Cool finishes

[Naked Snake 0]

As much as I don't really like the WWE product, I like the style of building up to a finish. Sure you can have the traditional- work the body part over into a submission-, but I actually like the attitude era of kicking out of finishers/false finishes to build to a finish. You guys are more than welcome to add cool finishes etc to this thread.

 

 

This list is mostly WWE because that's all I really enjoy.

 

Bret Hart vs Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13

 

The I Quit match was a tremendous match as a whole, but the finish with Austin passing out with a gusher of blood on his face was just great.

 

 

Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin, WrestleMania 14

 

The blocking each others finishers into Austin's stunner isn't something rarely seen, but on this night the execution and the pop was incredible.

 

 

Rock vs Austin WrestleMania X-7 and XIX

 

I really liked Austin pulling out all the stops in the first match and getting frustrated at every opportunity when Rock kicked out. The beating with the chair and finally pinning him was cool, but everything after that was shitty.

 

Rock and the three Rock Bottoms was interesting because Austin kicks out of those like nobodies business.

[Guest Ransome]

I guess I'll pick the obvious option before anyone else does: Kurt Angle vs Eddie Guerrero, WM XX.

 

It suits Eddie's character so perfectly, and yet I've never seen it done before. Thankfully they waited until WM to bust it out, and not waste on a Smackdown taping (or maybe they have, what do I know). Either way, it was a fresh ending to a match when I personally assumed WWE had no innovative finishes left in them.

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

Bret vs. Bulldog, SummerSlam 92.

 

Both guys had already hit their finishers. Unlike today where guys have to hit their finisher 3 times to put a guy down in big matches, back then it was 1 and done. The sunset-flip reversal was something I definitely didn't see coming. But it worked in the context of the match, with no man being able to put the other away, ending in a last-ditch desperation move.

[DangerousDamon 0]

Austin Aries and Samoa Joe from Final Battle 2004.

 

Aries just goes apeshit on Joe with the Crucifix Bomb and forearms and lariats.

 

Then Joe tries to "Hulk Up" so Aries just kicks the shit out of him and gives him a brainbuster and the 450 for the win and the ROH Championship.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Bret vs. Owen , WMX

 

 

Just perfect. The ending is still one of my favorite moments in wrestling.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

From the Sting thread:

 

Early (Feb-Mar Nitro) from 1998

 

US Champ DDP Vs World Champ Sting

 

DDP has Sting in corner. Fantastic match. Page attempts to Diamond Cutter Sting...has the arms locked, but Sting simply slides out and thus has Page trapped from behind and delivers the Scorpion Death Drop.

 

___________________

 

Rock over Bossman at SurSer 98.

 

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Shane friggin' Douglas, WCW skinny rookie, pinning BIG BADASS Barry Windham when he and Steamboat upset Rhodes and Windham for the Unified tag belts. Douglas sneaks in....BELLY TO BELLY...and pins the much larger AND ESTABLISHED wcw VET.

[Just John 0]

Maybe not a big one, but one that got my attention recently:

 

Benoit vs. Meng at Slamboree 97 in a death match. Benoit jumps off the top with the diving headbutt and looks like he connected, but Meng actually caught him in the Tongan death grip. Benoit pounded away, but Meng held on until Benoit passed out.

[Guest curry_man2002]

jbl vs big show match from last night at no way out. That was a pretty original ending.

[iggymcfly 0]

I liked Hogan just straight up tapping out to Angle at KOR 2002. I know it's not an original finish per se as Angle's pulled people from the ropes more than once, but just the idea that Hogan wouldn't be able to escape the submission, and would actually have to tap out, that was fantastic.

[Special K 0]

Bret Hart playing possum to Diesel and rolling him up in Diesl's moment of pity.

 

In a bad way, the Venis Rikishi match. You have an insane and truly impressive spot (Superfly splash from cagetop) And then have a crappy DQ finish?

 

EDIT: It was pointed out below that Venis got the pin, point still stands that after such an amazing move, the match ends in a cheap run-in (tazz naield him with a camera)

 

In the Taz/Awesome/Tanka ECW championship match, having Taz pinned in like a minute was really weird, and I didn't really like it.

 

Bill Alphonso DQing Tommy Dreamer for using a closed fist. Hilarious.

 

Big Show throwing Austing through the cage.

[Slickster 0]

In a bad way, the Venis Rikishi match. You have an insane and truly impressive spot (Superfly splash from cagetop) And then have a crappy DQ finish?

Venis won the cage match by pinfall.

 

I'd pick Arn vs. Alex Wright at Slamboree '95. Back-and-forth match, until Alex gives AA a cross-corner whip. Arn comes out of the corner and fakes a punch. Alex ducks it and gets PLANTED with the DDT for the pinfall.

[haws bah gawd 0]

My pick is DDP vs Giant from Starrcade 97. Giant had been using the "Super Chokeslam" (just a normal chokeslam, but executed by dragging the guy off the top rope) as his finisher, and WCW had hyped it as death, itself. Anyways, he went for the Super Chokeslam on DDP, and as Giant dragged him off the turnbuckles, in mid-drop, DDP countered into the Diamond Cutter. That got a big pop out of me and some other guys watching the show. I seriously thought DDP was finished at that point.

