The Contentious Ten 04.09.12: Top 10 Striking Finishers

Back by popular demand, it’s the Contentious Ten! I’m your host, Michael Ornelas, and I’m here with yet another list! This week, after tallying up the votes from last time, your topic is the top ten striking finishers. Striking finishers are relatively new to the realm of wrestling, and have become exponentially more popular since the cultural explosion of Mixed Martial Arts. In the past, the trends have seen slamming finishers, submission finishers, and then aerial finishers. Today, striking finishers are popping up more and more. Here is my criteria for a striking finisher so that we’re all on the same page:

-A finishing strike hits with the intent/possibility of KO or debilitation.
-A finishing strike utilizes impact from the fist, forearm, elbow, arm, shoulder, head, foot, leg, or knee.
-A finishing strike is to the torso, neck, or head.
-A finishing strike is a single blow/is not part of a combo.
-A finishing strike requires the striking appendage to be propelled into the recipient.
-A finishing strike is not off the turnbuckles.
-A finishing strike is to a standing, bending, kneeling, or seated opponent (not lying down).
-A finishing strike does not use a foreign object.
-A finishing strike is a finisher.

So now that we’ve calibrated the parameters of what qualifies as a finishing strike, here are some considerations that would have made the list if they were compatible with the criteria: MMA Elbows to the head (not a single blow), Bryan Danielson fucking kicking someone’s head in (not a single blow), the Power of the Punch and the Van Daminator (use foreign objects). Also, Rey Mysterio’s 619 is part of a combo and Hulk Hogan’s Leg Drop isn’t to a partially vertical opponent. Edited note: Steve Austin’s Stunner and Chris Jericho’s Codebreaker don’t propel the shoulder or knee (respectively) into the recipient.

Moves that just missed the cut: Booker T’s Scissor Kick, Naruki Doi’s Bakatare Sliding Kick, Kofi Kingston’s Trouble in Paradise, Claudio Castagnoli’s Swiss Death, Kenny Omega’s Hadouken, William Regal’s Knee Trembler, Randy Orton’s Punt, and The Big Show’s Knock-Out Punch.

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Samoan Spikesize=6>

Notable performers:
-Umaga

This strike is as close as you can get to a foreign object without breaking the rules. Or at least that’s how devastating Umaga made it by taping his thumb up. Every time this move hit, it was the end. When compiling this list, I realized just how many great striking finishers there are. This was one of the earlier examples I thought of and was certain it would end up toward the top of the list since I love this move. But there were so many great options that this ended up placing tenth. This was a fantastic move that was made brutal by the monster that dished it out.

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Roundhouse Head Kicksize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Buzzsaw Kick (Tajiri)
-Daniel Bryan
-CM Punk
-Davey Richards (Also while running)

This is one of those moves that when done right, looks absolutely devastating. Bryan’s version after several stiff kicks to the chest always gets me to mark out, but that breaks the “part of a combo” parameter listed above. This makes the list because of Tajiri’s Buzzsaw Kick. When I first saw the move about ten years ago (and I hadn’t yet seen any Indy wrestling), I thought it was the stiffest move ever. Tajiri’s unsettling heel persona from when he was Cruiserweight Champion was pitch-perfect, and this move punctuated that. I can’t think of an example of when it was ever kicked out of (although I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened at least once), so this move easily makes the list.

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Spinning Backfistsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Uraken (Aja Kong)
-Awesome Kong
-Backfist to the Future (Eddie Kingston)

This move would have placed a little higher if it had better accuracy. The spinning backfist can be a little sloppy, but when it connects to the head of the recipient, they don’t wake up. You can see just how vicious Aja Kong’s Uraken is by just looking it up on YouTube for two minutes. The spinning backfist is an extremely underutilized move that I’d love to see brought to WWE. There’s a chance that when (or if) Kharma returns, we’ll see it wipe out the Divas division, but time will tell on that one.

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The Spearsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Goldberg
-The Gore (Rhyno)
-The Pounce (Monty Brown/Marcus Cor Von)
-Edge

Seeing as Goldberg didn’t finish with the Spear and Edge’s was a little weak, this move places on the list because of the variations – the Gore and the Pounce. Rhyno would rip right through his opponents with his Gore and when coupled with Paul Heyman on commentary, the move got over huge. It even led to one of the more historic moments in SmackDown history when Rhyno gored Chris Jericho through the set. A couple years later, Marty Brown was annihilating opponents in TNA with the Pounce, one of my personal favorite moves of all time. The way he would just launch his opponents with this tackle was always a sight to behold.

