10 Reasons Classic Wrestling Is Superior To Sports Entertainment

At its core, professional wrestling is storytelling.

As the saying goes, "People don't pay to see the good guy win. They pay to see the bad guy lose". There is no more crowd-pleasing way to dispatch of an opponent than by using one's "finisher". Historically, the finisher is a move so devastating, it all but ensures victory once it's been applied.

There have always been exceptions to this rule. Finishing move kick-outs and false finishes, when used sparingly, can elevate a wrestler's status and build tension. Overuse of finishers devalues the emotional impact they have on the audience. For example, in the 2015 Royal Rumble, John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins competed in a three-way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In the 22-minute match, Rollins used a finisher twice on Lesnar and once on Cena. Cena hit his finisher once on Rollins and four times on Lesnar (three of them were in a row). Lesnar hit his finish twice on Rollins before securing the win. That's eight in one match. One...maybe two would have garnered more effect.

One last point on finishers: If a move works as a finisher for one, it should work for everyone. Better still, don't use other wrestler's finishers. In the territory days, using someone else's finisher would earn you a fine and considerable backstage heat.

Now, it's just Monday night.