been watching your videos for over 3 yearsnow Chris , you and English James ( story time with Dutch Mantell ) are achieving , thank you for all you do , its a real treat you guys are going to hit it big time and its a pleasure watching the rollercoaster ride, 45 in VAncouver , cheers
Agreed. The Bucks having a dozen super kicks in a match should kill someone in theory, but it doesn't. If they're truly inspired by Shawn Michaels, they wouldn't ruin his finisher.
True, and it shouldn't be multiple kick outs. And not every PPV/PLE. The drama of the match should be "can he hit him with his finisher", not "how many time can he kick out of his finisher" I'm fine with false finishes when the move is otherwise protected, but now, on a PPV, the crowd is conditioned to expect a kick out on the first finisher...that's terrible...no drama.
I still believe if the streak had ever to be broken (which it shouldn't have), that was the most legit moment ever. I had jumped off my seat thinking it was over now. If not for that spot, the streak was never meant to be broken.
@@SuperSayianWarrior that was not the same piledriver that broke Austin's neck. It was a Sit Out Piledriver but Austin prepared for a Tombstone Piledriver.
OPINION: I dont mind seeing a false finisher, but if you do it, the move better not have been picture perfect. Maybe an off centered spear, a weakly elevated powerbomb, or even just hitting the move and giving too much time to recover, i can see a false finish. But If the move is given/taken cleanly, and it looks good, sell it as so. If I messed up a bit and you know we can do better, we can kick out.
@@derekgraskewicz2104 If it wasn't done clean then you would predict the kickout right away. These types of false finishers should only be reserved for huge mega matches.
Right, and it meant something because the tombstone was protected. Now, when someone kicks out of say, the claymore....ok par for the course. No suspense there.
Crazy that there are some kicking out at 1 count now. Like Drew against Brock at WrestleMania 36. Rollins kicking out now like 4 different times in a match. Wouldn't be a problem if someone took a bit to get to the other wrestler for the cover, but.... not right away after just getting hit with a finishing move. It's over done these days.
this is a nuanced conversation... is he right TO A POINT.. yes.. BUT there are some wrestlers, LIKE HIM, who are STILL the MOST Protected of everybody and it just needs basic common sense to see that... just ask yourself, how many times have you seen anybody kick out of such and such's move and when you find out the number then you know this person is still on another tier then anybody else...
Undertaker perspective is to protect the business. When you protect your moves, your finish, your storytelling. You protect the business. And he's 100% right, great example.
i stopped watching a long time ago but anytime i've tried to go back i just see people kicking out of 4 superkicks and i'm just instantly uninterested. i'll still follow it somewhat through youtube and i'll listen to the old guys talk about wrestling but i can't get invested in what the product's become.
@@CeeDo6 Agreed. Just reading the descriptions of some matches online these days makes me roll my eyes. "Then Brock kicked out of a third Curb Stomp and then did a superplex and delivered 4 more F5s to finally pin Seth Rollins..." Why are they even notable moves at that point? Maybe I'm just grousing like an old person now, but while I can appreciate these peoples' athletic talent, I preferred when there was a story being told in the matches, as opposed to 100% pageantry 100% of the time. You could just shoot pyros for a couple of hours at that point.
Well, if you think about it, it makes sense, not just for Undertaker, but all wrestlers. These guys aren't trying to kill each other. Oftentimes, these guys are friends in real life. If not, they're at least colleagues who have enough respect for each other not to want to really injure each other to the point that their livelihoods are threatened. Like when you saw Triple H feuding with Taker, or any other wrestler for that matter, all of that was for show, to entertain. When the cameras weren't on, most of the time, these guys got along just fine, as they're actors. Sure, they're phenomenal athletes, as no one could pull off the stunts they do without getting seriously hurt if they weren't, but they're still acting out a script. Steve Austin never hated many of the wrestlers he wrestled against. Even if he didn't like them, he still had enough respect for the profession to do his best to make sure he didn't hurt them for real. So, let's not act like this is unique to the Undertaker, as if he deserves some kind of special kudos for doing what any other good professional wrestler would do. He deserves the same amount of credit for that as guys like Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kevin Nash, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-pac, etc. etc. ad nauseam. Sure, there were/are some bad wrestlers out there who shouldn't be wrestling precisely because they don't do this, but those guys never last long in the business. The only guys who go on to enjoy a long career in pro wrestling are guys who do what Undertaker did and watch out for their opponents' well-being. As fun as wrestling can be to watch, no one, except maybe nutcases who don't realize pro wrestling is staged, tunes in hoping to see someone get hurt for real. That would hurt the business rather than help it.
"opponent" there are no opponents here. this is showbusiness and the other wrestler is your partner so of course you want to protect him as he will do the same.
@@james_ford86 Except that it takes a big man to realize that he's getting older and needs to change so that he doesn't hurt somebody, case and point the BS match with Goldberg. Ego is a dangerous thing, and in this business, it gets people hurt.
Huh? Lmao. How does not breaking a guy’s neck make you a class act? He’s just executing a move correctly. Just because a ton of modern wrestlers work unsafe doesn’t mean you give the other guys plaudits. Working safe is your job.
@@DanielJohnson-dw3jd no sorry, in Undertakers own words “ I care very little for Shawn Michaels at this point” when did he say this ? Well he said it 2 days ago on Mavens channel discussing the ladder match between him and Shawn. You can go watch it right now actually. Do that and come back and apologize👍😄
I don't like it either, but it's always been true. The Hammer Lock used to be a finisher. It just get's more ridiculous as the moves become more bombastic.
TBF to the Super Kick, it was a regular move for the Rockers back in the 80s and early 90's. Also, the Superkick was the setup move for HBK's Teardrop Suplex finisher up until Survivor Series 1994 TBF to the Rockers, they only using it once or twice in a match, unlike the spam done in the indies from early 2000s til now and current main US promotions.
Yeah. I mean... it's called "finisher" for a reason. The Wreslter FINISHES the match with it. It may be alright for a shock moment at a big PPV Event, when a Wrestler kicks out of a finisher, but not on a weekly base
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
Him going through all of his finishes is making me realise The Undertaker possibly has the best names in his move set in WWE history. Tombstone Piledriver. Last Ride. Hell's Gate. Old School. Snake Eyes. The list goes on. 🔥🔥🔥
@@Ajithkumar-hs2sk Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258Chokeslam yes (he made some people’s finisher into his secondary move, or set up for the finisher). But Last Ride was a pretty well protected finisher in the American Badass era, not a lot of kick outs…
@@Entertainment-is6ex It also depends on how you execute chokeslam like when Damien Priest does it feels like finisher. Meanwhile, Taker's chokeslam doesn't feels like a finisher. So, I don't think he ever ruined chokeslam.
Definitely agree with what he's saying here. I had stopped watching wrestling in 2007 but starting watching again in 2021. And the amount of times guys kick out of finishers now is maddening! I remember watching a Lesnar match and someone kicked out of an f5 and my jaw dropped because in 2002, you ain't kicking out of an f5. Reminds me too much like video game wrestling.
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258 Even if they kicked out if the chokeslam it was always the major damage dealer before the tombstone. It would often change the match
Getting to the finisher should be a journey! Attempts should fail and when it finally clicks it should be big! And I don't mean just make it so the finisher is "hitting it multiple times"...
Taker vs HBK Wrestlemania matches definitely influenced the modern generation with the kickouts of finishers but that was a formula created by Austin/Rock Wrestlemania trilogy.
That's the key thing though, kick out was used by Rock and Austin only during WrestleMania. Now if two mid carders are having a match even then they'll kick out of finishers at least 2 times.
