Best WWE Finishers Ever: Who Invented Them? (2024)

Throughout WWE history, fans have seen several epic finishers that are spectacular, devastating, exciting and effective. We are talking about perhaps the best WWE finishers ever, but have you ever wondered who invented those finishers that you enjoy watching so much?

The truth is that most of the WWE wrestlers didn't invent their respective finishers, but they took them from other wrestlers and tweaked them a little bit, or simply renamed them. But even though they didn't invent these moves, these wrestlers managed to execute them to perfection over and over again, and turn them into iconic finishers.

10 Jeff Hardy’s Swanton Bomb Was Invented By The Great Sasuke

The Great Sasuke Called This Move The Senton Atomico

• The Great Sasuke is a Japanese wrestler.
• He has had a 34-year wrestling career.
• The Swanton Bomb has always been Jeff Hardy's main finisher.

Japanese wrestling legend, the Great Sasuke, was the first to use the Swanton Bomb. He called the move the Atomic Senton. Jeff Hardy adopted this move and renamed it the Swanton Bomb, and thus it was popularized in America. Hardy took the move to the next level, taking high level risks and putting his life on the line to entertain the fans.

9 Randy Savage Popularized The Diving Elbow Drop

But Randy Savage Is Not Credited As The Inventor Of The Elbow Drop

• Randy Savage's Diving Elbow Drop is iconic.
• The likes of CM Punk, Bayley & Kairi Sane also use this move.
• Randy Savage performed his last Diving Elbow Drop on camera in the movie Spider-Man.

Randy Savage's finisher was the Diving Elbow Drop, and that is arguably the best Elbow Drop of all time. Savage was the one who popularized this move in WWE and in the United States in general. However, it is not known exactly who invented this move, as elbow strikes have always been present in wrestling, but variations have emerged over the years. So, Randy Savage gets credit for popularizing this move, but not for inventing it.

8 AJ Lee’s Black Widow Was Invented By Antonio Inoki

Japanese Wrestler Antonio Inoki Invented The Octopus Hold

• AJ Lee's Black Widow is one of the best submission finishers in WWE history.
• Antonio Inoki's version was the original.
• AJ Lee made the Octopus Hold look impressive when she used both her legs.

We are not exaggerating when we say that AJ Lee's Black Widow is one of the best finishers in WWE history. We're talking about a very difficult move to execute, but AJ Lee executed it excellently every time. Besides, this move is not common and it looks great.

AJ called it Black Widow, but the original name of this move is Octopus Hold, and the move was invented by Japanese legend Antonio Inoki, who used it in New Japan Pro Wrestling between the 1970s and 1990s.

7 Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter Was Invented By Riki Choshu

Pat Patterson Suggested Bret Hart Should Use The Move As His Finisher

• Bret Hart's Sharpshooter was one of the most effective submission finishers.
• Sting also used this move, but called it the Scorpion Deathlock.
• Riki Choshu was the first wrestler to use this leglock, in the 1970s.

Bret Hart's Sharpshooter is one of the most popular moves in wrestling history, as he forced many opponents to tap out with this move. Hart and Sting, who called this move the Scorpion Deathlock, were the ones who popularized this move in the United States.

However, neither of them invented the move, and neither was Ronnie Garvin, who also used this move in the 1980s. This iconic move was invented by Japanese wrestler Riki Choshu, who started using it in the 1970s.

6 Shawn Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music Was Introduced By Chris Adams

"Gentleman" Chris Adams Used The Superkick In The 1980s

• Chris Adams introduced the Superkick in the 1980s.
• Shawn Michaels' popularized the Superkick.
• The Superkick became an overused wrestling move.

Shawn Michaels' finisher is called the Sweet Chin Music, which is a Superkick, a hard kick to the opponent's jaw. It is not known for sure who invented the Superkick, but what is clear is that "Gentleman" Chris Adams used the Superkick as his finisher.

