Jeff Hardy's Swanton Bomb & 9 More Legendary Moves That Didn't Look As Good Later In Wrestlers' Care
When wrestlers get older, it is only natural that they begin to slow down inside the ring. Because of that, certain moves that people hit throughout their careers are harder to do when people get older. That is simply down to how the body works, whether the talent involved wants to do them or not.
This has led to a few awkward moments with moves not quite looking as crisp as they once did. It's something that fans have come to accept and understand, as it is only natural. However, that doesn't always stop the wrestlers themselves from continuing to bust them out regularly.
10 Jeff Hardy's Swanton Bomb
Jeff Hardy has had a long, and successful career in wrestling, but he has taken a lot of punishment throughout that time. That is something that does catch up to a wrestler, especially when their finisher just so happens to be a highflying move like the Swanton Bomb.
This is something Jeff hits all the time still in AEW, but it doesn't look as smooth as it once did. Fans have grown concerned about him hitting this move, particularly landing near his neck, and seemingly just dropping all of his weight down to his opponent.
9 AJ Styles' Spiral Tap
AJ Styles is another talent that has been around a long time, and he has done a good job of adapting his style to match his abilities. That is why fans don't see the Spiral Tap finisher anymore, because he isn't able to hit it at the same standard as he did in TNA.
AJ has relied upon the Styles Clash or the Phenomenal Forearm as his finishing moves instead, because they're easier for him to hit. It makes sense for him to be doing that, and it shows what a smart professional he is as he can adapt to different situations.
8 The Undertaker's Old School
There is no denying that The Undertaker slowed down towards the end of his career, and quite a few of his moves didn't look as good. Old School was one of those, because leaping up and walking on the top rope isn't as simple when you're an older wrestler.
He used to also really dive off the top rope, completely wiping out his opponent at times. But as he got older, that dive turned into him just dropping down to the person below, tapping them on the shoulder, which never looked quite as damaging.
7 Chris Jericho's Lionsault
Chris Jericho is still performing at an extremely high level, despite being closer to the end of his career. He still makes his moves look good, but one that has suffered slightly is the Lionsault. While his one botch of this was simply a one-off, that doesn't change the fact it no longer looks as impressive.
He simply doesn't get as much height, or speed onto this move as he once did. Because of that, it naturally looks a little worse than it did when he was performing at a younger age.
6 Matt Hardy's Leg Drop
While Matt Hardy was never as daring as his brother in the ring, he still had no problem heading to the top rope to deliver a move. This would typically be a leg drop, and it would always look great, including when he did it from the top of a steel cage to Edge.
However, over the years this move has taken a toll on his lower back, which is no surprise. Because of that, Matt now rarely does it, and if he does bring it out, it's normally from the second rope. Instead, he tends to drop down with an elbow, adjusting himself to protect his body.
5 Dudley Boyz's Wassup
The Dudley Boyz were able to hit the vast majority of their moves perfectly fine during their final run with WWE. But the Wassup was one that proved to be a hit and miss for them. This move sees D-Von Dudley head to the top rope as Bubba Ray holds the legs of their opponent.
He would then dive down, headbutting their crotch, and it would always get a reaction. However, later on in D-Von's career he wasn't able to dive anywhere near as far, which was an issue depending on where his opponent was inside the ring.
4 Kurt Angle's Angle Lock
Towards the end of Kurt Angle's career he slowed down a lot inside the ring, which was ultimately why he decided to call time on his career. The things he would typically do that would look great started to be a little sluggish, and that even included the Angle Lock finisher.
He was still able to lock on the move with no problem, but it didn't have the same level of intensity that it used to. It often didn't look as painful as it should have done, or needed to do in order to be conveyed as a true finishing move.
3 The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver
The Undertaker continued wrestling for longer than he needed to, or should have done, and that's something he has openly struggled with. But it did end up reflecting negatively on his matches, which included some of his most iconic moves, including the Tombstone Piledriver.
He struggled getting his opponents up and down safely, and it led to some dangerous spots over the years. His matches with Roman Reigns and Goldberg led to alarming problems with this move, which left fans concerned.
2 Christopher Daniels' Springboard Moonsault
Christopher Daniels is a legend of the wrestling business, and someone who has achieved a lot throughout his years. But there's no doubt time is catching up with him, and at this point in his career, hitting a springboard moonsault probably isn't something he needs to be doing.
He has botched this in the past, and when a move like this goes wrong, it does unfortunately look terrible. That was the case when he attempted it in AEW, with this being one that is best left for the past, and some of his older matches.
1 Goldberg's Jackhammer
There was a time when Goldberg would be able to hike anybody up in the air to deliver a devastating Jackhammer, no matter their size. However, as he has gotten older that ability is something that has departed him. While he still hits the move whenever he competes, it is the Spear that fans enjoy seeing the most.
That's the move that still looks impactful, and painful, whereas the Jackhammer can at times be a little sloppy. The move doesn't have the same power and force behind it as it once did, and that's a shame to see.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKeoqqSowaa%2BjZympmenp7K0wMuipaBlnJq0prrDmqmyZZ2kw6a%2FjJ2gnaakYrmwu8pmmKxll6S8pXnLmqueql2eu26vwKucnqqjYremssVmn5qqlK56tMPAp6uopl2XvK6ujg%3D%3D