If there’s been anything we’ve learned from Seth Rollins’ last few matches is that Seth Rollins’ Stomp is broken as a finisher. He needed it three times against Brock Lesnar, five times against Braun Strowman, and a total of nineteen (freaking 19!) times in two matches in a losing effort to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.
Sure, it may work against mid-carders or up and comers like Humberto Carrillo, but it’s limited against the true heavyweights, as it really should be.
Why?
Well, there are two reasons Seth Rollins’ Stomp is broken.
Overuse
There was a time when a finisher was a finisher. A wrestler hit it, and their opponent was down unless they were an exceptional talent like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior in WrestleMania 6, or Kane and the Undertaker in just about every match.
Somewhere in the last twenty or so years, someone had the brilliant idea that it’d create drama if wrestlers kicked out of their opponent’s finisher. It’s leave the opponent frustrated and force them to think of something else while it’d prolong the match.
Great idea is used sparingly.
Unfortunately, kicking out of finishers has become an every match deal. Every time one is hit, we know it hasn’t put their opponent down. Every time, we know the wrestler is going to look bewildered that it didn’t work. And every time, the one on the receiving end will have a Hulk Hogan-type of second wind (Notice how so many things are tied to Hulk Hogan? Imitation is the best form of flattery, right?).
The thing is, finishers don’t matter anymore. They’re not believable when they have to be used multiple times in a match.
Lack of buildup
The second reason is lack of buildup.
Seriously, they look to hit their finishers as soon as possible. Yes, it’s to create and build drama. Yes, it’s understandable to want to take an opportunity presents itself. And yes, it’s also reasonable given most matches don’t reach the twenty or more minute mark anymore.
Part of the blame goes to moves like the Stunner, Diamond Cutter, and RKO. Again, it’s understandable that every wrestler would like the opportunity to end a match at any moment, and by using their finishers regularly throughout opens up the possibility/threat of them ending the match at any time.
But with everyone doing it, it takes away the fun and surprise when they are hit.
Another thing to blame is the wrestlers not telling a better story in the ring.
This could be due to their own limitation, but most likely, they’re told to do certain things and end it. This brings to mind another Hulk Hogan moment (Of course it does, right?) from WrestleMania 18 against the Rock.
Hulk Hogan has stated that what they originally intended wasn’t working early on and they started to lose the fans after their roof-shattering cheers at seeing the two in the same ring. Hulk Hogan and the Rock changed tactics on the fly, and the result was a classic match that is among their favorites as well as the fans.
When we watch matches from the 90s or earlier, we see a variety of holds and moves being used by the wrestlers. While they each had their own arsenal and we could predict what they’d do in any given moment, the fact they worked hard going back and forth really sold what they were accomplishing.
Sometimes less is better.
No one gets pinned after a suplex
Tell that to “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig. His Perfectplex was a thing of beauty, and despite its simplicity compared to other finishers of the time and now, it worked. It worked because he spent the match wearing down his opponent instead of trading finishers. He worked the match and fans, using various holds to slow and weaken his opponents before hitting the Perfectplex for the pinfall.
Like others at the time, the few times it didn’t work was against Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, or Randy Savage. But he pushed them and made their kickout spectacular and unexpected. It added to their mystique and gave his storyline with them a reason to continue as he was intent on proving it was a fluke.
I know compared to the high flying and high impact moves of today that the 90s, 80s, and 70s seem tame, but despite the cartoonish characters that populated WWE television at the time, it was more believable than the current product.
It’s also part of the reason NXT and AEW are so popular. They have spectacular moves, but they also have wrestling matches, not flamboyant displays of “can you top this?”
To be fair, this article is more than just how Seth Rollins’ stomp is broken. It’s a generalization that his recent struggles had brought to light, and hopefully, we’ll get back to what made wrestling so great before the “As seen on TV” style (Thank you Jim Cornette for this) that’s taken over the sport.
