The words being used to describe Toni Storm's new finisher are almost universally complimentary. I've read, "That looked deadly. Love it. Looked like a modified reverse brainbuster" and "That looked bada--". I've seen some who suggest it looks a bit dangerous, even if it's pretty cool, but that's the beauty of a good finisher... it looks filthy and violent, when it isn't.
One Twitter user wrote of the move, "That was a awesome new finisher. It was so smooth and perfectly done. Shows again why she is the best in the world by adding something like that into her move set."
Whatever adjectives you want to use to describe the move Strom applied to defeat Zoey Stark during NXT on the USA Network, it may be one of the most innovative and impressive finishers in recent memory. It might be enough to catapult Storm up NXT's Women's Division Ladder.
What Is Toni Storm's New Finisher?
The move hasn't been named yet. That's likely to come soon. All we know about it is that it's new, it looks like modified Orton back-breaker into a reverse DDT, and it worked.
Essentially, Storm starts with her back to her opponents back. Storm has her right arm on the chest of her opponent, and she brings her over her hip in a judo-like roll, getting her opponent to then face the same direction. Storm brings her left arm around to position it for a DDT and drives her opponent downward, head first. Because her body is shielding the move and there is plenty of space for her opponent to get her hands up and protect their head, it's a super safe move that looks devastating.
Why Is Storm's Finisher So Unique?
In today's wrestling landscape, it's rare for wrestlers to come up with new finishers. This is completely innovative while also borrowing some extremely simple fundamental moves from two other holds and meshing them together. It's simple, but it looks incredibly complex, and I had to watch it a handful of times just to see how the move was done.
This is extremely rare. Numerous wrestlers do spears or superkicks and don't find that one move that really sets them apart. The DDT itself has been lessened as a devastating finisher, but this is a revival of sorts. This move has an ability to really get people talking about Storm and that's only good news.
Does Storm's Finisher Have Any Negatives?
If there's one potential downside to the move, it's that it might be hard to put on wrestlers who are much bigger. The best wrestling finishers can be done on anyone. A Stunner or an RKO can be applied by a little man to a giant, whereas complicated moves that require big lifts could be trickier to do when the weight difference is substantial.
That said, a wrestler can carry a lot of weight on their back and if Storm can roll over her opponent, even if just slightly, this move could still look cool.
The other potential issue is that there may be some wrestlers who have a hard time taking the move at first. Like a Canadian Destroyer where the opponent needs to go all the way around and fall into the move backwards, here the wrestler taking the move simply needs to lay back and then rotate to the left. It might take a bit of coordinating. Over time, they should get it.
Could This Be Enough To Catapult Storm's Career?
It will be interesting to see if WWE really pushes this move and comes up with a great name for it. Some finishers have an ability to be that added puzzle piece and bring a talent into the limelight. There were big expectations for Storm in NXT and her recent string of matches haven't necessarily set her apart as a massive star.
Could this change her fortunes? Social media went nuts on Tuesday night after this move went down. Fans were unanimously suggesting it was one of the coolest moves they've seen in a really long time. If WWE and Storm can find a way to build on the momentum gained from the move, they could have a winner here.