The 25 Most Iconic Wrestling Finishers of All Time

The Art of the Finisher

In professional wrestling, the finishing move is far more than a way to end a match. It is the punctuation mark on a story, the exclamation point that turns a sequence of moves into a narrative with a climax. A great finisher tells the audience that the end is near. It creates a Pavlovian response in the crowd: the moment the setup begins, fans rise to their feet because they know what is coming. That anticipation, that shared understanding between performer and audience, is what separates professional wrestling from every other form of entertainment.

The best finishing moves share a few key qualities. They look devastating. They are unique to the performer or at least strongly associated with them. They can be hit "out of nowhere" or built toward with dramatic tension. And most importantly, they are protected — meaning the audience believes that when the move connects, the match is over. The moment a finisher loses its credibility, the wrestler who uses it loses something essential to their character.

Understanding finishers is fundamental to understanding how professional wrestling works as a storytelling medium. They are the vocabulary of the art form. When a wrestler kicks out of a finisher, it means something. When two finishers collide, it creates a moment. When a wrestler steals an opponent's finisher, it is the ultimate disrespect. This guide covers the 25 moves that defined that vocabulary across multiple generations.

Strikes

The striking finisher is wrestling at its most visceral. One hit, lights out. These moves thrive on timing, sell, and crowd connection.

1. Stone Cold Stunner — Stone Cold Steve Austin

Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner is arguably the most famous finishing move in wrestling history. Performed by kicking the opponent in the gut, grabbing their head, and dropping to a seated position to drive their jaw into Austin's shoulder, the Stunner is simple, quick, and devastating. Its brilliance lies in the fact that it can come from absolutely anywhere. Austin did not need a setup or a specific position. He just needed his opponent within arm's reach.

The most memorable Stunner of all time came at WrestleMania X-Seven when Austin hit The Rock with a Stunner during their epic main event in Houston. But the beauty of the move is that almost every Stunner felt like a moment. Vince McMahon's over-the-top selling of the Stunner became legendary in its own right. The move defined the Attitude Era and remains the gold standard for how a finisher should connect with an audience.

2. Sweet Chin Music — Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels would stomp his foot on the canvas, building a rhythmic thunder that grew faster and louder as his opponent stumbled to their feet. Then, a superkick directly under the chin. Sweet Chin Music is the gold standard of the "tuning up the band" setup — the crowd participation element turned every use into a shared experience between Michaels and the audience.

The superkick has become one of the most common moves in modern wrestling, used by dozens of performers, but nobody has ever matched the drama Michaels brought to it. The most iconic use came at WrestleMania 25 against The Undertaker, when Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music as a desperate last stand in what many consider the greatest WrestleMania match ever. The Undertaker sat up after taking it flush, and the crowd lost their minds.

3. RKO — Randy Orton

The RKO is a jumping cutter performed by leaping toward an opponent, grabbing their head in mid-air, and driving their face into the mat. On paper it sounds straightforward. In practice, it became the single most versatile finishing move in wrestling history. Randy Orton has hit the RKO from the top rope, off a ladder, out of mid-air when opponents were leaping toward him, and in approximately a thousand other creative variations that spawned an entire genre of internet videos.

The "RKO out of nowhere" meme transcended wrestling entirely, reaching a mainstream audience that had no interest in the product. That cultural penetration is a testament to how visually spectacular and instantly recognizable the move became. The most memorable RKO might be the one he hit on Evan Bourne out of a Shooting Star Press, a counter so impossibly timed that it still gets shared online years later. Orton's recent heel turn in 2026 has given the RKO a new edge, with Orton using it as a tool of betrayal rather than a crowd-pleasing exclamation point.

4. GTS (Go To Sleep) — CM Punk

CM Punk lifts his opponent into a fireman's carry across his shoulders, then drops them forward so their face falls directly onto Punk's rising knee. The GTS looks absolutely brutal when executed well, and Punk's delivery — the way he pauses at the top before dropping his opponent — adds a moment of theatrical cruelty that fits his character perfectly.

Originally used by KENTA in Japan, the move became globally famous through Punk's use during his legendary 434-day WWE Championship reign. The most memorable GTS might be the one that put John Cena down at Money in the Bank 2011 in Chicago, the match that cemented Punk's place in history. With Punk's return to WWE and his rivalry with Roman Reigns, the GTS has become must-see television once again.