Adams worked in the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Class Wrestling Association during the 1980s. However, Shawn Michaels was the one who popularized this move and gave it an original name. And now, the Superkick is one of the most overused moves in wrestling.

5 Bianca Belair’s KOD Is An Original Finishing Move

The KOD Is A Variation Of A Burning Hammer

• Kenta Kobashi popularized the Burning Hammer.
• Michael Elgin uses a sit-out Burning Hammer.
• Bianca Belair performs this movement in her own way.

Kotetsu Yamamoto invented the Burning Hammer in the 1970s, but the move was popularized by Kenta Kobashi. Bianca Belair's KOD is a sit-out Burning Hammer, and it is not easy to find another wrestler who uses this move. Michael Elgin uses a sit-out Burning Hammer as a finisher, but he throws his opponent to the side, while Bianca arranges her body so that her opponent lands in front of her to protect her from injury. With that said, we could say that Bianca Belair's finisher is original.

4 Brock Lesnar Invented The F5

Lesnar Is One Of The Few Wrestlers Who Invented His Own Finisher

• The F5 is one of the most devastating moves in wrestling.
• Brock Lesnar invented the F5.
• He came up with it while watching Japanese wrestling videos.

Brock Lesnar’s F5 is one of the most devastating and effective finishers in wrestling history. He defeated countless wrestlers with that move, including The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Who invented the F5? Brock Lesnar did.

"I came up with it by just kind of messing about one day in the ring," he told WWE Confidential. Lesnar was watching Japanese wrestling videos and was inspired by a couple of moves to create the F5. His goal was to create a sort of spinning DDT, but it turned out to be something much better than that.

3 The Undertaker’s Tombstone Piledriver Was Invented By Karl Gotch

The Original Piledriver Was Innovated By Wild Bill Longson

• The Piledriver is one of the most popular moves in wrestling.
• However, it is one of the most dangerous moves, and is banned in several promotions.
• The Undertaker had special permission to use the Tombstone in WWE.

The Piledriver is one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling, as over the years it has produced several severe injuries, and that is precisely why this move is banned in several promotions, including WWE. However, The Undertaker had special permission to perform his finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver.

The Piledriver was invented by Wild Bill Longson, who competed between 1930 and 1960. The variant used by The Undertaker, the Tombstone, was invented by Karl Gotch, but it was Taker who popularized this variant.

2 Randy Orton’s RKO Was Innovated By John Laurinaitis

The RKO Is One Of The Most Unpredictable Finishers In Wrestling History

• John Laurinaitis invented the Ace Crusher in 1987.
• Diamond Dallas Page had the Diamond Cutter.
• Randy Orton performed his first RKO against The Hurricane on Raw in 2003.

Randy Orton's RKO is basically a jumping cutter, which stands for his real name (Randal Keith Orton). But Randy wasn't the one who invented this move. John Laurinaitis is the one who gets the credit for inventing this move in 1987, when he was known as Johnny Ace and called the move Ace Crusher.

Laurinaitis taught the move to Diamond Dallas Page, who renamed it the Diamond Cutter. And finally, Randy Orton named it the RKO and turned this finisher into one of the best in WWE history.

1 Steve Austin Claims The Stunner Was Created By Michael Hayes

Others Say The Stunner Was Invented By Mikey Whipwreck

• There is a dispute over the true inventor of The Stunner.
• Steve Austin gives credit to Michael Hayes.
• Steve Austin hit his first Stunner on Jason Arndt in June 1996.

Stone Cold’s Stunner is arguably the best finisher in WWE history, or at the very least, the most entertaining, especially with selling specialists like The Rock. But who invented this legendary finisher? Steve Austin credited Michael Hayes for inventing the move, but some say that the Stunner was actually invented by ECW wrestler Mikey Whipwreck, who called it the Whippersnapper. Either way, it was Austin who popularized the move and made it iconic.