That WrestleMania 25 match was phenomenal. There was a lot more to it than just finishers. Michaels missing the moonsault to the outside and then Taker landing badly after the dive over the top were insane, and there was a lot more match after that.
Its like almost every flipping match has to have those dramatic 1-2-ALMOST kick outs and when you do them all the time, they are no longer all that dramatic, but rather expected. This was over a decade ago, but I was at WrestleMania 29 for Rock and Cena II and the crowd didn't even react to the first finish and kickout because by that point, we had already been conditioned to expect at least five more.
The Cena/Punk series is when multiple finisher kick outs really became the new norm. Then the second Rock/Cena went even further but to a flat crowd. Cena is one of the biggest offenders of devaluing his finisher in the last decade. I recall his US Title challenge where any random jobber would answer his challenge and kick out of the AA. But I think the most egregious might be Reigns/Brock at WM from 2018 (is that 34? not really keeping up anymore) when Brock hit his first F5 while on a split screen replay and the crowd had NO reaction at all. The match just went on to become finisher exchanges until Brock finally won after, like, ten F5s.
Knockout to finisher always been great when done right if it's not being over used and it will add to the story then let it happen because it always adds a lot to the match
@@raymondtipton7243 Hmv record store in Manhattan he was signing autographs for the WWF cassette tape Full Metal containing the wrestlers entrance music
Growing up 4-5 wrestlers kicked out of finishes. Taker, Kane and Warrior were supernatural so it made sense. Andre was too big and Hulk fed off the crowd so they could claim adrenaline.
This is true and a shame. There use to be a time when a wrestler would hit their finisher and that would be the end of the match. I understand when Undertaker talks about him and Michaels because of that story at the time. But now a days like I said its a shame that now a days wrestlers are expected to kickout of finishing moves.
Key point he says here that a lot of people miss when constructing their move set is having a second. You can protect your number 1, but having a wide range of moves that you can do that aren’t finishers but still get a reaction is vital. Old School, Last Ride, Chokeslam, Hells Gate, Deadmans Dive, Guillotine Leg Drop, big boot. A bunch of moves Taker had to play with to still make the match entertaining to watch. There’s also a psychology to it. If your finisher is easy to set up and always wins the match, there’s gonna be alot of points where you should’ve gone for your finisher. Getting someone into the tombstone position isn’t easy, and there aren’t a lot of situations during a match (that isn’t the finish) where he should’ve gone for it. A move set is your tool set for creating your matches, construct it with care
its because people like roman reigns suck and have no real moves they only have like 5 moves and thats it and spam only their finisher ebcause they suck in wrestling simply. you know back in time cena was the only one like that guess why he was so strongly disliked with his shitty superhero gimmick
Not every move can be a finisher unfortunately. But guys like Roman, Orton, hell even Omega do protect their finisher. Cody had to invent the triple Crossroads, I mean there are ways.
@@chubbycatfish4573 Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
We're now conditioned to expect a finisher to be near useless to the point unless it's hit multiple times. It feels like a boring checklist sidequest: "Hit 4 finishers - 0/4" They need to make finishers one and done again, so then when that odd kickout happens, it will be a much bigger deal. Like who was expecting HBK or Edge to kick out of Taker's tombstone in their respective WM matches? It was such a mind blowing thing.
Yeah, but how do you put the toothpaste back in the tube? A finisher taking someone out in just one of them makes a character look Weak now ...that's why you gotta make new Super Finishers to replace the old ones I guess
That is a tough one because HBK kicking out of the tombstone at WM 25 and seeing Taker’s face is a moment I’ll never forget. However have it become a norm today is too much. When it happens at Wrestlemania, it’s no longer shocking. It’s almost expected to be part of a random tv episode or b tier ppv this point.
I feel like a better way to do it is countering the finisher before it connects, not just kicking out of it. That way if someone doesn't counter it, he's out and then if someone does kick out, it's a big pop. So that way it keeps its power, it's just a matter of trying to counter it.
You mean.... Like they used to do? before people just spammed finishing moves that connected? Old days, 20 years ago lol, they'd actually counter and even come back with their own finishers. Made for a hell of a lot better wrestling, and depending on the story, funny moments too.
@@draggy76 There's a million examples but the one off the top of my head with Eddie Guerrero and Lesnar. The one time the f5 hit it took knocking out the referee and Goldberg spearing Lesnar for him to even have a chance to get out of it. Then he reverses it at the end to win.
I agree that finishers should be protected and only save the kick out of for very special events. To kick out of them on free TV is just doing a disservice to the move as it makes it look weak. I still remember Mick legitimately kicking out of Triple H's pedigree so he could go out on the thumbtacks. The pop that erupted and the legitimate shock on Paul's face was a sight to see live. Same is said for the Sweet Chin Music into Pedigree in the End of the Era match being a testament to how you can pull off the false finish to perfection. It was, at least at the time, the one point we all believed the Streak was going to end. The subsequent pop after the kick out and JR shouting on TV "The Streak lives!" echoes throughout history.
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258even still, those kickouts happened in high-quality matches and against main eventers. It wasn’t like Cowboy Bob Orton was kicking out of a Chokeslam, or Undertaker wrestling the first hr of the show and he gotta triple Last Ride someone to win
@@taariqware1922 He used it against midcarders who woke up immediately to take the tombstone, like MVP, finlay etc. It was sometimes a no sell to take the tombstone and I was always disturbed by that. Your opinion is valide though.
@@guillaumejuillard8258you also gotta think that the Chokeslam or Last Ride was a legit a “false finish” moment. I don’t think I can remember any time where it didn’t end in a 2-1/2 count kickout, or it was a set up in an amazing match to the Tombstone or heck for someone time to run to the ring and cause an interference. It’s almost always for story telling purposes. You almost never see fillers like Funaki, Spike Dudley, or even popular tag teams like the Hardy Boys to kick out of a chokeslam. Anytime you see a chokeslam, tombstone, last ride, F5, FU/AA, Pedigree, Stunner, Sweet Chin Music etc kicked out is when it’s during an epic match like PPV or title match. Key thing is these are signature moves, not the overused wannabe stunner and super kicks or even swanton bombs you see today kicked out fast.
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here. He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out... It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves... Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
I remember if Undertaker used the Tombstone during his Biker days it meant you were done. Also random fact but I think Kane's Tombstone is one of the most protected finishers ever.
Has anyone even kicked out of Kane's tombstone other than Undertaker himself? It's a special case where they trade chokeslams and tombstones with each other. I don't think anyone else has ever kicked out of Kane's tombstone.
This is one reason I appreciate Kenny Omega's work, he's protected the One-Winged Angel finisher to the point that the one time I know of it was ever kicked out of was the one time narratively that it could make sense to happen.
He's absolutely right. Finishers don't mean anything anymore. It all started when WWE was trying to push Roman Reigns at the initial stages. He would regularly kick out of finishers and to keep others in the competition, they started letting others kick out of finishers as well. Eventually, finishers lost their value.
End of Days and the One Winged Angel are the only moves that I can think of protected, they both have only ever been kicked out of once over the course of a decade+. Black Arrow is protected somewhat too I suppose.
One of the many things that have devolved in wrestling. When someone kicked out of a finisher, it was not only rare, it meant something. Now people take 15 "finishers".
Listen never have i saw a super kick and thought it was the finish. When you saw the Sweet Chin Music you knew that it was over for the most part lol. If anything, a superkick is a signature lol.
