In today's climate of pro-wrestling, when there are more wrestling companies readily available to watch than at any other time, most moves have been whored out.

Jake Roberts' DDT is the canonical example. Over the years a formerly simple and effective insta-kill has been pilfered, adapted, flipped, twisted, turned, spun on its head, to the point where the original deathblow is only a step above side headlock in the hierarchy of dangerous wrestling moves.

The piledriver, the powerbomb, the body splash, the cutter. Each have been taken by countless wrestlers, usually with a variation to make it more devastating, more cool, or more cringe, depending on who you ask.

My question is: which wrestling moves have not been tainted? Moves that have only been associated with one or two wrestlers. Let's say three wrestlers at most. Prominent wrestlers of course. I don't care if "Pitbull" Puncher Pete from Johnsontown, Idaho does a move in front of four people every other Tuesday.

I'll get the list started.

Styles Clash

The signature move of AJ Styles for at least two decades. Michelle McCool also famously used it as her Faithbreaker finisher. Some Bullet Clubbers in New Japan have used it as a homage, but I'm not counting those since it is not part of their regular moveset.

Two prominent wrestlers.

Stunner

I'm talking about the pure form of the stunner. Kick to the gut, stunner. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Owens.

You could argue that I'm breaking my own rules, as there are variations of the Stunner, such as Orange Cassidy's Stundog Millionaire. But I posit that such moves are too far removed from the original Stunner to be counted. The setup is completely different and the move is treated as a literal stun of the opponent to make them wobbly on their feet, nothing close to a finisher. These variations are cousins at best to the original Stone Cold Stunner.

Two prominent wrestlers.

 

One Winged Angel

Kenny Omega. "Speedball" Mike Bailey has a finisher called the Flamingo Driver which I believe is close enough to be counted. It's basically the same move except he sets it up from the turnbuckle and holds the opponent in a much more awkward way.

One, maybe two, prominent wrestlers.

The Razor's Edge - I've seen very few people outside of Scott Hall.  

Willie Mack pretty much ripped off Stone Cold with his stunner.

Razor's Edge is a good shout. Sheamus adopted it as the Celtic Cross but can't think of anybody else.

That triggered a thought of Lance Archer's Blackout. Don't know anyone else who uses this move.

I saw Damian Priest do a Razor's Edge on Raw. I don't know if it's a regular move of his or not. If it is, that brings the Razor's Edge count to three prominent wrestlers. It's at risk of becoming impure!

Alas, I literally just now thought of someone else who does a version. Bad Luck Fale's Bad Luck Fall. Here it is in practice, obliterating poor Tomoaki Honma. Frankly I've never seen it look anywhere close to tha good. Must have been from a while ago.

Hernandez of TNA fame also used the Razor’s Edge as his finisher. His was the Bad Luck Fale version where he’d throw his opponent. Called it The Border Toss and it always looked brutal.

Pedigree - HHH and Stevie Ray in WCW

Greetings from Ghana best Pedigree just beating out Angel Wings. Also did the Raver Clash as a finisher for a few years.

Cannot recall anyone but Super Dragon doing the Psycho Driver.  Some of the Quacken Drivers too only Quack did.

MsChif's Desecrator and Nick Berk's Berkocet I never seen others do as well.  

Hero's Cravate-O-Clasm no one else really goes either.  

Also the Ass Punch, believe only a single wrestler used that one.  

Sort of related are the Chikara specials.  Only used by Quack or in Chikara.  

Mondo's M Bison I also never seen anyone else do.  Double stomp to the head is just not a move many will take.

Also just about everything Kommander does is still pure since he is the only one doing it.

Ditto for Kidd Bandit's anime moveset from the Death Note / Keyblade era.  

More moves:

Lasso from El Paso
Haas of Pain
Pepsi Plunge
AJ's Hollow Point
Regal Cutter
Regal DDT
Spinning Toe Hold
Steenalizer
Brainbustah!
Victory Star Drop

Everyone does a lariat, but no one outside of JBL does a Clothesline from Hell.


