10) Chokeslam (The Hurricane) - A required move for anyone over 7' tall, the chokeslam has been a mainstay in wrestling for as long as anyone can remember. While Paul Heyman claims to have created the move to give 911 a more monstrous feel, records show Abe Lincoln doing a move that is at the very least, quite similar. The Hurricane is billed at 6'0". With a total of 532 days spent as cruiserweight champion, no one is confusing him with a giant. When he hit the move though, that is what pro wrestling is all about.
8) Superkick (Young Bucks) - It is generally agreed upon that "Gentleman" Chris Adams created the superkick. Art Barr, Marty Jannetty, Rikishi, Stevie Richards, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Dolph Ziggler, so many wrestlers have used the superkick. Most would argue that Shawn Michaels perfected the move. Certainly the added theatrics of his Sweet Chin Music made the move stand out. This was also aided by the fact that he used it as a finisher, as opposed to most others who just used it as a setup/signature move. That many consider him the greatest in-ring performer of all time helps his case as well. For me, however, the Superkick Party is where it's at. Spamming the move to the point of absurdity makes it one of the most entertaining parts of their matches. The often double-digits super kicks reminds us that wrestling is meant to be fun. And that brings us to the 7th move on the list.
7) Tombstone Piledriver (Young Bucks) - Piledrivers have had more variations than many moves have had performers. The tombstone is at this point is synonymous with the Undertaker, and the deadman's version is certainly superior to the Indytaker. When you add in Nick Jackson's springboard 450 to assist the piledriver, the Meltzer Driver is one of the coolest moves there is.
6) Moonsault (Big Van Vader) - Mando Guerrero created the moonsault. Mando Guerrero was 5'9" and 200lbs. Vader was 6'5" and 450lbs. That's all you really need to know. Vader has had one of the most impressive careers of all time. He has been a champion in Japan, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and the US. At the time, no one his size was moving like he did. In fact, it was hard just to find wrestlers his size. The greatest monster heel of all time was perhaps at his scariest when you saw that massive frame flipping through the air to crash down on you.
5) Powerbomb/Boston Crab (Samoa Joe) - Lou Thesz may have created the powerbomb (along with countless other moves) but Samoa Joe has found a way to make the initial impact look great, he smoothly transitions the move right into a Boston crab after the kickout. Samoa Joe has an incredible ability to make his moves look violent but also pretty. This is probably the only article where you will find "Samoa Joe" and "pretty" in the same sentence.
4) Sitout Powerbomb (Batista) - Jushin Thunder Liger is one of, if not the greatest junior heavyweight of all time. He has a truly unique and innovative move set, and is genuinely one of the best to ever step foot in a ring. The viciousness of the Batista Bomb however puts his version of the move just ahead of Liger's. Batista was one of those monsters in the ring that was truly animalistic. With a physique that made it look like he could tear you apart, this move is the one that made it look like he was going to.
3) Dropkick (Kazuchika Okada) - "Jumping" Joe Savoldi has been credited as the creator of the dropkick. There are a lot of contenders for best standing dropkick. The first that comes to mind is "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler, and Randy Orton are three current stars who have beautiful dropkicks, but none of them come as a surprise. Two names that always caught me off guard with a great dropkick were Hardcore Holly and Maven. Still none of them compare to Okada's. Of course very few compare to Okada in any aspect of in-ring action. Over the course of his IWGP Heavyweight Title feuds, Okada has proven he is in a class of his own. His Rainmaker, although a relatively simple move, is one of the best finishers in the world. The height, athleticism, and sheer beauty of Okada's dropkick is awe inspiring. No one has done it better than him.
2) Diving Elbow Drop (Kairi Sane) - Famously, this move was used by "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Steve Austin all did variations of the move. Jay Lethal (as "Black Machismo" especially) CM Punk and Bayley have all used it as a direct tribute to Savage. No one, however, has a more beautiful version of the move than Kairi Sane. Now I just need to get used to everyone calling it the "insane elbow drop".
1) Elbow Drop (The Rock) - The elbow drop has probably been used in fights as long as humans have had elbows. I couldn't tell you if it is an effective move in a fight, but it makes sense to imagine people using it. It is a simple move where you drive one of the sharpest parts of your body into your opponent. That's all. Most wrestlers have it in their repertoire, understandably as a throwaway move. The Rock, on the other hand, has turned the elbow drop into "the most electrifying move in sports entertainment". Initially done as a parody, the move caught on thanks to the charisma oozing off of The Rock. In a league with the Stone Cold Stunner and Hulk's leg drop, The People's Elbow is an iconic finisher that has transcended the sport and has become a pop culture icon.
Professional wrestling is constantly changing and always evolving. With that, you'll see moves getting better and better. In 10 years, this list will look much different, and that's what is so great about it. Even today, I'm sure there are plenty of you that will disagree with everything on this list. Feel free to let me know in the comments below, and as always, stay (too) sweet!
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