WWE: 5 Better Strike Attacks Than Roman Reigns’ Superman Punch

4. The Samoan Spike

Many people really dislike this move because it looks so weak and unrealistic. After all, it’s a thumb to the throat. But there is actually some logic to this move that makes it dangerous, and by extension, more of a believable move than the Superman Punch.

The Samoan Spike is built around a considerable amount of force being pushed into one’s windpipe. No matter how tough you are, when your breathing is interrupted suddenly and you’re gasping for air (which is 110% likely if you’re a wrestler), you’re going to stop doing whatever you’re doing immediately. This makes the Samoan Spike a truly dangerous finisher, at least vis-à-vis wrestling psychology.

It might not be the most artistic wrestling finisher, but it gets the job done. If you’re one of those wrestlers that’s more comfortable striking than using complicated grapple moves, this strike makes sense for you to use. That’s why it worked so well for Umaga: his striking was always more dangerous than his grappling.