WWE‘s New Generation Era was average, but WWE managed to weather the storm, and by late 1997, the Attitude Era was born. WWE pushed the envelope in the Attitude Era as there was more violence, nudity, and a no holds barred type environment. It worked as WWE beat WCW in the Monday Night Wars.
The main event scene in the Attitude Era was stacked with the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H cementing their spots as main eventers. The Undertaker was a constant presence in the Attitude Era, and Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle managed to get their hands on World Championships during this period. This era had a lot of memorable finishing maneuvers that became iconic, and some of the current stars use their counterparts from the Attitude Era’s finishers in the modern era.
10/10 Chokeslam
The Chokeslam is one of the most effective finishers in WWE history. The finishing maneuver is synonymous with Kane, Big Show, and The Undertaker. The Big Red Machine used the Chokeslam as his finisher throughout his 25-year run with WWE.
Especially in the early years of Kane’s WWE career he’d hoist his opponent high in the air and drive them to the ground. Sometimes Kane would go airborne with a fantastic Chokeslam from the top rope. Moreover, Kane’s won several championships with the Chokeslam, and he had a lot of success with the Attitude Era.
9/10 Walls Of Jericho
The first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion Chris Jericho has reinvented himself throughout his legendary wrestling career. Jericho’s had multiple finishers in his repertoire which is good to fall back on if he couldn’t put an opponent away with one of his finishers. The Walls of Jericho was one of Jericho’s first submission finishers in WWE.
It’s a variation of the Boston Crab, and Jericho would turn his opponent onto their stomach and he would grab their legs, by applying pressure on their lower back. Jericho’s finisher can be done on any opponent, and he scored some massive wins with the Walls of Jericho including his first of a record nine Intercontinental Championships to Chyna at Armageddon 1999.
8/10 Frog Splash
Both Rob Van Dam and Eddie Guerrero can take a lot of credit for their variations of the Frog Splash. RVD’s version was called the Five-Star Frog Splash. This was an amazing move to watch when it was pulled off to perfection.
The hang time that RVD would get by executing the move was remarkable as he would get up high in the air of the top rope before he crashed down on his opponent. RVD sold the move well as he would immediately clutch his ribs afterward.
7/10 3D
The Dudley Boyz are one of the greatest tag teams of all time. They are the only team to have the WWE, World Tag, ECW, and WCW Tag Team Championships. The Dudleys were popular in the Attitude Era, and they had a legendary feud with Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz over the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
Fans loved it when Bubba would bark orders at D-Von to “get the tables.” The 3D became one of the most protected finishers in WWE history, and it was a guaranteed victory with no one managing to kick out of it. They won countless championships with that move, and they could perform the move on some of the largest and smaller competitors.
6/10 Swanton Bomb
Jeff Hardy is one of the greatest daredevils in WWE history. The Charismatic Enigma knew no bounds when it came down to putting his body on the line. The Swanton Bomb is Jeff’s trademark finisher, and it is a brilliant finisher when Hardy does it right.
One of his most iconic Swanton Bombs in the Attitude Era was at WrestleMania 16 when he set up a ladder on the entrance ramp, and he executed the move on a prone Bubba Ray Dudley, and he put him through some tables. Hardy has a high threshold for pain, and the Swanton Bomb usually came after his brother Matt Hardy’s Twist of Fate when they were in tag team matches.
5/10 Angle Lock
Kurt Angle is a magnificent in-ring competitor, and the Olympic Gold Medalist added several moves to his skillset. The Angle Slam was his first finisher, but Angle added the debilitating Angle Lock to his skillset, which was a smart move.
Angle cinched in the Angle Lock on many of his opponents, and he could apply the hold on the likes of Big Show and Kane who were larger than him. Steve Austin rarely taps out, and Angle forced Austin to tap out to the Angle Lock at Unforgiven 2001 when he became a two-time WWE Champion in front of his hometown fans in Pittsburgh.
4/10 Rock Bottom
The People’s Elbow was one of The Rock’s signature moves, but it didn’t have as much impact as his patented Rock Bottom. The Rock Bottom is similar to Booker T’s Book End, but the Great One’s move is preferred by the fans.
Rock had a lot of success with the Rock Bottom as he defeated the likes of Mr. McMahon (Triple H was the reigning WWE Champion) and Kurt Angle with the move to win the WWE Championship. This was one of the top finishers in the Attitude Era which would get a pop whenever Rock connected with the move.
3/10 Tombstone
The Tombstone Piledriver is one of the most devastating finishers in WWE history. The Undertaker incorporated the move into his skillset since he made his debut at Survivor Series 1990. Throughout, Undertaker’s wrestling career he’d add different moves to his arsenal.
The Undertaker performed the move safely as it is a dangerous move as he drops an opponent on his head when he drops to his knees. Undertaker used the move regularly in the first couple of years of the Attitude Era, but when he became the American Badass, the Phenom used the Last Ride more often.
2/10 Pedigree
Triple H’s Pedigree is one of the most protected finishers in WWE history. The Game can thank the Pedigree for a large chunk of his 14 WWE World Championship reigns. This move can be performed on any competitor, and Triple H defeated Big Show for his third WWE Championship reign with it.
The Game kicks his opponent to the gut and he tucks their head in between his thighs whilst he hooks both of their arms and drops them face-first. The Game is one of the safest workers to grace a WWE ring, and he’d rarely get the move wrong. The Pedigree was an exceptional move to cement Triple H’s spot as one of the top heels in the Attitude Era.
1/10 Stunner
Steve Austin became one of the most polarizing stars in the Attitude Era, and he ditched the Million Dollar Dream in favor of the Stunner. The Stunner is arguably the greatest finisher in WWE history. Fans would go berserk whenever Austin executed the move. It’s an easy move to pull off as Austin would kick his opponent to the gut, and he’d grab their head and drop them to the ground.
The likes of The Rock and Shane McMahon sold the move exceptionally well. Mr. McMahon was on the receiving end of a few Stunners which fans enjoyed as they wanted McMahon to get his comeuppance. Austin won all but one of his WWE Championship reigns with the Stunner, including his first WWE Championship win over Shawn Michaels.
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