Michaels used a backdrop suplex as a finisher after leaving the rockers, and the superkick as the setup to it, but people popped A LOT more for the superkick, so it made sense for him to switch.
there have been so many variations of powerbombs and suplexes in pro wrestling, but Last Ride was probably the most explosive of all all-time. Taker's variation of the powerbomb included him lifting his opponent off his shoulder before slamming them on their back. It was so crazy! The opponent's waist would be 9 feet in the air and his head 3 feet higher!
One of the very few, 1 in a million pro wrestlers who can adapt and keep both himself and his opponents protected in terms of characterization and physical injury and cares about both.
This 3 min part of the interview shows exactly why wrestling will never be the same like it used to when i was growing up and I'm only 30. The 2000's and maybe even the early 2010's was the last great days of wrestling.
Still remember “Edge of Days” of Corbin being protected for more than half a decade!! That thing was & always will be the best finisher! Till now almost 10 years of Corbin & only once kickout happened that was at WM against Drew
I get what he means, and the spots with him and Shawn that got the pops were partly because of that, the finishers had been protected for years, and so the person that could kick out of it was incredible, plus it's at Wrestlemania
I agree with protecting your finisher (Taker protected the tombstone by also having the chokeslam and last ride if he wanted a near-fall) but I'd like to counter with: Gunther Gunther doesn't really have a finisher. He often closes a match with a powerbomb but he's also used a lariat and recently a sleeper-hold. These are all very common moves - Gunther doesn't even give these a unique name. And he doesn't need to, because it's not always about the finisher but the moment when you use it. Gunther is just so aware of the storytelling of wrestling, the pace and momentum, the crowds excitement and fatigue, that it doesn't matter if he calls his powerbomb 'The Schnitzel' or some shit. It's a high impact move delivered at the climax. In the end, that's all a finisher is regardless of how iconic or 'protected' it is
One question I’d love to ask Taker is, what is the etiquette in using someone else’s signiture finish? Owen did the tombstone to Bret at WM 10 (knees first just like Taker) and Bret kicked out. Except Taker was taking time off then and probably wasn’t even there at the event. Owen would do the sit down tombstone on Austin and severely injure him…just curious to hear his take on all that.
I like the point he made about the crazy bumps in Japan. The likes of Misawa turned Japan into a head drop circus and every big new move was “what silly way can I drop you on your head next” so you can kick out
He's absolutely right, as usual I might add. Back at Wrestlemania 18 when it was Taker vs Flair (American Bad Ass times), in the end he brought him in position for the last ride just to change it into the tombstone piledriver. This gave the term "finisher" so much meaning, especially in the context of the feud back then and the whole match between them.
Takers right, what's the point of wrestling if you're going to kick out? If wrestlers think moves don't mean anything then they can go to the UFC and try kicking out there.
He didnt use the dudley death drop he told them we are not going to do it if it didnt mean anything. They came to him and told him you can kick out if you want and he said No
@@andrewt329 exactly. Like getting to be on the show or better yet a Pay per view event card with taker win or lose, or having him kick out of your finish or not. just being in that spot alone would give people a rub in the business. especially if taker liked you he would pay it forward to the office and talk you up in the back. If you got the chance to be in the ring with taker and you impressed him. You knew you were getting a chance to show yourself or more than likely getting something down the line because people just didn't get handed a chance to work with him every day.
The last ride and tombstone piledriver were good finisher that could be performed on the smaller guys, the chokeslam was a good finishers for some of the bigger guys as they could help Taker deliver it.
I actually couldn't believe that cody had to hit logan paul with 3 cross rhodes in a row. At the end of the day he's a mid card champion for the less prestigious mid card championship. How can I take your finisher seriously if logan paul can take 3?
It’s the way it goes. Look at old wrestling matches from 1985 in the NWA. 25 minutes of 2 guys taking turns in shoulder barging each other for 10 minutes before a suplex , the crowd would be going mental after it.. kids now have shorter attention spans and are less impressed by a leg drop
The problem is people kicking out of finishers isn't as rare like it should be. Then a superkick is a great example of it gets so overused it's as basic as a punch now. Part of the problem in my opinion is having idiots like "The Elite" that don't take the business seriously and are cosplaying as wrestlers. And none of them have the believability to look like they could beat anyone in a real fight lol. If a sirly pack of tough middle schoolers came through my money would be on them 😂. And that's a part of the business that is gone. Guys like Harley Race or Terry Funk or Rick Rude or The Steiners are all guys that legit could win a fight so you believed in what they did in the ring and their finishes.
It really started with Rock kicking out of the Stunner at Wrestlemania '15. Nobody had at that point, really, and Rock was heel--it gave him huge credibility. From then on, it became more and more of a thing to see kickouts from even the top finishes.
1:05 is exactly why Kevin Owens is the worse wrestler ever. His entire move set are pass WWE superstar finishers. Frog splash, Swanton dive, super kick, theres 3-4 more i cant remember.
Dude Owen’s is the worst wrestler because he is literally the worst wrestler. He’s slow, unauthentic , unATHLETIC, he sucks to watch. I am not an undertaker fan but he’s 100% right finishers mean nothing now. Watching Cody do five crossroads in a row is fcking stupid
Hang on KO's actual finish is banned thats why he ends up doing Frog Splashes, Senton Bombs, Super kicks, Stunners etc. Back in ROH he did a package piledriver that would 100% work as a finish as it looks evil. But CTE and head trauma are so in focus now that its right not to do it....thats why they gave him the pop up powerbomb. But its treated like a standard move now so he cannot use it as a finish. I can also think of soooooooooooo many wrestlers who are worse to watch than Kevin Owens. The arguement has always been about his size and how he won't diet or lose weight.....No-one gave a shit that Yokozuna was 589lbs and had a longer enterence than match most of the time, so why should KO being 260lbs be an issue??? He sells well, can still do his moves without massive amounts of endangerment to who he is in the ring with and is a great talker. I would rather have a tubby KO talk on the mic and lay people to waste with his promo than listen to say an absolutely JACKED Rene Dupree clog up the mic for 10 mins of horrible noise.
What seperates a regular move from a finisher is the special flair ppl put on a move before they execute it. A ddt is a ddt unless its delivered like Jake where he raises the fist up and goes in for that sudden drop. Bobby Roode had the Glorious DDT, He would do the Glorious arm pose before he hit an impaler style ddt. Same with superkicks, HBK would tune up the band with his stomping wake up taunt or he could hit it outta nowhere like the RKO. If you use a spear as a finish you almost have to make it unique, every former football player in pro wrestling uses a spear as a finish these days.
The part most people may have missed is that Taker built a career with no one kicking out to it. Even all the other guys. If someone’s gonna kick out then it’s gotta be in a select time not all the time
@@keandregreen5628 I don’t remember anyone kicking out more than cena. Sure, one Wrestlemania Shawn Michaels kicked out of a tombstone. That is a moment in 2010. Cena would also be around at that time kicking out of everything before and after that
@@Rob-b2q8p Roman reigns kicked out of Cena's AA, Super AA and Double AA in the same match. He also kicked out of 5 F5s when even Wrestlemania undefeated Underataker could only do it twice. Cena usually only kicks out once or twice in big matches and he doesn't kick out of super finishers like Orton's punt. The only singles match i recall that he kicked out several times was against the Rock in Wrestlemania (3 Rock bottom + 1 people's elbow), still not as much as Reigns.
One of my favorite finishers is from a Superstar who is unfortunately not wrestling anymore,Luther Reigns.His finisher the “Reign Of Terror” is Awesome.
