25 Most Devastating Moves in Wrestling

After watching WWE Money in the Bank and seeing the painful bumps that Sin Cara and Big Show took, I starting thinking about what other moves look painful. 

The result of that thought, is this list. 

I am providing a video link to all of the maneuvers because words can not express them. Some moves may look more impressive than painful, but I think we can all agree we wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any of them.

Now, onto the videos! 

25. RVD's Van Terminator

I remember the first time I saw Rob Van Dam perform the Van Terminator. I was at a live event that a friend made me go to. I was a youngster at the time and had never heard of ECW. 

Needless to say, I was a fan from then on. 

24. The Legion of Doom's Doomsday Device

This may not be the best quality video, but you can't argue that this wasn't one of the all-time great tag-team maneuvers. 

I wouldn't want to take this one, one mistake and it's a broken neck from landing wrong. 

23. Razor Ramon's The Razor's Edge

I was a huge Razor Ramon fan when I was younger and the Razor's Edge is one of those moves that I always marked out for. People rarely got up from it, and it just looks painful. 

Hence its spot at No. 23.

22. AJ Styles' Styles Clash

To show just how dangerous this move is, I'm going to link a video where AJ botched the move. Words can't do it justice.

21. The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver

No one does a piledriver better than the Undertaker in my opinion. To show how truly devastating this move is, John Cena actually sold it! (There is the obligatory jab at Cena.)

20. Yokozuna's Banzai Drop

I would never want to take this move. Just look at it in slow motion. I cringe watching this video.

19. Tajiri's Buzzsaw Kick

A lot of wrestlers have used this move: Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Low-Ki...the list goes on forever.

However, no one quite ever did it like Tajiri. Just look at the snap in it. 

18. The Spanish Announce Team's Spanish Fly

Long before Sin Cara was doing it every week on SmackDown, the Spanish Announce Team was doing it all over Mexico and TNA.

I simply love this move.

17. Victoria's The Widow's Peak

At No. 17 comes our first (but not last) entry from a female wrestler.

I remember this because it was one of the first moves performed by a Diva that I always marked out for, and I had never seen a chinbreaker performed quite like this.

Years later, she is still performing the move in TNA as Tara. 

16. Kharma's Implant Buster

Never before has a single move taken out so many wrestlers in such short order.

Kharma's WWE stint may have been short-lived, but the implant buster will always live on in my memories of things that make me say ouch.

15. Stan Hansen's Western Lariat

Stan Hansen is a forgotten legend of wrestling. Hailing from Texas, Hansen is one of the first American wrestlers to achieve fame in Japan.

JBL's clothesline from hell was a tribute to Hansen. 

Many others have used the move, but to me, no one quite does it like Stan Hansen. That's why he checks in at No. 15.

14. Madoka's Ranhei

In the U.S., Kofi Kingston has popularized this move, but it simply doesn't hold a candle to the original. 

Simply amazing.

13. Justin Gabriel's 450 Splash

This just looks like it hurts and no one does it better than Justin Gabriel. Sometimes, I think he hurts himself more than his opponent. 

12. Ruckus' Itz a Done Deal

Unfortunately for him, Ruckus is an independent wrestler that most people haven't ever heard of. 

Unfortunately for his opponents, his finisher looks just devastating. 

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find a video of just Itz a Done Deal. 

Unfortunately for you, Youtube won't let me embed this video. So just click the link, fast forward to the 1:06 mark and prepare to be like "damn!".

11. Bryan Danielson's Cattle Mutilation

Here is the golden boy of the IWC making his first appearance.  

Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson has quite a few devastating moves from his days in the independents and I'm sure CM Punk can tell you how much this one hurts. 

10. CM Punk's Pepsi Plunge

At No. 10 we have CM Punk and his utterly devastating Pepsi Plunge. 

This is a move so damaging that Punk had to quit doing it himself as he is rumored to have said it's simply too hard on his knees, and he wanted to have a long career. 

I can only hope that someday we will see CM Punk give his to HHH to show him just how dull a normal pedigree is.

9. Bryan Danielson's Danielson Special

Not only is this a sick way to get someone into an armbar, it's also a pretty sick armbar. Just look at that torque he gets. 

This move alone is why I would love to see Danielson try his hand at MMA. 

8. KENTA's Go to Sleep

I love CM Punk as much as the next guy, but not even he can do the Go to Sleep justice like KENTA can. 

When KENTA delivers it, it just simply can cause stars. Either that, or the guy he is wrestling should get a gold medal for selling.

7. Goldberg's Jackhammer

As a child of the 90's, I can't tell you many things that looked more painful than the Jackhammer. 

I also can't tell you how many wrestlers that Goldberg also legitimately injured doing it. 

6. Mike Awesome's Awesome Bomb Through a Table

This is just simply the sickest looking bump I have ever seen in my 30 years of watching professional wrestling. 

Words can't do it justice and even though the video quality is horrible, I think you'll agree with me.

5. Low-Ki's The Warrior's Way

I simply don't understand how Low-Ki/Senshi/Kaval hasn't managed to truly kill someone yet. I've seen him perform this move live, with front-row seats, and I still simply don't get it. 

Jumping on someone's chest, feet first, from that height should break every bone in their torso. This is one move where I have trouble accepting wrestling is fake. 

This one has just gotta hurt.

4. Homicide's Cop Killa/Gringo Killa

Since we just watched Low-Ki kill someone, it's only fitting that we watch someone do the same to him. 

The thoughts of what could happen if Homicide botches this move are truly frightening. That's why it lands at No. 4 on my list. 

3. Kenta Kobashi's Burning Hammer

If I told you a guy does John Cena's Attitude Adjustment inverted, would you care? 

I certainly wouldn't...until I saw this video. That's gotta hurt. 

2. Mistico's La Mistica

Okay, Sin Cara botches a lot in the WWE and doesn't really have a true finishing move. 

Regardless of that, he was truly awesome in Mexico. If you don't believe that, just watch the above video. 

La Mistica is one of the truly great moves in all of wrestling to me and I don't understand how he hasn't broken someone's arm performing it.

He gets so much momentum and torque that in my opinion this has to be one of wrestling's most devastating moves. 

1. Petey Williams' Canadian Destroyer

This is without a doubt the most innovative, coolest and devastating move in wrestling history to me. 

This is also why I quit watching TNA when Petey Williams left. The head being spiked with that much momentum is simply breathtaking.

I've seen Petey perform it off the top rope, through a table, through a ladder, while running, from standing position, off the side apron and about any way you can truly think of. 

It looks painful and beautiful every single time. To me, it is what a finisher should be. 

Conclusion

Thanks for reading and watching videos with me. It was a long list, but we got through it. I hope you saw some moves and wrestlers that you've never ever heard of, remembered some of your long forgotten favorites, or even viewed a current wrestler in a new light. 

This list is by no means definitive, it's just my personal opinions and moves that have stuck out to me over the years. 

What about you?  What are some finishing moves that you think are absolutely devastating?