Wrestlers who don't win with their finisher move?

[The Rick Jericho]

I guess you can call it the Bret Hart rule. Besides his 1st WWF title win. The other 4 title wins, Bret did them different ways.

1. Sharpshooter
2. Pinfall
3. Small Package
4. Over the top rope
5. Chair shot to the head of opponent

Even in his bigger profile matches, Summerslam 1992, King of the Ring 1993, Wrestlemania 11, In Your House 5.

Bret seemed to prefer to win in other ways, then a simple submission by Sharpshooter.

What other wrestlers were prone to winning big matches, but not by using their finishing move?

[Mozenrath]

The antithesis to this is Triple H. A light could fall from the ceiling of the arena and crush his opponent's head, and Triple H would still lift them up for a quick pedigree before the pin. Seriously, once you notice it, it's hard to unsee. He really wanted to make sure his finisher was over.

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Mar 8, 2023 18:07:25 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

The antithesis to this is Triple H. A light could fall from the ceiling of the arena and crush his opponent's head, and Triple H would still lift them up for a quick pedigree before the pin. Seriously, once you notice it, it's hard to unsee. He really wanted to make sure his finisher was over.

That was a "WWF Style" thing.

[Mozenrath]

Mar 8, 2023 19:27:55 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Mar 8, 2023 18:07:25 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

The antithesis to this is Triple H. A light could fall from the ceiling of the arena and crush his opponent's head, and Triple H would still lift them up for a quick pedigree before the pin. Seriously, once you notice it, it's hard to unsee. He really wanted to make sure his finisher was over.

That was a "WWF Style" thing.

For sure, though he especially would do it, versus how many people would just go right for a pin after interference in the Attitude era or a chairshot, etc. I actually kinda like it and think its suits him from a character standpoint, but yeah, it's not like Road Dogg, for instance, where he didn't have to hit the Pumphandle Drop every match if he didn't feel like it.

[Aceorton]

Mar 8, 2023 17:59:10 GMT -5 The Rick Jericho said:

I guess you can call it the Bret Hart rule. Besides his 1st WWF title win. The other 4 title wins, Bret did them different ways.

1. Sharpshooter
2. Pinfall
3. Small Package - which is a pinfall
4. Over the top rope
5. Chair shot to the head of opponent - followed by a pinfall

JK, I get what you're saying. Different finishes.

Randy Savage would qualify here. Won the IC title with a foreign object and pin. Won his first WWF title with the elbow and his second with a roll-up and a handful of tights. Someone will have to fill in how he won his WCW titles. One was won in a battle royal, right?

[Mozenrath]

Really stretching the definition, but probably Vince. His "finisher" was doing a stunner or People's Elbow, I guess, but I don't think any of his big wins really came off of either, did they?

[kidkamikaze10]

The three people that immediately came to mind are Walter, Danielson (especially in AEW), and Zack Sabre Jr.

All three pretty much have a rep for winning with whatever they want.

[tafkaga]

How many non-jobbers did Ric Flair beat with the figure four? I can't think of one big match that he won with his finisher.

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Mar 8, 2023 21:37:13 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

How many non-jobbers did Ric Flair beat with the figure four? I can't think of one big match that he won with his finisher.

He won a first blood match with it!

[67 more]

Mar 8, 2023 21:33:29 GMT -5 kidkamikaze10 said:

The three people that immediately came to mind are Walter, Danielson (especially in AEW), and Zack Sabre Jr.

All three pretty much have a rep for winning with whatever they want.

It's what I love about ZSJ matches especially, you really have no clue how it's going to end. It could be some insane multi-limb hold, it could be a simple cross armbreaker or it could be the Zack Driver. I marked the f*** out when he tapped a Young Lion (I think Oiwa) to a toe and ankle hold.

[Mozenrath]

Mar 8, 2023 21:37:13 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

How many non-jobbers did Ric Flair beat with the figure four? I can't think of one big match that he won with his finisher.

True, he definitely did not win with it often, and when he did, it tended to be someone pinned by it, not submitting.

[67 more]

Let's do this, Flair's world title wins

NWA

1st against Dusty - Dusty's knee gave out on a suplex allowing a cover by Flair
2nd against Race - Flying crossbody
3rd against Kerry - Reversed an O'connor roll by Kerry
4th against Dusty - Pins Dusty with the figure four
5th against Garvin - Sent Garvin headfirst into the cage to win by pin
6th against Steamboat - Small package after Steamboat tried a bodyslam
7th against Sting (also first WCW title win) - Both men clonk heads and Flair falls on top, ref doesn't see ropebreak
8th against Fujinami - Rollup with tights
9th against Windham - Pin via figure four

WWE

1st - Royal Rumble winner eliminating Hogan with Sid's help
2nd against Savage - Pin via figure four

WCW International

1st - Eventually named International World Champion after WCW abandons the NWA title
2nd against Sting - Rollup with tights, unifies the World and International titles

WCW

1st against Sting - 7th NWA title win, see above
2nd against Vader - Rollup
3rd against Steamboat - "Accidental" low blow/lower abdomen shot when Steamboat tries a leapfrog, gets the win by pin
4th against Savage - Arn run-in with brass knucks
5th against Savage - Pins Savage after hitting him with Elizabeth's shoe
6th against Hogan - Pins Hogan via figure four after a tire iron shot, nonsensically this was a first blood match where both men bled
7th against Jarrett - Inside cradle
8th - Nash gifted the title to Flair

So Flair has only won four of his World titles via figure four and none by submission

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

Mar 8, 2023 21:37:13 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

How many non-jobbers did Ric Flair beat with the figure four? I can't think of one big match that he won with his finisher.