5. The People's Elbow — The Rock

Let's be honest: The People's Elbow should not work. It is, objectively, just an elbow drop. The opponent is lying flat on their back. The Rock runs to one side of the ring, bounces off the ropes. Runs to the other side, bounces off those ropes. Stops, kicks off an elbow pad, does the most electrifying pose in sports entertainment, and drops an elbow. The entire sequence takes about fifteen seconds during which the opponent is just lying there.

And yet it was one of the most over finishing moves in history, because The Rock was one of the most charismatic human beings to ever live. The People's Elbow is proof that the performer makes the move, not the other way around. The crowd reaction to the setup — the eyebrow raise, the elbow pad toss — was deafening every single time. It proved that connection with the audience matters more than how "realistic" a move looks. The most memorable use was arguably at WrestleMania X-Seven against Austin, closing out one of the greatest matches and greatest eras simultaneously.

6. Rainmaker — Kazuchika Okada

Kazuchika Okada grabs his opponent's wrist, pulls them in, and levels them with a devastating short-arm lariat. The Rainmaker is the perfect marriage of simplicity and storytelling. Okada's ability to build drama around the wrist-control sequence — the opponent knows what is coming but cannot escape — creates incredible tension in the closing stretches of his matches.

The Rainmaker defined a generation of New Japan Pro-Wrestling main events. Okada's historic reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion featured countless Rainmaker finishes, each one feeling more earned than the last. The most iconic might be the one that finally defeated Kenny Omega at Dominion 2018 after their trilogy of classics. For fans who want to understand what makes Japanese wrestling special, Okada's use of the Rainmaker is the perfect starting point.

Submissions

Submission finishers add a dimension that strikes cannot: sustained drama. The audience watches the trapped wrestler fight, suffer, and ultimately choose between tapping out or passing out.

7. Sharpshooter — Bret Hart

Bret "The Hitman" Hart would step through his opponent's legs, cross them, and turn the opponent onto their stomach while sitting back to wrench the lower back and legs. The Sharpshooter is visually distinctive, immediately recognizable, and — when sold properly — looks genuinely agonizing. Hart's technical precision in applying the hold added to its credibility. You believed it hurt because Hart made you believe it.

Of course, the most infamous use of the Sharpshooter was not by Hart but against him. The Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997 saw the referee call for the bell while Hart was in Shawn Michaels' Sharpshooter, even though Hart never submitted. That moment changed the wrestling industry forever and turned a finishing move into a symbol of the blurred line between fiction and reality. The Sharpshooter has also been used effectively by The Rock and Natalya, but it will always belong to the Hitman.

8. Figure Four Leglock — Ric Flair

The Nature Boy would grapevine his opponent's legs and fall backward, creating a figure-four shape that put tremendous pressure on the knee. Ric Flair's Figure Four Leglock is one of the oldest finishers on this list, and its longevity is a testament to its effectiveness as a storytelling device. Flair would spend entire matches working the leg, chopping the opponent down, targeting the knee, all building toward the inevitable Figure Four.

The drama of the hold came from the reversal — opponents could shift their weight to flip the hold and reverse the pressure. This created a natural back-and-forth that added tension to every application. The Figure Four has been passed down through generations: The Miz uses it today, and Charlotte Flair adapted it into the Figure Eight with a bridging variation. But the original, with Flair strutting around the ring after locking it in, is wrestling royalty.

9. Walls of Jericho — Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho would grab his opponent's legs, step through, and turn them over into an elevated Boston Crab, sitting deep to maximize the pressure on the lower back. The Walls of Jericho benefited enormously from Jericho's ability to reinvent himself every few years. The move remained a constant across his many character evolutions — from Y2J to the painmaker to Le Champion.

The most memorable application was arguably against The Rock on the night Jericho became the first-ever Undisputed Champion, defeating both Rock and Austin in the same night. Jericho's willingness to adapt the hold over the years — sometimes applying it as a standard Boston Crab, other times the full elevated Walls — showed an understanding that a finisher can evolve with the performer.

10. Crippler Crossface — Chris Benoit

A grounded crossface submission where the wrestler traps the opponent's arm and locks their hands across the opponent's face, pulling back to wrench the neck and shoulder. The Crossface was technically excellent and visually clear — audiences could immediately see the pressure being applied and understand why someone would tap out to it.

