Hi folks, after some delay, I have finally finished the second part of this list. If you missed the first, you can find all the other WWE Finishers for the Raw roster at the following link. You should also check out how the ranking system works in the intro so you know how it works: Part 1
Mickie James – Mick Kick
We all love some Mickie James, but what is it with her career in WWE? Since before the Piggy James days it hasn’t been the same. One of the best women’s wrestlers in the world doesn’t get anywhere near the spotlight she should be getting.
A: I really like the setup, but the impact not so much. Compare it to Aleister Black’s Black Mass and you’ll see what I mean. It’s still pretty though: 🥉
E: The Mickie-DT is a more effective move because she has won more matches with it, and originally the Mick Kick was more of a signature. It could be because she has gotten older and decided to use an easier finisher. But at the same time, her career has slowed to a snail’s pace, so the Mick Kick has next to no effectiveness at all: 🥉
O: The Mick Kick is just one of a few moves exclusive to her, which makes it very original indeed. It’s not remembered in the same light as moves like Stratusfaction or Lita’s moonsault, but at least you know it belongs to Mickie and no one else: 🥈
Overall Score: 4 (Bronze)
The Miz – Skull-Crushing Finale
The Miz is one of the longest serving superstars in WWE, but I remember when he was young and struggling in the world of sports entertainment. It took a long time to be accepted, but does his finisher get the same level of credit?
A: I can see how it could hurt if done with enough force, but neither The Miz, Chris Jericho, Jeff Jarrett, or anyone else applies the energy to make it believable. I’d go for it as a signature, but it has never been a pretty or dangerous looking move, and it baffles me how anyone can think it is. Why doesn’t anyone use the running STO instead? It looks way better and more believable: X
E: Several superstars have kicked out of the Skull-Crushing Finale over the years, but it has also gained the Miz a ton of championships. So it’s not top of the range, but it’s also pretty effective: 🥈
O: I’m a fan of Miz’s mic skills, but there isn’t much about him which is original and that goes for his finisher as well. What more can I say? The Skull-Crushing Finale is one of the least creative and attractive finishers in WWE history: X
Overall Score: 2
X
Mustafa Ali – 054
The leader of Retribution spent most of his early WWE career on 205 Live, and despite never becoming the Cruiserweight Champion, was one of the most successful and popular. Sadly, the same cannot be said about his stint on the main roster.
A: The 054 is an inverted 450, and man is it awesome! It is one of the best looking finishers in all of wrestling, nevermind the WWE. It’s probably not anymore damaging than a regular 450, but it certainly looks more impressive. Mustafa Ali is an exceptional athlete and wrestler: 🥇
E: Like a few others, the 054 is well-protected. No one kicks out of this… and rightly so! How could anyone kick out of such a move? It would be ludicrous. However, the only reason it isn’t Gold standard is because he has yet to win any WWE Championships with it: 🥈
O: I have never seen anyone hit a 450 this way. It’s technically harder to execute, which is a testament to Ali’s athleticism. If someone has done it elsewhere, I haven’t seen it. There’s more of a risk of Ali breaking his neck, injuring his opponent, or missing them entirely. He doesn’t do any of that because he is that damn good: 🥇
Overall Score: 8 (Gold)
Naomi – Rear View
Since The Funkadactyls parted ways, Naomi has had a rollercoaster ride of a career. Sometimes she is pushed to the moon, while other times she is buried under its surface. Despite being one of the most athletically gifted women in WWE, her ring style doesn’t line up with it. And then there’s the Rear View…
A: Rikishi used to do the Stink Face, but he wouldn’t beat opponent’s with it unless they were in a Stink Face match (they used to have those). I know Naomi has one of the biggest, most curvaceous and luscious booty’s in the wrestling world… but does she have to use it as a weapon? I know Asuka does the same thing (as a regular move), and with enough force I can see how it could hurt. But to use a wrestler’s backside as a finisher?
