A Key Element Missing In Today's Product - Anyone Else Notice This?

[voncouch]

I’ve been watching wrestling since I was in kindergarten, mainly as a WWE fanboy. And lately, this is frustrating me with the product: why can’t a match end on anything but a finisher? While most matches of years past usually did end with the biggest move in a wrestler’s arsenal, they still would throw a curveball every now and again. Sometimes a simple sunset flip or small package executed at the right time could get a surprise win. Two examples that stand out in my mind are Bret Hart vs Piper at WM8 and Bret Hart vs British Bulldog at Summerslam 92. Both matches had a fantastic story with strong finishes, and neither needed to end the match on their finishers. Ric Flair vs Randy Savage at WM8 had two of the best workers of all time telling a fantastic story with two of the most well-known finishers in the business, and the match ended on a schoolboy pin.

On Monday, Dolph Ziggler countered an amazing top-rope back suplex, but the match didn't end because he didn't hit his finish. 2 weeks before, Punk nailed Cena with a fantastic piledriver. But I wasn't shocked on the kick-out, because it wasn't the GTS. You just can’t get a good false finish in with a big move anymore. And for most matches, it still won’t end unless the finisher has been kicked out of two or three times. I’ve heard a lot of people complain about today’s product, but this is a missing part of today’s storytelling that I haven’t heard mentioned before. Has anyone else noticed this? Does anyone else miss it?

[whiteyford]

You get the odd rollup etc but I think its more 'hit the finisher for the crowd pop' than a conscious decision to get rid of falsh finishes.

[Shadrick]

Guys get beaten by moves that aren't "finishes" on an often enough basis.

[Arrogance]

I see what you mean, though I think it's less about them not doing false finishes as well and more about us being cynical/desensitized fans.

[JKWJRMON]

Guys get beaten by moves that aren't "finishes" on an often enough basis.

Dude, you got Jack Swagger's Mug Shot!!!! Fuckin classic!!!

[Ultra Mantis]

TV matches are generally so short now that there's barely any time for false finishes nine times out of ten so they just go with the move that's going to get the pop.

On PPV or attraction matches you do get a fair amount of matches that don't end with a "finisher". Cesaro beat Miz with a school boy on Smackdown a few weeks ago. Punk's won with the elbow drop several times and he also beat Bryan with a superplex, Ziggler beat Orton clean with a superkick at Survivor Series etc etc.

[Bad News Gertner]

It should be like ROH where everybody kicks out of each others finoisher 50 times

[Ultra Mantis]

They only do that because workrate is calculated by how fast you can fill your special meter.

[Shadrick]

I thought it was called a "Spirit" meter. As in, fighting spirit?

[Ultra Mantis]

That's the one they use for kick outs.

[Shadrick]

Ahhh, okay gotcha.

[Anybody Thrilla]

TNA is actually really good about this.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I like it how Dolph Ziggler uses the Superkick every now and then but it's not a regular move that he uses. I don't watch every week, but I can't remember seeing him use it on TV. It's like his "secret weapon."