[The Tino Standard 0]

Savage-Flair from WM8. Just a perfect culmination... Savage's knee is destroyed, and he's about to be put in the figure four... Flair, who had been tormenting Liz for months, gets too cocky for his own good and taunts her again. Flair loses his focus just long enough for Savage to sneak in a roll-up, and in classic, win-at-all-costs Savage fashion, he grabs a hand full of tights to win.

 

Still one of my all-time favorite matches.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Hogan/Rock and Hogan/Warrior. Love both those endings.

 

Bret/Patriot at Ground Zero has a nic a ending too with Patriot pulling out all the stops to beat Bret and eventually using the sharpshooter only for Bret to reverse and win the match.

[Der Kommissar 0]

Three of my favourites:

 

In a tag match which, I believe, was Scotty 2 Hotty & Brian Christopher vs. Raven & Tazz, Scotty is going for the Worm on Tazz. He's hopping around on one leg, so Raven just walks right up, kicks him in the gut, and Evenflow DDT's him for the victory.

 

Also, in a Tajiri-Scotty match, Scotty was about to come down with the Worm Chop, but promptly got blasted in the face with Tajiri's mist. Tajiri finished it with the big kick for the victory.

 

Brock vs. Randy Orton. Orton hit a flying cross body, but Brock rolled through it, and hit the F-5 for the victory.

[Kardo 0]

On that note, that AWESOME Undertaker vs. Randy Orton match for the title where Orton changes and Undertaker gives him a swinging chokeslam for the 3.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

Bret Vs. Piper ar Wrestlemania.

 

Benoit Vs DDP. they were fighting over a backslid and DDP flipped Benoit over his back into a Diamond Cutter, I thought that was really cool.

[BorneAgain 0]

U.S. Title 8-man elimintation match from last year's Smackdown. Its down to Booker T, Cena, and RVD. Rob goes near the turnbuckle and Booker blind tags him. He doesn't realize it, and lands the 5-Star on Cena. Booker crawls in, pins Cena then does the scissor kick on a recovering RVD and wins the match. Was so fluid and fast, I didn't even notice the tag from Booker the first time.

[strummer 0]

Survivor Series 94, Luger has enough strength to small package Tatanka, but Bundy quickly comes in and splashes him before he can take a breather and recover. It happened so quick and looked flawless. Which was very suprising given the workers in the ring.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Orton blocking the Crossface, slipping out of a backslide and drilling Benoit with the RKO for the shocking World Title victory, SummerSlam.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Ortons leap frog RKO on Christian last week was pretty cool, even though I'm not fond of babyface Orton.

[Toshiaki Koala 0]

Austin Aries/Colt Cabana cage match for the ROH World Championship this weekend:

 

After many near-escapes, Colt and Aries are both standing on the top rope and reaching for the top of the cage. They trade strikes, and Colt finally elbows Aries down and manages to get over the top. He climbs slowly to the floor, and it seems as though he's going to win... when Aries suddenly runs toward the door and literally dives through the ropes to the outside, retaining his belt at the last second.

 

The highlight of an excellent match which I'm sure beat the shit out of the Show/JBL cage from the next night.

[pochorenella 0]

Brock vs. Randy Orton. Orton hit a flying cross body, but Brock rolled through it, and hit the F-5 for the victory

 

That one was awesome. Back when Orton was a rookie on Smackdown.

 

On that note, that AWESOME Undertaker vs. Randy Orton match for the title where Orton changes and Undertaker gives him a swinging chokeslam for the 3

 

When was this? When Taker was Champ or something?

[Guest BDC]

From the Sting thread:

 

Early (Feb-Mar Nitro) from 1998

 

US Champ DDP Vs World Champ Sting

 

DDP has Sting in corner. Fantastic match. Page attempts to Diamond Cutter Sting...has the arms locked, but Sting simply slides out and thus has Page trapped from behind and delivers the Scorpion Death Drop.

That finish was so good they reused it the night Sting had a 90 minute title reign.

 

I really enjoyed the Bowery Death Match that Page and Raven had. It wasn't so much that it was terribly original, but Raven used EVERY trick he had. He used Pages own Diamond Cutter, then the Evenflow and Page still manage to stick the win. I loved the ending.

[KK Rage 0]

Malenko DDT'ing Scotty 2 Hotty off the top rope at Backlash 2000

[Kardo 0]

Brock vs. Randy Orton. Orton hit a flying cross body, but Brock rolled through it, and hit the F-5 for the victory

 

That one was awesome. Back when Orton was a rookie on Smackdown.

 

On that note, that AWESOME Undertaker vs. Randy Orton match for the title where Orton changes and Undertaker gives him a swinging chokeslam for the 3

 

When was this? When Taker was Champ or something?

Yeah, in 2002. It was a really good match, I was sitting there in shock that the two clicked so well. May 30th, 2002, now that I've checked up on it.