WWE: Ranking the top 10 finishers in 2020
4. Kairi Sane: The InSane Elbow
The Velveteen Dream’s elbow drop made the top 10 of this list of the best finishers, but while its brutality is its hallmark, Kairi Sane’s elbow drop is an example of other-worldly athleticism.
Sane is one of the best wrestlers we’ve ever seen in WWE. When she was in Stardom before the Mae Young Classic, wrestling fans would often wonder about a future with Sane in WWE.
She’s quietly flourished in the company. Sane was NXT’s top babyface as NXT Women’s Champion, producing a legendary feud with Shayna Baszler over the company’s most prestigious title. On the main roster, she’s found a niche as a heel as Asuka’s tag team partner, and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for her.
And it will always be exciting to watch the InSane Elbow. The amount of height Sane gets truly is InSane, and it leads to a piercing impact straight into the heart of the opponent. Oh, and the way Sane tapped her elbow before going to the top rope as a babyface? Instant pop!
3. Io Shirai: Moonsault
They don’t call her the “Genius of the Sky” for nothing. Purely from an in-ring perspective, Io Shirai is the best on the planet. Her athletic ability is simply off the charts. Shirai is a game-changing talent in WWE who has been one of NXT’s top performers as a heel, and it still feels like we’ve only scratched the surface; NXT has yet to truly unleash her.
Basically, everything Shirai does in the ring is outstanding, but special praise has to go to her moonsault. I consider it to be the smoothest moonsault in wrestling history.
Because every step of the move is picture perfect. The way Shirai leaps to the second rope, steadies herself on the top rope, and then smashes her opponent’s mid-section with deadly accuracy and impact is remarkable. Shirai has so much power and precision in her finisher.