Pro Wrestling Power

A huge part of what draws us to pro wrestling is the over the top characters, and the entertaining promos, feuds and storylines they are involved in. I’ve made it pretty clear on this site that I think these things are infinitely more important in the wrestling business than actual in-ring work is. I’ve also emphasized how drawing money is the single most important aspect to consider when gauging the greatness of a professional wrestler, which is a somewhat odd measurable when compared to real sports or even other forms of entertainment, but it’s true nonetheless.

However, I will admit that the in-ring action also plays a part in the appeal of pro wrestling. Many fans pick their favorite wrestlers not only according to the qualities I described above, but also for their finishing maneuver and overall moveset. There’s no doubt that these things can play a significant role in whether a wrestler gets over or not, despite not being the most important quality a superstar should have. With that said, I’d like to present to you my top 10 favorite pro wrestling moves with an explanation of why I like each one.

You will take notice that I enjoy mostly finishers and striking attacks, and that my overall taste is somewhat basic. That’s not to say I don’t like the highly athletic cruserweight matches with fancy moves like hurricanranas and such. But I just prefer these moves. And I did throw in a few submission holds too, even though I tend to like the striking attack moves more. So here’s my list:

10. Boston Crab- A very basic submission hold, yet one that is rarely used anymore, unless you count Chris Jericho’s modified version as the Walls of Jericho. I always thought this move looked cool from the time I was very young, and I would like to see it featured more in some high profile matches, or maybe have a young wrestler adopt it as his finishing submission hold and give it a different name. The Model Rick Martel was the master of this move, and I’ll always picture him when I see this move applied in a match.

9. Steiner Recliner- Another awesome submission hold that was pretty basic. Really, it’s just a slightly modified version of the Camel Clutch, but the way Scott Steiner applied it made it seem like it hurt more, partially because Steiner’s physique added to the pain that you thought the other guy was in.

8. Superplex- Again, very basic yet cool looking maneuver. It’s just a suplex from the top rope after all, but I like the normal standing vertical suplex a lot too, so when it’s done from the top rope it really looks awesome. I don’t think current wrestlers sell this move right anymore. In the pre-attitude era, this was a big time move that was sold like the guy had just been shot. Now it’s sold like a normal suplex used to be sold. I don’t want to get off on another long tangent here, like I so often do, but the number one problem with the in- ring product right now is not selling most moves like they hurt anymore. Anyway, the Superplex is still a great move.

7. Sharpshooter- My favorite submission hold ever, applied by one of my favorite wrestlers ever, Bret the Hitman Hart. Props to Konan for showing it to the Hitman, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Sting’s Scorpion Deathlock here, which is the exact same move. This was and still is a great finishing maneuver that really looks like it hurts because it actually does. At the very least, it’s pretty uncomfortable to be in, but then again so are the Steiner Recliner and Boston Crab. Once again, the wrestlers who most often applied this move, Hart and Sting, made it seem even more special.

6. Rude Awakening- I haven’t really thought above this move in years, until I thought of the idea for this post. Like almost every move on this list, you could say it’s just a different name given to a basic move, in this case the neckbreaker, but the wrestler who performs the move and the way in which he does it adds so much to every move on this list. Ravishing Rick Rude was a very underrated overall superstar, so it’s only fitting that his finisher was underrated as well. You really got the feeling that the match was over when Rude hit this successfully.

5. Rock Bottom- The Rock’s “People’s Elbow” may be one of the most ludicrous, most fake moves ever pulled off in a wrestling ring, right up there with Scotty Too Hotty’s ‘Worm” and John Cena’s “Five Knuckle Shuffle.” Mick Foley has pointed this out several times in his books, and rightfully so. However, the Rock Bottom more than made up for it. This move looks awesome, and it’s even better when you see the Rock set up for it with the look to the crowd and the “People’s Eyebrow” before sending his opponent crashing down to the mat. The only problem with it was that in theory it was easy to counter. The guy could just elbow The Rock in the head when his arm was slung on his shoulder, which was indeed the counter that many guys used to get out of it over the years. But you could say most moves in pro wrestling would be easy to counter in a real life fight. That doesn’t make them any less awesome.

