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

4. 2017 - One-Winged Angel

Best Finishers
NJPW

As part of their tense and meta stylistic war ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 13's IWGP Heavyweight Title match, Hiroshi Tanahashi strongly criticised Kenny Omega's approach, feeling - not insincerely, given his past comments on the ROH hybrid and Japanese strong styles - that it was hollow athletics too violent to be rich nor rewarding.

It was ironic.

Omega in New Japan was a machine of stamina with absurdly impressive and violent-looking physical timing, but there was considerable depth to his work that embraced Tanahashi's beloved "space between moves" - particularly in the struggle to execute the One-Winged Angel, his one-handed electric chair driver. It's a phenomenal, sickening descent of an impact move, but it's the constant, sudden attempts to execute that get it over. His opponents, provided they haven't had the fight V-triggered out of them, frantically escape it because they know very well that it is a death sentence.

The mythology of the move is key: it has been kicked out of just once in a decade.

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!