What are the Greatest Match Finishes in WWE history?

[Roadster]

Shelton vs HBK ending is worth noting.

Quite a few randy RKO finishers (Seth and Evan Bourne)

Orton's RKO on Evan Bourne wasn't a match. It was during a brawl leading to Money in the Bank 2010.

 

[edge4ever]

Orton's RKO on Evan Bourne wasn't a match. It was during a brawl leading to Money in the Bank 2010.

It sure as hell finished that fight, but thanks for knit picking (replaces it with the RKO finish to RVD)

 

[Jacob Fox]

The Wrestlemania 13 submission match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin. I think it was really the only good match on the card and the double turn was done so well. It was that ending that went on to define Steve Austin's character.

 

[Jacob Fox]

While kinda basic by today's standards, I marked out HARD for Warrior vs. Hogan at WrestleMania VI. To that point, I had never seen anyone break up the Hulk-Up sequence before. When Hogan went into it I completely deflated (I was a big Warrior mark and I was already sick of Hogan...two years into my fandom, no less). When Warrior avoided the leg drop I started just screaming, and it just got louder when Warrior hit another splash and got the win.

Agree completely. This was such a monumental moment. It was the first time, as you mentioned, anyone had broken up the Hulking Up sequence, it was the first time, I think, that anyone had kicked out after being hit by Hogan's leg and it was the first time in YEARS that anyone had pinned Hogan cleanly. It was very significant.

At the time, I was still a Hogan mark, though, so I didn't enjoy the outcome as much as you. But it was very significant and shocking at the time. Thank God very shortly after I stopped caring about Hogan.

 

[Krendall]

it was the first time, I think, that anyone had kicked out after being hit by Hogan's leg

It wasn't. Warrior avoided the leg drop, so he didn't have to kick out of it. It's the first time I believe the move missed, though.

 

[Jacob Fox]

It wasn't. Warrior avoided the leg drop, so he didn't have to kick out of it. It's the first time I believe the move missed, though.

Yeah, I think I was thinking Sid. I knew Hogan missed the leg drop but I had been under the impression that he had hit it earlier in the match and Warrior kicked out... then, Warrior hit his finisher and Hogan kicked out, only to then be followed by the missed leg drop. I got the ending sequence right but not the first leg drop, which seems to have been manufactured by my mind.

So the earliest record I have of someone kicking out of the leg is Sid at Wrestlemania 8.

 

[Wacokid27]

The Wrestlemania 13 submission match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin. I think it was really the only good match on the card and the double turn was done so well. It was that ending that went on to define Steve Austin's character.

You're right about it being the only really good match on the card.

The Undertaker-Sid, tag team title, and pre-Triple H-Goldust matches had flashes, but all had huge flaws. The only thing that really came out of the show was Hart-Austin.

wk

 

[Jacob Fox]

You're right about it being the only really good match on the card.

The Undertaker-Sid, tag team title, and pre-Triple H-Goldust matches had flashes, but all had huge flaws. The only thing that really came out of the show was Hart-Austin.

wk

Yeah, I was there with friends and one of my friends was a huge Undertaker fan, so he was thrilled. I just was bored out of my mind for anything other than Hart and Austin.

 

[Roadster]

I don't see why Hart vs. Austin for the WWF Title didn't Main Event. Hart had a Blue reign as champion before losing to Sycho Sid for no real apparent reason. The crowd was eating Austin up, and Taker and Sid was dead after the crowd was drained out in the Hart v. Austin match.

Anyways, I think Lesnar v. Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 deserves some love. It started the biggest boom in Lesnar's career, that culminated in a WWE title win and a WrestleMania main event. It also led to some MOTYC in their match at Summer Slam (despite the horrible finish) and their brutal Hell in a Cell that October. It was also the most shocking finish in WWE history, and the only thing that comes close is Ivan Koloff beating Bruno Sammartino. The crowd almost tore that place down, when that happened.

 

[Jacob Fox]

Anyways, I think Lesnar v. Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 deserves some love. It started the biggest boom in Lesnar's career, that culminated in a WWE title win and a WrestleMania main event. It also led to some MOTYC in their match at Summer Slam (despite the horrible finish) and their brutal Hell in a Cell that October. It was also the most shocking finish in WWE history, and the only thing that comes close is Ivan Koloff beating Bruno Sammartino. The crowd almost tore that place down, when that happened.

True. I had actually been rooting for the streak to end for years and it still shocked me more than I ever would have guessed. It also probably had the most far reaching effect of an ending since Montreal.

 

[Swift]

Roman Reigns beating the authority at mania.

 

[edge4ever]

I don't see why Hart vs. Austin for the WWF Title didn't Main Event. Hart had a Blue reign as champion before losing to Sycho Sid for no real apparent reason. The crowd was eating Austin up, and Taker and Sid was dead after the crowd was drained out in the Hart v. Austin match.

Anyways, I think Lesnar v. Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 deserves some love. It started the biggest boom in Lesnar's career, that culminated in a WWE title win and a WrestleMania main event. It also led to some MOTYC in their match at Summer Slam (despite the horrible finish) and their brutal Hell in a Cell that October. It was also the most shocking finish in WWE history, and the only thing that comes close is Ivan Koloff beating Bruno Sammartino. The crowd almost tore that place down, when that happened.

I concur. You have to mention Brock beating taker at mania. Now I think it seriously should've taken like 5 F5's to do so, and the match should've been way better, but taker got a concussion in the match so we got what we got. In any case, Brock just beating taker at mania, the shock value and sheer awe is something of legend. And as you mentioned, this feud continued on to produce great matches and concluded with Brock having to rip apart the ring inside HIAC and F5 him onto the boards in order to get the 1,2,3.

Definitely the most "shocking" win in WWE history. If you count shock as being the best, then this win takes the cake.

 

[Krendall]

So the earliest record I have of someone kicking out of the leg is Sid at Wrestlemania 8.

That's the earliest I can think of. Funny thing is that wasn't supposed to happen. Papa Shango was supposed to break up the pin and draw the DQ, but he missed his cue forcing Sid to kick out.

 

[Jacob Fox]

That's the earliest I can think of. Funny thing is that wasn't supposed to happen. Papa Shango was supposed to break up the pin and draw the DQ, but he missed his cue forcing Sid to kick out.

I honestly did not know that The next one I can think of was Yokozuna at KOTR 1993. Strangely enough, when I was watching it, I actually thought that Yokozuna was the first, so I had forgotten about Sid and my brain probably hadn't created the false memory of the Warrior at that point.

Honestly though, I have never been a fan of the Ultimate Warrior, but they should have had him kick out of the leg. At the time, if anyone could have done it without ruining the Hogan mystique, it was the Warrior.

 

[KevinJamesFan]

Might have been a quite average finish but my favorite match of all time in the British Bulldog vs Bret Hart Summerslam 1992. Fuck anyone who says different but this is the reason why I got into wrestling, it was my first live show, it's my most replayed match and it's just the pinnacle in my eyes.