The "Stone Cold Stunner" is arguably the most popular finishing move in the history of wrestling. When Steve Austin hit that on his opponents it drew a big reaction and usually meant lights out for his opponent. Most people sell it the same way, but The Rock was an exception because he was very over the top with it. The normal way to sell the move is when Austin grabs the guy by the neck and drops to his ass, the person receiving the move drops to both knees. Then the guy receiving the move simply falls back onto their back to lay down for the pinfall. That's how most people did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU8DDJRwjkI When The Rock took the move, he didn't just fall back after receiving the Stunner. He landed on his back, then he would do a handspring where he pushed himself towards the ropes and bounce on them before falling on his back. If he wasn't near the ropes he would just flip back over to land on his stomach. It looked better when he bounced off the ropes. It was likely something that Rock did after taking the move so many time that he felt like he should add his own twist to it. That twist made the move more memorable. It was a bit silly, but it sure looked cool.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
