What exactly are the point of finishers? + BQ?

I feel that finishers have a bigger role than simply signifying an end to a match.

The predictability of a finisher can also help benefit a match. It’s obvious that a finisher signifies an end to a match, but it can be used against that predictability. I think kicking out of a finisher creates more excitement and anxiety in a match than almost anything else inside the wrestling ring. The look of shock on the wrestler’s face after his/her opponent kicks out of that finisher is pure magic. It usually adds or furthers the story inside the match with both wrestlers so determined to beat each other. Kicking out of a finisher can be so unpredictable, which makes it great.

It also helps excite the fans because the fans who were expecting the match to end are shocked that the wrestler kicked out. If its from a heel wrestler, everyone wants the heel wrestler to finally lose. When the heel wrestler kicks out, the fans are thinking what is it going to take. When a face kicks out of a finisher, people cheer like crazy because it shows that the wrestler is going to do whatever it takes to become the winner. It creates a lot of emotion, tension, anxiety, and excitement among fans because they want to see who will come out victorious, and kicking out of a finisher only makes fans wonder who really will win the match. That’s why you see the fans screaming and the pace of the match growing slightly more frantic.

The pin attempts are used to add a bit more psychology and fan interactivity. Announcers hype these pin attempts as a point to either further exhaust the wrestler who’s getting pinned or sell that it could be over. Fans tend to chant at these counts. Fans tend to interact more and cheer or boo after pin attempts. It’s actually useful in telling a story inside the ring as well to further sell the determination between two wrestlers.

As The Bottomline said, every match shouldn’t end with a finisher. Matches should involve more surprise instead of the typical finisher and the end of the match. Not only is it predictable, but its also repetitive because we’re used to seeing matches end after finishers. Wrestlers can’t always kick out of finishers because that can kill their credibility if it repeatedly happens. However, matches shouldn’t always end with a finisher. There should occasionally be some twists with shocking endings like roll ups. I have no problem with finishers, but it shouldn’t ALWAYS end the match with the typical style. Have some more excitement in the ending.

BQ: I can’t really think of anyone at the moment. If I can think of someone, I’ll edit. I usually like wrestlers who are talented inside the ring. Can’t really think of any wrestler I like that has both mediocre mic skills and in ring skills.

The primary rational for the Finisher move is that it is a vehicle to get the fans to PAY attention to the wrestler. Now there are several items that will be linked or associated with the wrestler it could be anything from the appearance, speaking ability, specific moves etc. that the fans want to PAY to see on tv, ppv, at house shows. Now the finisher does not necessary have to end the match every time but it should be used in every match…..they could tease the spot or have it reversed or have a 2 count etc to build up drama.

If someone has a bad finisher or a move that is outdated *cough*fireman carry*cough* that doesn’t look like it could “kill” than whats the point in having the match.

Elizabeth was not a wrestler but a valet so she didn’t have to take any bumps or talk or do anything but look good on tv. Its all about how the person is promoted….not everybody can be like Sherri Martel and do everything perfectly. The girlfriend gimmick is should be used instead of making everybody a diva who pretends to be “wrestler”…..certain people don’t belong in the ring. The point being Kelly should of stay a valet….she looks like a perfect 10 but expecting her to work a match is just asking too much from her.

It’s not that what is the point of finishers..obviously they’re the moves a wrestler uses to finish his opponent off to win the match.

But it’s rather how often matches are put together to end with a finisher that kills the unpredictability of a match.

I don’t mind finishers..what I DO mind is that they are used to end seemingly every match..especially in WWE.

To add to the unpredictability, they should have the matches end with something different sometimes, not just finishers. There should be a wrestler who outwrestles his opponent and gets him in a roll up out of nowhere, a different big move, or something to the like that should end the match. This will keep fans guessing as to when the match is going to end.

Like you say, since they make every match end in a finisher, it’s obvious one of the other wrestling moves isn’t going to end the match. They just need to finish matches with finishers less often…it’ll keep the fans guessing.

Growing up, back in the 80s, even some into the 90s, every match didn’t always end with a finisher..sometimes somebody like Ric Flair would lose the World Title because he got caught in a small package that was reversed from a big move, sometimes it was a different good wrestling move that would end the match..and it kept things unpredictable. What else is that also lots of these matches are known today as all-time classics.

Taking away finishers completely isn’t the solution, rather using them less and having a match end with something else is what would help more.

BQ: Necro Butcher isn’t a good wrestler, he’s just a brawler, but I find him very entertaining with his brawling and hardcore style.

The point for signature moves is to make the gimmick more successfull. Lets look at some wrestler are remembered: Bret Hart uses the sharpshooter, John Cena uses the attitude adjuster, and Stone Cold used the Stone Cold Stunner. They are used to make the wrestlers more marketable, and unstopabble. There used most often in squash matches the character strong.

BQ: Poor skills goes Tyler Black and Rodrick Strong. There mic work is very bland, but they can give you a good match.

For bad wrestling skills go to Scott Steiner these days. Back then he was a beast, but his back is messed that he can’t barely walk. Somehow the man tried to pull out a good match, and sometimes he proves the IWC wrong sometimes. He had a good match with Jarrett, Team 3D, and Bobby Lashely in 29. So he has something left in the tank.

i do agree with you that we know when the match is going to end and when its not going to end because if they hit a backbreaker and go for a pin attempt then we all know that hes not going to win the match and you can also tell when the people are going to kick out of the finisher or reverse it but then again if we didnt have finishers even if it wouldnt be predictable it would be pretty boring watching a guy pass out from the dragon sleeper and then thats it the reason they have finishers is so that the match can end quicky so i think the match would be pretty boring if they just did normal moves the whole match.