The most significant use came at WrestleMania XX when it forced Triple H to tap out in the main event, giving Benoit the World Heavyweight Championship in one of the most emotionally charged moments in WrestleMania history. The Crossface remains an important move in wrestling's technical vocabulary, even though its legacy is complicated by subsequent events. Daniel Bryan later adopted a variation as his primary submission.

11. Yes Lock — Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan would trap his opponent's arm, wrap his legs around their body, and pull back on their face in a modified LeBell Lock submission. The Yes Lock became the symbol of the Yes Movement, one of the most organic fan-driven phenomena in wrestling history. When Bryan locked it in, the crowd would erupt in "Yes!" chants that shook arenas.

The definitive use came at WrestleMania 30, when Bryan made Batista tap out to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. The entire journey — from being overlooked by creative to the crowd willing him into the main event — made that Yes Lock the cathartic conclusion to one of wrestling's greatest stories. Bryan proved that a submission finisher could generate the same explosive crowd reaction as any strike or power move.

12. STF — John Cena

John Cena's STF — a stepover toehold combined with a facelock — became one of the most frequently seen finishers in WWE history thanks to Cena's 16 world championship reigns. Cena would lock the legs and pull back on his opponent's face, and while purists sometimes critiqued the tightness of his application, the move was undeniably effective as a storytelling tool.

The STF worked because of Cena's character. His "never give up" ethos meant that when he locked it in, the question was never whether Cena would hold on but whether the opponent would quit. The most memorable application was against Batista at WrestleMania 26, forcing the Animal to say "I quit." For a generation of fans who grew up with Cena, the STF is as iconic as any move on this list.

Power Moves

Power finishers are about spectacle and impact. Big wrestlers throwing other wrestlers with authority. These moves work because they look like they genuinely hurt.

13. Tombstone Piledriver — The Undertaker

The Undertaker would grab his opponent, flip them upside down, hold them vertically against his body, and drop to his knees, driving their head into the mat. The Tombstone Piledriver is the most protected finishing move in wrestling history. For over three decades, if The Undertaker hit you with a Tombstone, the match was over. That consistency is what made the rare kickout — like at WrestleMania 25 against Shawn Michaels — feel like the world was ending.

The Tombstone was central to The Undertaker's legendary WrestleMania streak. Twenty-one consecutive victories, most ending with the Tombstone. The visual of The Undertaker crossing the opponent's arms over their chest before pinning them added a funereal theatricality that no other finisher has matched. Kane also used the Tombstone, and the moments when the Brothers of Destruction hit simultaneous Tombstones were some of the most devastating images in wrestling.

14. F-5 — Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar hoists his opponent onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry, then spins them out and off his shoulders, letting them crash face-first into the mat. The F-5 perfectly represents Brock Lesnar: raw, explosive, almost careless power. The way Lesnar launches opponents off his shoulders with minimal effort makes the move look like a force of nature rather than a wrestling technique.

The most significant F-5 in history came at WrestleMania 30, when three consecutive F-5s ended The Undertaker's streak at 21-1. The silence in the Superdome after the three-count was one of the most surreal moments in wrestling history. No one believed it. The F-5 had done what no finisher had managed in over two decades. That single night elevated the move from a great finisher to a move that changed wrestling.

15. Jackhammer — Goldberg

Goldberg would lift his opponent vertically for a suplex, hold them in the air to let the moment breathe, then fall forward to slam them into the mat with a powerslam-style landing. The Jackhammer combined the visual spectacle of a vertical suplex with the impact of a powerslam, and Goldberg's ability to perform it on wrestlers of all sizes made it look unstoppable.

The Jackhammer was the exclamation point on Goldberg's undefeated streak in WCW. 173 consecutive victories, many ending with a Spear followed by the Jackhammer. The move perfectly encapsulated what made Goldberg special: he was not a technical wrestler or a great talker, but when he hit the Jackhammer, you believed that no one could survive it. The Jackhammer on Hulk Hogan on Nitro to win the WCW World Title remains one of the most iconic moments in Monday Night War history.

16. Batista Bomb — Batista

Batista would set his opponent up for a powerbomb, shake the ropes while screaming, then lift them high and drive them down with a sit-out powerbomb. The Batista Bomb benefited from Batista's incredible intensity in the setup. The rope-shaking, the primal scream, the thumbs-down gesture — by the time the move hit, the crowd had already erupted.

