10 Safest Finishers In AEW History
AEW has been home to hundreds and hundreds of finishers throughout its existence, some of them iconic and popular, and others not as much. From Kenny Omega's fabled One-Winged Angel to MJF's excruciating Salt of the Earth, each move reflects its user's character.
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But when it comes to difficulty, not every move is really cut from the same cloth. Some are inherently very dangerous, like Toni Storm's Storm Zero (basically a Piledriver) or Private Party's Gin and Juice (Hurricanrana to Cutter). But others, like the ones below, are easy to sell and do, of course, if one knows what they are doing.
10 Redrum
HOOK is the son of Tazz, and it shows in his finisher. It is the same as his father's - a half-nelson choke - but renamed the Redrum. And for someone who is just beginning to cut his teeth in the business, it is as simple to apply as it is to say.
Just wrap one arm around the opponent's chin and armpit, then drape the other across one arm. Cinch the arms, and fall back. The opponent will either be tapping in no time or go unconscious from the lack of air.
9 Jaded
Jade Cargill is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive physical specimens AEW fans have ever witnessed. At 5'10", she stands well above practically the entire women's roster, and she boasts divinely sculpted abs that even male superstars can only dream of having.
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Her finisher, Jaded, stands out even more because of the heights she can take her opponent. And the descent is one of the simplest - as she folds herself backward buttocks-first, the other party just has to spread her arms and brace for impact.
8 Orange Punch
Orange Cassidy has two iconic finishing moves. One, the Beach Break, is a belly-to-back Piledriver that can break necks and end careers unless set up properly, And then there is the Orange Punch.
Think of it as Roman Reigns' Superman Punch, except the deliverer is not a 270-lb former linebacker, but rather a 180-lb slacker who is well-known for his laid-back fighting style. It is incredibly easy to do: run around the opponent, leap, then strike. All the opponent has to do is fall back, or flop around when the circumstances call for it.
7 Down the Rabbit Hole
The Bunny, fka Allie, is something of an enigma in AEW. On one hand, she has a decent character as a crazed lunatic - like a mad hare. On the other, her infrequent appearances on TV leave said character somewhat untapped.
But when she does wrestle, she has an exceptional finisher: the Final Cut, but renamed to suit her theme Basically it is just eating an elbow to the chest - like a dagger being plunged through the heart, but obviously not deadly. The only thing the seller has to do is fall back first onto the mat.
6 Lockjaw
Britt Baker's Lockjaw is one of the most creative finishers in wrestling. Basically, it is a double scissor armbar combined with a Mandible Claw that seeks to deaden the nerves and muscles in the mouth.
The move may seem very dreaded, but it is easy to set up: clasp one arm with your legs, then trap the other beneath your armpit. Then grasp the opponent's lower teeth and pull back - no other frills necessary. It has been a staple of the Doctor's since she was announced as an original signing.
5 Salt of the Earth
There is a reason why arm holds are one of the most popular moves in wrestling: they are easy to do and easy to sell. Sure, injuries sustained from them may occasionally be sold as grave, but the recipients can still walk; they just cannot punch.
MJF's Salt of the Earth is, in essence, just a Fujiwara armbar, but it is very simple in execution and reception. Normally, a champion like him should have a flashier finisher to project his/her star appeal, but he is such a good heel that he needs no extra flair to do so.
4 Black Mass/Blackout
The Black Mass/Blackout is both flashy and simple at the same time: its spinning motion makes it even more devastating than a regular high kick, and yet its sudden nature also highlights how subdued Malakai Black is as a character.
When one gets hit with the move, all they can really do is go lights out - just a simple back bump, maybe sometimes turn around and fall cheek first if they want more dramatics. No flopping necessary - Malakai has just taken a soul, so there is no aftereffect.
3 Uraken
Who does not love Eddie Kingston? Sure, he may not have the best physique in the world, but what he lacks in it, he more than makes up for in intensity. The part-Puerto Rican brawler has a very hard-nosed style that is less about analytically breaking down opponents than it is about just overwhelming them with sheer violence.
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But there is something about his main finisher, the spinning backfist, that exudes cleanness. Eddie throws a spinning backfist, and the opponent can either easily duck, or take the blow and crumble.
2 Judas Effect
Chris Jericho's Judas Effect has been touted as a devastating finisher, one that he can use from almost anywhere. And to be fair, there is a good reason to believe so - it is ostensibly a spinning back elbow to the face.
But there is a trick that makes it safer than it actually is. Jericho does not use the elbow itself (or more accurately, the tip) as the striking point, as it can legitimately fracture the recipient's face by its sharpness alone. Rather, he uses the upper arm as if he were delivering a clothesline, but in reverse.
1 Queenslayer
The rear naked choke is quite possibly the most effective submission move in fighting, trapping the opponent where there is no possible means of escape other than by trying to slam the user into any hard surface hard enough to hurt their back. And yet it is simple in its execution: just wrap the arms around their neck.
In AEW, Anna Jay is the main user of this technique, having used it to put away various foes in her various gimmicks. Her stature - 5'8" - helps her to make this decently believable, as opponents will find it hard to easily overcome her stocky figure.
