10 WWE Finishers Leftover From Old Gimmicks

7. Chris Jericho - Codebreaker

Bray Wyatt Fiend Sister Abigail
WWE.com

It's been a long time since Chris Jericho was trying to get fans to crack codes, but then as the master of wrestling reinvention it's no surprise he's taken plenty from prior personas into the version of himself he portrays today.

Very pro wrestling that one of his superior finishes was borne out of an era he'd likely rank low on his personal totem pole, the Codebreaker was related to the zeroes and ones of his comeback vignettes and very little else. Yet, when he made his shocking return to New Japan Pro Wrestling in late-2017, it was perfect for levelling Kenny Omega with set up their Wrestle Kingdom clash the following January.

It was that bout that led to many of the conversations behind All Elite Wrestling's eventual arrival, and even though Jericho has relied on the Judas Effect to toast victories rather than defeats with a little bit of the bubbly, the old hold remains potent for near falls.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett