Best Wrestling Finisher

[Teja.]

The sharpshooter as applied by Bret was really, really great.

Looked dire when the Rock did it though.

 

[Aritro]

Stepping away from my mediocre trolls about Hulk Hogan for a sec, I've always loved the aesthetics of the surfboard finisher.

 

[Malcolm]

Shooting star press/ Airbourne
Last ride
Canadian destroyer

 

[GIMH]

619 a move that is also improved immensely by someone who can sell it tbh

True of all moves, no?

 

[Athlai]

True of all moves, no?

I'd say the vast majority don't require as much as the 619 though.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The sharpshooter as applied by Bret was really, really great.

Looked dire when the Rock did it though.

Lmao it always looked like he was in more pain than the guy he was putting it on

 

[GIMH]

Lmao it always looked like he was in more pain than the guy he was putting it on

Always felt he looked like he was taking a **** when doing it

 

[sledger]

True of all moves, no?

Yeah true but it's particularly the case for moves that require a lot of cooperation from the guy taking it I think. Not so bad when you're someone like Brock Lesnar and can just throw people around at will (i.e. and essentially make them sell it)

 

[Arachnodouche]

The sharpshooter as applied by Bret was really, really great.

Looked dire when the Rock did it though.

Bret was a true artist in the ring, wasn't he? As a kid I grew up marking out over him like everyone else, but then over time you realize just how much thought there was behind everything he did in the ring. The way he broke down his opponent in predictable progression, his ring positioning, how his body language changed as the match wore on (subtle things like how his mouth would hang open as if he was sucking in desperate quantities of air). No playing to the galleries, just a surgeon with his scalpel going about work.

 

[indiaholic]

No love for the spear and jackhammer combo? ****ing smarks smh.

 

[honestbharani]

No love for the spear and jackhammer combo? ****ing smarks smh.

Hey come on now, I love Gillberg as much as the next guy.

 

[Teja.]

Bret was a true artist in the ring, wasn't he? As a kid I grew up marking out over him like everyone else, but then over time you realize just how much thought there was behind everything he did in the ring. The way he broke down his opponent in predictable progression, his ring positioning, how his body language changed as the match wore on (subtle things like how his mouth would hang open as if he was sucking in desperate quantities of air). No playing to the galleries, just a surgeon with his scalpel going about work.

Indeed, it's those little things like how realistically he'd recoil from being whipped into the corner buckle that made him so special. It only added to his charm that he only performed his handful of moves but did all of them so ****ing well. He allowed you to momentarily get sucked into the contest where winning really mattered unlike a lot of other great performers who didn't have the same intensity because they were transparently, even in kayfabe, trying to put on the best show possible for the crowd.

 

[Manee]

The sharpshooter as applied by Bret was really, really great.

Looked dire when the Rock did it though.

I always found it funny how much Rock screamed while doing the sharpshooter.

 

[sledger]

Indeed, it's those little things like how realistically he'd recoil from being whipped into the corner buckle that made him so special. It only added to his charm that he only performed his handful of moves but did all of them so ****ing well. He allowed you to momentarily get sucked into the contest where winning really mattered unlike a lot of other great performers who didn't have the same intensity because they were transparently, even in kayfabe, trying to put on the best show possible for the crowd.

Can say very similar things about HHH tbh. Not that I'm saying HHH is/was as good as Bret was (he isn't/wasn't imo), but this is an underrated aspect of his game (no pun intended).

 

[sledger]

Another person of which this is true is Kurt Angle, who, unlike HHH, perhaps was as good as Bret was, or maybe even better.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Can say very similar things about HHH tbh. Not that I'm saying HHH is/was as good as Bret was (he isn't/wasn't imo), but this is an underrated aspect of his game (no pun intended).

HHH was very good indeed. Always felt he punched above his weight, no pun intended either. He started off as a genuine mid-carder lookwise and talentwise but through all his machinations behind-the-scenes or whatever you want to call his penchant for staying close to the powers-that-be, he actually continued learning about the business and his craft too, so much so he was a legitimate entity in his own right by the early 00s.

