10 Famous Wrestling Moves Created By Midcarders

Publish date: 2024-05-06

Every wrestling move has to be created by somebody, and they cannot all be made by main event players in professional wrestling. There is only a limited number of spots available at the top of the card, therefore it is not a surprise that some of the best moves in the sport have been created by midcard talents.

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They are just as creative as individuals, and they are doing everything possible to push on and showcase themselves, which can lead to them creating inventive moves that end up catching on and being used by other talents who can take it to new heights.

10 Chokeslam (911)

The Chokeslam is an iconic professional wrestling move that has been a finisher for many legendary talents from Kane and The Undertaker to The Big Show, who are main event players who have headlined shows. But the move itself was first used by 911 in ECW, who was not a top star.

He was pushed as a monster at the time, and Paul Heyman himself told him to use the Chokeslam move to put him over as a dominant talent. However, he wasn't a big star in the long run, and most people have forgotten that he was the first to bring this one to the business.

9 Superkick (Chris Adams)

Chris Adams had a solid career around various promotions, but he was never the top headline act wherever he went, despite the in-ring talent that he had. In WCW, Adams got the chance to compete in front of huge audiences, but that time was spent as a midcard act overall.

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However, he did bring something to the wrestling business that lasted forever, which was the superkick. It is a move that has gone on to become one of the most popular in the business, being used by countless professional wrestlers on a regular basis.

8 RKO (John Laurinaitis)

The RKO is a classic wrestling move, and arguably one of the greatest finishers in the history of the business, but it was not Randy Orton that created it, nor was it DDP, who used the move to success before him. Instead, it was none other than John Laurinaitis who made that move.

He is somebody that most fans don't even know had a wrestling career, which showcases why a lot of people aren't aware of this fact. But he created the cutter at first, only for the majority of his success in wrestling to take place behind the scenes.

7 DDT (Black Gordman)

A lot of people give credit to Jake Roberts as the person who created the DDT, but that isn't necessarily true, even if he's the one who gave it the name and helped to establish it as a great finisher. That helped to make the move a fantastic one, but it was Black Gordman who originally created it.

He isn't someone that is as well known as Roberts, and that is why the credit ends up skipping Gordman, even though he was the person who put in the efforts to create one of the most iconic moves of all time.

6 Famouser (Billy Gunn)

Billy Gunn is an iconic professional wrestler who was able to establish a Hall Of Fame career throughout his time in the business, but he never quite reached the main event status as a singles talent. Instead, he stayed in the midcard throughout his time in wrestling, while getting further opportunities as a tag team worker.

He did create the Famouser though, which was something that he used as a finisher and has gone on to be used frequently over the years by other wrestlers such as Dolph Ziggler, who helped to take it to a new level as a talent.

5 Mandible Claw (Sam Sheppard)

The Mandible Claw is something that most wrestling fans would associate with Mick Foley, as he certainly made the move famous, while the likes of The Fiend and Britt Baker have gone on to utilize it as a submission finisher as well over the years.

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However, it wasn't the Hardcore Legend who created the move, that distinction belongs to Sam Sheppard, who is a wrestler that never quite made it to the big time, which is why a lot of people forget that he created this submission.

4 Piledriver (Angelo Poffo)

Audiences will be well aware of who Angelo Poffo's sons are, as both of them had solid careers in the business. However, Angelo managed to have his own time in the business where he proved himself as a wrestler, but he didn't quite reach the level of Randy Savage.

While his son ended up being a much bigger name, Angelo was the man who created the piledriver, which has been one of the most iconic moves in the history of professional wrestling, which he doesn't get credit for.

3 Moonsault (Mando Guerrero)

When it comes to the Guerrero family, Mando is not typically someone that people remember or talk about in the same manner that fans do with others. That's because he wasn't able to have as much success as other members of his family, with the majority of his career being spent lower down the card.

However, Mando did provide the wrestling world with one of the most iconic moves in history, the moonsault. This is a move that has become incredibly popular over the years, with this being something that is used by many great stars to this day.

2 Frog Splash (Art Barr)

When people think about the Frog Splash, most wrestling fans instantly go to Eddie Guerrero as he was the man who used the move in the main event scene to win top titles during his WWE career. However, it was Art Barr who created this one, with Eddie taking it to pay tribute to him after his death.

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Barr had a solid career in his own right and he was a fantastic in-ring worker, but he never got pushed into the main event scene at the same level as Eddie, and didn't quite reach the potential he could do.

1 Dropkick (Abe Coleman)

The dropkick may not be a top finishing move, but it is one of the most iconic moves in professional wrestling, with this being something that countless wrestlers have in their arsenal. It can be busted out at any time by people, and when it's hit right it always looks good.

The person responsible for creating that was Abe Coleman, who had a solid career in the business, but that was primarily spent in the mid-card. He was always booked as a top star, but never the headline name, yet he did provide a great move for the fans.

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