Let's face it. Booker can't keep going on and hope to turn face effectively (and it seems to be an inevitability) if he doesn't have a half-decent finisher.
He can't do the Missile Dropkick or the awesome Harlem Hangover b/c his wheels are too banged up.
The Book End's out too. The Rock had dibs on the uranage long before he did - so that's out.
I've been thinking that he should do what Edge has - get some innovative submission hold - though he's more of a "high-impact finisher for the 1-2-3" kinda guy.
Hmmm. A tornado DDT would flow nicely into a spinarooni before the pin.
"Nobody loves the custodian. I come and I sweep and vacuum for you. When you're in the mood to go to the bathroom, I even disinfect it for you! This is the thanks I get?!? All who defy me shall be dis-infected!"
Oooh....good question. I could see him doing a Jackhammer just to get on Goldberg's nerves, but that didn't work too well for Billy Gunn soooo.....I'm thinking Northern Lights Bomb, but I doubt the WWF would let that one fly....I got it. Burning Hammer. You know, the inverted Death Valley Driver that Kobashi does. That or the Northern Lights Bomb.
How about a Diamond Dust, or the Buff Blockbuster. Yeah Bagwell sucks, but Booker could make it work.
Also what's the inevitable face turn stuff. It doesn't look to me lik he'll be turning face in the near future. Will he turn face one day? Sure, but so will everyone else in the wrestling business.
I think the Spinarooni/Harlem Sidekick combo could be his finisher. Booker's signal for the Spinarooni of kneeling down and sticking out his hand would be effective to get the crowd fired up in anticipation. Unlike the weak karate chop after the worm, the sidekick is just sick when it's executed right.
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
Speaking of innovative pinning/submission finishers, I'd like to see some Capoeira-style wrestling. I doubt Booker T could pull this off with his bulky self, but he might use an off-the-top-rope move (Buff Blockbuster, for instance) and pin with the Majistral cradle.
If he's not doing the Harlem Hangover or Missile Dropkick, I kinda doubt we'll see Booker doing a Buff Blockbuster or Diamond Dust anytime soon. Besides, it took a long time to get the Buff-stink off of Booker, you think he's just gonna start using his finisher?
The Harlem Sidekick would be good for Booker if he was going for the midcard, but in main events it just wouldn't be believeable anymore.
I think wee need to think in terms of Scott "My Top-Rope Days Are Over" Steiner here.
And what exactly is wrong with the Spinaroonie as a finisher might I ask?!
Seriously, I think Booker can be one of the growing trend of guys with multiple finishers. Think about it, you've got: Rock - Rock Bottom, Sharpshooter, People's Elbow, Smackdown DDT, spinebuster (all believed credible by most fans as ending a match) Chris Jericho - Walls of Jericho, Breakdown, Lionsault, Belt to the head Chris Benoit - Crippler Crossface, Swandive Headbutt, rolling german suplexes Kurt Angle - Anglelock, Angle Slam, Moonsault (that never hits)
Booker could be like that. Use the Harlem Hangover some, the missile dropkick some, hit the uranage some (perhaps with some variation to make it look different) and the sidekick some.
Booker could be like that. Use the Harlem Hangover some, the missile dropkick some, hit the uranage some (perhaps with some variation to make it look different) and the sidekick some.
But that's the issue. He CAN'T do either of those top rope moves. Let's not forget that Booker's 36 and his wheels aren't what they used to be.
And, yes, Booker is gonna turn face. He has face-like mannerisms. The catchphrases, the hand fascinations and the Spinaroonie aren't exactly heelish.
I'm watching Smackdown and I see the sheep with the hand staring and popping big for the Spinaroonie. Something tells me Booker won't be heel much longer.
What's wrong with the Spineroonie? I'll tell you what's wrong with it: it's goofy. The name is horrible, in general. (And, as I've said before, he could change the name.) It sounds like a jobber's finisher, really. Reminiscent of the worm. [shudder] Is that believable? Of course not.
And, the rest of those finishers you mention work only because the wrestlers have the charisma to build it up. In their eyes, if the very-over wrestler spat in the opponent's eye, it was ACID and it ate right through to the brain!
Heck, Hogan (and I am -no- fan of Hogan) -still- has the Leg Drop of Doom. After all these years, it's /still/ not believable as a finisher, but his marks continue to sell it -for- him. Heh. I pity.
Uhh....the Spineroonie isn't a finisher because it doesn't classify as a move. It's more of a mannerism or a taunt. At no point in the Spineroonie does Booker come into contact with his opponent. You cannot finish someone off if you don't touch them.
Hey, the Spinaroonie would be a great finisher! Wait until the opponent is real groggy, then do it next to his legs and trip him up real good. Best finisher ever!
Seriously though, I figure it has to be a power move of some sort in the case of Booker T something like a Crucifix Bomb (if thats what it's called, it's like a Razor's Edge into a Tiger Bomb) if he could get away with it being similar to Hall's finisher. I think it might be suffuciently different, though, as they allow Stunner/Twist of Fate/Diamond Cutter to co-exist. Failing that, the Roll of the Dice was a neat idea. Or they could go really crazy and get some top guys to sell some of his existing finishers to make those moves credible .
"Nobody enjoys a good time more than I do, but this business of yours is as legitimate as a three-legged donkey...which of course is illegitimate because as we all know donkeys have four legs."
I agree Booker needs a power move for a finisher. I think he needs to rely a little less on kicks and a little more on power moves in general.
I think the answer is for Booker to add a flourish or two to one of three moves in his arsenal. That way he doesn't have to learn and test out a whole new move (although the Undertaker did it).
Those moves are:
1. the Book End. Maybe put a half turn in there, or just have some variation to distinguish it from a Rock Bottom.
2. The flapjack. If he really put some OOMP into that move (maybe turning face down during the move and driving the opponent hard into the mat) it could be a credible finisher.
3. The super-spinebuster he uses sometimes. That's an absolutely visious move if you ask me. He could get that over as a finisher (maybe with a turn or something added). The main drawback is that it can't be done to big guys. Also Bob Holly uses it. But that's where the Harlem Sidekick (which hasn't been called that since the WCW days and needs a new name) or the Ax kick come in. He could use those against the 7-footers. Plus the Sidekick looks really cool against tall guys, but kind of weak against shorter guys.
For the time being, maybe Booker can borrow Stevie Ray's slapjack. :)
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
I remember Booker doing the Super-Duper Spinebuster on Disco Inferno. I thought Disco was truly dead. It was really agressive. I liked it. But I could see how someone could get hurt pretty easily with that move. I think that Harlem Sidekick is enough, JR just has to put it over strong, it would get over.
January 4th 1999 - The day WCW injected itself with 10 gallons of Liquid Anthrax...AKA...The day Hogan "Defeated" Nash to win the WCW title in front of 40,000.
I think he also polished off Maven recently with the super-spinebuster (near-Christmas RAW, with Big Bossman at ringside). It looked pretty wicked, although I was mildly surprised it was the finish. It did appear credible though, since Maven is a quite the rookie.
The spinaroonie is his versin of the kip-up. He should use it like that, then 'catch the feeling'. As far as I'm concerned, that is the best end of match signal ever. The stop and drop method currently used makes it looks like The GLOW cheerleaders dancing while the opponents were caught up in the ropes., that is, stupid.
But for a man with as much seemingly good business sense as Mick Foley does, he should be able to put the thing into perspective. At the time, the World Title was on its way to its lowest point in the history of wrestling (in both companies).