There are plenty of ways to end a pro wrestling match, many of which are perfectly satisfying. A clean pinfall doesnt have to hurt the person taking the loss if the match is booked intelligently: Mick Foley made a career out of getting over while staring at the lights. If not, then screwball finishes that are clearly ramping up an angle to white hot intensity are the bread and butter of professional wrestling and have been for decades: after all, its all about getting asses on seats, selling tickets, drawing money. But we live in an era where the overbooked finish has become a standard part of a booking teams repertoire. The American Dream popularised the Dusty finish when he had the book during the days of the territories, but the advent of cable television and the competitiveness of the Monday Night War made using the same finish over and over a thing of the past the audience just wouldnt buy it. Increasingly, trying new things and testing new ideas meant booking finishes to important wrestling matches that simply didnt work. In many cases, it was a complete and total mystery why anyone would ever have thought they would. Not sure what I mean? Heres a selection of my favourite examples two quintets, half a score, a dozen with a couple thrown back: ten of the worst finishes to a wrestling match, from the last twenty-five years of my wrestling fandom.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