I guess it looks funny the first few times, but after a while you start thinking about how someone’s arse is knocking out an opponent. It’s a logical absurdity. The only time using a backside works is if you drop someone like Earthquake, Yokozuna or Rikishi on top of someone. The only thing the Rear View has going for it is how explosive it looks: 🥉
E: Naomi has won matches with this move, but her career is so up and down I find the Rear View difficult to rank. It used to be a signature when she was SmackDown Women’s Champion (she beat Alexa Bliss with the “Feel The Glow” crucifix choke hold), but recently she has defaulted to this. Her last big win with the Rear View was beating Bayley in a Beat The Clock challenge. So I guess it has some use… but it’s rare, and these days she’s more likely to roll someone up: 🥉
O: There is no doubting that the Rear View is a pretty original move. No one else would’ve thought of doing this but Naomi, because the average persons behind doesn’t have anywhere near the capacity. So in the end, we can it’s as original as it is absurd: 🥈
Overall Score: 4
Nia Jax – Samoan Drop*, Annihilator DDT, Leg Drop
People really hate Nia Jax. She may be one of the most loathed people in WWE, partly because of her slow and “dangerous” ring style, but also because she isn’t like Barbie. She’s a big woman, that’s how it is. There’s a lot of fat shaming going on, but we aren’t here to judge her weight, fitness, or how many injuries she can dish out.
A: I really liked her Leg Drop, but in 2020 she decided to switch it up again. I’m not 100% sure what her finisher is at the moment, because she can win with any of the three listed moves. If we’re talking about the Samoan Drop, it’s a simple, yet effective move playing in to her heritage. It’s even better when driving someone through a table. Because it is a simple, everyday move, there is nothing appealing about it, but at least she is using it dangerously: 🥉
E: It’s very strong, especially with Lana on the receiving end. Because of Jax’s size it makes the move more devastating. It’s way more believable than if one of the Uso’s used it as a finisher. It could become one of the most effective finishers in women’s wrestling if she keeps using it: 🥈
O: There isn’t an ounce of original thought put in to this one. Nia is Samoan… so she uses the Samoan Drop. That about sums it up: X
Overall Score: 3 (Bronze)
Nikki Cross – The Purge (Swinging Fisherman’s Neckbreaker)
Nikki Cross is frustrated because Alexa Bliss has paired up with The Fiend, leaving her in the cold while sat on the sidelines. Will she ever make it on her own? Or is something holding her back? And you know what I just noticed? The Purge is exactly the same as Elias’ Drift Away. So I’m not going to bother adding anything here… see Elias’ entry from the first part.
A: X / E: X / O: X
Overall Score: 0 (Terrible)
X
Peyton Royce – Deja Vu* (Spinning Brainbuster), Fisherman Suplex
I love me some Peyton Royce, and Brainbusters even more so. A little upset that we no longer have The IIconics, but I guess WWE felt she & Billie Kay should prove they can handle themselves.
A: Unsure why there is an obsession with putting a literal spin on everything, but this time it works. A brainbuster is already a wicked move, so to spin an opponent down on to their shoulders gives it a touch more. Like icing on the cake, if you will. Now all Royce has to do is master it: 🥈
E: Difficult to rank because it’s so new, but so far it has a 100% win rate, so I have to give it something: 🥉
O: Because wrestling has evolved so much over the decades, almost all moves have been done. So to find anything original is a tough task, but Royce has found something here. Again, I have no idea if someone else has used it before. The main thing is she has found something which should, if done correctly, will be her golden ticket to finding success for the rest of her career: 🥈
Overall Score: 5 (Silver)
Randy Orton – RKO
There is no denying that the RKO is one of the most memorable and easy to meme finishers of all time. It’s probably Randy Orton’s most appealing quality.
A: When anyone sits down to watch a Randy Orton match, the anticipation is not whether he will win or not, but how and when he will hit the RKO. The “outta’ nowhere” catchphrase came about because Orton spent years perfecting the move, to the degree that he could literally hit it out of nowhere. Even if he’s not in the scheduled match, he could still appear from under the ring and three seconds later someone’s eating the RKO. Its beauty is rarely matched. Even if Orton isn’t a babyface, the RKO is a move the fans really enjoy and chant for: 🥇
E: The RKO has only one weakness; its effectiveness. Unlike other Gold standard moves in the list, the RKO often needs to be hit several times to get the job done. He would’ve won even more titles if the RKO was stronger. I really want to give it a Gold because of the amount of championships Orton has won, but I also cannot ignore the fact he often has to RKO an opponent 2-3 times. Only those who are much lesser than him are pinned after one: 🥈
O: While the RKO is basically a Cutter innovated by Johnny Ace in Japan, and later popularized by DDP in WCW (Diamond Cutter), Orton took the move to a whole other level. It’s not a carbon copy of the cutter, because Randy jumps and makes his opponent’s jump with him, making the move look way better and dangerous. While it’s not an original move, the way he crafted the Cutter in to his own is exceptional. No one will ever do a Cutter better than Randy’s RKO, and that’s why I rate it so highly in originality: 🥇
Overall Score: 8
Reckoning – Modified Eat Defeat
While wrestling as “Jade” in Impact Wrestling, she fought Gail Kim for the Knockouts Championship. Mia Yim, now going by the name Reckoning, learned so much from the veteran. When she made her way to NXT, Yim used Eat Defeat as her finisher for a while.
