Only 90's Kids Remember These Wrestling Moves
- by Johnny Gonzales
- – on
- in Sports
There's nothing like going to a live wrestling event. While other sports shows focus entirely on the competitive aspect, professional wrestling has many layers of what makes it such great entertainment. There's the adrenaline-pumping entrance themes of each performer as the make their way into the area, there's the engaging speeches and promos that are done in front of live audiences, and possibly most of all, there's the incredible athletic prowess that goes into each and every match.
Sure, it's easy enough to pick some catchy music, put on an eye-catching outfit, and come up with a speech to pump up the audience, but the main thing that professional wrestling superstars can do that no one else can, are the impressive wrestling moves performed everyday in the squared circle. These moves are one of the main reasons why the tickets sell, and why anybody even tunes in to watch wrestling in the first place.
WWE's Attitude Era would be the catalyst for many of the greatest wrestling moves ever invented, and many of which that are still performed to this day. If you were a '90s kid, then chances are you know exactly what we're talking about. If you think you really know your wrestling moves, then take the quiz and prove it!
Popularized by The Undertaker and Kane
You know the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."? Well, it definitely applies to this long-standing wrestling move. Used by countless big-men over the years, this simple yet powerful move has stood the test of time and can leave the crowd cheering if executed well enough, even though it has hardly changed regardless of which performer is using it. This move was popular in the 90's, is popular now, and it likely to be popular for a very long time.
Cause Stone Cold said so
If you were in attendance of just about any WWF show during the mid-to-late 90's, then chances are, this move alone was at least part of the reason that you bought your ticket. Stone Cold Steve Austin was by far the biggest thing in wrestling at the time, and possibly even the biggest thing to hit wrestling, even to this day. When he wasn't stomping a mud-hole into someone, then the Texas rattlesnake was very likely performing this iconic maneuver.
Goldust's signature move...
The 1990's would bring in a number of odd and interesting gimmicks into the wrestling world, some that would take off, and others that wouldn't last beyond a few weeks. The bizarre Goldust however, was surprisingly one gimmick that would actually end up standing the test of time. Besides his androgynous Hollywood movie buff persona, one of the most memorable things about Goldy was his signature move, which involved him placing his opponent on a turnbuckle, before kicking him right where the sun doesn't shine.
Mankind's signature move
In the early days of wrestling, thing were very black and white when it came to the different personas featured in the ring. There was the good guys, and there was the bad guys. With the Attitude Era, we were introduced into a more ambiguous set of wrestlers, one in particular, the demented, yet sometimes lovable, Mankind. This masked wrestler's finisher involved him sticking his fingers down the throat of his opponent, sometimes using a sock-puppet that he lovingly called "Mr. Socko".
This move will make you rest in peace
One of the coolest aspects of profession wrestling is that just about any move that's been invented can be changed or tweaked in such a way that it creates an entirely different looking move altogether. Such is the case with this devastating maneuver that was invented, and most often used, by The Undertaker. Interestingly enough, this move is actually banned, labelled as being too dangerous from regular use for the entire WWE roster, save for the Deadman himself, and his brother Kane.
It lays the Smackdown
When it came to wrestling in the late 90's, there was perhaps only one other performing who came anywhere close to Stone Cold's level of fame and notoriety. That of course, would be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment: The Rock. Besides he's absolutely untouchable mic skills, and his amazing ring presence, the Great One was known for his memorable set of moves in the ring. This one in particular almost looking like a sort of diving chokeslam to the opponent.
Welcome to Suplex City
Like we said before, sometimes you just can't beat a classic move. This one in particular is notable because it's been used be a number of great wrestlers over the years, ranging most notably from Chris Benoit, to Kurt Angle, and more recently the Beast Brock Lesnar. The most intimidating thing about this move is that it is usually performed multiple times in succession, causing a lot of damage to the person receiving it. This move requires a lot of strength to pull it off.
Some things never change
Triple H has changed a lot since he first made his debut in 1995 as the Connecticut Blueblood Hunter Hearst Helmsley. While he may have gone from a snobby rich heel with baroque-style theme music to fan-favorite The Game, complete with Motorhead accompanying him at every entrance, there is one part of him that has stayed the same since the very beginning. If you guessed his finisher, then you're correct, HHH has been using the same iconic finisher for over 20 years now.
Can you dig it?
Interestingly enough, while many of the moves featured in this quiz were used by wrestlers that are no longer seen in WWE arenas anymore, this one belongs to someone that you can still see live to this day, except now at the commentator's table. Booker T was one of the most successful all-time classic wrestlers back in the day, not only in the WWF, but also in its competitor WCW. What was the name of his most iconic wrestling move?
The Devil's favorite slam
Depending on the stature of a particular performer, they'll have a different set of moves to use against their opponents. Smaller guys like Rey Mysterio might use something like a Hurricanrana or a Baseball Slide, you're likely to see a big guy like Kane using something a little less agile, and instead something to show off his strength. Take for example this move he uses in just about every match he's in, it's quick, it's simple, but it just works.
Finisher of the Heart Break Kid
It's funny how an otherwise generic move that's been used to many people in the past can be a much bigger deal when used by a specific wrestler with some theatrics included. This is exactly the case when it comes to the Superkick. Sure, it's a pretty cool move on its own when executed properly, but the Showstopper himself Shawn Michaels would take it and make it his own. What is the move called when HBK is the one using it?
