10 Best Finishers In Wrestling Today

In which you don't need to risk a broken neck to get over.

RKO Luke Harper
WWE.com

Ironically, given that finishers are apparently ironic in their impotence, there is a wealth of honourable mentions to disqualify.

Hiroshi Tanahashi's High Fly Flow is over, and perfect in execution, and his stupid sexy hunk body adds a crushing physical impact to accentuate its beauty. Bad Luck Fale, not exactly adored in critical circles, nonetheless boasts a delightfully reckless release Razor's Edge that works incredibly well, given the extent to which he dwarfs the performers he delivers it to.

Kevin Owens' adapted Stunner is brave as hell; were anybody remotely divisive to have used it, a sentiment of disrespect would KO their integrity. It's a good omen, ahead of this latest babyface turn teaser, that he commands sufficient currency to pull it off. Andrade's DDT variation looks positively wicked. A real testament to his technique and his ability to tweak an enduring classic, it looks like it compresses the spine to a gruesome degree. Adam Cole's Last Shot looks painfully sharp, and the from-behind approach is a choice reflection of his devious heel character. This nuance is something too few heels grasp.

Seth Rollins' Curb Stomp is protected, requires no cooperation, and honours the agonising danger of its infamous American History X inspiration.

But it's not the best wrestling finisher in the world, period...

10. Finn Bálor: Coup De Grâce

RKO Luke Harper
WWE.com

Finn Bálor's Coup De Grâce is a near-perfect modern wrestling finisher.

The aim is to orchestrate a loud reaction from the audience while, at the same time, asking them to believe that what is to follow is enough to end even the most vaunted and gigantic of opponents. Though ritually betrayed to a near-harrowing extent, the most important aim is (or was) to create the illusion of gruesome danger without actually endangering them.

The Coup De Grâce is a checklist of brilliance.

Bálor aims much of his offence (the sling blade, the double foot stomp) at the gut of his opponents, leaving them prone long enough to ascend the turnbuckle. They're already winded. When he connects, any remaining air is stamped out of them. It's a finisher you cannot kick out of, and thus one of the best.

It's how he connects that puts it over; Bálor appears to plunge his feet into the gut of his opponents with such force that it's a wonder they don't suffer damage to their internal organs. There's a working science to it that nonetheless doesn't hold up to photographic scrutiny. He slides across at precisely the right moment, lessening the impact, but even that looks like an agonising scrape of flesh.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!