If you grew up watching the WWE's Attitude Era, you probably weren't old enough to decipher if wrestling was real or not.
Despite the vigorous calls from the WWF at the time to inform those watching to 'never try this at home' we did it anyway. We were true rulebreakers back in the day.
Whether it was on the couch, on a bed, out on the Trampoline, or the bouncy castle. We would never encourage wrestling at home but we have to acknowledge it happened.
Looking back on the golden age of wrestling for most, here are ten finishers that definitely don't work in real life:
10. Mark Henry - Bear Hug
Level of Devastation - 4/10
The 'World's Strongest Man' was a force to be reckoned with at times. But during the Attitude Era, Henry was most known for being 'Sexual Chocolate'. He became this overly sexualised character and admirer of older women, with the 'Bear Hug' finisher likely to only cause some mild discomfort.
9. Rob Van Dam - Five Star Frog Splash
Level of Devastation 2/10
As is the case with most finishers off the top ropes - they look great. The aesthetic is on point but the follow-through is lacking. Van Dam got some air back in the day with the 'Five Star Frog Splash' and made it his own, but a bit of weight on the stomach never did much harm.
8. The Rock - The People's Elbow
Level of Devastation 3/10
It's the build-up that does it for The Rock. The slip of the armband, the criss-cross of the arms, then the elaborate running to each side of the ropes. The anticipation for 'The People's Elbow' is far worse than the move itself. It gets docked a few marks as it usually strikes the chest and not the face.
7. Tajiri - Green Mist
Level of Devastation 2/10
Sorry, Tajiri. You're not fooling us with a bit of dyed 7up or sprite or whatever it was. This was a more common finisher in Japan known as dokugiri or 'poison fog' to us peasants. If it was pepper spray or something uncomforting then maybe it would be more daunting, but it's unlikely it would end up in Tajiri's mouth in the first place.
6. Jeff Hardy - Swanton Bomb
Level of Devastation - 4/10
It might be a step above the 'Five Star Frog Splash' as the connection is with the back instead of the chest. However, any finisher that looks like it hurts the one inflicting it more than the bearer of the move isn't that convincing. Long live The Hardy Boyz, but we'd take a few Swanton Bombs no problem.
5. Scotty 2 Hotty - The Worm
Level of Devastation - 1/10
Possibly the most ludicrous finisher on this list, 'The Worm' was another one of 'The People's Elbow' moves that did more in the build-up than the execution. In contradiction to The Rock's move, Scotty 2 Hotty wouldn't leave many phased with his shimmying and dancing before the drop.
4. Jazz - STF
Level of Devastation - 2/10
This might be more well known as being a patented John Cena move, but back in the day Jazz was known for the STF. The submission hold involves crossing one's hands over one's face and pinning them back. Nowadays, you might see a trendy yoga teacher do this to stretch out their spine.
3. Rikishi - Stink Face
Level of Devastation - 2/10
Up there with 'The Worm' in bizarreness, Rikishi's 'Stink Face' finisher is one of the more synonymous with the Attitude Era. That man packed some weight down in that lower region, and by god could he move it about. Depending on how clean Rikishi kept it down there, would depend on the impact.
2. Perry Saturn - Rings of Saturn
Level of Devastation - 3/10
Perry Saturn truly epitomised the Attitude Era in terms of wrestlers. A beefy-looking mid-card wrestler, who probably had his heyday before coming to the WWE. They were in their droves. The 'Rings of Saturn' again, looked like a bit of a yoga stretch and not that harmful to the flexible folk.
1. Crush - Heart Punch
Level of Devastation - 4/10
Possibly the most obscure name on this list, Crush would go on to be a member of factions such as the Nation of Domination and the NWO. We'd have liked to be in the writer's room when they came up with this one. "Well, we can't do a boring punch to the face. What about a punch to the heart?" Nice.
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