Barry Windham was using the claw as a finisher every now and then, though I don't think I've seen him or anyone else use it as a finisher since the death of Kerry Von Erich. I also recall Ron Bass using it in the mid-80s. Saw Hansen broke out a stomach claw during a match with David Sammartino when he was AWA champ. Curt Hennig was doing commentary and said something about how he hadn't seen that hold in years, so it was old even then.
Arn Anderson would often use a reverse suplex as a finisher, the infamous "Gourdbuster." I don't think he did the spinebuster or DDT until later in his career. During the mid-80s, Jake Roberts was the only person doing the DDT. I don't recall anyone else using it until the Hayes/Garvin Freebirds.
Somebody mentioned it already, but Hogan did throw a fireball during his feud with Slaughter at a house show or some other place. I recall him getting a "Thumbs Down" in one of the mark magazines for it, and I believe I remember hearing about it on WWF television.
I liked Magnum T.A.'s belly-to-belly suplex. I remember marking out when he used it on Kamala during one of the Great American Bashes.
The first team I saw using a "Power Plex"-like finisher was The New Breed. Don't know who did the move first, them or Power and Glory.
Austin used The Stun Gun I guess until he discovered the Stunner. But the first person I saw use the Stun Gun was the late Eddie Gilbert, who was the one to call it the "Hotshot."
Somebody already mentioned the Slingshot Suplex. I always marked out for that one. I also dug the Rude Awakening.
What I remember about the 80s was that a lot of wrestlers didn't have finishers, and many times the only time they won matches with them was against jobbers.
I guess the Kurrgan's original WWF finisher, The Paralyzer, was just the Iron Claw applied to the top of someone's head. Thanks to Kurrgan's insidious applications of his broad knowledge of the arts of phrenology and neurology, he was able to use the claw to its full magnitude.
Originally posted by TrineoI should have mentioned this earlier but when somebody mentioned a suplex variation the old Power and Glory (Hercules and Roma) came to mind where Herc would hit a superplex from one corner and Roma would hit a top rope splash from the another. For the time that was something original, and I don't think I've ever seen another team use it... I could be wrong though.
I freaking LOVED that finisher!
When Roma jumped ship to WCW/NWA (I forget what it was called at the time), he used a variant of that move. Flair or Arn would do a vertical suplex, not superplex, with Roma already airborne for the splash before their opponent hit the mat. It was nowhere near as impressive as the Power and Glory version, but still pretty cool. I'm pretty surprised a team like E&C hadn't broken out some variant of it.
Originally posted by TheBucsFan I have a question about the figure four. Has anyone ever tapped out to its reversal? I mean, we see people "reverse the pain" by rolling over almost everytime it is used now, but has the person who originally applied the move ever been forced to submit?
INDEEEEED. And you probably remember it too: it was in the late 80s when Ronnie Garvin feuded with Greg Valentine for a long time in the WWF Valentine did the figure four, so Garvin started doing the reversal as "The Hammer Jammer." They had a big PPV blowoff and Valentine tapped to the reversal. Very very memorable.
I miss the Iron Claw as well. Wouldn't that be the perfect move for Lesnar? Also: I'm glad to see Raven's busting out the drop-toe-hold onto the chair again.
But as for forgotten moves, I want the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER. I know Saturn could get over again if they would let him use it.
(edited by Parts Unknown on 4.4.02 1123)YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!?! - The immortal, chilling words of...The Shockmaster!
I thought the Hammer Jammer was the shinguard that Garvin busted out in the feud against Valentine. Didn't he lose to Valentine on some PPV or SNME after he had the Hammer Jammer stolen from him, causing him to fall prey to the figure 4 later in the match?
"You used it to shove your miserable daughter down our throats week in and week out...not anymore!" - Ric Flair gives me hope, Raw 3/18/02
"I thought it was cool how HHH just tossed Jericho out of the ring and made him vanish, possibly into another dimension, at the end of the match." - Dr. Unlikely says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville.
The best version of the superplex/top rope move I, was to me, done by Art Barr and Eddy Guerrero.
