10 Transitional Wrestling Moves That Should Be Finishers

Which "regular" moves would make the best match-enders?

Ziggler DDT Neille
WWE

In the world of sports-entertainment today, there are far too few of them and not enough good ones. Every superstar will claim to have one, but really they just have the wrong definition.

I'm talking about finishing moves. 

The finishing move has become a lost art in the land of WWE today. Sure, there are signature moves and holds that have come to be synonymous with certain characters, but none of them have a very high success rate in ending matches. 

A true finisher is a move that, when applied or executed, ends the match, hence the name "finisher". 

Some of the best finishers over the years have been The Tombstone, The Stunner, The Sharpshooter, and others, but lately even some of these moves have been relegated to transition manuevers. 

Especially with the increased rate of injuries, plenty of moves are done in matches today that should signal for the bell but don't. They look great, they sound great yet the match continues only to see a much uglier looking, less-impactful move score the victory. 

It's backwards; some transitional moves should be finishers and some "finishers" should be transitional moves.

So what are some of these moves that should be reserved for only the finishes? Let's take a look...

10. Moonsault / 450 Splash

Ziggler DDT Neille
WWE
Let me preface the first entry by saying that most moves off the top rope should probably be reserved for the finish. There's numerous reasons for this, not the least of which is the risk involved with the superstars performing it.

Jumping off the top rope, especially for a moonsault or a 450 splash, is an incredibly risky move. Some superstars only pull it out for special events as a "super-finisher".

Others go to it during their standard, run-of-the-mill match, but not as their finish. Most recently, Zack Ryder and Seth Rollins busted out a 450 and Phoenix Splash, respectively, against John Cena but to no avail.

From the Macho Man to Neville, wrestlers have been jumping off the top for decades and it always gets a reaction. Let's not water that act down by allowing multiple kickouts immediately following a beautiful high-risk move, especially in the case of a 450 or moonsault.

If the WWE producers were to keep the top rope special, it might help keep more of their talent healthy.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.