The Japanese are known for their fantastic animations and their elite-level wrestling. WWE superstars who have spent time in Japan – Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ Styles – acquired quite the fighting style from there. NJPW moves are uncushioned and brutal, unlike the WWE that bans moves for being "too dangerous."
If WWE is a bounce castle, NJPW is a scrap yard perfect for unsanctioned brawls. NJPW produces some of the best wrestlers in the world, putting on grueling and emotional matches full of blood and sweat, leaving tears in the audience's eyes. Though NJPW may not be WWE's most-feared rival, the latter sure could take a page from the former's book. Moves included. With that being said, here are 10 NJPW finishers in WWE 2K20.
10 Kamigoye - Kota Ibushi
The Kamigoye is a devastating knee strike performed by Kota Ibushi. It has him clutch both the wrists of his target with his hands - although sometimes he would just hold one wrist - and then in a swift snappy motion, Ibushi pulls his opponent towards him and smacks his face with his knee.
This is a face-breaking maneuver than can knock his opponents out cold or destroy one's modeling career. The move is also in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Kamigoye 1.' Another variation of the maneuver is titled 'Knee Lift 7.'
9 Rainmaker - Kazuchika Okada
The Rainmaker is an impactful strike that targets the opponent's neck. It's a rebound lariat performed by Kazuchika Okada. The move is set up by clutching the opponent from behind.
Okada grabs his opponent's opposite hand from the front, then whips his opponent out like a dance partner. He then pulls his opponent towards him, waiting to meet him with his clubbing blow, a lariat. It is a move that thrusts the attacker's arm forward against the opponent's neck. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Seven Star Lariat' and 'Wristlock Lariat.'
8 Storm Breaker - Will Ospreay
The Storm Breaker is a shocking and twisting move that impacts the back of the head upon landing. This move is performed by none other than Will Ospreay. It starts by clutching the opponent in a setup similar to Triple H's Pedigree. Using the underhooked arms as leverage, Ospreay lifts his opponent to lay supine on one of his shoulders with the head just above the chest.
From this position, Ospreay twists like a tornado crashing a house down with it. Ospreay turns as he pushes his opponent off to the side and, continuing off the rotation, clutches him by the head as he is falling. Ospreay continues turning until his opponent drops to a reverse cutter; a move that slams the back of the opponent's neck against the attacker's shoulder. The back of the opponent's head receives the full force of the 720-rotation impact to the ground. Surprisingly, this move, every part of it from setup to the drop, is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Butterfly Lift Twisting Cutter.'
7 Destino - Tetsuya Naito
The Destino is a flashy reverse DDT that is impressive to behold. Naito runs up towards a back-turned competitor, grabs onto his head, and does a running somersault with his opponent's head as leverage. As he lifts himself up into the air, Naito comes landing back down to the mat, crashing the back of his opponent's head down to the ground.
Naito does this with the added momentum of the rotation, thus amplifying the force of a regular reverse DDT. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Somersault Reverse DDT.'
6 Time Bomb - Hiromu Takahashi
The Time Bomb is an impactful move that focuses on an opponent's upper back, neck, and head. It starts in the fireman's carry wherein the opponent is held prone above both of Takahashi's shoulders. Once there, Takahashi swings his opponent back around by the leg and then catches him by the head as he comes around in front.
This tucks his opponent's head in, ready for the drop. Following the rotation of the swing, Takahashi continues off by dropping the opponent down to the mat on his tucked head. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Air Raid Bomb.'
5 Everything is Evil - Evil
The Everything is Evil maneuver is a back-shattering STO that can also deal some damage to the head. The straightforward move is performed by NJPW's Evil. As an opponent has his back turned, Evil rotates his target towards him and places his arm across his opponent's chest.
In one swift motion, Evil sweeps his opponent's legs from behind and then pushes the victim's back to the ground with all his might. The two simultaneous actions make for a forceful downward slam. This move is in WWE 2K20 under the name 'STO 1' and 'STO 2.'
4 High Fly Flow - Hiroshi Tanahashi
The majestic High Fly Flow is a frog splash maneuver wherein the attacker jumps as high as he can from an elevated platform (usually the top turnbuckle), and crashes down perpendicular to his downed opponent. To the roar of the crowd, the crescendo of the impact is like no other.
Upon diving, the attacker tucks himself in for a brief moment, then instantly spreads his body out to splat on the opponent. Tanahashi has used this move to put away many opponents in NJPW. Because the frog splash is a pretty common wrestling move, some performers do it better than others. Therefore, it is no surprise that this move is in WWE 2K20. Tanahashi's variation best resembles the moves under the name 'Frog Splash 3' and 'Five Star Frog Splash.'
3 Brainbuster - Tomohiro Ishii
Another common move that is also quite a dangerous one. The brainbuster involves slamming the opponent's head down to the ground from an elevated height. The best wrestlers can perform a brainbuster very convincingly. Tomohiro Ishii would stall as his opponent reaches the highest possible height from the suplex set up, similar to how Goldberg would stall for his Jackhammer maneuver.
Ishii does this as a show of strength and to hear the roar of the crowd. Once he's satisfied, he crashes down to the mat, bringing his opponent's head along for the ride. The stalling variation of the brainbuster is listed in WWE 2K20 under the name 'Brainbuster 6.' As for a non-stalling one, 'Brainbuster 4' best resembles Ishii's variation of the move.
2 Gotch Style Piledriver - Minoru Suzuki
Minori Suzuki is a perfectly-abled wrestler that's aged like fine wine. His finisher, the Gotch Style Piledriver, is a dangerous and risky move that can possibly cave in an opponent's neck inward his chest. It starts with the opponent's head clutched between Suzuki's thighs.
With interlocked fingers, Suzuki hoists his opponent up by pulling at the opponent's crotch. From the hoisted position, Suzuki stalls like a balancing act, showing his strength. Then, Suzuki jumps backward and lands on his ass, cracking his opponent's noggin as he does so. All piledrivers have a huge risk of injury. Novice wrestlers carry the potential of paralysis when taking a piledriver. The move in WWE 2K20 that best resembles Suzuki's iconic Gotch Style Piledriver is the 'Cradle Sit-Out Piledriver.'
1 GTR - Hirooki Goto
The GTR is a two-in-one move that bends the back beyond its limits and also crushes the opponent's face. The move starts with Goto clutching his opponent in a reverse headlock from the back. He motions to the crowd the end of the match by gesturing a slit-throat across his chest, just above the opponent's head.
With an outstretched arm, Goto turns and hurls his elbow spiking down to his opponent's head, bringing his opponent's back to snap on his knee. This is a devastating move that can possibly crack upper spines and necks. The move is even in WWE 2K20, the slit-throat gesture included, under the name 'Headlock Backbreaker Lariat 1.'