As a rival promotion, AEW is the biggest threat to WWE. The latter bans any mention or reference to AEW with some superstars barely getting away with it. Sometimes, WWE crowds would chant 'AEW, AEW...' when a match gets too boring. Outside of WWE, AEW is arguably the biggest wrestling promotion today, and also one of the fastest rising. They have great wrestlers, some fascinating storylines, more in-touch management, and a lot of non-PG elements.
It is for this reason that many hardcore wrestling fans prefer AEW over WWE. However, despite being bigger rivals than Marvel and DC, some AEW finishing maneuvers are found inside WWE 2K games. This may be due to the fact that wrestling maneuvers have shared and widespread use. With that being said, here are 10 AEW finishers in WWE 2K20.
10 Cross Rhodes - Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes' finisher, the Cross Rhodes, is a cutter and neck breaker in one. It is highly damaging to an opponent's critical area -- the neck. Rhodes sets this up by clutching the opponent's head from behind, doing a reverse guillotine. Then, Rhodes turns in a snap as he drops the recipient's head down to the mat. The swift turn cranks the head from the neck as if snapping it off from its socket. The cutter drop impacts the neck, deepening the dangerous cranking motion.
As a former WWE wrestler who has undergone a ton of gimmicks, Rhodes was once in the WWE 2K games. Even after he left the company, his Cross Rhodes maneuver remains in the games titled 'Rolling Cutter.'
9 Black Arrow - PAC
PAC's black arrow is a wonderful sight to behold. It is a graceful diving attack from the top turnbuckle with as much flash and awe in the air as it has on impact. The move is a shooting star press wherein PAC springs himself forward, doing an untucked backflip before landing a splash on the opponent. However, PAC simultaneously does a corkscrew with the shooting star.
This means that he's spinning on both X and Y-axis. The result is a feat of absolute aerobic prowess. As a former WWE superstar, PAC was in previous WWE 2K games and his move can be found in the most recent release. The black arrow is titled the 'Corkscrew Shooting Star Press' in WWE 2K20.
8 Rite Of Passage - Adam Page
Adam Page's Rite of Passage maneuver is a killer piledriver maneuver. The setup has Page lift his opponent by using his head as a lever to hoist the recipient by the crotch. This brings the opponent overhead Page, eventually placing the former's belly inversely parallel to the latter's back. Page clutches his opponent by the lower hamstrings where the thighs meet the calves.
The opponent's legs extend from Page's shoulders so the latter has something to grip him with. After this, Page kneels to his knees at a snap, causing his opponent's head to smack down onto the floor behind him. This cranium-busting maneuver is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Dudebuster,' though with some slight modification to the setup.
7 Judas Effect - Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho's Judas Effect maneuver is simple and straightforward. It is a spinning back elbow targeted to the head. Jericho turns a 180, then using the momentum of the rotation, hits his opponent with as much force from his sharp elbow as possible. This move is commonly used in MMA and is effective in putting rivals out for the count.
Though Jericho was a WWE superstar, he has never used this as a finishing maneuver during his time in the company; so it's really surprising to see the maneuver in WWE 2K20. The Judas Effect is titled 'Spinning Back Elbow' in the game.
6 Tombstone Facebuster - Luchasaurus
Luchasaurus' finishing maneuver starts with the tombstone setup. However, instead of doing a piledriver like expected from the position, Luchasaurus transitions into a wheelbarrow by hurling his clutched opponent forward, extending the head and torso from the tombstone position.
As the upper body of the opponent is extended, it quickly meets the mat as Luchasaurus faceplants the recipient down to the ground. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Sit-Out Facebuster.' A much snappier version is also listed as 'Tilt-A-Whirl Gourdbuster 2.'
5 Deathly Hallows - Kip Sabian
One of Kip Sabian's finishing maneuvers is called the 'Deathly Hallows.' The set-up starts in the torture rack position, placing his opponent supine atop his shoulders. He tosses his opponent overhead with the pivoting point at his opponent's head.
Sabian lands in a sit-out position, planting his opponent in between his legs; similar to a falcon arrow. This finishing maneuver can be found in WWE 2K20 under the name 'KOD,' as the move is also performed by WWE's Bianca Belair.
4 Argentine Backbreaker Knee Strike - Sammy Guevara
Sammy Guevara's finisher first places his opponent in a torture rack position atop his shoulders. Then, just like a GTS maneuver, Guevara tosses his opponent overhead with the head as the pivoting point. As his opponent lands, Guevara strikes the head with his knee.
This can knock opponents out cold, and possibly even break their noses. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Feast Your Eyes,' a move also performed by NXT's Dominik Dijakovic.
3 Paradigm Shift - Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley's paradigm shift is a concussive one. It sets the opponent up by double-underhooking his hands, rendering him unable to cushion the fall that's about to happen. Once the hands are isolated, Moxley drives his opponent's head down to the ground with his body force; just like a DDT.
The move is highly dangerous as it can possibly dent, maybe even crack some parts of the face. Moxley was once a wrestler for the WWE under the name Dean Ambrose. As a result, he was in the previous WWE 2K games. Though he may not be in WWE 2K20 anymore, his finishing maneuver is still in the game as the 'Double Underhook DDT.'
2 Canadian Destroyer - Orange Cassidy
Cassidy's finisher is a complicated, yet flashy and devastating piledriver. His move's setup places his opponent's head between his thighs similar to a powerbomb/piledriver setup. But, instead of hoisting the recipient into the air, Cassidy does a sunset flip over the opponent's back, doing one full rotation with his opponent's head still clutched between his thighs.
The recipient follows along with the rotation, flipping as Cassidy does. The move's exclamation mark is when Cassidy hits his opponent's head smack on the mat with the force of the rotation. Of all the possible piledrivers, this is the one with the most 'falling space.' This move is named 'Flip Piledriver' in WWE 2K20.
1 One-Winged Angel - Kenny Omega
Omega's finisher is a crushing driver that impacts the neck and head. With the opponent's head tucked into his chest, Omega slams the recipient's tucked area down to the mat. It starts in an electric chair position where the opponent sits atop Omega's shoulders.
One of Omega's arms swims through the opponent's parallel leg, grabbing the opponent's head. In one swoop of motion, he pulls down on the opponent's head, tucking it, and slams the opponent down overhead. The move is titled 'Electric Chair Driver' in WWE 2K20.