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

8. 2013 - Running Knee

Best Finishers
WWE

It's astonishing that WWE books the way that it books because a clean result means so much more.

Daniel Bryan's clean-in-the-middle win over John Cena at SummerSlam 2013 resonated so much with the fanbase that they steadfastly refused to buy the subsequent retcon. Bryan's victory was as earned as any in the annals of WWE history, and was put over definitively with a brand new finish: the running knee adopted from KENTA that symbolised, to cap a glorious 27 minute epic, a shift away from sports entertainment and into a new era of meritocratic professional wrestling.

To the fans, it was no longer about who had the best physique, who looked like the biggest star, or what the office really wanted deep down. It was about who the best wrestler was, who hit the hardest, and a rapid stiff knee directly in the eye was a tremendous, poetic illustration of that.

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!