Worst WWE Finisher Names That Sound Awful

Having a terrible finisher name isn’t the be all and end all of your chances of achieving success in the world of WWE. For instance, “Rock Bottom” isn’t necessarily the coolest sounding of finishing moves, but it is still iconic thanks to the man hitting it. When looking across the current WWE main roster on Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown, there are certain finishing moves that simply sound awful.

Whether it be a finishing move that doesn’t sound devastating or damaging, or else one that has a straight-up uncreative and poorly put together name, there are certain wrestlers whose finishing moves to an overhaul.

7

Garga-No Escape – Johnny Gargano

• The Garga-No Escape is a mouthful to say.
• Johnny Gargano’s WWE booking has been awful in recent times.
• It has been a while since he used his finisher in WWE.

Johnny Gargano has achieved success over the years in the likes of NXT, most frequently coming from his crossface submission move, which incorporates an over-the-shoulder chickenwing. This is a cool looking finishing move… only it doesn’t have a cool name.

This is the “Garga-No Escape”, which is a pretty weak pun. Having a wrestler’s name in the finishing move can be hit for miss, but this one is a complete misfire and sounds way more goofy than it should be.

6

Arrivederci – Giulia

• Giulia has had no luck in her main roster WWE career.
• WWE’s Arrivederci finishing name is lazy.
• Giulia is half-Italian.

Some of the finishing move names selected by WWE over the years have been influenced directly from a wrestler’s nationality whenever they are not from North America, which can come across as both lazy and somewhat offensive too.

For instance, Giulia’s finisher name of Arrivederci has zero creativity, simply being the Italian word for “Goodbye”. WWE could have used a different Italian word or phrase rather than one of the most basic and bland words to use for a finisher. Giulia’s entire main roster career is a complete waste thus far, so it is no surprise that WWE took little care in the naming of this move.

5

Rose Plant – Bayley

• Bayley turned heel and created the Rose Plant.
• This is a poor WWE finisher name.
• Bayley had a far better finishing move as a babyface.

Bayley’s “Bayley-To-Belly” finisher was a move that had a great name that fit her “hugger” gimmick perfectly, but upon her heel turn WWE needed to figure out something new for her. This led to the creation of the “Rose Plant”, which is an armbar trap headlock driver which never fails to look a little awkward.

Considering that a rose is a plant, the name of the Rose Plant sounds awkward. It would be like saying “sunflower plant” or something similar. Bayley has deserved a new finisher name for quite some time (and a new finisher overall) but much like her booking, things have not always been kind for the multi-time world champion.

4

Operation Dragon – Dragon Lee

• Operation Dragon sounds like a children’s book or movie.
• Dragon Lee has struggled to break out in WWE.
• Using ring names in finishing moves doesn’t always sound good in WWE.

Dragon Lee’s running somersault reverse DDT could have a very cool name… but WWE opted instead with the trope of using a wrestler’s name in christening the finishing move, calling it “Operation Dragon”.

For whatever reason, the name just doesn’t flow nicely and sounds weak, feeling more like something a child would pick for the finishing move they perform on a pillow in an attempt to sound cool.

3

The Prodigy – Roxanne Perez

• Roxanne Perez has multiple WWE finishers.
• Pop Rocks is a fun finisher for Perez.
• The Prodigy is Perez’s WWE nickname.

Using Roxanne Perez’s nickname as the name of her finisher is nothing short of plain laziness. Perez is referred to as “The Prodigy”, which is also the name of her vertical suplex into a sitout slam finisher.

She also has the Pop Rocks finisher, which is at least different in name, but there is no excuse for the lack of creativity in regards to her other finisher. WWE should come up with a new name for this move, because Michael Cole shouting out that The Prodigy is hitting The Prodigy is something that simply doesn’t work.

2

Spinning Solo – Solo Sikoa

• Solo Sikoa also uses a Samoan Spike.
• The Spinning Solo is a weak-sounding WWE finisher.
• Sikoa deserves a more dangerous finisher name in WWE.

Solo Sikoa has multiple finishers, taking the legendary Samoan Spike as his own. He also uses spinning uranage as a finisher… but the name is dreadful. Sikoa’s version of the move is called the “Spinning Solo”, which sounds like a brand name for a kids spinning top rather than a professional wrestling finishing move.

It would actually sound far better with its original name rather than WWE bringing in Sikoa’s first name into the equation. For how WWE has attempted to present Sikoa over the years as a dominant and scary monster, the “Spinning Solo” doesn’t inspire any sort of fear in an opponent or in the fans.

1

The Direct Effect – Jordynne Grace

• Jordynne Grace’s main roster run in WWE has been weak.
• The Direct Effect is one of WWE’s worst finisher names.
• Grace used to have better finishing moves in TNA.

Since coming to WWE, Jordynne Grace has utilized a Torture Rack powerbomb, calling it “The Direct Effect”. Often you can infer different meanings from certain finishing moves, with power, impact, intensity, and danger being taken from the name in a lot of cases… but “The Direct Effect” offers a grand total of zero meaning and emotion.

It doesn’t sound dangerous, it adds nothing to Grace’s character or gimmick, and is in fact the perfect representation of her entire lackluster run since joining WWE’s main roster.