24. Phenomenal Forearm
The Styles Clash is great, but the ‘phenomenal’ A.J. Styles looks most comfortable when he’s flying through the air delivering painful forearms. Styles made a name for himself both in Japan and TNA — taking part in classic feuds with now-current WWE stars (Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura). After an exceptionally brief stint with the company in 2002, Styles made the full-time jump to the WWE in 2016 — shocking everyone with an appearance at the Royal Rumble.
He’s been one of the company’s hottest stars since joining. Styles recently capped off arguably one of the greatest “Rookie” years in WWE history. His signature forearm is both majestic as well as hard-hitting, and it’s amazing that Styles can still make it looks so easy at 40-years old.
Image Source: Dallas Morning News
23. Clothesline
Although not a requirement for every move in the sports entertainment business, finishers that legitimately look like they could hurt somebody only adds to the mystique. Very few wrestling attacks look as brutal as a stiff-arm clothesline. Bradshaw did it better than anybody, delivering the lariat with immense force, power and explosiveness. Today, Kazuchika Okada of New Japan Pro Wrestling has his own variation – the incredibly popular Rainmaker.
Image Source: imgflash
22. Ankle Lock
Carrying a sense of legitimacy will always help the overall quality of a finisher. How much more legitimate could one get than utilizing a move used by a slew of former professional athletes? From Olympic stars Kurt Angle and Chad Gable, to former UFC fighter Ken Shamrock, the ankle lock has been passed along by wrestlers that know a thing or two about physical competition.
Image Source: WhatCulture.com