The 10 Best Finishing Moves in WWE and AEW Today

A finishing move is a professional wrestler’s calling card. It can be likened to the hook or the chorus to a catchy song. If it’s memorable enough, it will always get a reaction out of the crowd and end a match on a high note. So, performers need to choose something that fits their character and evokes the proper response because in some ways it’s not just a move; it’s a call to action.

All of the most famous wrestlers in the world have a great finishing move. It’s instrumental to their success. Imagine if Stone Cold Steve Austin just hit everyone with a stiff straight punch and a scoop slam and flipped them the bird. That’s not nearly as outrageous and eye-catching as watching him land a gut kick and hurl himself into a Stone Cold Stunner. Just abought everyone who grew up in the 90s knew the move the second they saw it.

The iconic finisher was a part of what the Texas Rattlesnake a household name during The Attitude Era. Something about it just made you want to jump out of your seat and cheer every time he pulled it off. The move fit Austin perfectly because it spoke to who he was and what he represented, namely defiance.

Not that we’ve reminisced for a second, let take a look at 10 of the best finishing moves in AEW and WWE at the moment.

Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. is the best character in AEW’s women’s division. The company’s first signee outside of The Elite has flourished as an antagonist and her finishing move, the Lockjaw, fits like a glove, no pun intended. 

Let’s face, this modified Ring of Saturn/Mandible Claw combination already looked like a heel’s move before Baker turn. So once she embraced her more malicious side, it made for a fitting way to inflict punishment on her opponents.

Baker’s real-life profession as a dentist gives her a storied reason to use the submission maneuver and it adds some credibility. It’s an innovative move that looks painful and it’s unique to AEW’s resident Role Model

Baron Corbin can be considered a bland character even with the king gimmick he took on after he won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament. Nevertheless, the former Money in the Bank winner is a deceptively good wrestler with a cool moveset. 

His finishing move, the End of Days, is a great example. It’s distinct and it’s one of the most protected finishers in the WWE. Corbin’s Deep Six is also a beautiful signature move that he often executes as a reversal or a way to punish his opponent when they rebound off the ropes.

The End Of Days is a slick reverse STO variant that Corbin uses to put anyone down. Out of all of the moves at his disposal, it’s the most devastating and breathtaking. More importantly, he doesn’t overuse it so it legitimately signals the end of the match if he manages to land it. 

One of the hallmark’s of WWE’s women’s revolution is that more women use submission holds as their finishing moves. As such, Charlotte Flair’s Figure 8 Leg Lock and Becky Lynch’s Dis-arm-her have become deadly maneuvers that usually result in a win. 

However, no woman on the WWE roster has devised more creative ways to ensnare their opponent in her finishing move than Sasha Banks. The Bank Statement is a great variation of the crossface. The Legit Boss made it her own by adding her trademark backstabber transition into it. 

Moves are bound to repeat in professional wrestling and the crossface is a popular one. Still, a wrestler can take something common and make it so special that fans think of them when they see others use it. 

Banks has done just that by utilizing an array of different takedowns, counters, and situations to use it in. 

Japanese wrestler, Kairi Sane, recently revealed that she will continue to work with WWE in Japan. The first Mae Young Classic winner had an eventful stint with the company but some fans may not realize just how talented she is. 

During her run with Stardom, Sane was considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, and her high-flying finishing move was just highly regarded. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say The Pirate Princess boasts the best elbow drop in professional wrestling. 

Sane takes to the sky and gracefully contorts into an awe-inspiring pose before she comes crashing down to the mat with a move that is equally elegant and catastrophic. As a babyface, it was one of the most crowd-pleasing finishers in the company. 

It’s a shame that Sane mostly worked as a heel on Raw and SmackDown because the move helped to make her a fan favorite elsewhere.

Speaking of deft high flyers, PAC has an arsenal of acrobatic moves of his own. The Bastard formerly known as The Man That Gravity Forgot famously uses a corkscrew shooting star press called the Black Arrow.

