Do finishing moves matter anymore?
 

I was just thinking about this and decided "Hey...I'm bored...let me make a discussion out of this." So it is to my curiosity if finishing moves really matter anymore in wrestling. Back in the day, you could define a wrestler by two things: his song and his finisher. However, with the exception of the main eventers, it doesn't seem like many of the newer guys have any real finisher.

Then again, I could be wrong...I mean I'm not the wrestling fan I use to be and pay great attention to this stuff. However, what do you guys think?

And even when they get finishers, it's "Modified STO."

Always find it funny when one guy has a move thats classed as a finisher and always gets the pins with it, then another guy who might use that as a regular move and never gets the pin with it. That guy then ends up winning the match with a move that looked tame in comparrison to the move that should have won him the match.


:?:

In a word.. no. Matches should finish without finishers to make matches more believable and not have the fans waiting 20 minutes on PPV for a finisher.

Yeah, it shouldn't require a finisher to end a match.

Pity the womens matches can't end in a slap, they'd be over in 10 seconds and spare us the agony then.

kurt angle should become a bear, they would call him olympic bear and his finisher would be the claw.

You would think that superplexes off the top rope would put someone down before a Chokeslam or Angleslam or a Devistating thumb.

YOU'D THINK FALLING THROUGH A CELL WOULD FINISH SOME OFF BEFORE HHH'S FINISHER, BUT NO. IT DOESN'T.

Yep, it's fucked up.

damn DUBYA DUBEEEEE STUPID VINCE.... although the STUNNER IS PRETTY SWEET.

I'm tired of this shit with these new people and their retarded posts. Can't tpww have IQ tests before people can sign up?

That's it, I'm turning into Hardcore Holly.

I thought he meant the other kind of bear at first. So he'd be our Olympic Homo.

Anyone know why they've gave Cena the STF as a finisher... other then the possiblity that the only reason was so they could stick a "U" at the end?

Also - Hogan leg drop - the most effective finisher in the history of wrestling, followed closely by the STFU?

There was another reason?

So he wouldn't end all his matches the same way.

Which, if that's the case, didn't do it, because now he almost exclusively wins with the STFU...

How does the five knuckle shuffle and people's elbow end a match?

The Five Knuckle Shuffle to my knowledge hasn't ever ended a match.

As for The People's Elbow, I was under the impression that The Rock Bottom was the "real" finisher, and the elbow was just kinda rubbing salt in the wound and showboating for the fans. It's like "I just knocked this candy ass out with the Rock Bottom, but I'm gonna dance around and drop an elbow on him just because I CAN".

Maybe the shuffle hasn't exactly ended a match, but once that's hit you know the match is over. As for the people's elbow, the guy's been laying down for about 10 seconds after the rock bottom you think he'd get up.

No, see, the whole point is that he isn't getting up.

And I've seen matches not end immediately after the Shuffle, but whatever.

Except that's the point. It's always been an "insult to injury" move. It's NEVER been about the guy getting back up. That's what the Worm is for--A stupid move that hasn't paid off in years, only good for letting the other guy escaped. But the Rock's real finishers are the Rock Bottom, Sharpshooter (Sucky as it was), and the Spinebuster. The people's elbow was no different from the Darkness pin or any other number of ways to say "You're fucked up. Here's something extra to humiliate you/make me look good."

He's metro.

I do recall the Five Knuckle Shuffle ending a tag match at some point last year.

They originally gave John Cena the STFU so he could win a Submission Match when the odds were...*GASP*...stacked against him. Kurt Angle and Chris Masters were his opponents. I think they just decided "Hey, this gives John Cena submission wins, which makes him look even stronger" after that.

BTW, to answer the topic question, no I don't think they matter anymore. Victoria has the Widow's Peak, awesome finisher, but she's not even a major player in the Women's Division. Matt Striker has The Golden Rule, but that has been replaced with a DDT and Fujiwara Armbar in recent weeks. Gregory Helms no longer uses The Vertebreaker (well, he hasn't in years), proving that awesome moves aren't allowed in the WWE. If they let him use it, Helms would be one of the most over guys on the SmackDown! roster.

Lashley has replaced The Dominator with the (Running) Powerslam, which is sure to take some heat away from Harry Smith when he debuts (by the way, can Smith pull off a Sharpshooter?). Edge doesn't use his "SmackDown! Finishers" anymore. The Edgecution and Edgecator were awesome. Both should be revived. Spear should be an out-of-nowhere move to capitalise on a situation. Lita distracts, Edge Spears, Edgecution, that's it.

Carlito had a Reverse Swinging Neckbreaker for a while. Now it has been replaced with "The Backcracker". Not that the Cracker is bad, mind you, it's just not as impactful as it should be. I see it as more of the secondary finisher. Out-of-nowhere moves like the Spear and Backcracker are great and all, but there should always be some kind of primary move to their secondary nature.

John Cena needs to stop doing the F-U, ASAP. It sucks ass. It's a fireman's carry slam. I know Cena is strong and all, but if the F-U can do it, a body slam can. Let Cena Death Valley it up, or have him get a new move. Have Cena keep the STFU, but have him choke guys out with it. Then have him hit a move from that position. Some kind of powerbomb would be nice, but Batista has those covered. Maybe just have him STFU them up, then have him hit a different move after it every time. Powerbomb one week, powerslam the next, DDT the next, etc.

Rock's done the People's Elbow and won matches off of it by setting it up with a scoop slam. :p

I can't even call the FU a Death Valley Driver. It's not even the same thing really. FU is just a slam imho. If it's 'supposed' to be a DVD, then I now hate it even more.

You mean I too can get over by just jumping into the air and falling on my ass!?

That why I like American Dragon, he rarely actually wins a match with Cattle Mutilation