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Analysis

WWE: Five great 'stolen' finishers - the legendary moves which remain in use today

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The Fiend has put down plenty of legends with his version of Mankind's Mandible Claw - but which other current roster stars are paying tribute to the great finishers of yesteryear?

At Clash of Champions, The Fiend made Universal Champion Seth Rollins his target, locking in the Mandible Claw moments after The Architect had retained his title against Braun Strowman.

The Mandible Claw - which essentially involves the shoving of a hand into the unfortunate victim's mouth - is a move that dates back to the mid-1990s and Mankind, the first of Mick Foley's many alter-egos during his time with WWE.

Its reincarnation is one of several old-school moves the superstars of today have revived. We've taken a look at some others...

kevin owens
Image: Kevin Owens has adopted his own version of the Stone Cold Stunner

The Stunner (Kevin Owens)

The Stunner became synonymous with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin during the Attitude Era.

The McMahon family certainly felt the wrath of a few and The Rock was well known for his uncanny ability to over-sell the impact.

KO has brought it back and kept that 'outta nowhere' surprise factor which made it such a popular move.

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Bayley made the first pay-per-view defence of her SmackDown title, against Alexa Bliss at Stomping Grounds
Image: Bayley delivers a nifty Randy Savage-style top-rope elbow rope

Top-rope Elbow Drop (Bayley)

It's credited to the 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, who had the cameras flashing when he soared through the air in the 1980s and 90s.

Bayley already pays tribute to the Macho King with her sash-strewn pre-match attire, but has also added the elbow drop to her offensive arsenal, although she faces competition from Kairi Sane in terms of height and crispness.

Image: Braun Strowman's running powerslam has put down plenty of opponents

Running Powerslam (Braun Strowman)

The British Bulldog put down opponents with this during his time with WWE. It wasn't the most spectacular but it highlighted the raw power of Davey Boy Smith.

When the Monster Among Men first joined the WWE's main roster as part of the Wyatt Family, some may remember his energy-sapping Bear Hug that choked life out of his opponents.

No longer in his repertoire, Strowman has adopted the Bulldog's finisher, defeating many big men in the process.

Image: Rusev's version of the cobra clutch is known as the Accolade - and is equally devastating

Camel Clutch (Rusev)

Now known as The Accolade, the Bulgarian Brute has replicated Sergeant Slaughter's Camel Clutch.

Slaughter, a former WWE Champion, sapped the life out of many competitors with the agonising submission hold during his time in the ring.

While not a finisher, The Miz has made Ric Flair's figure-four leglock part of his move set
Image: While not a finisher, The Miz has made Ric Flair's figure-four leglock part of his move set

Figure Four leg-lock (The Miz)

This was the trademark of 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair, contorting his opponent's legs into painful angles and forcing them to tap out.

Flair's daughter Charlotte has kept it alive with her own version - the figure eight - but The Miz adopted the more traditional version of submission hold.

While it's not usually a match-ender for the A-lister, it has become one of his signature moves.

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