A: I like the original Eat Defeat. but Xavier Woods uses something like it, so Reckoning is using a modified version. Instead of using her boot, she drives her opponent’s head in to her knee. I’m not a fan and hope she changes it for something else. At least it looks like it hurts: 🥉
E: Because it’s so incredibly new I cannot bring myself to rank it: X
O: It reminds me of several moves, but again, because it’s so new I can’t decide how original it is. I think it needs more work to stand out on its own: X
Overall Score: 1
X
Ricochet – 630
He hasn’t enjoyed much since jobbing to Brock Lesnar after Vince McMahon soured on him, but his potential is limitless. He may the best athlete WWE has on the books, but can the 630 aid him on his quest for gold?
A: I’m not sure what I like more, the 054 or the 630. Both are incredibly cool to see and it’s amazing how accurate he is. With that many rotations it would be so easy to screw up, but Ricochet makes it work and I love it: 🥇
E: Aside from a NXT North American title victory, Ricochet has not won any other championships with the 630. We also don’t see it as often as I’d like. Still, you don’t kick out of this one, so like the 054 it gets a Silver with the potential for Gold if Ricochet starts using it to earn titles in the long run: 🥈
O: I know full well that AEW’s Jack Evans was using it long before Ricochet, so it’s not as original as the 054. However, because I said I wouldn’t mark down originality for using a move from someone outside the company, should I rank this lower than the 054? It would be unfair if I did: 🥇
Overall Score: 8 (Gold)
Riddick Moss – Reverse Snapmare/Neckbreaker Driver
Since his NXT days I have been a fan of Riddick Moss. There’s so much untapped potential here, as evidenced by his performances in Raw Underground, but not so much his run with the 24/7 title.
A: This move is odd. I get what they are going for, but it looks strange to me. Moss’ finisher is like a cross between a snapmare and a neckbreaker, and boy does it look painful. It also looks kinda crappy. So I’m at war with myself over how to rank this thing. Do I rate it highly because it looks painful, or do I rate it low because it looks unspectacular? I’ll give it a Bronze for now, but maybe in future he will change my mind: 🥉
E: Again, I am confused. How does a man with the stature of Moss struggle to get airtime? And yes, the Driver is pretty well-protected, but how often do we get to see it? It’s another I’m struggling to rank, so I’m defaulting to the typical Bronze, although it should be better: 🥉
O: It’s original alright, but Moss has a long way to go before proving it has any worth. I gotta’ give him something for at least trying something new: 🥉
Overall Score: 3 (Bronze)
Riddle – Bro Derek*, Bromission
Hey bro! How’s it going bro? You know what bro? Matt Riddle says bro a lot, bro. Imagine a conversation between Riddle bro, and Hulk Hogan brother! Oh boy, here comes Vince Russo bro.
A: Let me be totally blunt with this… see what I did there? Seriously though… the Bro Derek sucks harder than Snoop Dogg smoking a fatty. It doesn’t look powerful at all, in fact, it’s like a safer version of Cesaro’s Neutralizer. Riddle’s other moves look way more devastating, including the Bromission: 🥉
E: It has been effective since he started using it full time on the main roster. I might be wrong, but I think it was more of a signature move in NXT which lead to the Bromission? Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. Either way, while Riddle hasn’t won any main roster titles, he has won a lot of matches since his debut: 🥈
O: Repeating myself by now, but some original moves are not that great and the Bro Derek is another. The fact it’s too much like Cesaro’s Neutralizer hurts it too. Riddle won’t care though, so long as it gets the job done: 🥉
Overall Score: 4 (Bronze)
Shayna Baszler – Ace of Spades (Kirifuda Driver in to Rear Naked Choke)
Baszler isn’t your typical women’s wrestler, she’s a fighter turned wrestler, and doing a way better job of adapting than her Four Horsewomen buddies.