They were also the first team to successfully Doomsday device variant where Eddy came off the top with a huracanrana, instead of a clothesline. Apparently, Benoit and Liger had tried it in Japan (on Eddy, ironically) but it didn't work right.
"The best reason for committing loathsome & detestable acts -and let's face it, I am considerably something of an expert in the field - is purely for their own sake. Monetary gain is all very well, but it dilutes the tastes of wickedness to a lower level that is obtainable by anyone will an overdeveloped sense of avarice. True and baseless evil is as rare as the purest good - and we all know how rare THAT is." - Acheron Hades, THE EYRE AFFAIR by Jaspar Fforde
Originally posted by SarumanCrossface Chickenwing!!! I saw one guy mention it. The Last Dance. I liked that move, it was believable for Disqo, before he went to a tombstone or the Village People's Elbow (which is hilarious, btw). Oh, Last Dance is basically an inverse chickenwing jawbreaker. Good Ole Rocky Maivia used the epic "Blue Chipper" (ie, that walking shoulder breaker) Didn't Gangrel, of all people, use the Burning Hammer as a finisher for a while? That's a cool looking move, ditto for the DVD. And they stopped using the screwdriver cos Steiner would have KILLED someone with it. Oh, I forgot: I liked the Frankenstiener as a finisher too. You hardly see that anymore either.
Chaz used a burning hammer-esque finisher for awhile, Gangrel had the implant DDT. Angle was using the Crossface Chickenwing not too long ago when Bob Backlund was running for some political position. Also, I thought the Last Dance was Disco's Stunner and the Chartbuster was the chickenwing chinbreaker thing. Maybe I'm confused on those two.
You don't see the standing elbow drop much anymore, ala Andre and Abbdullah "THE" Butcher. Triple H took over Brutus Beefcake's incredible KNEE offense but never uses it as a finisher either. I don't know if it's on the "ban list" but there for awhile everyone was breaking out Michinoku Driver's and now you never see them, which is too bad because I really dug that move.
I think the Godfather used the Death Valley Driver for a while. I believe he'd take a ride on the Ho Train straight to the Death Valley Driver, then it just became the Ho Train as his finisher.
I don't remember Disco ever doing a chickenwing jawbreaker......always thought the Last Dance and the Chartbuster were both stunners, both the same move.......
i miss seeing the Death Valley Driver myself. I know it has been stated earlier in the thread.... just saying what i like. I also miss the various ddt's... and i have to say i like the blockbuster.
I am the JOBBER TO THE STARS. You better remember that.
Shane Douglas' finisher from the dying days of WCW, the Franchiser (chicken wing jawbreaker). I always liked this move, even if Shane made it look like crap. It was a step up from the Pittsburgh Plunge that he used in ECW (Jazz's finisher; fisherman-buster).
What makes HHH the "undisputed WWF champion" if no one was ever disputing it in the first place?
I miss Booker T's Harlem Hangover. That was one SICK move, much more effective than the array of scissors and sidekicks and he uses as finishers nowadays.
Jake the Snake had the best DDT ever. He could just grab out and deliver the move in such a fluid motion...made even old, washed up 1996 Jake seem dangerous.
Here's a move that seems to be gone already...the Figure Four Edgelock. What the hell happened to this? Edge hasn't used it since before WM X-8, and I thought this was the cool finisher that would make him a main eventer.
Also, I'm not a sports medicine expert, but how the hell do you puncture a lung on a fallaway slam?
Keep in mind that you're talking about Sid, the man who somehow screwed up his leg jumping from the SECOND ROPE.
it was in the late 80s when Ronnie Garvin feuded with Greg Valentine for a long time in the WWF Valentine did the figure four, so Garvin started doing the reversal as "The Hammer Jammer." They had a big PPV blowoff and Valentine tapped to the reversal. Very very memorable.
This just made me laugh; Garvin's big move is to let himself be put into the Figure Four. This seems to fall into the Don't Powerbomb Kidman category.
I was born in a manger, like that other guy. You know, he wore a hat?
The problem with monster heels is that the fans generally fall in love with the wrestler, and the promoter thinks they have to turn him face. The last monster heel I can remember who was able to stay a heel was Vader in WCW in the mid 90's.