4. Tombstone Piledriver- A normal piledriver is cool enough, and I really miss seeing them in today’s matches, although I understand the injury risk involved. But Undertaker’s version signaled the end of the match almost every time. After all, only a few men have ever kicked out of it, most notably Kane and Shawn Michaels. He makes it look legit almost every time, and this just adds to it being a great visual for the fans. One of the few bad Tombstones I’ve seen was in the otherwise enjoyable Taker vs. Jake the Snake Roberts match at Wrestlemania 8, where Robert’s head was about a foot above the concrete on the outside of the ring when the move was applied. His long hair even barely scraped the ground. This caused Bobby Heenan to say “I think he broke his neck.” The Brain was even hilarious when he didn’t intend to be. Anyway, no one will ever perform this move quite like Undertaker.

3. Big Boot/Leg Drop- The fact that Hulk Hogan used these two maneuvers as his finisher after the big “Hulk Up” makes them automatically awesome. But what about analyzing the moves themselves, as so many IWC fans have done over the years, calling them both, especially the leg drop, the lamest finishing move in professional wrestling history. Why? Maybe in the way the leg drop was actually performed by Hogan at times, it didn’t look like it should hurt all that much. But in theory, why would a muscled up 300 pound man’s leg crashing down on your larynx not hurt? And as far as the big boot goes, if you don’t think that move should hurt in theory, you’re an idiot. But again, it’s all in the way it was performed, and more importantly, in the way the opponent sold it. Randy Savage and Ric Flair took the big boot especially well most of the time. If you’re not a pansy, and you’re not afraid to come off the ropes after the Irish whip and take that boot square on the jaw, or at least to the forehead, then it looks great. If you don’t take it right though, then it looks like crap. And it’s not Hogan’s fault. Actually, I think the one thing to take away from this site, more than anything else, is that nothing is Hogan’s fault. He is the best ever…at everything…including the the big boot and the legdrop.

2. Sweet Chin Music- There might not be a more basic move on this list. It’s just a standing sidekick, or superkick. But it’s so freaking awesome. I mean, from the “tuning up the band” setup to the actual connection of foot to jaw, this is pretty much the perfect pro wrestling finisher. Now when Steven Richards or some other jobber does it, that’s another story. It’s not just that they aren’t on the superstar level of HBK, but they somehow just don’t perform the move as well. No one does it like Michaels. He is the best in-ring wrestler of all time, and sweet chin music is the best finisher of all time…except for…

1. Evenflow DDT- There are few things more beautiful in the world of professional wrestling than a perfectly executed DDT. And I’m just talking about a normal DDT. When Jake Roberts used it as his finisher, I thought it couldn’t get any better. But I was wrong. Raven, a guy who I wouldn’t put in my top 30 wrestlers of all time, but a wrestler I generally liked, had the single best move in the history of professional wrestling. I’m still waiting for TNA to let him have an actual match, and for them to let him win that match with the Evenflow, so I could mark out like I haven’t marked out for a wrestling move in years. Words cannot do this move justice. YouTube any of his ECW, WCW or WWF matches, or look for that awesome best of Raven compilation if you are one of the unlucky souls who has yet to see his DDT. But it’s not just a DDT. It’s a “flowing” DDT, as No Mercy labeled it. If you don’t see the beauty of it, watch it again. You will eventually come to appreciate Raven’s Evenflow as one of the best wrestling maneuvers of all time. I definitely consider it to be the best.

Give me your own list of your favorite wrestling moves or comment on my list in the comments section below. (PS, if you degrade the Big Boot and the Leg Drop, or Hulk Hogan for that matter, I’ll either verbally cut you up or just won’t publish the comment. I can do that, ya know, cause it’s my site)