A: I love this move because its intense and spells doom for the opponent. Shayna perfected this finisher in NXT by putting down victim, after victim for well over a year as the Women’s Champion. It differs from the Asuka Lock because Baszler adds so much to it with her facial expressions. While it ends up as a basic Rear Naked Choke, Baszler may perform this move better than anyone else has before: 🥈
E: I’m conflicted because while she was NXT Women’s Champion, it was Gold standard for a long time. No one was escaping this and everyone was either tapping or passing out. But late in Baszler’s NXT reign, a few did manage to escape and prove it wasn’t the final nail in the coffin. Since debuting on the main roster, it has returned to prominence, however, it hasn’t brought the same dominance she enjoyed in NXT. So while I really want to give it Gold, she has yet to prove it can hold on tightly to the same standard on the main roster: 🥈
O: Samoa Joe used this for a long while in TNA, but the Muscle Buster became his main finisher for much of his career. Baszler changed the perception of this move because we know she was a legit MMA fighter. Having someone of her background lock in what is considered a standard wrestling hold, bumps up the believability of opponent’s tapping or passing out from the pain. She has made it her own: 🥈
Overall Score: 6 (Silver)
Sheamus – Brogue Kick
Fella! He’s gonna kick ya head off. Like a few others, Sheamus has been around a long time, but has the Brogue treated him as well as other finishers?
A: He has used several finishers over the years. White Noise. Celtic Cross. Irish Curse. Texas Cloverleaf. Yet, the one he settled on was the Brogue. Why? Because it’s simple and brutal. You run and boot your opponent in the face. It’s a perfect fit for his character, and the important thing is it’s hard to screw up. I don’t like the setup though, when he goes to the corner and punches his chest. Like the RKO, it is better served when we don’t know it’s coming: 🥇
E: The Brogue differs from other finishers because when it hits, it usually does the job. However, it’s also incredibly easy for opponent’s to get out of the way. Does it get marked down for being easily evaded? I think it should. The best finishers are those that aren’t so easy to counter, but the Brogue still gets it done when it connects: 🥈
O: There’s only one other guy I can remember who used this on a regular basis, and that was Albert/A-Train/Tensai… whatever you call him. He used it as a signature move, so before Sheamus, no one else used it as a finisher. Crazy if you think about it, that a mega kick by a heavyweight to someone’s head was considered an every day move til Sheamus made it something to fear: 🥇
Overall Score: 8 (Gold)
Shelton Benjamin – Paydirt (Leaping Reverse STO)
Benjamin is finally getting something after so many years of being overlooked, but is his finisher anywhere near “Gold Standard”?
A: I like the look of this move, although it’s not memorable because we don’t see it often. It’s like Dolph Ziggler’s Zig Zag but from the front of the body. Jumping up and pulling your opponent to the ground is neat, but if Benjamin gets caught by someone stronger than him? Backfired. Also, I feel it looks more like a signature than a finisher. I’m not sure how to rank this because it’s not quite Bronze or Silver, but something inbetween: 1.5
E: There isn’t much I can say about its power because it is so rarely seen. Hardly being on TV will do that to any finisher. Cedric Alexander has stolen wins from Shelton after using it though: 🥉
O: I’m sure R-Truth was using it for a long time, but I can’t tell if he had it first or Shelton? I’m sure several others have used it too. It’s not a move that instills me with any confidence that it will become adored in any fashion: X
Overall Score: 2.5
X
Slapjack – Snapback (Shinbreaker Throw?)
Snapjack is known as Shane Thorne, former partner of Nick Miller in TM-61 (briefly known as The Mighty Don’t Kneel) NXT tag team. He also had a short stint as the partner of Brendon Vink in the early shows of the pandemic.
