Wrebster Dictionary defines – LOOK we don’t need to do that bit, if you don’t know what a kickout is then why are you watching this and not baby shark for the eighth time today.
We’ve talked about loads of things that make wrestling amazing to watch, Table Spots, Finishers, Heel Turns, but actually, maybe the single greatest thing to experience as wrestling fan is when you are completely 100% convinced that you are watching the finish of the match and the wrestler being pinned kicks out.
That jolt of sheer electricity is unmatched in literally any other entertainment medium, the collective bellow of surprise from a crowd when the shoulder leaves the mat is just the greatest thing and I’m trying to do the impossible here so please bear with me, here are the 20 Greatest Kick-Outs In Wrestling History
Honorable Mention: these two aren’t technically kickouts but they’re heart-stopping false finishes.
Neville hitting the red Arrow on Seth Rollins on Raw in 2015 only for his foot to kiss the middle rope and Omega finally hitting the One-Winged Angel on Okada in their first dominion rematch and Okada just flicks his foot into the ropes at the last possible second. Amazing both. Right here we go properly.
20. Edge – WrestleMania XXIV
Let’s be honest, we knew Edge was going to kickout of the Tombstone here because of how long the delay was until the ref started counting, but goddamn it this is going on the list because of Charles Robinson’s iconic dash to the ring.
Look at them lil legs go, diddly-diddly-diddly Regular Naitch never moved like that.
Proper funny that, as is Robinson’s big out-of-puff face when Edge finally kicks out.
19. Adam Cole – ROH Best In The World 2014
At Ring of Honor’s Best in the World pay-per-view in 2014, Mike Elgin finally won the ROH World Championship.
However before the actual finish of the match, Adam Cole kicked out of the Elgin Bomb at the last possible moment, and the ROH fans were so convinced that was the end that they prematurely threw streamers into the ring, which then had to be hurriedly cleared away as the fans chanted “we f**ked up”.
18. Mick Foley – Royal Rumble 2000
Ultimate Warrior silliness aside, the Pedigree was a super protected move going into 2000, especially with Triple H enjoying his second-ever World Title reign, which made it all the more joyous when Cactus Jack kicked out of the move in the close of one of the best street fights in WWE history.
The fans in MSG exploded with joy and Foley chants, before Mick was then completely and utterly murdered with another pedigree on goddamn thumbtacks oh no.
It was a great moment that sold just how more dangerous than mankind cactus jack could be
17. AJ Styles – SummerSlam 2016
Sometimes a great kick-out reaction happens because WWE convinces us that they’re going to do a terrible thing, but then surprise us by doing a lovely thing.
Case in point, at SummerSlam 2016 AJ Styles really needed to beat John Cena, but Cena going over was the most plausible thing in the world, an Avalanche AA seemed to be the herald of doom, when AJ picks his shoulder up at the last second.
An incredible moment made very very silly by John Cena who spends the next 20 minutes doing some I can’t believe this acting. Look at that face. Stop it.
16. CM Punk – Money In The Bank 2011
And hey speaking of narrowly avoided plausible disaster, Punk vs. Cena at Money In the Bank is one of the great crowd matches of all time, an entire building aching for a Punk win, with the horrible kernel of doubt in their stomachs that WWE would never crown him.
The first time punk kicks out of the AA, it’s expected, everyone kicks out of the first on pay-per-view, but the second, when Cena plants him one more time after walking around with him on his shoulders, that was the one the crowd believed could truly horribly be the end, and the explosion of joy is SO much louder.
15. Tyler Bate – NXT Takeover Cardiff
A good kick-out at one is, and should be, a rare commodity in wrestling main events. But when done right, it’s the most shocking thing in the world.
At TakeOver Cardiff, during Walter vs. Tyler Bate, one of my favorite matches ever, WALTER plants Bate with the same powerbomb that he used to finish so many matches, plants all his weight on Tyler, who kicks out at one.