My main focus on looking for when the match could be over isn't even a finisher anymore. First the winner does a finisher, kick out, then the looser does a finisher, kick out, THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT INVOLVES ILLEGAL STUFF FOR THE MATCH and then either a finisher or a roll up, so lame
I definitely agree with Undertaker, But I also like when people kick out because if everyone done their finisher once than we know it’s over but with using it 2-3 times in big matches than it makes it exciting
0:42 Shawn kicked out.... But, the second WrestleMania match... When Shawn kicked out, then the then the Undertaker actually jumped up to perform another tombstone... Awesome It added emphasis to the move And you knew nobody was getting out of that
The next wrestler to really pop will have to have a completely unique moveset. All his moves will have to be uniquely made and then uniquely executed. THAT i feel is what will push the next young star to the absolute top and keep him there. Like Undertaker.
First time I saw someone kick out of a finisher was the career ending match at Wrestlemania 7. Savage vs Warrior. They both kicked out of each other’s finisher. Mind you, that match had high stakes but it was a big deal when I saw them both kick out. Now it’s not even a shock when someone kicks out.
Growing up watching in the 90s and early 00s, you were hoping the wrestler you were rooting for hit their finisher to end the match. Now they hit their finishers 5x in a match.
I always state that wrestlers can be the master of a move. Undertaker with the Tomb Stone, HBK and the Sweet Chin Music, Stone Cold, and the Stone Cold Stunner. But i agree, some wrestlers need to have their finishers protected!
Kicking out of finishers at Wrestlemania is one thing. But you got guys taking eight huge spots with five “kick out of the other guys finishers” spots on the second match on Velocity (or whatever the C-Shows are now) and it doesn’t mean anything.
On the one hand I really like that you aren’t always sure if a finisher will be the end of a match, but on the other hand they need some protection so kicking out of one carries some weight.
You don't know how lucky you are to be able to speak to this man. I'm still also waiting on my moment on catching Kane, like Undertaker somewhere to even say one word to him !!! 😂😂😂😂
I think that it's a shame that finishers aren't finishers anymore and that they don't sell and hit as hard as they used to. Matches from the 90s and 2000s looks so visceral.
Watch the full interview with The Undertaker on my main channel here: ruclips.net/video/urxHWuivLWg/видео.html
Love It CVVCLIPS Bro.
been watching your videos for over 3 yearsnow Chris , you and English James ( story time with Dutch Mantell ) are achieving , thank you for all you do , its a real treat you guys are going to hit it big time and its a pleasure watching the rollercoaster ride, 45 in VAncouver , cheers
n
I can understand kicking out at Wrestlemania. But no one should be kicking out of any finishes on a weekly show. They’ve done that shit to death.
I remember Brock Lesnar went winning matches for doing one F5 to doing 9 F5 just to beat Roman Reigns at WM34.
Agreed. The Bucks having a dozen super kicks in a match should kill someone in theory, but it doesn't. If they're truly inspired by Shawn Michaels, they wouldn't ruin his finisher.
True, and it shouldn't be multiple kick outs. And not every PPV/PLE. The drama of the match should be "can he hit him with his finisher", not "how many time can he kick out of his finisher"
I'm fine with false finishes when the move is otherwise protected, but now, on a PPV, the crowd is conditioned to expect a kick out on the first finisher...that's terrible...no drama.
@@foxvalleybandvidsthe super kick isn't his finisher. It's the sweet chin music
Cap. You should be able to kick out of a finisher. Once, maybe twice.
When Taker took that Sweet Chin Music + Pedigree combo at Hell in a Cell and kicked out, bro that crowd reaction was CRAZY 🤯🔥
Punk got the biggest pop with a simple piledriver to Cena.
Less is more.
@jckorn9148 that was more so because it was a legit piledrive, the same kind that ruined Steve Austin's neck.
I still believe if the streak had ever to be broken (which it shouldn't have), that was the most legit moment ever. I had jumped off my seat thinking it was over now. If not for that spot, the streak was never meant to be broken.
Yeah
@@SuperSayianWarrior that was not the same piledriver that broke Austin's neck. It was a Sit Out Piledriver but Austin prepared for a Tombstone Piledriver.
HBK kicking out of the Tombstone was one of the best spot you could ever see, the face on taker was telling everything that you needed to know.
JR on commentary: "I JUST HAD AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE!"
OPINION: I dont mind seeing a false finisher, but if you do it, the move better not have been picture perfect. Maybe an off centered spear, a weakly elevated powerbomb, or even just hitting the move and giving too much time to recover, i can see a false finish. But If the move is given/taken cleanly, and it looks good, sell it as so. If I messed up a bit and you know we can do better, we can kick out.
@@derekgraskewicz2104 If it wasn't done clean then you would predict the kickout right away. These types of false finishers should only be reserved for huge mega matches.
Yes but Undertaker still protected his finisher because the ref had to run 1/4 mile just to start the count.
Right, and it meant something because the tombstone was protected. Now, when someone kicks out of say, the claymore....ok par for the course. No suspense there.
He's right, though. No one protects their finisher anymore. Everyone kicks out of everything.
It's like they forgot that the reason HBK kicking out of the Tombstone was such a big moment is BECAUSE it was such a rare thing.
Crazy that there are some kicking out at 1 count now. Like Drew against Brock at WrestleMania 36. Rollins kicking out now like 4 different times in a match. Wouldn't be a problem if someone took a bit to get to the other wrestler for the cover, but.... not right away after just getting hit with a finishing move. It's over done these days.
this is a nuanced conversation... is he right TO A POINT.. yes.. BUT there are some wrestlers, LIKE HIM, who are STILL the MOST Protected of everybody and it just needs basic common sense to see that... just ask yourself, how many times have you seen anybody kick out of such and such's move and when you find out the number then you know this person is still on another tier then anybody else...
Agreed. Jake Roberts would give someone a DDT and it was 1,2,3. Now someone like Moxley could take a DDT off the top rope and kick out at 1 or 2.
Omega has a finisher that no one ever kicked out of.
Undertaker perspective is to protect the business. When you protect your moves, your finish, your storytelling. You protect the business. And he's 100% right, great example.
i stopped watching a long time ago but anytime i've tried to go back i just see people kicking out of 4 superkicks and i'm just instantly uninterested. i'll still follow it somewhat through youtube and i'll listen to the old guys talk about wrestling but i can't get invested in what the product's become.
@@CeeDo6 Agreed. Just reading the descriptions of some matches online these days makes me roll my eyes. "Then Brock kicked out of a third Curb Stomp and then did a superplex and delivered 4 more F5s to finally pin Seth Rollins..."
Why are they even notable moves at that point?
Maybe I'm just grousing like an old person now, but while I can appreciate these peoples' athletic talent, I preferred when there was a story being told in the matches, as opposed to 100% pageantry 100% of the time. You could just shoot pyros for a couple of hours at that point.
"instead of risking giving them a bad tombstone" taker always tried to look out for his opponent. He's a class act.
Well, if you think about it, it makes sense, not just for Undertaker, but all wrestlers. These guys aren't trying to kill each other. Oftentimes, these guys are friends in real life. If not, they're at least colleagues who have enough respect for each other not to want to really injure each other to the point that their livelihoods are threatened. Like when you saw Triple H feuding with Taker, or any other wrestler for that matter, all of that was for show, to entertain. When the cameras weren't on, most of the time, these guys got along just fine, as they're actors. Sure, they're phenomenal athletes, as no one could pull off the stunts they do without getting seriously hurt if they weren't, but they're still acting out a script. Steve Austin never hated many of the wrestlers he wrestled against. Even if he didn't like them, he still had enough respect for the profession to do his best to make sure he didn't hurt them for real.