It is an incredible death-defying move that looks amazing every time he pulls it off. However, as stated earlier heels shy away from using flashy moves like this. So, PAC rather brilliantly figured out a way to continue to use his greatest strength and inject some brutality. 

Enter the Brutalizer, a nasty scissored armbar crossface that PAC sometimes transitioned into after he hits the Black Arrow. At AEW All Out 2019, he notoriously used the hold to force Kenny Omega to pass out and cemented himself as a serious threat.

The current WWE champion, Drew McIntyre, has enjoyed a strong reign since he slew The Beast Incarnate at WrestleMania 36 with his Claymore Kick. The move is aptly named after a Scottish two-handed broad sword and McIntyre wields it with unreal speed and precision.

The Scottish Psychopath shocked the world when he used it to eliminate Brock Lesnar in the 2020 men’s Royal Rumble. Then, McIntyre dethroned Lesnar at The Showcase of the Immortals to win the WWE Championship. 

Over the past few months, he has used the Claymore Kick to defend the title against The Big Show, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode. McIntyre’s 181-day reign has further legitimized the finishing move, but his feud with Randy Orton made the destructive single-leg dropkick look even more deadly. On the Sept. 7 episode of Raw, the Scott nailed Orton with three Claymore Kicks on the same night, sending him to the hospital. 

Ember Moon is currently on the shelf after she suffered a “career-threatening” ankle injury on the Sept. 24, 2019 episode of SmackDown. Hopefully, The Shenom can eventually make her way back to a WWE ring because she had so much potential. 

Moon had a great look, a dynamic presentation complete with an epic theme song, and she had exceptional in-ring abilities. Moreover, her finishing move, the Eclipse, was unrivaled. This diving corkscrew stunner from the top rope looks awesome and it’s extremely effective.

To date, Asuka is the only woman one the WWE roster who has survived it. During her run with NXT, The War Goddess used the Eclipse to put The Empress of Tomorrow’s winning streak in jeopardy. Although Asuka kicked out of it at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, it’s still one of the most protected finishers in WWE. 

It’s difficult to make a single strike into a believable finishing move. Of course, in the world of MMA, someone can really get knocked out with a well-placed knee, elbow, or kick. However, that doesn’t always translate well to professional wrestling. 

For every Kinshasa, there is a Juda Effect that makes sense on paper but it’s not always easy to buy into. With that said, Aleister Black’s finishing move, the Black Mass, is genuinely terrifying. 

The Striking Man From Amsterdam delivers a lighting quick and jaw-shattering a spinning roundhouse kick that could take any opponent out. The move fits Black’s stoic and imposing character and it makes him a tough competitor, who can quickly end any fight.

Randy Orton is one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation. The 13-time world champion has proven to have longevity as one of the longest-tenured WWE superstars thanks to his popular heel persona and of course, the RKO. 

The Viper’s jumping cutter is one of the most feared and well-known finishing moves, creating several moments and endings over the years. Outside of wrestling, the RKO became an internet sensation when people used it in memes and endless video compilations, making it as popular as the aforementioned Stone Cold Stunner.

In the ring, Orton has methodically used it to counter other’s finisher and ambush his foes from behind. It’s versatile, sudden, and effective. When all is said and done, Orton’s highlight reel will be full of competitors who fell victim to the RKO. 

Kenny Omega may not have established himself as a world champion or a perennial main-eventer with AEW yet, but his legacy in Japan is certified. The Best Bout Machine earned his namesake by producing several classic matches with New Japan. 

During that time, he defeated high-profile opponents like Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Chris Jericho, Minoru Suzuki, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hiroki Goto with the One-Winged Angel.

Katayoku no Tenshi or One-Winged Angel is named after the theme from the video game, Final Fantasy VII, which plays during the final fight with Sephiroth. Omega’s one-handed electric chair driver looks phenomenal and it is the most protected move in wrestling. There may be other finishing moves that are more well-known but you can’t discount Omega’s record when he has used One-Winged Angel.