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Bicycle Kicksize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Brogue Kick (Sheamus)
-Carbon Footprint (Matt Morgan)
-Cyclone Kill (Chris Hero)
-Albert

This is just a nasty move that always makes your face hurt by just watching it. Sheamus’ Brogue Kick is in my opinion the best incarnation of a straight-up bicycle kick, but no matter who does it – it’s still pretty sick. I don’t know whether or not I’d call Hero’s Cyclone Kill a variation of this or a big boot, but since it has properties of both, I’m putting it here to give it a mention. Mostly because it’s one of the coolest kicks in wrestling today. If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, avoid Bicycle Kicks at all costs.

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Lariatsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Stan Hansen
-Kenta Kobashi
-Clothesline from Hell (JBL)
-Jawbreaker Lariat (Nigel McGuinness)
-Discus Lariat (Davey Richards)
-Doomsday Device (The Road Warriors)

The difference between a clothesline and a lariat is the level of impact. Clotheslines are a common, everyday move in the landscape of pro wrestling, but when done right, lariats will absolutely destroy you. Stan Hansen was the first wrestler to get over the lariat as a big time move, but since him, many have expanded on the maneuver. Bradshaw (JBL) finished with a hard-hitting version during his time with WWE. Davey Richards will decapitate you with his aggressive rendition of the move. Nigel McGuinness had my favorite version though: the Jawbreaker Lariat, which was essentially just a rebound lariat (that admittedly didn’t pick up the momentum it should have a lot of the time). The Road Warriors’ version of the move was also awesome as it was essentially an elevated lariat with further for the opponent to fall. Unfortunately, because it’s off the turnbuckle, it couldn’t contribute to the placement of this move.

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Rolling Elbowsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Mitsuharu Misawa
-KTFO, Ripcord Rolling Elbow, Death Blow, & KO (Chris Hero/Kassius Ohno)
-Masato Tanaka

The placement of the Rolling Elbow on this list largely depends on your position on Chris Hero. Personally, I think he’s one of the best wrestlers today, and the fact that he had a move set on the Indies that largely consisted of elbows proves just how detrimental that appendage can be. He was at a point where arguably 80% of his offense could believably end a match, and that was built on elbow smash variations. The KTFO is my favorite variation with the Ripcord a close second. It would be blasphemous to ignore Mitsuharu Misawa who saw countless victories and championships as a result of the Rolling Elbow.

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Go To Sleepsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-CM Punk
-KENTA (also inverted)

A dropping knee smash to the face. Tell me that doesn’t sound brutal. The first time I saw this move, I cringed. It is currently my favorite finisher in wrestling, and that’s largely thanks to its believability. Ignore the fact that quite often, the knee hits the chest and not the face – in kayfabe, this is one of the most violent finishers in the business. The inverted version of this move looks just as brutal and I recommend looking it up.

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Shining Wizardsize=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Keiji Mutoh
-CM Punk
-Shining Apprentice (The Hurricane)

Since its innovation (by Mutoh) in 2001, the Shining Wizard has been one of the most popular striking finishers in both Japan and the United States. Whether the knee lands on the side of the recipient’s head or the face, this move is usually more than enough to guarantee victory. I think the first time I saw this move, it was The Hurricane’s variation which was more a kick than a knee, but I was still impressed. Now that I’m older and know the heritage of the move, and more importantly – its huge influence on strikes being used as finishers, I can identify that it’s truly deserving of the top spot on this list. If it weren’t for my number one pick, that is…

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COBRAAAAAA!!!!!!size=6>

Heh. Just kidding…

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Sweet Chin Music (Superkick)size=6>

Notable variants/performers:
-Chris Adams
-Last Call (James Storm)
-Stevie Kick (Stevie Richards)
-Lance Storm
-Avada Kedavra (Seth Rollins)
-Early-Onset Alzheimer’s (The Young Bucks)

Given the way this list has worked, I feel like I should have listed “Superkick” and put Sweet Chin Music in the variants, but honestly, this move got the number one spot exclusively because of the way HBK does it. Rollins’ Avada Kedavra looks brutal, and the two superkicks done by the Bucks are cool, but those get kicked out of fairly often. Michaels has a much better win percentage with the Sweet Chin Music. This is also the most iconic finisher on the list that fits the criteria. Sweet Chin Music can come out of anywhere.

So there you have it: the top ten striking finishers in wrestling. If there were any omissions, feel free to make your lists below. These lists are always subjective and I love reading other people’s reasonings for certain moves they feel should be higher. Also, please vote below for the topic you’d like me to do next week. It’s a tag team week, so here are your options:

Tag Team Finishers
Current Tag Teams
Thrown Together Tag Teams

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