So, let's not act like this is unique to the Undertaker, as if he deserves some kind of special kudos for doing what any other good professional wrestler would do. He deserves the same amount of credit for that as guys like Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kevin Nash, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-pac, etc. etc. ad nauseam. Sure, there were/are some bad wrestlers out there who shouldn't be wrestling precisely because they don't do this, but those guys never last long in the business. The only guys who go on to enjoy a long career in pro wrestling are guys who do what Undertaker did and watch out for their opponents' well-being. As fun as wrestling can be to watch, no one, except maybe nutcases who don't realize pro wrestling is staged, tunes in hoping to see someone get hurt for real. That would hurt the business rather than help it.
"opponent" there are no opponents here. this is showbusiness and the other wrestler is your partner so of course you want to protect him as he will do the same.
@@james_ford86 Except that it takes a big man to realize that he's getting older and needs to change so that he doesn't hurt somebody, case and point the BS match with Goldberg. Ego is a dangerous thing, and in this business, it gets people hurt.
Huh? Lmao. How does not breaking a guy’s neck make you a class act? He’s just executing a move correctly. Just because a ton of modern wrestlers work unsafe doesn’t mean you give the other guys plaudits. Working safe is your job.
Except that one time with Hogan 🤣🤣
"His leg had a spring in it" 😭😭😭
Lmao so funny, even more when you know undertaker can’t stand Shawn Michaels. Chris new what he was doing mentioning it 😂😂😂😂😂
@@Knicks518 That was in the past. They're both friends now (and they also have religion in common).
@@Knicks518not anymore undertaker said he loves Shawn now but back in the day he didn't care for him at all
Pls dont cry bhai. 😢
@@DanielJohnson-dw3jd no sorry, in Undertakers own words “ I care very little for Shawn Michaels at this point” when did he say this ? Well he said it 2 days ago on Mavens channel discussing the ladder match between him and Shawn. You can go watch it right now actually. Do that and come back and apologize👍😄
I hate how they made Sweet Chin Music or Super Kick a regular move in the modern era, using it more than 5 times in each match.
Or more than a dozens(The Usos)
I don't like it either, but it's always been true. The Hammer Lock used to be a finisher. It just get's more ridiculous as the moves become more bombastic.
TBF to the Super Kick, it was a regular move for the Rockers back in the 80s and early 90's. Also, the Superkick was the setup move for HBK's Teardrop Suplex finisher up until Survivor Series 1994
TBF to the Rockers, they only using it once or twice in a match, unlike the spam done in the indies from early 2000s til now and current main US promotions.
Not worse then canadoiian destroyer so many times it looks pointless
The superkicks are not finishers lol. The sweet chin music is.
Remember when I was a kid, kicking out of a finisher was a big deal now it means nothing.
Now it means the finishers are just not efficient.
Yeah. I mean... it's called "finisher" for a reason. The Wreslter FINISHES the match with it. It may be alright for a shock moment at a big PPV Event, when a Wrestler kicks out of a finisher, but not on a weekly base
Amen to that, the “false finish” is so overdone that I don’t even pop for finishers anymore. You know it’s getting kicked out of
Something like that should be reserved for Pay-Per-Views and only once in awhile.
That's a common episode of AEW Dynamite lol @@LtJackStone
Stop being a sheep and learn some critical thinking skills. Pro wrestling has enough bandwagon jumpers. 🙄🙄
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258He mentioned the number 2 finisher. Just protect the number 1.
Him going through all of his finishes is making me realise The Undertaker possibly has the best names in his move set in WWE history.
Tombstone Piledriver. Last Ride. Hell's Gate. Old School. Snake Eyes. The list goes on.
🔥🔥🔥
There's a video of him doing moves he has something near 30 signature
He’s the WWE Michael Jordan
@@Ajithkumar-hs2sk Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258Chokeslam yes (he made some people’s finisher into his secondary move, or set up for the finisher).
But Last Ride was a pretty well protected finisher in the American Badass era, not a lot of kick outs…
@@Entertainment-is6ex It also depends on how you execute chokeslam like when Damien Priest does it feels like finisher. Meanwhile, Taker's chokeslam doesn't feels like a finisher. So, I don't think he ever ruined chokeslam.
Definitely agree with what he's saying here. I had stopped watching wrestling in 2007 but starting watching again in 2021. And the amount of times guys kick out of finishers now is maddening! I remember watching a Lesnar match and someone kicked out of an f5 and my jaw dropped because in 2002, you ain't kicking out of an f5. Reminds me too much like video game wrestling.
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258 Even if they kicked out if the chokeslam it was always the major damage dealer before the tombstone. It would often change the match
@@thrilla72 yes, a signature move...
Finishers, to me, are an important part of the story telling!
"F5, here's the cover, hook of the leg, and ROMAN REIGNS KICKED OUT! OMG" Imagine saying that 5 times in a match lmao
@@yengvang8737try 9 😂
Getting to the finisher should be a journey! Attempts should fail and when it finally clicks it should be big!
And I don't mean just make it so the finisher is "hitting it multiple times"...
Taker vs HBK Wrestlemania matches definitely influenced the modern generation with the kickouts of finishers but that was a formula created by Austin/Rock Wrestlemania trilogy.
Agreed
Well said
That's the key thing though, kick out was used by Rock and Austin only during WrestleMania. Now if two mid carders are having a match even then they'll kick out of finishers at least 2 times.
Nah you're missing or misunderstanding the context of the matches
That WrestleMania 25 match was phenomenal. There was a lot more to it than just finishers. Michaels missing the moonsault to the outside and then Taker landing badly after the dive over the top were insane, and there was a lot more match after that.
Its like almost every flipping match has to have those dramatic 1-2-ALMOST kick outs and when you do them all the time, they are no longer all that dramatic, but rather expected.
This was over a decade ago, but I was at WrestleMania 29 for Rock and Cena II and the crowd didn't even react to the first finish and kickout because by that point, we had already been conditioned to expect at least five more.
The Cena/Punk series is when multiple finisher kick outs really became the new norm. Then the second Rock/Cena went even further but to a flat crowd. Cena is one of the biggest offenders of devaluing his finisher in the last decade. I recall his US Title challenge where any random jobber would answer his challenge and kick out of the AA. But I think the most egregious might be Reigns/Brock at WM from 2018 (is that 34? not really keeping up anymore) when Brock hit his first F5 while on a split screen replay and the crowd had NO reaction at all. The match just went on to become finisher exchanges until Brock finally won after, like, ten F5s.
@@carljohnson8997No
Knockout to finisher always been great when done right if it's not being over used and it will add to the story then let it happen because it always adds a lot to the match
Back then, 1 finisher and a kickout creates an omg moment. Today, 5 finishers and 5 kickouts creates an omg moment lol
I met The Undertaker he's a very nice guy
Where did you meet him at sir?
@@raymondtipton7243 Hmv record store in Manhattan he was signing autographs for the WWF cassette tape Full Metal containing the wrestlers entrance music
@@raymondtipton7243 right here on RUclips
Growing up 4-5 wrestlers kicked out of finishes. Taker, Kane and Warrior were supernatural so it made sense. Andre was too big and Hulk fed off the crowd so they could claim adrenaline.
This is true and a shame. There use to be a time when a wrestler would hit their finisher and that would be the end of the match. I understand when Undertaker talks about him and Michaels because of that story at the time. But now a days like I said its a shame that now a days wrestlers are expected to kickout of finishing moves.