Bret, Eddie, Benoit, and Kurt Angle would be my absolute favorites in terms of how they commanded the ring. Have only kept up with modern wrestling in fits and starts, but would you say AJ Styles despite all his pyrotechnics came closest to that pedigree? Also, are there other extant wrestlers, in the Anglosphere or otherwise, in a similar vein, or is that style pretty much DOA these days?

 

[sledger]

HHH was very good indeed. Always felt he punched above his weight, no pun intended either. He started off as a genuine mid-carder lookwise and talentwise but through all his machinations behind-the-scenes or whatever you want to call his penchant for staying close to the powers-that-be, he actually continued learning about the business and his craft too, so much so he was a legitimate entity in his own right by the early 00s.

Bret, Eddie, Benoit, and Kurt Angle would be my absolute favorites in terms of how they commanded the ring. Have only kept up with modern wrestling in fits and starts, but would you say AJ Styles despite all his pyrotechnics came closest to that pedigree? Also, are there other extant wrestlers, in the Anglosphere or otherwise, in a similar vein, or is that style pretty much DOA these days?

AJ definitely a good shout, but excellent as he is, I would say he is still a cut below the four you mention there. Would still love to have seen him have a match with any of them though. Same for Daniel Bryan as well.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Another person of which this is true is Kurt Angle, who, unlike HHH, perhaps was as good as Bret was, or maybe even better.

Interesting. I think I'd have them as Bret > Angle > HHH without needing to think too much about it. And pretty much for the reasons Arachnodouce outlined above; in particular because Bret's selling and storytelling is on such a high level. I agree Angle brings a lot of intensity (ha) but I don't think he is such a craftsman as Bret and would sometimes sacrifice realism/logic in his matches for more action (which definitely isn't always a problem in wrestling, but Bret was a master at maintaining both).

Bret, Eddie, Benoit, and Kurt Angle would be my absolute favorites in terms of how they commanded the ring. Have only kept up with modern wrestling in fits and starts, but would you say AJ Styles despite all his pyrotechnics came closest to that pedigree? Also, are there other extant wrestlers, in the Anglosphere or otherwise, in a similar vein, or is that style pretty much DOA these days?

Like you I've only watched wrestling in 'fits and starts' for years, but I'll second sledger's suggestion above and say Daniel Bryan is the current wrestler you're after. I think he's just as good as the guys you mention. From what I've seen AJ seems pretty obviously great to me too, but I've seen a lot less of him, and stylistically he's a bit different. I reckon you'd enjoy Cesaro too.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Indeed, it's those little things like how realistically he'd recoil from being whipped into the corner buckle that made him so special.

Just on this little aside, who better to contrast him with than Shawn? HBK would receive the post with that ridiculous Three Stooges-like flip. Bret on the other hand would approach the corner headfirst, accelerate a little, and receive it flush on the chest. On the surface, both were trying to sell their opponent's strength, but HBK, as was his wont, was also trying to crowd himself into the spotlight, while Bret did his bit to make his opponent look good in a realistic manner.

 

[sledger]

Interesting. I think I'd have them as Bret > Angle > HHH without needing to think too much about it. And pretty much for the reasons Arachnodouce outlined above; in particular because Bret's selling and storytelling is on such a high level. I agree Angle brings a lot of intensity (ha) but I don't think he is such a craftsman as Bret and would sometimes sacrifice realism/logic in his matches for more action (which definitely isn't always a problem in wrestling, but Bret was a master at maintaining both).


Like you I've only watched wrestling in 'fits and starts' for years, but I'll second sledger's suggestion above and say Daniel Bryan is the current wrestler you're after. I think he's just as good as the guys you mention. From what I've seen AJ seems pretty obviously great to me too, but I've seen a lot less of him, and stylistically he's a bit different. I reckon you'd enjoy Cesaro too.

Overall I think I would agree, but I think in some respects it is closer than some might suggest. All three are/were excellent at selling and telling stories through the use of facial expressions etc.