5 WWE Superstars who improved after changing their finishing move
A finishing move, just like a theme song, can define a WWE Superstar. We've seen diversity in finishing moves over the years, while we've also seen certain Superstars pay tribute to legends of the past and use their finishers.
This list features five big names that managed to take it to the next level in WWE after they changed their finisher:
#5. Daniel Bryan - WWE run reached the next level after introducing the running knee
Daniel Bryan's run in WWE between 2013 and 2014 will go down as one of the greatest in the 21st century. While CM Punk was the last name to pick up a lot of momentum in the PG Era in 2011, Daniel Bryan's surge in popularity was on a whole other level.
Daniel Bryan was already a World Heavyweight Champion by late 2011/early 2012. But his 18-second loss of the title to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 saw a sudden spark.
Most WWE fans were unhappy about how the company treated one of the best wrestlers in the world. His storyline with Kane as "Team Hell No" in 2012 turned out to be an unexpected hit. And it helped spring him to real Singles stardom in WWE by 2013.
John Cena was the WWE Champion after WrestleMania 29 in 2013, and he chose Daniel Bryan as his opponent for SummerSlam that year. Daniel Bryan was already the hottest star in WWE by that point in 2013. But after that, he became the most important Superstar in the company.
He debuted the running knee at SummerSlam 2013, using it to defeat John Cena clean and claim his first WWE Championship. Although he lost it minutes later to Randy Orton in his Money in the Bank cash-in, the running knee would go on to become his signature move.
After SummerSlam, his stock would grow higher than ever, culminating in him headlining WrestleMania 30 and getting his long-overdue coronation.