The most memorable Batista Bomb was arguably the one at WrestleMania 21 that defeated Triple H and established Batista as a main event star. The evolution from Evolution member to world champion was complete in that single move. The Batista Bomb also played a key role in the WrestleMania 35 main event, where Batista's return to challenge Triple H gave the move one final run on the biggest stage.

17. Attitude Adjustment — John Cena

John Cena lifts his opponent onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry and throws them off to the side, slamming them onto their back. The Attitude Adjustment — known as the FU during the Ruthless Aggression era — is one of the simplest moves on this list. It is essentially a modified fireman's carry takeover. But simplicity is its strength.

The AA worked because it could be hit on anyone, regardless of size. Cena hit it on Big Show. He hit it on Mark Henry. He hit it on Brock Lesnar. The visual of Cena muscling someone onto his shoulders and tossing them communicated pure determination, which was the core of his character. The AA off the top of a car onto the concrete at Backlash 2007, delivered to Edge, might be the single most visually spectacular version of any finisher on this list.

High-Flying

Aerial finishers carry inherent risk, which is what makes them so thrilling. When a wrestler climbs the ropes, the audience knows they are putting their body on the line.

18. Shooting Star Press — Brock Lesnar / Billy Kidman

A backflip off the top rope, landing chest-first on a prone opponent. The Shooting Star Press is breathtaking when executed perfectly — the athlete launches backward off the top turnbuckle and rotates in a full backflip before landing. Billy Kidman popularized it in WCW, but the most famous attempted Shooting Star Press came from an unlikely source: Brock Lesnar.

At WrestleMania 19, Lesnar — a 295-pound former NCAA heavyweight champion — climbed the top rope and launched a Shooting Star Press at Kurt Angle. He did not get enough rotation and nearly landed on his head. The fact that he finished the match despite a concussion became part of wrestling legend. It proved that the Shooting Star Press commands respect regardless of who attempts it, because the margin for error is almost zero.

19. Swanton Bomb — Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy climbs the turnbuckle, extends his arms into a crucifix pose, and dives forward in a senton splash, rotating his body to land back-first across his opponent. The Swanton Bomb is inseparable from Jeff Hardy's identity as wrestling's ultimate daredevil. The height Hardy gets, the hang time, the way he commits fully to the rotation — it all communicates fearlessness.

Hardy has hit the Swanton from ladders, cages, and scaffolding. The most iconic version might be the Swanton off a 20-foot ladder through a table at WrestleMania X-Seven during the TLC match. It was not a finishing move in that context — it was a statement about the lengths Jeff Hardy would go to entertain the audience. For a deeper look at the various match types where Hardy thrived, check our match types guide.

20. Red Arrow — Ricochet

Ricochet launches himself off the top rope with a corkscrew shooting star press — a move that combines a backflip with a 360-degree twist. The Red Arrow (also associated with Neville/PAC) is one of the most visually spectacular moves in professional wrestling. The rotation, the precision required to land it safely, and the sheer athleticism involved make it look like something from a superhero movie.

The Red Arrow represents the evolution of high-flying wrestling. What Rey Mysterio started in the 1990s, performers like Ricochet have taken to an entirely new level. Every time the Red Arrow connects, it reminds the audience that the athletes in professional wrestling are among the most skilled performers in the world. It is the kind of move that makes casual viewers do a double-take and ask, "How did he just do that?"

21. 630 Senton — Ricochet / Shane Helms

The wrestler leaps from the top rope and rotates one and three-quarter times — essentially a double front flip — before landing on their opponent. The 630 Senton pushes the boundaries of what the human body can do in the confines of a wrestling ring. The rotation speed required to complete the move is extraordinary, and the landing must be precise to avoid serious injury.

The 630 is typically reserved for the biggest moments — pay-per-view main events and match-deciding spots — because of the toll it takes on the performer's body. That scarcity adds to its impact. When a wrestler hits a 630 Senton, the audience knows they are witnessing something special. It is the kind of move that makes you understand why fans sit through three-hour shows: for that one moment that makes you leap out of your chair.

22. Phoenix Splash — Kenny Omega / Hayabusa

The wrestler stands on the top rope facing away from the ring, does a 450-degree rotation (one and a quarter front flips), and lands on the opponent. The Phoenix Splash was pioneered by the legendary Hayabusa in Japan and has been adopted by several performers since, most notably Kenny Omega as part of his expansive moveset.

