Ryback Slams WWE For Not Protecting Finishers

Since his departure from the WWE, Ryback has not held back on his criticism of the WWE. Most of what he’s said can be taken with a grain of salt, considering his is disgruntled with how his WWE run came to an end. However, on episode 24 of Conversation With The Big Guy, the former WWE Superstar discussed the WWE’s failure to protect wrestler’s finishing moves. Ryback discussed his debate with The Miz over kicking out of finishes, who has kicked out of his own signature move and the most “over” finisher in the business.

According to Ryback, The Miz would tell him to kick out of The Skull-Crushing Finale and he would tell The Miz that he needs to protect his finish. ‘The Big Guy’ says a lack of creativity is the reason why WWE stars are not protecting their finishes.

“Me and Miz used to get into arguments over this because Miz, and I love Miz, and he would just throw… I remember I was working him, he goes, ‘kick out of my finish’ and I go, ‘why?’ I go, ‘hit me with something else.’ Nobody’s going to know the difference. And I go, and I said, ‘just protect your finisher.’ He goes, ‘[Steve] Austin and The Rock did it all the time back then.’ They didn’t do it right away. They did it at their big WrestleMania matches. They needed some go-tos in there.”

Ryback claimed that only The Big Show has kicked out of Shell Shocked and that the decision came from Vince McMahon directly while Ryback was being “punished”.

“Only one guy [has] kicked out of my finisher. That was Big Show on RAW. I believe it was Nashville [Tennessee] and no one [else] ever has. Yeah. And I believe you shouldn’t let anybody. Save it for very, very special moments. And it was directed to me that Vince, during my heel run, and I was wrestling Big Show, and Vince, this is during my punishment period when I was really getting punished. Vince always laughed at everyone, ‘[scoff], I don’t punish people!’ Well, you sure as f–k have a really weird way of not showing that. And it was directed to me that Big Show needed to kick out of my finish and I go, ‘well, nobody [has] kicked out of my finish – I don’t want that to happen.’ And they go, ‘well, it was from Vince.’ And I go, ‘whatever.’ I was just so fed up. And it was Big Show and I like Big Show and he was being built up to put over Randy when Randy had both of the championships and that was the only time.”

The kicking out of finishers had gotten so out of hand that Ryback says McMahon sent around a memo instructing talent to not kick out of finishes last year, but the request was short lived.

“I know Vince at one point sent out a memo of ‘no more kicking out of each other’s finishers.’ This was after WrestleMania last year, maybe. And it lasted for maybe two pay-per-views and it started all over again. I don’t know if he forgets or what.”

As for the most over finisher in the business, Ryback said that belonged to the 2017 Royal Rumble winner.

“I think The RKO. How many guys have you seen [kick from The RKO]? By the way, compare Cena to Orton. Cena letting guys kick out of The Attitude Adjustment. Orton, very few guys have kicked out of The RKO in comparison to The Attitude Adjustment. And I think the move is the most over move in wrestling today.” Ryback said, “eventually, Cena is going to have to drop a guy from a helicopter with his Attitude Adjustment to get the win. Like, I just feel like it’s a lack of creativity. And I think that that’s the one thing in wrestling. And you save it.”

I haven’t agreed with everything Ryback has said since leaving the WWE, but his opinions on finishers are spot on.

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