10 Worst Finishers In WWE Today

9. The Bayley To Belly

Lightning Fist
WWE Network

Bayley sealed her own fate by choosing the name 'Bayley', which she selected because she is from the Bay Area of California.

Wrestlers love a good pun, and this is what almost invariably shapes their finisher of choice. Physical attributes, chosen technique of expertise, none of this matters: you must spin a pun on your name, and work backwards.

Which is how Bayley arrived at the Bayley to Belly as a finishing move, one that boasts additional gimmick synergy. She likes to hug people, in a friendly Jonathan Coachman manner, and this informs the set-up. She wraps her arms around the back of her opponents, lifts them about an inch above the canvas, neglecting to consider fundamental psychological sh*t like "impact", and slams them to the floor.

On a practical level, this is far less impactful than the basic body slam, and only slightly more ostentatious. It's over only because Bayley is over as a beacon of joy, and we will her to victory regardless because Christ knows she has suffered enough. Her supporters - your writer is counted among their rank - would cherish her, even if she introduced an atomic drop. She's nice. She's really good at being a babyface, and that's hard to do. So what if she picked the name 'Bayley'? It could have been worse.

She's lucky she isn't called 'Pearl,' because by law she would have to use the Sleepearl Hold.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!