A kick to the face
Imagine you're running as fast as you can, moving as quickly as your legs can possibly take you, and then just as you hit peak speed you smack face-first into a concrete wall. This is basically what it feels like to be hit with this particular wrestling attack. Sure, lifting one foot into the air and letting your opponent run into doesn't seem all that technical or fancy, but when it's being done by a giant, you know it's gonna hurt.
Only JBL can do this
Okay, we're not going to lie, the premise of this move isn't all that exciting. The Undertaker dazzled crowds with a tweaked version of a piledriver, and Rhyno had his own unique version of a Spear, but there's no easy way to make a simple standing strike with your arm look more impressive than it is. Still, JBL managed to do just this with his special very of a basic running clothesline, although it relied heavily on the wrestler selling the move.
The move known by Hulkamaniacs everywhere
Hulk Hogan comes from a time of wrestling that has long since passed. Back then, faces were basically like Saturday morning cartoon heroes, and wrestlers focused more on their personalities and promos instead of their in-ring ability. Heck, if a wrestler like the Hulk was even around today, people would hate on him for "no-selling" everything, which goes to show that some performers can get away with a lot more than others. What was the name of Hogan's simple finisher?
The master of aerial moves
When most people see this move being performed, which it is very rarely nowadays, they usually think of the late and great Eddie Guerrero. However, the move has an even more impressive variation that was popularized by wrestling superstar Rob Van Dam. What makes this version so special is that it can be performed regardless of what position or area of the ring the opponent happens to be laying in. Leave it to RVD to improve upon an already spectacular move.
Like getting hit by a diesel
The Powerbomb is another one of those generic moves that have been used time and time again in the ring, with many different versions depending on who was using it. It involves one wrestler lifting the other up onto their shoulders, before slamming them into the ground. Kevin Nash actually used a variation called a "Release Powerbomb", but called it by a different name. To be fair, it probably does hurt a lot more to be dropped by someone who is nearly 7 feet tall.
Breathe it in man
When you're a wrestler who boasts over 1,004 holds, then you know you have more than enough impressive submissions to show off. Okay, so Chris Jericho may not know exactly that many moves, but there's no doubt that this legendary performer is proficient in the ring. While his most powerful submission would definitely have to be the Lion Tamer, it isn't what he's best known for. What is the name of the move that wrestlers most often find themselves struggling to get out of when fighting Y2J?
The original "outta nowhere" move
Now, if you're someone who's only been watching wrestling in the past 10 years or so, then there's a good chance that you're recognizing this move as someone else's at first glance. Believe it or not, Randy Orton wasn't the first person to popularize this type of leaping neck breaker. It's just too bad that the internet wasn't really a thing back then, or else Diamond Dallas Page might have been the one to get his own meme. What was the name of DDP's finisher?
High-flying Deadman
The amazing thing about The Undertaker wasn't just his legendary gimmick, or his formidable strength, but also just how impressively agile he was in the ring for a big man. In fact, he was pretty athletic even for a normal sized person! One signature move he used which showed off some of his agility was a modified armbar, where he would climb to the top turnbuckle, before walking out to the middle of the ropes, and finally jumping down to strike his opponent.
Canadian Special
We'll be honest, Sting's version of this move, The Scorpion Deathlock, is probably the coolest sounding of all, but that's not what we're looking for here. We're looking for the title that this move is most known for, made famous by legendary wrestler Bret Hart. Although Bret Hart has been retired from the wrestling business for a long time due to a stroke, the move still sees play occasionally in WWE rings, thanks to female wrestler Natasha, who is actually part of the Hart Family.
It hurts even more than it looks
Although there's been plenty of submission moves in wrestling that have become infamous for their pain over the years, perhaps none have been able to top the movie of the legendary Ric Flair. Ric may not have the usual body type of a wrestling powerhouse, and he looks like he's been old forever, but don't let any of that fool you. If he manages to get you into this painful leg submission, then he might not be the only one screaming "woo!".
Who's next?
There's some moves that look impressive, and then there's others where you wonder how in the world the performer was able to perform it in the first place. Neville for instance, seems to be the only man on Earth that can do the high-flying Red Arrow. Goldberg however, is not a high-flyer in any sense, and instead relies on raw power for his finishing move. When your finisher involves lifting your opponent straight up into the air in powerslam-position before slamming them down, you've got to have some serious power.
Why not call it a backflip?
It's kind of amusing when you think about how a lot of wrestling moves have really spectacular names, when there's only a very simple action being performed (Clothesline from Hell comes to mind). But hey, if you were performing a stunt in front of thousands of people every week, wouldn't you want it to have a cool name too? This one happens to be one of the basic high-flying maneuvers, and is performed when a wrestler does a spring backflip onto their opponent.
Breaking barriers
This is another wrestling maneuver that has been used as a finishing move for many different wrestlers over the years. Interestingly enough, this is one that often gets the performer criticized if they don't pull it off as well as one of its other users. It is performed by simply charging into your opponent shoulder-first, and taking them to the ground, but there is some finesse involved. Wrestlers who have performed this move range from Edge, Batista, Goldberg, and most recently, Roman Reigns.
The Most Electrifying Move in Sports Entertainment
You didn't think that we were going to end this list with only one of The Rock's most famous moves, did you? While Rocky's other signature involves him simply slamming his opponent down in a diving motion, this one has a lot more theatrics to it. Rock stands above his opponent, rips his elbow pad off, throws it to the crowd, and then bounces back and forth from the ropes before finally performing a falling strike to his opponent's chest.