BQ: i suppose sheamus no matter how crappy his finisher is i still like him no matter if he looks uncomfortable on the mic

Exactly,their should be signatures,not finishers,I mean,OOH WOW A HIP TOSS I WONDER IF IT GOING TO END!Not.Thats why I like hardcore or extreme match types,they are unpredictably,cause in hardcore match types,it is 50 50 as to if the guy will kick out,usually he will if it is the first time the man used the move and if he doesnt use it in a hardcore way,but the other 50 percent the match will end in an awesome bump.So I agree with you.

I know it isnt such a good answer.

BQ:Maria.

Firstly, nice question. Starred.

Hence the word “Finish” in finisher. It’s what you use to END the match. The final blow. If there weren’t finishers, matches would last for a much longer time, and it would be harder to fit in several things in the timeslot. Finshers *finish* the opponent off. That’s what you have to do in order to win, isn’t it? They have certain things they have to fit in within the timeslot, because if they don’t, it would go on forever (in some people’s minds). One thing I will say though, I don’t understand why they don’t give the wrestlers killer moves, instead of like a kick to the head (Sheamus), (Kofi).

But, the reason there are finishers is because that’s all you can take, it finishes them off.

Source(s): If you wanna hurt, let Randy punt you!

Brilliant way to end a match. Plus they are powerful BQ: AJ Styles for TNA Undertaker for WWE

“Finishers” are yet another way in which Vince McMahon changed the wrestling business. He didn’t invent “finishers” or coin the name, obviously, but he’s the one that made them so “important”.

Look at all the greats in the business. Thesz, Race, Dory Jr and Terry Funk, Jack Brisco, Sammartino, Bockwinkel, Gagne, Flair, etc etc. They didn’t spend 10-59 minutes screwing around in the ring, hitting spots, punching and kicking, then at the “right” time hit the same move to end a match every time. Sure, they all had their own “specialty moves” (like Flair with the Figure-4, and Dory Jr with the Texas Cloverleaf), but they were wrestlers who presented themselves as highly-skilled competitors with a multitude of ways to win a match. When you saw those guys wrestle you were in for a “clinic”, a display of their skills. Sure, they were generally the favorite to win but that was based on their skills, experience, and “veteran instincts” that gave them the ability to out-wrestle, out-counter-wrestle, and out-think their opponents. “The game of human chess” as Gordon Solie called it.

Vince McMahon Jr changed that. To sell T-Shirts.

Beginning with Hulk Hogan, Vince changed his father’s promotion from a roster full of skilled wrestlers giving us believable wrestling contests to a roster full of “characters” he could market and sell merchandise. Hogan’s Leg Drop, Randy Savage’s Elbow Drop, Jake Roberts’ DDT, and on and on. Each finisher was a part of a character’s “characteristics”. Hogan’s red and yellow, the rip-able T-Shirts, the bandanna, the “whatcha gonna do?” catchphrases, the Leg Drop “finisher”, ALL identifiable to Hulk Hogan and only Hulk Hogan. The wrestling matches, the wrestling skills, became secondary. Vince wasn’t (and isn’t) marketing wrestlers, he’s marketing “characters”.

Superman’s red and blue, the big “S” on his chest, the cape, flying, “heat” vision.

Randy Savage’s multi-colored costumes, garishly-colored cowboy hats, sunglasses, “Ooooh yeee-aaahhh!”, the Flying Elbow Drop.

See the similarities? The “finishers” the WWE performers are (in most cases) assigned is just a “characteristic” of the gimmick they’ve been assigned. A “character” created by a “creative” team to market merchandise for. The “finisher” is just an identifier, no different than say, the hat and coat that identifies The Undertaker.

The “finishers” in and of themselves, aren’t necessarily “bad”; a combatant does need ways to “finish off” his opponents. Where Vince went wrong was to assign ONE finisher per “character” and to not end matches until a “character” does his “finisher”. That does, indeed, make the “preliminaries” (the match itself) boring (how many times can you watch two guys punch and kick and not get sick of it) and predictable, and tends to make the fans not care UNTIL a “finisher” is used. They pop for that. They’ve tried, recently, to “shake things up a bit” and make the same old same old matches a little less predictable by having guys kick out of “finishers”. But all that does is to weaken the “finishers” and make them appear less effective.

Ric Flair didn’t end every match with a Figure-4 submission, Verne Gagne didn’t end every match with a Sleeper submission, Lou Thesz didn’t end every match with the STF submission. You never knew when or HOW their matches would end. And that’s one of the things that made them so entertaining to watch.

But Vince doesn’t market wrestlers. Vince markets “characters” to sell merchandise. Their “finishers” are just identifiable “characteristics” of the “characters”. No different than Mr Fantastic’s ability to stretch his body nearly without limits.

BQ: Hornswoggle. The little guy is funny. He’s a clown, there to make us laugh with his silly antics. I “get” it. He IS funny and entertaining.

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like the first answer it the killer move a finisher can help ur popular what would austin be without the stunner ? or undertaker without the tombstone ? it makes them and what ive wondered it they wanted to why not do the finisher first ?