One of the common themes in some of my latest articles is "change." Wrestling changes with the times and so should the superstars. As I've mentioned before, some changes are subtle, while others can be drastic. Some wrestlers have to undergo complete repackages, in order to finally have all the proper pieces in place for a chance to succeed.
For instance, do you think Windham Rotunda would be nearly a success today, had he remained as Husky Harris? Heck no! The Bray Wyatt repackaging will go down as one of the greatest character changes of all time.
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There are some who don't need to go as far as changing entire personas. In fact, some superstars have outstanding gimmicks, but for whatever reason, there's still something missing. One of those subtle changes that can make a world of a difference in a career, is the finishing maneuver. The finisher is the exclamation mark on a performance, letting the world, as well as your opponent, know that you were the superior performer and the finisher was a major reason why.
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Some of the superstars today have great finishers. Let's take for instance Bray Wyatt and Neville. Both of these stars have superb finishers, which not only work effectively, but they fit their personalities extremely well, too. The deadly kiss from Sister Abigail, this just might be the best finisher today. Nevilles’ Red Arrow is not something that just anyone can pull off. However, Neville executes this high-risk maneuver flawlessly.
That's just a brief example of a couple of superstars who have perfectly fitting finishers. Now let's take a look at the five current WWE Superstars who are most in need of a new finisher.
NIA JAX
I’ll be honest here, I still don't believe she was anywhere near being ready for the main roster. However, with the brand-split, Nia was drafted to the Raw roster and all we can do is hope she develops a better skill set in the ring and does so quickly. But, I'm not overly optimistic on this one.
For Nia Jax, her primary finisher is a standing leg drop. This is probably the most boring of this list, as far as finishers are concerned. If Jax is going to succeed, or at least have a chance at possibly succeeding, she has to make some immediate changes. One of those changes should be her finisher.
I'm not exactly sure what direction she should go with a new finisher, but with her being the big, brute monster of the women's division, she might be better off with some sort of maneuver to display her strength. Perhaps she could bump heads with her cousin, The Rock and come up with a modified version of The Rock Bottom for her to use. I don't know if that's even a possibility, but it's a thought.
BIG SHOW
At 44 years old and with roughly 21 years in the business, it's probably safe to say that Show won't be changing much of anything he does in the ring, much less his finisher. However, that doesn't mean it's still not needed.
For quite some time, The Big Show relied on the choke slam as his primary choice of finishing maneuvers, mainly during his WCW run. In recent years, Big Show has opted for the knockout punch, also known as "WMD." I realize that with Show being the size and stature he is, he's limited on exactly what he can do when it comes to going with a new finisher.
But, the punch is just such a boring type of finisher. Again, I'm not sure what he could replace the big punch with, but at this point, anything would be a step up. Maybe he could go with some sort of submission maneuver to display his strength. Even something as simple as a bear hug would be more interesting than the KO punch.
NAOMI
Ever since WWE Creative split up the Funkadactyls, they have made numerous attempts to give Naomi some sort of subtle changes, in an attempt to not only separate her from Cameron but to simply give Naomi some sense of individuality as well. The primary changes they've given her, have been changes to her ring attire. She's had neon everything, glowing stilettos and a few other changes to her overall appearance.
However, Naomi doesn't need a change in appearance. She's a beautiful lady, just as she is.
The change Naomi needs first and foremost, is a change to get away from that ridiculous finisher of hers, the "rear view." Essentially, all the rear view amounts to, is jumping up and having your opponent run face first into your backside. That's it, this is supposed to render your opponent so deflated that they're not longer capable of continuing.
So, what can Naomi go with, as far as a new finisher? Well, during her development phase, she used a modified DDT, which looked fantastic. She could potentially sharpen that one up and go back to that for a while.
BO DALLAS
Some readers might be surprised to see this name on this list. However, I'd challenge you to think back to his time in NXT. Bo Dallas remains one of the greatest champions in NXT's young history. During his time with the yellow brand, Bo defeated everyone who was someone and anything else that stepped between the ropes to face him.
Since arriving on the main roster, Bo has experienced what some are beginning to call the "NXT curse." It's happening time and time again with talents arriving from NXT. They are dominating at Full Sail, but hitting a brick wall upon their arrival onto the big stage. For instance, not just Dallas, but The Ascension and even Tyler Breeze.
While Breeze was a number one contender in NXT and on course to be the next champ, The Ascension became the longest reigning tag team champions in NXT history, at 364 days of dominance with the straps. But now what?
With Bo Dallas, now that the circus that was Social Outcasts has come and gone, it's time to hopefully give Bo a better shot, with some better creative management. The slate is clean for Dallas, he was taken as the 50th pick in the draft, to Raw, so let the changes begin. One obvious change is the finisher. Bo currently uses what he calls the "Bo-Dog." The Bo-Dog is simply a springboard bulldog.
Dallas comes from wresting royalty, as his grandfather, Blackjack Mulligan was the patriarch of the Windham/Rotunda family and his finisher was the claw. Bo used to wear the black glove, as a tribute to his grandfather. One idea would be to have Bo start wearing the glove once again and not only that, but let him give it a shot and go with the claw as a new finisher. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a fitting tribute and a credible maneuver.
SETH ROLLINS
First of all, I completely understand the reasoning behind Rollins using the Pedigree. When the WWE banned the curb stomp, Rollins was rolling with The Authority and was one of the top guys on the roster. So, there was a need to have him transition into a new finisher as easy as possible. With Triple H being Seth’s unofficial mentor at the time, it made perfect sense to start having Rollins use the Pedigree.
Over time, storylines have changed and so have allegiances. While Seth and Trips aren't currently feuding, it's still time to give Rollins his own finisher. Sure, The Pedigree is a great move, but it's not Seth’s maneuver. I believe having Seth go with a new finishing move would be one step towards him cementing more of a legacy of his own.
While Seth was in developmental, he used a finisher he called the "Avada Kedavra," which was a highly impactful superkick to a kneeling, or seated opponent. This could be an option, but the options are unlimited.
