time and he is a joint-record 16-time World Champion. It remains to be seen if Cena will get that record-breaking 17th World Championship reign. Nevertheless, Cena can thank his Attitude Adjustment for a lot of his success.

The AA is performed when Cena hoists his opponent on his shoulders and he drops them to the mat. Cena has tremendous strength, and he has managed to successfully execute the move on the likes of Big Show and The Great Khali.

12 Brock Lesnar's F-5

The Beast Incarnate's F-5 Is A Visual Marvel

Brock Lesnar's F-5 is one of the most devasting finishers in WWE history and Lesnar established himself as a certified main eventer all the way back in 2002 with that move. He put The Rock away the F-5 to become the youngest WWE Champion at 25 with that move, and he beat The Undertaker at No Mercy to retain the WWE Championship in a Hell in a Cell match with it.

Lesnar's F-5 is a thing of beauty as he'll hoist his opponent on his shoulders and he'd twist and slam them down to the ground. One of the most important F-5s in Lesnar's career was at WrestleMania 30 when he ended The Undertaker's 21-0 WrestleMania unbeaten streak.

11 Chris Jericho's Walls Of Jericho

Jericho Showed No Mercy When He Locked In The Walls Of Jericho

• Chris Jericho defeated Chyna for his first of a record nine Intercontinental Championships with the Walls of Jericho
• The Walls Of Jericho was more versatile than the Liontamer
• Jericho could use the Walls of Jericho on any of his opponents

Chris Jericho's Wall of Jericho is a remarkable submission hold which was his main finisher in WWE for many years until he rejoined WWE in November 2007 and began using the Codebreaker. Nevertheless, the Walls of Jericho was a debilitating submission hold as Jericho would lock his opponents' legs around his waist and he'd fall back to apply pressure whilst still standing.

Jericho won his first Intercontinental Championship with the Walls of Jericho by forcing Chyna to submit to the move at Armageddon 1999. It's one of the best submission holds in history with Jericho picking up several noteworthy wins with the move.

10 Seth Rollins' Curb Stomp

Rollins' Stomp Was Previously Banned

As Seth Rollins began to find himself as a solo superstar away from The Shield, he not only improved his promo skills and his gimmick but also an extremely effective finisher. The Stomp is as violent-looking of a move as any that has ever existed in wrestling.

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Rollins' Stomp is also extremely protected in the WWE and was banned for a few years. The violent move can also create great spots like the time Randy Orton reversed it into an RKO. There's not a single person in wrestling that is safe from this move and that's why it's so effective.

9 Scott Hall's Razor's Edge

Hall's Razor Edge Has Been Adopted By Damian Priest

• The Razor's Edge was one of the best finishers in the New Generation Era
• Nobody ever kicked out of The Razor's Edge in WWE.
• The Bad Guy had a lot of power when he did the finisher

Although many wrestling moves have rarely been kicked out of, none of them have a hit list at the level of Razor's Edge. Classes of Hall of Fame wrestlers lost when Razor Ramon tossed them across the ring with his finisher.

Razor was also a massive man and there was virtually nobody who couldn't be picked up and used for the move. It looked best when wrestlers the size of Bret Hart were getting tossed around but even men twice the size fell at the hands of this effective finisher.

8 Randy Orton's RKO Is The Sneakiest Finisher In WWE History

The RKO Can Be Hit Outta Nowhere

The beauty of the RKO is that it can essentially be performed from anywhere at any moment. There have been very few WWE finishers that have a kind of venomous strike ability to them like the RKO. It's a big reason why the move is so fitting on The Viper, himself.

It has helped Orton annihilate opponents for two decades. Randy Orton has not only used the move to take out a ton of legends, but every single one of his peers has also fallen to a violent RKO at one point or another.

7 The Dudley Boyz' 3D

The 3D Was One Of The Most Protected Tag Team Finishers In WWE History

D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame thanks to the big chances that they took as a tag team unit. Although they are undoubtedly two of the most decorated performers to ever compete in the WWE, they also had a great tag team finisher that helped them achieve their massive success.

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The 3D was one of the most difficult tag team finishers for opponents to kick out of. The move was extremely effective because it could be performed in the ring or be taken on tables or ladders or any weapon the Dudleys desired.

6 CM Punk's GTS

The Straight Edge Savior Has Served Punk Well Throughout His Career

• CM Punk defeated John Cena with the GTS at Money in the Bank 2011 to win his first WWE Championship
• Punk's GTS is a dangerous finisher if he connects flush to an opponent's face

The GTS is not an extremely protected finisher, but it is effective. The move helped CM Punk stand out in a sea of wrestlers who had moves similar to John Cena's Fishermen Carry Slam that lacked the intensity of the person performing it.

The GTS was a perfect move for CM Punk since most of the wrestlers he competed against could take the violent finisher and make it look absolutely devastating. Punk was also able to build up to the move like none other making it impossible to not get excited when he prepared to deliver the GTS. It helped that Punk somehow was able to execute against massive opponents like Kane as well.