10 Best Ways WWE Protected Finishers
WWE have actually been able to keep a finishing move feeling special on the odd occasion...
For the most part, the words "protected" and "WWE" aren't ones you'll often found used in the same sentence unless the likes of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar or another big money part time player is involved in the mix. With long-term plans and the building of stars for the future being about as rare as a month without a PPV (sorry, Premium Live Event) nowadays, it's never been more common to see a seemingly all-powerful finishing move used by a potentially game-changing star be kicked out of for the sake of a cheap pop.
But it hasn't always been this way. In fact, for a time WWE would regularly go out of their way to dream up genuinely inventive scenarios that could justify a significant finisher being kicked out of or not being enough to seal the deal. In fact, some of these highly creative get-out-of-jail cards were so damn successful that they're still being praised and talked about to this day.
From edge-of-your-seat title changes being stolen away by a subtle utilising of the rules, to cocky stars getting a little too carried away with themselves, these WWE finishers were all ultimately looked after in rather intelligent ways.
10. The Hulkster Misses His Vital Leg Drop Against The Warrior
When the Immortal Hulk Hogan finally collided with the barmy Ultimate Warrior on The Grandest Stage of Them All back at the sixth edition of WWE's showpiece WrestleMania event, fans knew that something simply had to give.
With both men possessing finishers that were known for keeping just about anyone who had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of them down for the count, it stood to reason that should either megastar nail the other one with their match-ender, that would be that.
So, in order to keep from squeezing some of the drama and stardust out of either icon's Splash or Leg Drop conclusion, the subtly brilliant call was made for WWE Champion Hogan to lay out his Intercontinental Championship-holding challenger with a Big Boot before ultimately missing his infamous touch of death via hamstring to the mug.
Warrior therefore didn't diminish the power of Hogan's strongest weapon en-route to nailing his own all-conquering finisher shortly after for the win, and Hogan's Leg Drop mystique would be maintained for that little bit longer... until every man and his dog started popping up from it, of course.