Worst Looking Wrestling Moves

When you’re putting on a show featuring a staged fight, there’s going to be a lot of trial and error when putting together matches, figuring out what moves fit together and look dynamic enough to keep the crowd engaged. As fans all know, that doesn’t always happen to perfection.

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Some moves just look plain terrible, and they are not even the “leg-slapping” super kicks either. The moves on this list need to be altered and improved, or altogether abandoned in favor of better looking and more convincing big moves, all in the name of improving the wrestling business.

Bayley's The Rose Plant

The Role Model's Finisher Is Just Awkward Looking

• The 2024 Royal Rumble Winner is also now the Iron Women's record holder.
• She has now won every conceivable prize WWE has to offer, except for Queen Of The Ring.
• The Role Model's name is derived from her upbringing in The Bay Area of North California.

For years, the fresh-faced babyface Bayley was stopping opponents cold with her Bayley-To-Belly Suplex. But you can’t hug your opponents when you’re a heel. Bayley would come up with a new finisher - The Rose Plant. Instead of hugging her foes, he’d hook one of their legs with her arm and smash the rest of them into the mat. It just looks awkward and considering how much of a student of the game Bayley is, she could do better for a finish.

Charlotte Flair's Natural Selection

Sometimes Too Smooth Doesn’t Look Right

• Charlotte Flair is one of two current wrestling children that appeared on WCW (Cody is the other).
• She began her career dedicating it to her departed brother, Reid.
• Including NXT, she has already tied Ric with 16 recognized world title victories.

A snap mare does seem like it could really hurt someone. Leaping over an opponent while wrenching their neck is something fierce. So, the reality of Charlotte Flair doing the move while driving an opponent’s face into the mat - Natural Selection - is something that should win her a lot more matches than it does.

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Even if the move looks almost too smooth. Charlotte’s so athletic that a move like that should be grittier looking, not prettier.

The Miz's Skull-Crushing Finale

The A-Lister’s Finish Isn’t An A-List Looking Move

• The Miz trained under Rick Bassman in UPW (the same trainer for Samoa Joe, John Cena, Sting, and The Ultimate Warrior).
• Along with Seth Rollins, The Miz is the only other Two-Time Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
• He cultivated The Miz persona while being on The Real World.

Let it be said right now, that The Miz is the closest thing that the wrestling world has to a modern day Roddy Piper. He knows how to get heat, he knows how to be funny, he knows how to be a babyface, and he can put on pretty good matches. But having a good finish is not something that he currently has in his arsenal. The front face lock slam called The Skull Crushing Finale is a pretty lame move, although it does help the notion that he stinks in the ring.

Rikishi Brought The Stinkface, To The Dismay Of Many

Shaking His Moneymaker Was Not What The Fans Wanted To See

• Rikishi had worked consistently for WWE since the early 1990s
• He is also one of the few superstars to have worked in WCW, ECW, WWE, and TNA.
• Under the hood of The Sultan, he worked with his cousin The Rock at WrestleMania 14.

As a capable worker for nearly a decade, Fatu still struggled to find a gimmick that worked. But it all came together during The Attitude Era for him when he donned a Sumo-esque outfit and started shucking and jiving all over the ring. He also added a huge move to his arsenal. Rikishi would “back that a** up” right into his opponent’s faces. It always got a massive pop from the crowd, but that doesn’t make it any less silly to watch unfold.

Christian And Chelsea's Unprettier

Wrestling’s Worst Father Also Has One Of The Worst Moves

• Christian is actually a WWE Grand Slam champion.
• He never had the confidence of Vince McMahon - he wanted to hide Christian's face with a blue dot.
• Thanks to a voicemail from Stone Cold to Christian, the "What" chant was invented.

There is little to no debate that, right now, Christian has been in the midst of a career renaissance, using the smarmiest of gimmicks. But one of the moves the mat technician has in his arsenal needs to go, post-haste. As if backslides weren’t awkward looking enough, Christian added holding an opponent in position to drop them on their head backwards. For a guy plenty of insiders say has one of the best minds for the business, surely he can do better. Chelsea, on the other hand - well, while the move might make sense for her gimmick, it's still awfully awkward to watch.

Naomi's Rear View

Making That Moneymaker A Familial Move

• Before starting in WWE, Naomi was a dancer for The Orlando Magic basketball team.
• Her stint in TNA netted her a run with the TNA Knockouts Championship.
• Upon her return at the 2024 Royal Rumble, Naomi lasted over an hour.

Through her marriage to Jimmy Uso, Trinity Fatu, fka Naomi is part of The Bloodline, specifically the Fatu part of the tree. In that vein, her Rear View carries on the family tradition of sticking a butt in an opponent’s face.

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Her version is called The Rear View. Again, using your backside to inflict damage is certainly humiliating, but slightly beyond the Hidden Valley as far as finishers go.

Rhea Ripley's Riptide

A Non-Nightmare Of A Finisher

• While not even 30 years old, Rhea Ripley is a 13-year veteran of the business.
• She competed in both Mae Young Classics.
• Ripley is the only superstar, male or female, to have won every single world title the company has to offer (including the NXT UK title).

Mami’s Riptide finisher needs to go, especially since Rhea Ripley has upped every single part of her game in the past few years - why on Earth is she still using Road Dogg’s Pump Handle Slam for a finish? With all due respect to Jesse James, The Eradicator needs a much more devastating looking finishing move to take opponents out. She’s powerful enough to do nearly anything she wants to an opponent to end them.

Big E's The Big Ending

Lackluster Move That Doesn't Do Enough For Big E

• Big E was the second ever NXT champion.
• He has coined the loveable phrase "big meaty men slapping meats" when referring to big men like Bronson Reed and Ivar going at it.
• Big E has also done voice work for Adult Swim's Lazor Wulf.

Similar to Rip Tide and Rhea Ripley, Big E and The Big Ending do not go together like PB & J at all. Big E’s idea for a Body Cutter was decent in theory, but in practice it always looked like he was taking the brunt of the move. That’s certainly good for his opponents in practice, since you never want to actually hurt them, but it also makes the move look hilarious instead of a threat. While we fans might have to accept that Big E's not returning to the ring, if he ever does, it would be the perfect time to have a new finish.

The Von Erich's Iron Claw

The Von Erich Family’s Signature Hold Wasn't Exactly Exciting

• The Iron Claw film has been on several Top 10 critic lists for 2023.
• While seldom utilized today, the move has been used by anyone with the Von Erich name.
• Ross and Marshall are currently both working in MLW.

Back when wrestling was “real,” moves like The Iron Claw had their place. Especially when innovators like Fritz Von Erich could explain why the nerve hold is so devastating.

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If applied directly, you can squeeze a man’s temples into mush. But with the evolution of the business to flashier, high-flying and harder-hitting technical moves, The Iron Claw simply isn’t worth anything unless it’s an actual Von Erich doing it.

Adam Cole's Panama Sunrise

The Most Unrealistic Wrestling Move Of All Time

• Adam Cole got his start wrestling for CZW in 2008.
• He is still the longest reigning NXT champion.
• Cole and Xavier Woods' real first names are both Austin - WWE once confused them and offered Cole Woods' tryout spot by mistake.

Despite being on the shelf most of the time during his AEW run, most of the AEW faithful seem to like Adam Cole. Sure, we all love our choreographed scripted sports entertainment. But the level of suspension of disbelief to see this move in action is completely out of this world! Especially when Cole has used it on giant men like Bronson Reed and Keith Lee. A guy who looks like he can barely lift 50 pounds is going to somehow do a crazy flip and bring his opponent around with him? Just utter ridiculousness.