He made Jericho submit to it at Summerslam 2002

[Spider2024]

Mar 8, 2023 21:15:33 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Mar 8, 2023 17:59:10 GMT -5 The Rick Jericho said:

I guess you can call it the Bret Hart rule. Besides his 1st WWF title win. The other 4 title wins, Bret did them different ways.

1. Sharpshooter
2. Pinfall
3. Small Package - which is a pinfall
4. Over the top rope
5. Chair shot to the head of opponent - followed by a pinfall

JK, I get what you're saying. Different finishes.

Randy Savage would qualify here. Won the IC title with a foreign object and pin. Won his first WWF title with the elbow and his second with a roll-up and a handful of tights. Someone will have to fill in how he won his WCW titles. One was won in a battle royal, right?

Yes.

I just checked on Peacock, his 4 WCW Championship wins go: Over the top rope, Macho elbow drop, Powerbomb from Kevin Nash to Sting, Macho elbow drop.

[Milkman Norm]

Honky Tonk Man won the Intercontinental Championship with a reversed cradle.

[dangerousdanpotato]

Mar 8, 2023 21:37:13 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

How many non-jobbers did Ric Flair beat with the figure four? I can't think of one big match that he won with his finisher.

He won the WWF Championship with it.

[Fundertaker]

Mar 8, 2023 22:43:37 GMT -5 67 more said:

Mar 8, 2023 21:33:29 GMT -5 kidkamikaze10 said:

The three people that immediately came to mind are Walter, Danielson (especially in AEW), and Zack Sabre Jr.

All three pretty much have a rep for winning with whatever they want.

It's what I love about ZSJ matches especially, you really have no clue how it's going to end. It could be some insane multi-limb hold, it could be a simple cross armbreaker or it could be the Zack Driver. I marked the f*** out when he tapped a Young Lion (I think Oiwa) to a toe and ankle hold.

The ankle hold is actually one of those staples of Japanese pro-wrestling and you could consider it the next barrier for young lions after they've conquered the dreaded Boston Crab.

More in topic... dunno about "not their finisher" but that's more because almost every move of his was one... but did Misawa vary his finishing move or what? Running Elbow Smash, Rolling (ROARING~!) Elbow, Tiger Driver (plus variants), Tiger Suplex (plus variants), Emerald Frosion, German Suplex... and this is just from his main title wins!

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Dibiase always seemed to win in a lot of different ways. Million Dollar Dream was his finish however he would only really beat enhancement guys with it and very rarely name guys with it probably since they didn't want anyone of importance getting sleepered out as it would make them look weak. I've seen him win matches with a powerslam, stun gun, swining neckbreaker, fist drop after interference (Duggan after Andre punch at Mania IV and Jake at Survivor Series 89 when he was on the mat after DDTing Virgil being examples), or rollup after a Virgil trip.

Even in his squash matches he would change it up quite a bit before he eventually settled on the Dream. Early on he used a spinning toe hold, that reverse elbow drop off the second rope that would always miss in matches with non jobbers, and even the Dream with a legsweep that his son ended up using for a little bit later on.

[dangerousdanpotato]

Mar 10, 2023 5:40:19 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Dibiase always seemed to win in a lot of different ways. Million Dollar Dream was his finish however he would only really beat enhancement guys with it and very rarely name guys with it probably since they didn't want anyone of importance getting sleepered out as it would make them look weak. I've seen him win matches with a powerslam, stun gun, swining neckbreaker, fist drop after interference (Duggan after Andre punch at Mania IV and Jake at Survivor Series 89 when he was on the mat after DDTing Virgil being examples), or rollup after a Virgil trip.

Even in his squash matches he would change it up quite a bit before he eventually settled on the Dream. Early on he used a spinning toe hold, that reverse elbow drop off the second rope that would always miss in matches with non jobbers, and even the Dream with a legsweep that his son ended up using for a little bit later on.

He beat Earthquake with it when Money Inc took back the tag titles from Natural Disasters. It was pretty shocking really and made Quake look weak and made Typhoon look dumb just standing on the apron watching all the life ebb out of his partner.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Mar 10, 2023 17:34:53 GMT -5 dangerousdanpotato said:

Mar 10, 2023 5:40:19 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Dibiase always seemed to win in a lot of different ways. Million Dollar Dream was his finish however he would only really beat enhancement guys with it and very rarely name guys with it probably since they didn't want anyone of importance getting sleepered out as it would make them look weak. I've seen him win matches with a powerslam, stun gun, swining neckbreaker, fist drop after interference (Duggan after Andre punch at Mania IV and Jake at Survivor Series 89 when he was on the mat after DDTing Virgil being examples), or rollup after a Virgil trip.

Even in his squash matches he would change it up quite a bit before he eventually settled on the Dream. Early on he used a spinning toe hold, that reverse elbow drop off the second rope that would always miss in matches with non jobbers, and even the Dream with a legsweep that his son ended up using for a little bit later on.

He beat Earthquake with it when Money Inc took back the tag titles from Natural Disasters. It was pretty shocking really and made Quake look weak and made Typhoon look dumb just standing on the apron watching all the life ebb out of his partner.

That's really the only time I can recall it beating a non jobber. Unless you consider the Red Rooster a non jobber. It was very shocking though not only because of how Dibiase never beat stars with it but also because of how protected Quake had been up to that point. It was at the end of his run (although he did briefly return the following year for a few months before leaving again) and I guess at that point he wasn't happy and wanted out which is likely why the finish to that match was booked that way.