Finishing maneuvers go a long way in defining a wrestler's persona and their level of success. A finishing move is comparable to a musician or band's biggest hit. The audience generally won't leave satisfied until they get it.
RELATED:5 Of The Most Underrated Wrestling Finishing Moves (& 5 Of The Most Overrated)
WCW has been long defunct but some of the most iconic finishing moves were born in that promotion. In some cases, a particular wrestler was known for having a variety of ways to finish off their opponent. Here are 10 WCW wrestlers who used multiple finishers throughout their time with the company.
10 Buff Bagwell
Most fans associate Buff Bagwell with the blockbuster finisher. It was a highly impressive move, especially at the time, and you still see it used to this day in several variations. However, before Bagwell transitioned into the Buff character, he wrestled as Marcus Alexander Bagwell, a tag team specialist. Bagwell used a variety of finishers in his early days, but relied on the yellow jacket suplex most often. He also used Rick Rude's Rude Awakening for a short time as a finisher.
9 Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat had a relatively limited moveset, but within that moveset he could defeat an opponent in a variety of ways. Whether it was the high crossbody, the double-arm chickenwing or a simple cradle, Steamboat could literally pull a victory out of nowhere. Look no further than Steamboat's legendary series in the late '80s with Ric Flair. Steamboat seemed to take every victory with a different maneuver. Ricky Steamboat was a once-in-a-lifetime worker, and his craftiness was a big reason for that.
8 Rick Steiner
Considered a tag team specialist for the majority of his career, Rick Steiner had a moveset beyond the tandem moves of the Steiner Brothers. During his time with Varsity Club, Rick would rely on a variety of suplexes. As The Steiner Brothers took off, Rick began using a stiff lariat, appropriately called The Steiner Line. As a team, Rick and Scott would use the assisted bulldog off the top or middle rope, similar to the Road Warrior's Doomsday Device. Rick would also use the move on his own, as both he and his brother would frequently wrestle singles matches during their time in WCW.
7 Barry Windham
Cleverly, Barry Windham would always change his finishing move whenever his character went through a shift. Early on, he used a superplex, which at the time was as much of a high spot as a 450 splash is now. When he became a Horsemen, he began using a claw hold, in tribute to his father, Blackjack Mulligan. Later on when he began wrestling in tag teams with the likes of Dustin Rhodes and Brian Pillman, he would use a lariat. Barry Windham was as versatile and fundamentally sound as they came, and always grasped the nuanced aspects of being an effective pro wrestler.
6 Jeff Jarrett
Some may not recall Jeff Jarrett's initial run in WCW, as it was somewhat brief compared to his run as "The Chosen One." in the latter days of the company. Jeff would flirt with the idea of becoming a Horsemen in 1996, but would ultimately be turned away. Therefore, it was only fitting that Jarrett would use the figure four during his first run in WCW, in a sycophantic attempt to impress Ric Flair.
RELATED:10 Things Fans Forget About Jeff Jarrett's Time In WCW
It was during his second and much more noteworthy run in WCW, that Jarrett would begin using the move that he still uses as a finisher to this day. The Stroke was a forward-facing Russian leg sweep, that Jeff would embellish to make it look even more impactful, claiming him World Titles in both WCW and later, TNA.
5 The Great Muta
One of the most enigmatic wrestlers in history, The Great Muta wasn't in WCW for long, but left an impression that is still felt to this day. Muta is often credited for inventing the moonsault, and he is certainly the first to popularize the move in the United States. However, Muta would also use The Muta Lock, an impressive submission hold that would show off his flexibility in the process. Though it wasn't legal, Muta would also use the poison mist to finish off his opponents, much like Asuka does in WWE today. The Great Muta was not only innovative, but also highly influential.
4 Perry Saturn
For all intents and purposes, Perry Saturn invented his Rings of Saturn submission finisher, and it's still referred to it as that to this day. In fact, many wrestlers have modified the move into their own, but the credit goes to Perry. However, before he used the submission hold, Saturn used another now iconic move as a finisher. Known as the DVD, or Death Valley Driver, John Cena would take it on and rechristen it as the AA to great success. It's often forgotten, but Perry was actually quite innovative when it came to his offense.
3 Arn Anderson
It's ironic that Arn Anderson is most generally associated with the spinebuster, but he rarely beat anyone with the move. For whatever reason, Arn used his most iconic maneuver as more of a set up hold. Early in his career, Arn would use different versions of the brain buster as his finisher. Later on, he would use a version of the DDT as his signature move. While both the DDT and the brain buster were highly effective, Double A will always be synonymous with the dreaded spinebuster.
2 Scott Steiner
Like many on this list, Scott Steiner was highly innovative and influential with his offense. Some may not realize just how many different finishers Scott used throughout his career. As a power-based wrestler, Scott would ironically donate the cornerstone of cruiserweight wrestling the Frankensteiner, aka the hurricanrana, to the sport.
RELATED:4 Wrestlers Scott Steiner Made Look Legit (& 4 He Made Look Like A Joke)
Scott would use the Frankensteiner for years before briefly transitioning into using a devastating suplex/piledriver hybrid known as the screwdriver. This move created a large margin for injury, and Scott would eventually settle on the Steiner Recliner, a version of the camel clutch. It goes to show that Scott Steiner's move set was just as eclectic as his personality.
1 Vader
Vader's triumvirate of terror are three of the most devastating finishers in wrestling history. Like his fellow big man, Bam Bam Bigelow, Vader liked to use the moonsault to show off his incredible athleticism. Later on, Vader would begin using the Vader Bomb in WCW, an extended splash in which he used the turnbuckles for leverage to splash his prone opponent. He would also use one of the stiffer looking powerbombs of all time, and would finish off many opponents with it. It's rather terrifying in hindsight just how many ways Vader could use as a means to victory.