What makes the Phoenix Splash special is the combination of backward-facing start position with forward rotation. The wrestler cannot see their target for most of the move, relying entirely on spatial awareness and practice. It is one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling, and that danger communicates to the audience just how far a competitor is willing to go to win. When Omega hit the Phoenix Splash during his epic matches with Okada, it was always a sign that he was reaching into his deepest reserves.

Modern Era

The current generation of finishers reflects wrestling's global expansion and the blending of styles from American, Japanese, Mexican, and European traditions.

23. One Winged Angel — Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega lifts his opponent into an electric chair position, transitions them into a fireman's carry, and drives them headfirst into the mat with a sitout piledriver. The One Winged Angel is the most protected finishing move in modern wrestling. For years, no one kicked out of it. That protection meant that when Omega hit it, the match was definitively over, giving it a finality that most modern finishers lack.

The OWA became the defining move of the "golden era" of New Japan and AEW. Omega's matches against Okada, Naito, and Hangman Adam Page built entire narratives around whether the opponent could avoid the OWA long enough to find another path to victory. When Kota Ibushi kicked out of the OWA at Wrestle Kingdom, it was treated as an earth-shattering moment. That is the power of a properly protected finisher. To learn more about where to watch these matches, see our how to watch guide.

24. Destino — Tetsuya Naito

Tetsuya Naito spins around his opponent, hooks their head, and drives them into the mat with a swinging reverse DDT. The Destino is fluid, dynamic, and perfectly suits Naito's tranquilo persona. The spinning motion creates a visual flourish that makes the move look effortless, as if Naito is not even trying that hard — which is entirely the point of his character.

The Destino carried Naito through his two-decade rise in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, from mid-carder to the man who finally won both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 14. The move's name — Spanish for "destiny" — reflected Naito's arc perfectly. Every Destino felt like fate arriving on schedule. It is one of the most aesthetically beautiful finishers ever created.

25. Cross Rhodes — Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes hooks his opponent's arm, spins them around, and drives them face-first into the mat with a rolling cutter. The Cross Rhodes is elegant, effective, and deeply tied to Cody's personal narrative. The move was there during his Stardust years, his departure from WWE, his run as the face of AEW, and his triumphant return to finish his story.

The Cross Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 that defeated Roman Reigns and ended the longest world championship reign in modern history is the most significant finishing move moment since the F-5 ended the Streak. It was the move that finished the story. Cody's father Dusty Rhodes was known for the Bionic Elbow, and the Cross Rhodes carries that legacy forward — a son honoring his father by creating something new while acknowledging where he came from.

Honorable Mentions

No list of 25 finishers can be definitive. The Claymore Kick from Drew McIntyre deserves recognition as one of the most explosive strikes in modern wrestling — a running front kick delivered with the force of a man who spent years fighting his way back to the top. Panama Sunrise, the creation of Adam Cole, is a Canadian Destroyer off the top rope that looks impossible every time it hits. Both moves represent the creativity and athleticism that define the current era.

Other finishers that narrowly missed the list include the Pedigree (Triple H), the Styles Clash (AJ Styles), the Black Mass (Malakai Black), the End of Days (Baron Corbin — famously never kicked out of), and the 619 (Rey Mysterio). Each of these moves has a strong case, and their absence here is not a reflection of their quality but of the impossibility of limiting greatness to a fixed number.

The Evolution Continues

Finishing moves will continue to evolve as wrestling itself evolves. The moves on this list span fifty years of innovation, from Ric Flair's Figure Four to Kenny Omega's One Winged Angel. Each generation pushes the boundaries of what is possible, building on the foundation laid by the generation before it.

What remains constant is the principle: a great finisher is a story in a single move. It tells you who the wrestler is, what they value, and why they win. The Stunner was Austin's blue-collar directness. The People's Elbow was Rock's showmanship. The Tombstone was Undertaker's finality. The OWA is Omega's perfectionism. When a new finisher captures the imagination of fans and becomes inseparable from the performer's identity, wrestling gains something timeless.

With WrestleMania 42 approaching and the current roster featuring some of the most talented performers in history, the next iconic finisher might be just around the corner. Keep watching. The best moves in wrestling are the ones you haven't seen yet.