6. The People's Elbow Was a Ridiculous Finishing Move
The Rock deserves a lot of credit for coming up with the People's Elbow. It's really just an elbow drop to the chest that people do all the time in wrestling, but he made it an experience that fans absolutely loved or hated depending on who you're talking to. He made it a spectacle by tossing his elbow pad into the crowd, then running the ropes and dropping the elbow to the chest. As a setup move it was fine. In the early years that's all it was. Then he started pinning people with it. That's when it got a bit weird because it really doesn't look like a finishing move nor does it have the credibility of one. By the late 1990s/early 2000s wrestling fans got a lot smarter and basic moves like a Hogan leg drop wouldnt get over as much. However, Rock proved that it could still happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPwqPdqMcZk In Rock's defense, he did have the Rock Bottom as another finishing move that he used more often. However, he did win many matches with the People's Elbow too. At least it was a safe move that didn't hurt anybody or himself.
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.
