Wrestling’s 20 Greatest Finishers of All Time

17. Lariat

Sometimes the simplest moves are the best, and finishers don’t get simpler than the lariat. Used by the likes of Stan Hansen, Kenta Kobashi and JBL, the Lariat is a symbol of stiffness. There’s something inherently manly about swinging your arm and wrapping it around your opponent’s head and dropping them to the mat.

It looks painful, its execution is often followed by screaming fans and commentators, and sometimes you can also hear the sound of arm hitting torso/collarbone. The Lariat has proven to be the ideal finisher for wrestlers wanting to sell themselves as tough, no-nonsense brawlers.

Stan Hansen is arguably the most famous lariat user, as this was the move (in storyline) that broke Bruno Sammartino’s neck. Had Hansen not botched that bodyslam, he wouldn’t have needed to do much to convince people it was the lariat that injured Sammartino.

The way he hit was so stiff that it wouldn’t shock anyone that some necks were broken with it. His lariat, along with the ones executed by Kobashi and JBL, was like a lethal weapon.