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WWE Superstars are built differently, allowing them to perform some incredible moves in the ring. Superstars also suffer many injuries during their careers, but most come back better and stronger.
Over the years, fans have seen men and women trade blows more than ever before. Often, they have also hit their finishers on each other to the delight of their fans.
As trained professionals, WWE stars know how to pull off incredible moves in the safest way possible. Hence, the risk of injuries is significantly reduced. On that note, let's look at five WWE Superstars who have hit their finishers on female performers in recent years.
#5. Roman Reigns speared Stephanie McMahon at WWE WrestleMania 32
Roman Reigns and Triple H met in the main event of WrestleMania 32 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The two had a great storyline walking into the contest, and fans expected fireworks from both.
Reigns was down and out during the match while Stephanie McMahon came into the ring to check on her husband, Triple H, and argued with the referee. The Big Dog mustered enough strength to go for a Spear on Triple H. However, The Game moved out of the way, putting Stephanie in the line of fire purely for entertainment purposes.
Roman's Spear to Stephanie drew a massive pop from more than 100,000 fans at the venue. It was one of the first-time fans saw Reigns take down a woman in WWE. Speaking on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast later, The Tribal Chief revealed that Stephanie wasn't too happy with getting speared by him.
"She took it like a champ. She did a great job, and I didn’t really pull any of the physicality out. She took a full-on spear, and that’s how you should do it in the main event of WrestleMania. She was obviously a little bit sore and not very happy about that, but I think everybody after a main event of a WrestleMania is ecstatic of going through that process, and the adrenaline rush of the performance and then also celebrating a phenomenal moment with the live audience, everybody watching at home." [H/T SportzWiki]
The main events of WrestleMania call for big things to take place, and it was one of the biggest spots the two stars pulled off at the show. Stephanie has never shied away from taking some big hits from the men in the company. But a Spear from The Big Dog left her a bit sore.
#4. CM Punk knocked Beth Phoenix out with the GTS
The 2010 Royal Rumble had many surprises in store for fans. CM Punk entered the match at No. 3 and carried the contest on his back for some time with his incredible work on the mic and in the ring.
During the 30-man over-the-top-rope elimination match, Beth Phoenix emerged as a surprise entrant. She came face-to-face with a few top male superstars, including Punk.
The two were reportedly dating around that time, but that did not stop them from attacking each other. Fans saw Punk lift Phoenix over her shoulders and hit her with his finisher, the GTS. After hitting her with his signature move, Punk eliminated The Glamazon from the match.
It was one of the very few times fans saw Punk attack a female wrestler in the ring.
#3. Baron Corbin treated Becky Lynch to the End of Days
Becky Lynch teamed up with her husband, Seth Rollins, to face Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans in a Winners Take All Match for the Universal and RAW Women's Championship at WWE Extreme Rules in 2019.
Lynch and Rollins worked well together and eventually picked up the win to retain their titles against the two top heels at the time. The biggest spot during the bout saw Corbin hit Big Time Becks with his finisher, End of Days, in the center of the ring.
The move turned a few heads, and Corbin earned immense heat for his actions. In a recent appearance on the Mornings with Matt and Rob podcast, Corbin spoke about hitting the maneuver on Becky Lynch and the fan reaction to it.
"It was one of the weirdest reactions I’ve ever experienced (…) You could hear the anticipation when I was kind of standing behind her, but then when I hit it, it was like, a huge reaction of shock, right? Then it went really quiet when they realized what just happened. And then it was just like, guttural boos," said Corbin.
His actions had a mixed response from the WWE Universe. However, the superstars involved did a great job pulling off the move safely. Lynch was the only one from the match left with her title at the end of the night as Brock Lesnar cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Rollins soon after.
#2. 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt terrorized Alexa Bliss on WWE SmackDown
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross had a decent partnership in WWE for several months. However, when the latter abandoned Bliss, she was terrorized by one of the scariest WWE Superstars in history.
A vulnerable Bliss was attacked by 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt on an episode of SmackDown in July 2020. Wyatt wanted to send a message to Braun Strowman through the assault and form a partnership with Little Miss Bliss.
The Fiend caught Bliss with his devastating Mandible Claw finisher and took her out as the night ended. It was an interesting way to bring The Fiend into Bliss' life.
In an appearance on Table Talk, Alexa opened up about the moment The Fiend attacked her. She was terrified of him and simply froze in his presence.
"[It's like] a fear of being frozen or not being able to react. You know when you're so afraid of something that you don't even know how to scream or how to breathe properly, and you just kind of freeze up? That's what it's like - I mean, that mask itself and the lantern is terrifying, and to have The Fiend standing behind you, not being able to see him at first, that's terrifying! Yeah, it was definitely a frozen type of fear," Bliss said.
The angle helped pair Wyatt with Bliss for some time. It was one of the most bizarre segments WWE has produced to date.
#1. Randy Orton has RKO-ed several female WWE Superstars
Randy Orton is arguably the biggest heel WWE has ever produced, and that's exactly why he tops this list. Orton has attacked nearly everyone from veterans to legends in WWE, including several women.
His finisher, known as the RKO, is one of the most lethal moves in all of wrestling, and many women in the company have tasted it. The Fabulous Moolah was the first woman to get hit by an RKO on the September 3, 2003, episode of WWE RAW.
After the legend, Stacy Keibler fell prey to Orton's destructive finisher in 2005 during a time when they were in an on-screen relationship. Orton then hit Trish Stratus with an RKO on the September 4, 2006, episode of WWE RAW.
Randy Orton feuded with The McMahons in 2009 and gave Stephanie McMahon a taste of his finisher in front of Triple H. Nia Jax made the mistake of entering the men's Royal Rumble match in 2019 as Orton took her down with the RKO.
In 2020, Beth Phoenix tried to stop The Apex Predator from doing any more damage to her husband, Edge. However, she, too, fell prey to the RKO as Orton showed no remorse for his actions.
The last reported case of Orton hitting his finisher to a female superstar was on January 25, 2021. The Legend Killer took down Alexa Bliss during his rivalry with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
Randy Orton is one of the most destructive finishers in WWE, and he hasn't shied away from using it against anyone in the company.
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