The Burning Hammer - Who Did It Best?

#3 Brian Kendrick

This is now considered the biggest moment from the 2016 Cruiserweight Cassic

When Brian Kendrick busted out the Burning Hammer in his Cruiserweight Classic match with Kota Ibushi, it sent everyone watching into a frenzy. The fans watching and commentators Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo started screaming in shock and awe, as Kendrick had executed a move that had never been done in a WWE ring before.

Kendrick hit the move perfectly, dropping Ibushi sideways on his head and neck. Yet astonishingly, Ibushi actually kicked out of the move, and was able to continue wrestling after taking such an insane bump to the neck and shoulders.

Interestingly, Ibushi kicking out of the move actually upset some wrestling purists. This was because the Burning Hammer had, up to that point, reached mythical status as the ultimate move with potentially fatal consequences.

While Ibushi kicking out certainly makes him look like the toughest wrestler on the planet, it’s still seen by some people as insulting to the move’s creator given kicking out of it is the wrestling equivalent of getting up after taking a shotgun blast to the head.