A: I saw this move on an episode of Main Event… and it stinks! Wow, what a terrible move: X
E: It’s far too new to say anything about its effectiveness. Give it some time: X
O: For sure, it is very original. But how good will it be? It only gets a Bronze because of how unique it is: 🥉
You can see it here: Snapback
Overall Score: 1
X
T-Bar – Feast Your Eyes AKA Close Your Eyes
A: Since joining Retribution, Feast Your Eyes is rightly changed to Close Your Eyes. T-Barr picks up his opponent’s in to a torture rack position, before dropping them back to their feet so he can knee them in the face. You could say it’s similar to the GTS, but doesn’t look as painful. Why doesn’t he just push their head down and knee them in the face without the setup? Approaching it logically, he’s taking an extra step for no good reason: X
E: When it connects, it always wins. So that’s something, but he hasn’t won a title since getting to WWE, and he isn’t beating many challengers unless they are half his size: 🥉
O: It’s not anywhere near the worst move on this list. I might have been a little harsh with how it looks, but if you can get past that, it’s an original move which suits his size and at least isn’t a punch or another spinning neckbreaker: 🥈
Overall Score: 3 (Bronze)
Titus O’Neil – Clash Of The Titus
Titus O’Neil has worked in WWE a while now. He may be remembered for what he’s done outside the ring, along with how he fell and slid under the ring, than what he has done inside it.
A: I have always loved this move because it’s a pure finisher. The force, the way you sit down with it, man… I remember doing this a lot as a teen. A very underrated move which sadly was never used by anyone popular enough to give it the credit it deserves: 🥇
E: Titus O’Neil is ineffective with this, despite how devastating it is. You’d think he would put down anyone, but so many have kicked out of it… it’s not even slipping on the way to the Rumble funny. In his early career on the main roster he did pick up some big wins though, against Rey Mysterio and Big E: 🥉
O: The problem is that Titus took this from Albert, who let’s be frank… he did it miles better. And he was more successful with it too, except it was called the Baldo Bomb (or A-Bomb). When you adopt a finisher used by someone else, you better make it better or it’s not original at all, it’s just a cheap carbon copy: X
Overall Score: 4 (Bronze)
Xavier Woods – Lost in the Woods*, Limit Break
Now he’s on his own without Big E and Kofi Kingston, can Xavier Woods find his way? Or will he be dare I say it… lost in the woods??!
A: I’ve always liked the Eat Defeat as a finish, and Xavier puts his own little spin on it with a setup where he twirls with the arm before stamping in the exclamation point: 🥈
E: As a member of the New Day, Woods had a rough time establishing his finisher because of Kofi’s Trouble In Paradize and Big E’s Big Ending. You can’t beat those, which means Lost in the Woods would get so lost we forgot it existed. But at least it works when it finally does appear from behind the tree: 🥉
O: Most fans will know that Gail Kim used this very successfully for the longest time while building the TNA Knockouts Division. Her and Woods (aka Consequences Creed) worked together in the same company, so did she learn it from him? Or did he get her blessing? Did they both steal it from someone else? If they did, please let me know. What I do know is it stands out compared to most of the Bronze finishers. I’ll give it a step up, partly because of the twirl. Also, because I said I wouldn’t penalize finishers used by wrestlers outside the company: 🥈
Overall Score: 5 (Silver)
Conclusion
And there you have it folks, all of the WWE finishers for the Raw roster. Would you like a SmackDown edition? If so, please let me know in the comments. Below, I have compiled the full list of finishers in order from best to worst, so you get an idea of how they compare to each other. Thanks for reading!
Perfect 9 = Lumbar Check, Swanton Bomb, Trouble In Paradise 🥇
8 = Phenomenal Forearm, Claymore, 054, RKO, 630, Brogue Kick 🥇
7 = Sister Abigail, Mandible Claw 🥈
6 = Diving Senton, Asuka Lock, Gu-Lock, Viking Experience, Spirit Bomb, Shooting Star Press, Ace Of Spades 🥈
5 = Figure 8, Samoan Driver, Metalik Driver, Starship Pain, Deja Vu, Lost In The Woods 🥈
4 = Full Nelson, Mick Kick, Rear View, Bro Derek, Clash Of The Titus 🥉
3 = Wing Clipper, Disarm-Her, Running Powerslam, Khallas, Bed Of Roses, Samoan Drop, Neckbreaker Driver, Close Your Eyes 🥉
2.5-0 = Paydirt, La Sombra, Skull Crushing Finale, Woman’s Right, Timebomb, Modified Eat Defeat, Snapback, Drift Away Neckbreaker, The Purge
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