Key point he says here that a lot of people miss when constructing their move set is having a second. You can protect your number 1, but having a wide range of moves that you can do that aren’t finishers but still get a reaction is vital. Old School, Last Ride, Chokeslam, Hells Gate, Deadmans Dive, Guillotine Leg Drop, big boot. A bunch of moves Taker had to play with to still make the match entertaining to watch. There’s also a psychology to it. If your finisher is easy to set up and always wins the match, there’s gonna be alot of points where you should’ve gone for your finisher. Getting someone into the tombstone position isn’t easy, and there aren’t a lot of situations during a match (that isn’t the finish) where he should’ve gone for it. A move set is your tool set for creating your matches, construct it with care
the main point about taker was also that he beat the shit out of people always.
Cody Vs Aj at Backlash is a good example of not needing a finisher spam fest to make a match good.
The match sucked
@@PBLightning145not at all hence why you had to like your own comment cause nobody agreed 😂
@@PBLightning145 you must love superkick spams
its because people like roman reigns suck and have no real moves they only have like 5 moves and thats it and spam only their finisher ebcause they suck in wrestling simply. you know back in time cena was the only one like that guess why he was so strongly disliked with his shitty superhero gimmick
@@Wolf-fighterThe comment is not even about him, and your statement is pure bs whining. He really does live rent free in your snowflake head.
Not every move can be a finisher unfortunately. But guys like Roman, Orton, hell even Omega do protect their finisher. Cody had to invent the triple Crossroads, I mean there are ways.
Yeah this is the problem with LA night in my opinion His finisher is trash
It always makes me laugh when Orton fails an RKO just for him to get pushed to the ropes.
Not necessarily, but it is missing something to give it that "oomph!" factor. It just can't put my finger on it@SuperSaiyanBroku.
@@SuperSaiyanBroku it's a Dirty Deeds knockoff.
@@suspensionkid2544it’s a lot better than dirty deeds lol
My biggest complaint with a lot of matches is that they don’t feel like fights so much as exhibitions.
Matches are glorified cirque du soleil performances much of the time nowadays.
So?
@@fscorpion678 it’s a poor imitation of Chinese acrobatics. Why not just watch that?
@@chubbycatfish4573 Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@chubbycatfish4573 Especially when a wrestler dives outside the ring, and 4 to 6 people stand on the ringside to catch them. It becomes repetitive
Finishers don’t mean shit today. It really grinds my gears. What’s the point of a finished if they just kick out of them?
Totally agree. A finisher by its very name is supposed to finish a match. Now they don't mean anything. Earlier when a finisher was hit its game over.
We're now conditioned to expect a finisher to be near useless to the point unless it's hit multiple times. It feels like a boring checklist sidequest: "Hit 4 finishers - 0/4"
They need to make finishers one and done again, so then when that odd kickout happens, it will be a much bigger deal.
Like who was expecting HBK or Edge to kick out of Taker's tombstone in their respective WM matches? It was such a mind blowing thing.
Yeah, but how do you put the toothpaste back in the tube? A finisher taking someone out in just one of them makes a character look Weak now
...that's why you gotta make new Super Finishers to replace the old ones I guess
That is a tough one because HBK kicking out of the tombstone at WM 25 and seeing Taker’s face is a moment I’ll never forget. However have it become a norm today is too much. When it happens at Wrestlemania, it’s no longer shocking. It’s almost expected to be part of a random tv episode or b tier ppv this point.
I feel like a better way to do it is countering the finisher before it connects, not just kicking out of it.
That way if someone doesn't counter it, he's out and then if someone does kick out, it's a big pop.
So that way it keeps its power, it's just a matter of trying to counter it.
Good point. Leaves more room for creativity too.
You mean.... Like they used to do? before people just spammed finishing moves that connected? Old days, 20 years ago lol, they'd actually counter and even come back with their own finishers. Made for a hell of a lot better wrestling, and depending on the story, funny moments too.
@@draggy76 There's a million examples but the one off the top of my head with Eddie Guerrero and Lesnar.
The one time the f5 hit it took knocking out the referee and Goldberg spearing Lesnar for him to even have a chance to get out of it.
Then he reverses it at the end to win.
I agree that finishers should be protected and only save the kick out of for very special events. To kick out of them on free TV is just doing a disservice to the move as it makes it look weak.
I still remember Mick legitimately kicking out of Triple H's pedigree so he could go out on the thumbtacks. The pop that erupted and the legitimate shock on Paul's face was a sight to see live. Same is said for the Sweet Chin Music into Pedigree in the End of the Era match being a testament to how you can pull off the false finish to perfection. It was, at least at the time, the one point we all believed the Streak was going to end. The subsequent pop after the kick out and JR shouting on TV "The Streak lives!" echoes throughout history.
The most protected move in all of wrestling now is the roll up
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258even still, those kickouts happened in high-quality matches and against main eventers. It wasn’t like Cowboy Bob Orton was kicking out of a Chokeslam, or Undertaker wrestling the first hr of the show and he gotta triple Last Ride someone to win
@@taariqware1922 He used it against midcarders who woke up immediately to take the tombstone, like MVP, finlay etc. It was sometimes a no sell to take the tombstone and I was always disturbed by that.
Your opinion is valide though.
@@guillaumejuillard8258you also gotta think that the Chokeslam or Last Ride was a legit a “false finish” moment. I don’t think I can remember any time where it didn’t end in a 2-1/2 count kickout, or it was a set up in an amazing match to the Tombstone or heck for someone time to run to the ring and cause an interference. It’s almost always for story telling purposes. You almost never see fillers like Funaki, Spike Dudley, or even popular tag teams like the Hardy Boys to kick out of a chokeslam. Anytime you see a chokeslam, tombstone, last ride, F5, FU/AA, Pedigree, Stunner, Sweet Chin Music etc kicked out is when it’s during an epic match like PPV or title match. Key thing is these are signature moves, not the overused wannabe stunner and super kicks or even swanton bombs you see today kicked out fast.
@@GGDAWG7 shoot, you gotta super kick someone 3 times for them to fall down. Not even ‘98 Kane had that privilege
Love the call back here to CVV's interview with Lance Storm when they talked about superkicks and Sweet Chin Music. Nice!
Takers the best wrestler
Your the best commenter.
@@JTG-wt8eb you're the best replier
This is the best thread
Im the best
All of you all are delusional ... I'm the best ... period!!!
So fascinating to hear the perspectives and stories from Taker knowing he comes from that era we'll never witness again
Ok
The last ride is my fav finisher so cool how high he powerbombs people
Taker is a little bit of a hypocrite here.
He killed the impact of the chokeslam and the last ride (deteriorating the perception of powerbombs), those 2 moves when done by Taker were ALWAYS leading to a kick-out...
It made those 2 moves look like low quality signature moves...
Which is dumb because it's many people's finishers...
@@guillaumejuillard8258the ironic part is you keep spamming your stupid comment on every single comment here worse than the Usos with superkicks
I remember if Undertaker used the Tombstone during his Biker days it meant you were done. Also random fact but I think Kane's Tombstone is one of the most protected finishers ever.
Has anyone even kicked out of Kane's tombstone other than Undertaker himself? It's a special case where they trade chokeslams and tombstones with each other. I don't think anyone else has ever kicked out of Kane's tombstone.
When Razor hit the Razor's edge, nobody was kicking out.
@@theboombody Crush kicked out of Razor's edge. So it's about as protected as Kane's tombstone.
KO has like five finishers for transition moves. The guy is like a custom character from 2K.
UNDERTAKER IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME! Always been my favorite, no one can touch what he’s contributed to the business, and no….not hogan.
