10 Wrestlers Who Are The Best At Precisely ONE Move

7. Lariat

Wardlow Undertaker powerbombs
AJPW

Does Stan Hansen's lariat "count"?

It was incredible - a face-smasher launched by a man so hard and grizzled that he belonged more to the 1800s - but it was reckless and thrown in the manner that it was because he could barely see a damn thing.

JBL's Clothesline From Hell, aptly named, was a stunning Jesus-Christer of a finish influenced by Hansen's, but it was less "struck hard in a safe place" and more "Sucks to be you, I'm blasting it as hard as I can whether you like it or not". Strictly, it was a poorly worked move, but still: looked awesome.

Kazuchika Okada's Rainmaker is a great, great finish, even if it has lost some of its dramatic potency in recent years. The ripcord set-up is great, and - much like Kenny Omega's One-Winged Angel - the scope for reversal allows for an additional layer of drama in his finishing sequences. The step-forward lunge puts it over as a kill-shot when he does execute the move.

Kenta Kobashi's Burning Lariat takes it, just: the impact rules, with Kobashi making it look like he'd just cauliflowered his opponent's ear, but his draw back set-up works because there was nobody better - ever - at the sweat-drenched babyface fire-up.

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!