Wrestling Finisher Extravaganza

Because why not, here are my favorite 30 wrestling finishers. Discuss.

Honorable Mention: The People's Elbow (The Rock)- As somebody who unabashedly loves The Rock, I had to include this. It really isn't his best maneuver or really all that impressive phyiscally, but sweet sassy molassy if it isn't excited as hell.



30. The Pounce (Monty Brown)- Perhaps the simplest move on the list, it still is a high-impact spot that the crowd can get behind.



29. Hell's Gate (The Undertaker)- Called a gogoplata in MMA, this has ended matches in both pro wrestling and sporting events without pre-determined outcomes.



28. Codebreaker/Backstabber (Chris Jericho/Carlito)- Essentially the same move, just one is to the front and one to the back. Still looks sweet.



27. Batista Bomb (Batista)- Power upon power.



26. Gory Bomb (Chavo Guerrero)- Performed originally by his grandfather, Gory, Chavo keeps this move alive as one of the oldest moves on the list.



25. The Walls of Jericho (Chris Jericho)- A great submission finisher must be equal parts painful-looking and open for preening. Other than the Sharpshooter, no submission does this better than the Wall of Jericho.



24. The Rock Bottom (The Rock)- High impact move from my all-time favorite.



23. Ankle Lock (Kurt Angle)- Ever tried this on your younger brother? Hurts like hell.



22. Figure Four Leg Lock (Ric Flair)- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!



21. 5 Star Frog Splash (Rob Van Dam)- One the most exciting aerial moves ever. RVD also sold it better than anybody.



20. Sharpshooter (Bret Hart)- Ever had this tried on you by your little brother? Hurts like hell.



19. Vertebreaker (Gregory Helms)- This just looks dangerous.



18. Crucifix Powerbomb (Scott Hall)- Called the Razor's Edge when using his Razor Ramon gimmick, the finest example of Cuban stereotypes in American Sports.



17. Killswitch (Christian)- I liked it better when they called it the Unprettier.



16. Pedigree (Triple H)- Even without being married to the boss's daughter, the backstage politics, and the refusal to go away, Triple H still would have had a big career because he has one of the quickest and best finishers in the business.



15. Go to Sleep (CM Punk)- The GTS works so well because it's so easy to work it into a match. It can be set up and performed from just about any position.



14. The F5 (Brock Lesnar)- His power levels are over 9000.



13. Chokeslam (Kane)- Performed by plenty of big men throughout the years, there is nothing like a good, old-fashioned chokeslam to get the crowd pumped.



12. The RKO (Randy Orton)- A worthy successor to the Stunner as the lightning-quick, high-impact move that gets used in an undiscriminating manner.



11. Jackhammer (Goldberg)- For all of Goldberg's shortcomings, and there were many, you always knew what to expect: great entrance, intensity, spear, jackhammer, more intensity.



10. Alabama Slam (Hardcore Holly)- Ouch.



9. Spear (Edge)- Plenty of folks have used the spear (Goldberg, Rhyno, etc.) but Edge does it best.



8. Stunner (Stone Cold Steve Austin)- More devastating than a shot from the Six Million Dollar Man.



7. The 619 (Rey Mysterio)- While I don't particularly like Rey Mysterio (not good on the mic, same 4 or 5 moves every match, cannot be a heel, same storylines every time), this finisher is one of the best to watch when combined with the West Coast Pop.



6. Tombstone Piledriver (The Undertaker)- This move is so dangerous that it has been barred from use by anyone in the WWE other than the Undertaker, a fact which only adds to its legend.



5. Green Bay Plunge (Mr. Kennedy)- A very cool-looking finisher to be paired with perhaps my favorite gimmick of all time. You mean to tell me WWE didn't have a place for him?



4. The Shooting Star Press (Evan Bourne)- Also called Air Bourne, this move is incredibly dangerous but always looks incredible. It's especially fun when bigger guys (Brock Lesnar, etc.) have tried it.



3. Sweet Chin Music (Shawn Michaels)- Great finisher for a great wrestler. This never looks like it doesn't hurt.



2. The C4 (Paul Burchill)- An explosive move and near impossible to perform.



1. The Canadian Destroyer (Petey Williams)- Yes, hard to believe anything Canadian and not hockey-related could be #1 on any list, but, seriously, just watch it.