Ranking What Was Really The Best Wrestling Finisher Every Year 1990-2020

13. 2008 - Codebreaker

Best Finishers
WWE.com

Adapted from Naomichi Marifuji, Chris Jericho's version was faithful, perfectly-timed, and lowkey crucial to his heel act. It was the perfect complement to what were his two best in-ring years before his exceptionally resourceful NJPW/AEW twilight.

Babyfaces in WWE don't tap clean. The Walls of Jericho was, in effect, pretext for the sort of f*ck finish that undermined Jericho as a true main event-level threat in the dying days of the Attitude Era.

The Codebreaker changed everything; a double-knee facebreaker he could convincingly execute it on any opponent. Working excellently with his pious and intelligent reinvented heel character, the Codebreaker was a cunning and brutal finisher that helped legitimise Jericho as the man capable of putting beloved babyfaces on the shelf.

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!