Hell's Gate got me into training BJJ all those years ago lol
The dragon sleeper!!! I thought that was so awesome and different when you were doing that. Thank you Taker!
This is one reason I appreciate Kenny Omega's work, he's protected the One-Winged Angel finisher to the point that the one time I know of it was ever kicked out of was the one time narratively that it could make sense to happen.
Today few people take the finishiers the right way, I'm with The Undertaker
He's absolutely right. Finishers don't mean anything anymore. It all started when WWE was trying to push Roman Reigns at the initial stages. He would regularly kick out of finishers and to keep others in the competition, they started letting others kick out of finishers as well. Eventually, finishers lost their value.
It's crazy to think that Baron Corbin's finish is the most protected finishing move there is still today despite it having some kickouts like 3
Khalas from Jinder was protected last I remember but I haven't watched in years.
@@Makron5 it was kicked out
End of Days and the One Winged Angel are the only moves that I can think of protected, they both have only ever been kicked out of once over the course of a decade+. Black Arrow is protected somewhat too I suppose.
@@KingsNerdCave yeah
@@KingsNerdCave Kane's tombstone has only been kicked out by the Undertaker.
One of the many things that have devolved in wrestling. When someone kicked out of a finisher, it was not only rare, it meant something. Now people take 15 "finishers".
Listen never have i saw a super kick and thought it was the finish. When you saw the Sweet Chin Music you knew that it was over for the most part lol. If anything, a superkick is a signature lol.
Yeah, the "tuning up the band" part makes it a finisher, and uniquely HBK.
Michaels used a backdrop suplex as a finisher after leaving the rockers, and the superkick as the setup to it, but people popped A LOT more for the superkick, so it made sense for him to switch.
there have been so many variations of powerbombs and suplexes in pro wrestling, but Last Ride was probably the most explosive of all all-time. Taker's variation of the powerbomb included him lifting his opponent off his shoulder before slamming them on their back. It was so crazy! The opponent's waist would be 9 feet in the air and his head 3 feet higher!
Jey Uso should watch this. Superkick, Superkick, Superkick, Spear, Spear, Splash. YAWN
Now they call him main event, when all he does is main event raw lol the dude is trash and cringe as fuck
One of the very few, 1 in a million pro wrestlers who can adapt and keep both himself and his opponents protected in terms of characterization and physical injury and cares about both.
Best power bomb ever was the Last ride! 2nd best the jack knife
This 3 min part of the interview shows exactly why wrestling will never be the same like it used to when i was growing up and I'm only 30. The 2000's and maybe even the early 2010's was the last great days of wrestling.
Still remember “Edge of Days” of Corbin being protected for more than half a decade!!
That thing was & always will be the best finisher!
Till now almost 10 years of Corbin & only once kickout happened that was at WM against Drew
I get what he means, and the spots with him and Shawn that got the pops were partly because of that, the finishers had been protected for years, and so the person that could kick out of it was incredible, plus it's at Wrestlemania
The hells gate was so impressive when I saw it I was doing it 😂😂😂
I agree with protecting your finisher (Taker protected the tombstone by also having the chokeslam and last ride if he wanted a near-fall) but I'd like to counter with: Gunther
Gunther doesn't really have a finisher. He often closes a match with a powerbomb but he's also used a lariat and recently a sleeper-hold. These are all very common moves - Gunther doesn't even give these a unique name. And he doesn't need to, because it's not always about the finisher but the moment when you use it. Gunther is just so aware of the storytelling of wrestling, the pace and momentum, the crowds excitement and fatigue, that it doesn't matter if he calls his powerbomb 'The Schnitzel' or some shit. It's a high impact move delivered at the climax. In the end, that's all a finisher is regardless of how iconic or 'protected' it is
After watching this I instantly remember one guy in AEW do a tombstone piledriver from the 2nd rope for a 2 count, on a Wednesday.
Meanwhile Dominick Mysterio hits a Canadian destroyer for a 2 count on a Monday. It’s an industry issue
Interviews with these guys is awesome. Taker is one of the greats
Kicking out of finishers should be used sparingly. Christmas is special because it's once a year. It would mean nothing if it were every day.
I like how he doesnt knock the modern era but he says thats how its evolved over time.
I think thats the best way to put it
One question I’d love to ask Taker is, what is the etiquette in using someone else’s signiture finish? Owen did the tombstone to Bret at WM 10 (knees first just like Taker) and Bret kicked out. Except Taker was taking time off then and probably wasn’t even there at the event. Owen would do the sit down tombstone on Austin and severely injure him…just curious to hear his take on all that.
late to the party but yeah, this. There ain't no way Taker didn't somehow find the time to tear into Owen after that screw up with Steve.
I don't watch wrestling for 20 years...but I can't imagine wrestling without finisher...This is such a big part of wrestling.
Finishers need to be protected so that when someone does kick out, it’s a huge deal.
Less is more, and more is less 👍
No. That's lame story telling. Seeing a finisher and knowing the match is over is boring.
@@redrick8900 I'm happy you don't work in a wrestling company
@@carlosr6462 I'm happy that wrestling isn't hack and formulaic like it used to be.
What about the people of Israel? Where is their protection?
Man was an artist, i swear he will remain the best for a long time
I like the point he made about the crazy bumps in Japan. The likes of Misawa turned Japan into a head drop circus and every big new move was “what silly way can I drop you on your head next” so you can kick out
Nowadays matches are a kickout fest, and people call them 5 star matches.
Each their own
He's absolutely right, as usual I might add. Back at Wrestlemania 18 when it was Taker vs Flair (American Bad Ass times), in the end he brought him in position for the last ride just to change it into the tombstone piledriver. This gave the term "finisher" so much meaning, especially in the context of the feud back then and the whole match between them.
Takers right, what's the point of wrestling if you're going to kick out? If wrestlers think moves don't mean anything then they can go to the UFC and try kicking out there.
I totally agree ! A finisher is a FINISHER! Now you see them left and right !
Always thought it was weird that Owen Hart used to do the Tombstone as not even a finisher. He obviously stopped using it after injuring Stone Cold.
That wasn't a tombstone it was a sit-down piledriver
@@KaitouKaiju Only the one to Austin. Watch Bret vs Owen at WrestleMania 10, for example.
He didn't stop after Austin. About a year later he almost paralyzed Dan Severn doing the same damn piledriver.
I remember that's what happened to Jake the Snakes DDT. By the end of the 90s and early 2000s the DDT just became a regular move.
The problem with Taker saying this is that he spent nearly ten years doing the “can’t believe this guy kicked out of the Tombstone” shocked face spot.
Aa someone who watched him regularly for a long time in was quite rare.
That's what Austin was saying when Cena started using that springboard stunner
Personally, I think that springboard stunner is different enough from the stone cold stunner that they register as two different moves.
Not a fan of KO using the Stone Cold Stunner myself
@@KaitouKaiju well that's the point it look more devastating
@@lancethefilmguy9392 KO had some kind of a piledriver as his finisher in ROH but he couldn't use it in WWE for obvious reasons
@@kennethvega7242Package Piledriver
Now there are super finishers. Like the triple Cross Rhodes, double AA, Spear Superman punch combo etc.
“Protect the finish” sincerely the guy who kicked out of everyone’s finish.
He's the Undertaker. Being one of the hardest people to beat in the business was kind of part of the character.
