Tired
Legend
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 4,768
- Reaction score
- 0
The WWE website has published an article giving credit to those who invented some of the most well known finishers in the WWE.
The RKO
The RKO was originally invented by Johnny Ace, aka John Laurinaitis. In 1987, Ace was still in training and did not have a finisher. Barry Windham suggested that Ace should use the front face neckbreaker. That move would later be known as the Stone Cold Stunner. But Laurinaitis misunderstood, and made the Ace Crusher instead. Ace used in AJPW (All-Japan Pro Wrestling), and the move became an instant hit.
Laurinaitis later taught the move to Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter. Page was rumoured to have taught it to Randy Orton, although this would have been while DDP was still recovering from a career threatening neck injury.
Sharpshooter
Although the move was made famous by Bret Hart, the move was originally invented by New Japan Pro Wrestling star Riki Choshu. Choshu called it the 'Sasori-gatame', or 'Scorpion Hold'. It was later adopted by Sting as it fit his character.
When Bret Hart was starting his solo career, he wanted a Japanese submission hold as his main finisher. This was why he liked Sting's finisher. So he asked Max Moon (Konnan) to teach it to him. Since then, it has become the secondary finisher for most Canadian wrestlers competing in the US.
Moonsault
This move was once an impressive, match-ending finisher. Now it is a basic move that most wrestlers are taught in basic training. Even WWE announcer Josh Matthews used the moonsault as his WWE finisher (even though he never used it in a WWE ring).
Strangely, the WWE website credits Mando Guerrero with inventing the move. Mando is one of the lesser known brothers of Eddie Guerrero, and uncle to Chavo Guerrero, Jr. However, some people claim that the move was first used by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, the brother of Macho Man Randy Savage.
Powerbomb
There is one man in wrestling who is incorrectly credited for inventing more moves than anyone else. He was merely the first to use them on a major stage, thus making them popular. But this man did genuinely innovate some of his own moves, and the powerbomb was one of them.
The WWE has painstakingly tried to restore the footage, but they now one the only video of the first powerbomb. Lou Thesz is seen driving Antonio Inoki into the mat.
Texas Cloverleaf
Due to the name "cloverleaf", the move is linked to Irish and Northern Irish wrestlers. But the move is better known as the effortless finisher of Dean Malenko.
The move helped it's inventor, Dory Funk, Jr., to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Dory also invented other submission holds used by the Funk family, particularly the Spinning Toe Hold.
Air Bourne
It is no secret that the Air Bourne was originally the Shooting Star Press. It was made famous in the US by Billy Kidman. Long before he started training for the ring, Kidman dreamed of using something like this as a finisher, and wondered if it could be done.
But then he saw a video tape of NJPW icon Jushin Lyger. Lyger used the move as part of his regular moveset. He did not use the move nearly as much as Kidman did, but he was still the first.
Figure Four Leglock
There is currently a storyline in the WWE in which Ric Flair is training the Miz to become the new 'Nature Boy'. As has been reported numerous times before, Flair was not the first.
Just how much Flair took from the original Nature Boy Buddy Rogers may never become clear. But among the list was Rogers own home-made finisher.
Frog Splash
A lot of superstars, including Chavo Guerrero, Jr., adopted the frog splash as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero. This is slightly ironic as Eddie adopted the move as a tribute too.
Guerrero used to be in a tag team called 'La Pareja del Terror' in Mexico. He would end matches by performing a superplex, and then Art Barr would follow up with a frog splash. After Barr's untimely death, Eddie started using the move as his own finisher.
The RKO
The RKO was originally invented by Johnny Ace, aka John Laurinaitis. In 1987, Ace was still in training and did not have a finisher. Barry Windham suggested that Ace should use the front face neckbreaker. That move would later be known as the Stone Cold Stunner. But Laurinaitis misunderstood, and made the Ace Crusher instead. Ace used in AJPW (All-Japan Pro Wrestling), and the move became an instant hit.
Laurinaitis later taught the move to Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter. Page was rumoured to have taught it to Randy Orton, although this would have been while DDP was still recovering from a career threatening neck injury.
Sharpshooter
Although the move was made famous by Bret Hart, the move was originally invented by New Japan Pro Wrestling star Riki Choshu. Choshu called it the 'Sasori-gatame', or 'Scorpion Hold'. It was later adopted by Sting as it fit his character.
When Bret Hart was starting his solo career, he wanted a Japanese submission hold as his main finisher. This was why he liked Sting's finisher. So he asked Max Moon (Konnan) to teach it to him. Since then, it has become the secondary finisher for most Canadian wrestlers competing in the US.
Moonsault
This move was once an impressive, match-ending finisher. Now it is a basic move that most wrestlers are taught in basic training. Even WWE announcer Josh Matthews used the moonsault as his WWE finisher (even though he never used it in a WWE ring).
Strangely, the WWE website credits Mando Guerrero with inventing the move. Mando is one of the lesser known brothers of Eddie Guerrero, and uncle to Chavo Guerrero, Jr. However, some people claim that the move was first used by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, the brother of Macho Man Randy Savage.
Powerbomb
There is one man in wrestling who is incorrectly credited for inventing more moves than anyone else. He was merely the first to use them on a major stage, thus making them popular. But this man did genuinely innovate some of his own moves, and the powerbomb was one of them.
The WWE has painstakingly tried to restore the footage, but they now one the only video of the first powerbomb. Lou Thesz is seen driving Antonio Inoki into the mat.
Texas Cloverleaf
Due to the name "cloverleaf", the move is linked to Irish and Northern Irish wrestlers. But the move is better known as the effortless finisher of Dean Malenko.
The move helped it's inventor, Dory Funk, Jr., to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Dory also invented other submission holds used by the Funk family, particularly the Spinning Toe Hold.
Air Bourne
It is no secret that the Air Bourne was originally the Shooting Star Press. It was made famous in the US by Billy Kidman. Long before he started training for the ring, Kidman dreamed of using something like this as a finisher, and wondered if it could be done.
But then he saw a video tape of NJPW icon Jushin Lyger. Lyger used the move as part of his regular moveset. He did not use the move nearly as much as Kidman did, but he was still the first.
Figure Four Leglock
There is currently a storyline in the WWE in which Ric Flair is training the Miz to become the new 'Nature Boy'. As has been reported numerous times before, Flair was not the first.
Just how much Flair took from the original Nature Boy Buddy Rogers may never become clear. But among the list was Rogers own home-made finisher.
Frog Splash
A lot of superstars, including Chavo Guerrero, Jr., adopted the frog splash as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero. This is slightly ironic as Eddie adopted the move as a tribute too.
Guerrero used to be in a tag team called 'La Pareja del Terror' in Mexico. He would end matches by performing a superplex, and then Art Barr would follow up with a frog splash. After Barr's untimely death, Eddie started using the move as his own finisher.
