Will the Curb Stomp ever find an equal?
The Curb Stomp did not always have a smooth journey. Though, this was the move that helped Seth Rollins win the inaugural NXT Championship, there were already concerns about how weak the finisher looked. Some fans really wanted him to get a new finishing move.
Soon after winning the NXT title he joined the Shield, made his debut on the main roster and got involved in one of the most over acts in the WWE at the time. It was in between those tag matches that he seldom used the Curb Stomp. Another finishing move of his during his time in the team was the Springboard high knee.
It was only after the breakup of the Shield that the Curb Stomp started gaining more steam. It now looked as a devastating finisher. It looked even more credible after Rollins made a statement that he learned this move by receiving it from a Japanese wrestler by the name of Naomichi Marufuji. He himself recounted in one of his interviews how effective that move is.
And then he made you actually think.
It’s quite a challenging move to pull off. After all, you’re driving your opponent ‘s head to the mat. Slowly but steadily that Curb Stomp began gaining this exact reputation after the likes of John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose came on the receiving end. One of the most memorable moments of this move was when Ambrose’s head was driven through cinder blocks and the way Brock Lesnar sold it every single time.
The one, where he hit Lesnar for the first time, was maybe the turning point. It made him look bold, unlike the spoilt, gutless, little brat he was made to look after aligning with the Authority. Hitting Lesnar made him look strong and made the move look that much more effective.
The most beautiful moment this stomp got was when it was converted into an RKO at Wrestlemania 31. It was challenging to pull it off but Rollins did that with panache. He sprinted towards Orton, made quite a leap and then fell right where he was supposed to, to receive the RKO. The timing of it all was flawless.
And then, it gained its own place in wrestling lore after Rollins executed it to win his maiden WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He became the first member from the Shield to do so. Even if the moment was expected, it was still pleasantly surprising that Vince McMahon chose to end Wrestlemania this way.
WWE and lawsuits, for the past year or so, have gone hand in hand. Vince McMahon has himself sardonically called lawyers his favorite people.
Multiple wrestlers filed lawsuits against the WWE based on concussion issues.
Next thing we know, soon after those lawsuits, rumors start swirling that the Curb Stomp will be banned. Rollins debuts a new finisher during his match against Dolph Ziggler on Raw, which looks like a variation of Ambrose’s Dirty Deeds.
Ever since then the Curb Stomp has been missing in action. The WWE is evading the discussion surrounding its status.
And since then, an equally effective finishing move has evaded Rollins, maybe until now. Rollins used the Pedigree at Extreme Rules to win and then got Triple H’s blessing soon after on Raw. And then he tweeted something that indicated that this may be it.
The Curb Stomp has certainly gained a status of mythic proportions. It’ll be quite a moment if it’s ever used again.