He didnt use the dudley death drop he told them we are not going to do it if it didnt mean anything. They came to him and told him you can kick out if you want and he said No
@@andrewt329 exactly. Like getting to be on the show or better yet a Pay per view event card with taker win or lose, or having him kick out of your finish or not. just being in that spot alone would give people a rub in the business. especially if taker liked you he would pay it forward to the office and talk you up in the back. If you got the chance to be in the ring with taker and you impressed him. You knew you were getting a chance to show yourself or more than likely getting something down the line because people just didn't get handed a chance to work with him every day.
The last ride and tombstone piledriver were good finisher that could be performed on the smaller guys, the chokeslam was a good finishers for some of the bigger guys as they could help Taker deliver it.
I actually couldn't believe that cody had to hit logan paul with 3 cross rhodes in a row. At the end of the day he's a mid card champion for the less prestigious mid card championship. How can I take your finisher seriously if logan paul can take 3?
It’s the way it goes. Look at old wrestling matches from 1985 in the NWA. 25 minutes of 2 guys taking turns in shoulder barging each other for 10 minutes before a suplex , the crowd would be going mental after it.. kids now have shorter attention spans and are less impressed by a leg drop
I'd rather watch 1985 nwa over this big budget horseshit.
The problem is people kicking out of finishers isn't as rare like it should be. Then a superkick is a great example of it gets so overused it's as basic as a punch now. Part of the problem in my opinion is having idiots like "The Elite" that don't take the business seriously and are cosplaying as wrestlers. And none of them have the believability to look like they could beat anyone in a real fight lol. If a sirly pack of tough middle schoolers came through my money would be on them 😂. And that's a part of the business that is gone. Guys like Harley Race or Terry Funk or Rick Rude or The Steiners are all guys that legit could win a fight so you believed in what they did in the ring and their finishes.
Truer words have never been spoken about pro wrestling. It's not too late to fix it 💯
Spear, stunner, super kick all mean nothing
It really started with Rock kicking out of the Stunner at Wrestlemania '15. Nobody had at that point, really, and Rock was heel--it gave him huge credibility. From then on, it became more and more of a thing to see kickouts from even the top finishes.
1:05 is exactly why Kevin Owens is the worse wrestler ever. His entire move set are pass WWE superstar finishers. Frog splash, Swanton dive, super kick, theres 3-4 more i cant remember.
Stunner from stone cold
Dude Owen’s is the worst wrestler because he is literally the worst wrestler. He’s slow, unauthentic , unATHLETIC, he sucks to watch. I am not an undertaker fan but he’s 100% right finishers mean nothing now. Watching Cody do five crossroads in a row is fcking stupid
Hang on KO's actual finish is banned thats why he ends up doing Frog Splashes, Senton Bombs, Super kicks, Stunners etc. Back in ROH he did a package piledriver that would 100% work as a finish as it looks evil. But CTE and head trauma are so in focus now that its right not to do it....thats why they gave him the pop up powerbomb. But its treated like a standard move now so he cannot use it as a finish. I can also think of soooooooooooo many wrestlers who are worse to watch than Kevin Owens. The arguement has always been about his size and how he won't diet or lose weight.....No-one gave a shit that Yokozuna was 589lbs and had a longer enterence than match most of the time, so why should KO being 260lbs be an issue??? He sells well, can still do his moves without massive amounts of endangerment to who he is in the ring with and is a great talker. I would rather have a tubby KO talk on the mic and lay people to waste with his promo than listen to say an absolutely JACKED Rene Dupree clog up the mic for 10 mins of horrible noise.
What seperates a regular move from a finisher is the special flair ppl put on a move before they execute it. A ddt is a ddt unless its delivered like Jake where he raises the fist up and goes in for that sudden drop. Bobby Roode had the Glorious DDT, He would do the Glorious arm pose before he hit an impaler style ddt. Same with superkicks, HBK would tune up the band with his stomping wake up taunt or he could hit it outta nowhere like the RKO. If you use a spear as a finish you almost have to make it unique, every former football player in pro wrestling uses a spear as a finish these days.
No
wrestling is an absolute joke now
Ok.boomer
The part most people may have missed is that Taker built a career with no one kicking out to it. Even all the other guys. If someone’s gonna kick out then it’s gotta be in a select time not all the time
I blame Cena. Mister KICK OUT AT 2!!!! Was never exciting but became his trademark. It really killed the finisher
Undertaker literally just said it’s partly his fault and yet you’re out here with cena on the brain get a life😂it’s been going on since hulk hogan
@@keandregreen5628
I don’t remember anyone kicking out more than cena. Sure, one Wrestlemania Shawn Michaels kicked out of a tombstone. That is a moment in 2010. Cena would also be around at that time kicking out of everything before and after that
@@Rob-b2q8pYoung Bucks said hello
@@Rob-b2q8p Roman reigns kicked out of Cena's AA, Super AA and Double AA in the same match. He also kicked out of 5 F5s when even Wrestlemania undefeated Underataker could only do it twice. Cena usually only kicks out once or twice in big matches and he doesn't kick out of super finishers like Orton's punt. The only singles match i recall that he kicked out several times was against the Rock in Wrestlemania (3 Rock bottom + 1 people's elbow), still not as much as Reigns.
@@romero9274
This was way way way after cena was kicking out of everything.
One of my favorite finishers is from a Superstar who is unfortunately not wrestling anymore,Luther Reigns.His finisher the “Reign Of Terror” is Awesome.
My main focus on looking for when the match could be over isn't even a finisher anymore.
First the winner does a finisher, kick out, then the looser does a finisher, kick out, THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT INVOLVES ILLEGAL STUFF FOR THE MATCH and then either a finisher or a roll up, so lame
Shawn is the real reason for this evolution. Simply goat.
I definitely agree with Undertaker, But I also like when people kick out because if everyone done their finisher once than we know it’s over but with using it 2-3 times in big matches than it makes it exciting
0:42
Shawn kicked out....
But, the second WrestleMania match... When Shawn kicked out, then the then the Undertaker actually jumped up to perform another tombstone...
Awesome
It added emphasis to the move
And you knew nobody was getting out of that
Brother spent half a bar to EX that move
The next wrestler to really pop will have to have a completely unique moveset. All his moves will have to be uniquely made and then uniquely executed. THAT i feel is what will push the next young star to the absolute top and keep him there. Like Undertaker.
First time I saw someone kick out of a finisher was the career ending match at Wrestlemania 7. Savage vs Warrior. They both kicked out of each other’s finisher. Mind you, that match had high stakes but it was a big deal when I saw them both kick out. Now it’s not even a shock when someone kicks out.
Growing up watching in the 90s and early 00s, you were hoping the wrestler you were rooting for hit their finisher to end the match.
Now they hit their finishers 5x in a match.
I always state that wrestlers can be the master of a move.
Undertaker with the Tomb Stone, HBK and the Sweet Chin Music, Stone Cold, and the Stone Cold Stunner.
But i agree, some wrestlers need to have their finishers protected!
Baron Corbins finisher the End of Days was protected for such a long time it was insane
He's absolutely right.
Kicking out of finishers at Wrestlemania is one thing. But you got guys taking eight huge spots with five “kick out of the other guys finishers” spots on the second match on Velocity (or whatever the C-Shows are now) and it doesn’t mean anything.
On the one hand I really like that you aren’t always sure if a finisher will be the end of a match, but on the other hand they need some protection so kicking out of one carries some weight.
You don't know how lucky you are to be able to speak to this man. I'm still also waiting on my moment on catching Kane, like Undertaker somewhere to even say one word to him !!! 😂😂😂😂
I think that it's a shame that finishers aren't finishers anymore and that they don't sell and hit as hard as they used to. Matches from the 90s and 2000s looks so visceral.