The Most Devastating Finisher In WWE History, Explained
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Moves in professional wrestling often take a bit of suspension of disbelief to come to terms with and accept, and even more so when it comes to finishers. Every wrestler who has stepped foot in not just WWE but in any professional wrestling ring has a finishing move which has more power and effectiveness than the rest of their moveset, even if it isn’t a conventionally hard-hitting move. Randy Orton has a few key moves, such as his signature RKO, which has become a meme over recent years. He does have another finisher though, which is arguably more deadly, and in fact one of the most dangerous finishers of all time if you look at the lore of the maneuver.
Randy Orton Debuted The Punt Kick In 2007
In 2007, Randy Orton debuted the punt kick during his feud with Shawn Michaels. In many ways it was a simple move compared to others, but the booking surrounding the move made it look all the more devastating. The punt would become a move which would see wrestlers ruled out for sometimes months after receiving it, with it being a great way to write people off television for an injury or the end of their contract. In truth, a straight up kick to the head would in fact be more effective than an RKO, F-5, Chokeslam, and an array of other moves, but in the world of WWE, it isn’t as flashy.
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Either way, the fact that he was one of the few wrestlers who had ever used just a kick to the head, it did make it quite unique. Other kicks like a big boot or superkick connect with the chin or face, so this was different to those. Over the next couple of years, Orton would pull out the punt sporadically, either to deal huge damage to an opponent or to win a match. For instance, he used the punt to retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 24 in a triple threat match against John Cena and Triple H, and would then use it to rule CM Punk out of action later in 2008, to the point where he was made to relinquish the World Heavyweight Title.
WWE Banned Randy Orton’s Punt Kick After A Vince McMahon Concussion
The punt kick came to the forefront of storylines and was made to look even more devastating in 2009. After returning from injury, Orton developed more of a sadistic personality that implied that he couldn’t control his violent impulses. This led to him punting Vince McMahon in the head. This angle was brilliant, and it made Orton look like the most dangerous heel on the roster, but this punt did have a bad effect on the future of the move, as he gave McMahon a legit concussion and busted him open.
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Speaking to TalkSport about this incident, he stated, “So a lot of people didn’t want to take it. And of course, I kick Vince. Everyone remembers in 2009 when I kicked Vince and I gave him a concussion. He was carried out of the ring and I think he was split open a little bit. That was me grabbing the brass ring and I was so excited I had this opportunity that I lost track and sight of that number one priority - take care of your opponent.” Orton did continue to use the move on the likes of Shane McMahon and Triple H during this feud, but the dangers surrounding the move ensured that it was banned, or at least used very infrequently.
WWE Has Allowed Randy Orton To Sporadically Use The Punt Kick
The move has been pulled out now and again on special occasions, such as to write Chris Jericho off TV in 2010, to defeat Big Show at Survivor Series 2013, and then again in 2020 when he had a spree of punts to take out several legends.
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The move was brought back due to Orton’s experience in executing the move. A conundrum that WWE had was that the move could be easily copied by fans, and that Orton could either damage an opponent when trying to make it look good, or use it so safely to the point where it looked bad.
It is true that the punt has looked less and less effective in recent years, but Orton is happy that the move is allowed, as explained in the TalkSport interview. “Vince trusts that I’ve figured out how to make it safe. And that’s where we’re at and I’m glad he said yes because, god damn, I was thinking about it the other day; I’ve kicked Edge, Christian, Big Show, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels. That’s six/seven months and five kicks to five big names. That in itself got people talking. Each time I kicked someone in the head, the way we do it, the way we tell that story and it's a part of that story that people will remember.”