The moment’s so shocking that fans don’t immediately react, but Bate and WALTER hold their poses of grit and shock and slowly the reaction builds to thunderousness. Big strong boy.
14. Daniel Bryan – Elimination Chamber 2012
At difficult as it is to type, but prior to this match, the Cobra was a protected finishing move. God help us all.
Seriously, if the sock went on and you got struck, you were done for, and this protection pays off gangbusters in this unlikely World Championship moment in 2012.
Going into the chamber match for D-Bry’s title, Santino Marella had a parody Rocky Balboa-style underdogs journey, somehow made it to the final two and good god almighty actually hit the Cobra on Bryan.
It did not make sense, it would never ever happen, but just for that moment, people believed, leading to a hell of a kick-out.
Seven years later, at Elimination Chamber 2019, underdog Kofi Kingston would kick out of Daniel Bryan’s running knee to a huge pop, bringing it all full circle.
13. The Rock WrestleMania X-Seven
I might get hate for this, but I honestly think this kickout’s a tad overrated.
Like it’s GOOD, of course it is, the crowd response alone speaks to that, but the whole match had been building and building to Austin finally hitting the Stunner on The Rock, and instead of kicking out at two and a half, Rock powers out at two.
It’s a small difference, but all the difference. Big moment, big match, and the storytelling’s great, the kick-out breaks Austin’s mind and that leads to him unloading with the chair, but it could have been JUST slightly better and you know I’m right.
12. Kenny Omega – Wrestle Kingdom 11
The moment that you knew that Kenny Omega would someday be IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
The first-ever singles match between Omega and Okada took place at Wrestle Kingdom 11. It ran over 45 minutes, making it the longest Wrestle Kingdom match ever at the time, and a finisher is only kicked out of ONCE.
After a blistering exchange, a dead on his feet Omega is hit with the Rainmaker and kicks out at the last possible second.
A huge deal, and a lot of credit has to be given to Okada for his face after. Instead of the bugged-eye HUH face that so many wrestlers do, Okada just looks really really sad. Like ‘oh no’. Brilliant.
11. Randy Savage & The Ultimate Warrior – WrestleMania VII
An absolute classic, the retirement match between Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior isn’t talked about nearly enough as it should be.
The crowd is MENTAL for this match throughout, thanks to a whip-smart and unexpected match layout that sees not one but two insane kickouts.
First, Savage hits Warrior with not one, not two, but FIVE elbow drops and that doesn’t put him away, but then Warrior hits the running splash, the move that won him the WWF Title the year before and this time SAVAGE powers out.
Very silly stuff, but consider that both men’s careers were on the line, the kickouts matched the stakes.
10. Randy Orton – WrestleMania XXX
Fans really are so conditioned to WWE telling them to go f**k themselves that so many people, myself included, truly bought this as the finish to the Triple Threat main event of WrestleMania XXX.
Daniel Bryan hits Orton with the knee before Batista scoops him out of the ring and steals the cover with just the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
Batista was originally booked to win the match, after all, fans had a sudden flash of plausible, REALLY plausible horror, before Orton mercifully kicked out.
9. Brock Lesnar – WrestleMania 31
It’s something I’ve mentioned a whole bunch of times, but Lesnar really is one of the best kickout artists in the business, which is saying something for a man made of sixteen tonnes of furious tofu.
His timing is so good and he always remembers not to physically start moving until the last possible moment.
This kickout is a perfect storm of superb last-second timing and a really plausible finish that no one wanted.
Roman hate was at its height, he’d just hit two spears, oh god this is it isn’t it, oh god it’s not. Proper depart your chair stuff.
8. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21
Kurt Angle is another all-time great kickouter, barely moving most of the time, just sort of flinging an arm in the air, but in one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history, HBK does it best.
Michaels is on the top rope, but Angle scampers up to him and plants him with a top rope angle slam, dives for the cover but Michaels launches a shoulder up at two and a half and man, just the roar of the crowd.
It’s an insane pop for an insanely great match, and speaking of insane pops.
7. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8
Hot damn, Canada, you loud. The Icon vs. Icon match between Rock and Hogan is super basic, but dammit, it worked and the crowd went insane for it.
It’s genuinely one of the loudest, most sustained pops when Hogan kicks out of the rock bottom straight into a Hulk up.
He nails Rock with the big boot, and the legdrop, Jr delivers one of the all-time great calls with “He beat Andre the Giant with that move” and then the crowd pop like crazy again when Rock kicks out of that. Insane noise.
6. Kota Ibushi – G1 Climax 23
One of the best kickouts ever may be one that you’ve never even heard of, but it’s so so good. Kota Ibushi is the current top guy in New Japan, but it was a long road getting there.
Even so, Ibushi had greatness deep with him, alongside a streak of sheer terrifying violence. In this blockbuster G1 match with the best possible version of Shinsuke Nakamura, they knock lumps off each other, with Ibushi going to his very dark, very violent place.
Nakkers then hits him with three Bomayes, that’s what they call the Kinshasa in New Japan, three of the f**kers, and Ibushi kicks out at one.
What makes it so great though, is that it’s not a proper kickout, like he leaps out of it, before his legs start to buckle, he’s out on his feet, he has no idea where he is, the kickout came from this unthinking, beastial part of Kota Ibushi before one more boma ye puts him away, but what a shocking glimpse of the greatness yet to come
5. Johnny Gargano – NXT Takeover New York
Silly match this, and a prelude to some of NXT’s more cartoonish false finish overindulgences, but dammit the final few minutes of this match tear you around like a dog with a rabbit in its mouth.
Cole was so much the obvious choice to win this match that the fans bought every false finish, when Johnny kicks out of the Panama Sunrise, out of Undisputed Era hitting him with the high-low, and finally, what surely HAD TO BE the finish, when Gargano takes out the whole faction before eating two superkicks and a last shot.
Nope. Kickout. Very very silly, especially in hindsight, but heartstopping stuff in the moment.
4. Kenny Omega – AEW Revolution 2020
The best kickout at one ever, ever. Told a wonderful story this, one that we’ve talked about a lot, but that’s how great it really is.
The Elite had been on shaky ground for a while, stretching back years into New Japan with the Young Bucks being obviously jealous of Omega’s friendship with his Best boyfriend for life and Golden Lovers teammate Kota Ibushi.
At Revolution, Young Bucks let their inner heels out and hit Omega with the Golden Trigger, which is the Lovers’ finishing move.
This cruel dig lights a fire of pure rage under Kenny and he powers out at one before pounding the mat in fury, all as the fans lose their s**t.
3. Brock Lesnar – Survivor Series 2018
My favorite match, and my favorite moment from my favorite match.
Daniel Bryan suffers the beating of his life before glimpsing one tiny opportunity to turn things around.
The ref goes down, kick to the balls, and then the running knee, with Lesnar shifting himself away from the ropes, which sells it as the finish even more, before a kickout with nanoseconds to spare. Glorious stuff.
2. Shawn Michaels -WrestleMania XXV
“I just had an out-of-body experience”, well said JR.
It’s important to point out that, prior to WrestleMania XXV, The Undertaker’s streak was more or less defended each year with a single tombstone.
In fact, since WrestleMania XIV, The Deadman had only ever needed to hit one to win the match. Ten years later it was not enough to fell Shawn Michaels, and Gruesome Susan’s face tells the whole story.
Perfect mix of timing, place in the match, reactions from wrestlers and announcers alike. Almost the best of the best.
1. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXVIII
Because yeah. This is the time that pretty much everyone actually let themselves believe, just for ten seconds, that the streak was over.
The match itself is a bit long, a bit too am-dram for some people’s tastes, but this moment, it might just be the best WrestleMania moment ever. Sweet chin music, pedigree, kickout.
Unreal just how much this ten-second window makes you feel, as Taker kicks out, JR screams the streak lives and Michaels contorts like he’s being attacked by a cloud of invisible bees. Hooray for wrestling.
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