I'd bet half the reason why so many guys have head and neck issues is because of Bradshaw.

Nothing will beat Hanson's blind lariats thrown as hard as possible. Some of them were just disgusting looking.  Given he would often hits guys in the side of the head, assuming many concussions were had.

I don't know what a lot c's moves are so I'll have to do some research to evaluate the purity of these moves. I'll comment on what I do know.

I'm classing the Pedigree and Angel Wings as two separate moves.

The Pedigree is impure. Triple H, Seth Rollins, Stevie Ray, Jimmy Rave, and CM Punk. The Pepsi Plunge is a pedigree from the second rope or top rope.

Angel Wings - I can only think of Christopher Daniels and NJPW's El Desperado who calls it Pinche Loco. It's pure unless anyone can dispute its purity.

Isn't Lasso from El Passo and Haas of Pain the same move? In any case I can only think of Eddie Guerrero and Charlie Haas who use them. Most likely pure.

AJ Styles' Hollow Point is a piledriver variation. Impure.

The Regal Cutter smells like a pure wrestling moves to me.

Brainbustah! is a brainbuster in a different position. Impure.

The Chikara special mention makes me think that most of ZSJ's holds are pure and possibly only used by him. Quite frankly I don't care enough to dissect these crazy holds and figure out if one wrestler is twisting the leg in the same way as another wrestler is twisting it :lol:

Chikara Special is used by every graduate of that school. I'm not sure how pure it is... she's been around the block!

Cool topic.
Emperor Lawler also used the Stunner regularly for a while. As did Disco Inferno. c I know the Regal Cutter but what is the Regal DDT?

-The Ron Bass Gourdbuster
-Colt Cabana's Tornado Suplex. Possible cheat. Only saw him use it once in IWA-MS. No idea why every two bit ham and egger didn't steal it though.
-Riot from WOW's twisting top rope elbow drop.
-Did anyone else use Billy Gunn's One and Only?

May 31, 2023 22:08:15 GMT @ness said:

Chikara Special is used by every graduate of that school. I'm not sure how pure it is... she's been around the block!

I blame Shane Storm. He opened Pandora's box.

May 31, 2023 23:23:04 GMT Ed said:

May 31, 2023 22:08:15 GMT @ness said:

Chikara Special is used by every graduate of that school. I'm not sure how pure it is... she's been around the block!

I blame Shane Storm. He opened Pandora's box.

Sometimes a losing streak does that to you.

May 31, 2023 23:28:09 GMT @ness said:

May 31, 2023 23:23:04 GMT Ed said:

I blame Shane Storm. He opened Pandora's box.

Sometimes a losing streak does that to you.

Although a shitty thing to do, I understand the desperation. He was a fool to think Quack wouldn't find out.

Then Donst stole the Inverted Chikara Special.

May 31, 2023 23:22:26 GMT Baker said:

Emperor Lawler also used the Stunner regularly for a while. As did Disco Inferno.

Dayyaammm. I thought the Stunner was a slam dunk pure move. It will have to be stricken from the record.

May 31, 2023 23:22:26 GMT Baker said:

c I know the Regal Cutter but what is the Regal DDT?

I had in mind a DDT where he hooks the head with one arm in the usual way while using the other arm to hold a hammerlock. But I acknowledge I could be completely wrong. Also that would be a pretty clear DDT variation so impure.

May 31, 2023 23:22:26 GMT Baker said:

Did anyone else use Billy Gunn's One and Only?

Nobody comes to mind. The Fame Asser too. Dolph Ziggler stole it, but can't think of anybody else.

Still half sleep so if some posted already sorry. But the burning hammer and not counting any one doing a safe variation of the move as the move.

For this to work doesn't the move need to be associated with someone on the bright lights of the main stream. So indy scrubs like Quack and Okada don't count!