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Mar 13, 2025

Wrestlers Who Used The Tombstone Piledriver (Who Weren't The Undertaker)

When The Undertaker made his WWE debut in 1990, fans were instantly captivated by him. This strange undead figure in funeral clothes who was impervious to pain stood out from the start. It was in his

When The Undertaker made his WWE debut in 1990, fans were instantly captivated by him. This strange undead figure in funeral clothes who was impervious to pain stood out from the start. It was in his Survivor Series debut that Koko B. Ware was hit by the reverse piledriver that commentator Gorilla Monsoon instantly called "Tombstone City." From that moment, the Tombstone was the Undertaker's signature finisher.

The Undertaker's legacy is defined by epic battles and unforgettable rivalries that showcased incredible in-ring chemistry

Of course, 'Taker wasn't the first to use the Tombstone and far from the last. It's been copied by numerous wrestlers, often when fighting The Undertaker himself. Sometimes, it's a finisher; other times, it can be a transitional move. While some have used it now and then, these rank as the top wrestlers who regularly use the Tombstone Piledriver and it is fun to compare them to The Deadman's version.

While not as well known in the United States, Hiroyoshi Tenzan was a major player in Japan. He had his shots in the States, such as fighting Randy Savage at Starrcade 1995 and as part of NWO Japan. He also had reigns as IWGP Champion and was known for his brutal brawls. So it's little wonder his version of the Tombstone would be tops.

Called the Tenzan Tombstone Driver, Tenzan has his opponent hooked up between the legs and head like a regular body slam. That looked a bit rougher, which meant Tenzan had to be careful when pulling it off. When it worked, it was very effective and stood as one of the better variations of this move to fit Tenzan well.

One of the most brutal TNA Knockouts around, Havok lives up to her name. From TNA to ROH, Shimmer and scores of other women's wrestling promotions, Havok has left a wake of carnage and crushed opponents. Most fell to her version of the Tombstone, an epic one that uses Havok's size well.

These wrestling moves could cut a career short in an instant if they're not properly executed.

It's like she's crushing her opponents in a vise before dropping them and the pleasure she gets from it makes it even better. It's earned her numerous titles, making her the best female wrestler to use the Tombstone. The move fits a woman who enjoys causing chaos.

It's not quite a straightforward Tombstone, but the star tag team has made it part of their repertoire. Named the Meltzer Driver, Matt holds a guy up in a classic upside-down Tombstone pose before Mike does a 450 splash that pushes the guy down, making it appear like it's harder-hitting. The move is what put the Bucks on the map when they started in the indies and is still used now.

The pair have done a great job making it stand out when hit on anyone and sometimes having a third partner help them out. It's the wildest variation of a "spike" piledriver and a maneuver that only The Bucks can pull off right.

This tall and strong worker was a star for the Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion, including reigning as its champion and later a run with the DOA. However, for many wrestling fans, Lee will be forever remembered as the fake Undertaker from the infamously horrible 1994 WWE angle. Despite being shorter than the real deal, Lee was pushed as him which included using the Tombstone.

As with everything else involving the act, Lee's Tombstone was a pale imitation of the real Undertaker. The entire gimmick was a waste, culminating at SummerSlam when the legit 'Taker returned to take Lee out with a proper Tombstone Piledriver. Lee tried, but no one could copy The Deadman.

No one will ever accuse Steve McMichael of being a good wrestler. The former NFL star joined WCW as a commentator in 1995 and was horrible at it. As a wrestler, he made a good commentator. Somehow, McMichael ended up as a member of the Four Horsemen, intended as the muscle of the group. The Tombstone seemed to be given to him as an easy move to do.

For a guy who spent years smashing up players on an NFL field, McMichael's spike Tombstone looked a little weak, even if it got him a run as United States Heavyweight Champion. He still used it for his career, which may not have been Hall of Fame worthy, yet he was a Horseman all the same.

While not the biggest guy around, Jamie Noble did carve a decent career for himself. He had a good run in the last years of WCW before joining WWE. Noble was notable for nutty angles of living in a trailer park, winning the lottery, and with his girlfriend, Niada. He was a standout as a smaller guy using the Tombstone and not bad with it, earning a run as Cruiserweight champion.

Noble later became ROH World champ and later rejoined WWE as part of the Authority angle. He may not be a famous name, yet Noble was still a notable Tombstone user.

It's rare for a single move to change the course of wrestling. It happened in August of 1997 when Owen Hart defended the Intercontinental Championship against Steve Austin. Owen wanted to push the match on by hitting Austin with a sitting Tombstone where, instead of falling forward on his knees, he'd hop into a sitting spot.

The Tombstone Piledriver is synonymous with The Undertaker, but several WWE wrestlers have stolen the move from him over the years.

Somehow, it went wrong and Austin's neck was broken. It was a fluke as Owen had been performing this move for a few years, often the setup for a Sharpshooter. Incredibly, Austin was able to roll up Owen for the pin and title, but that neck injury infamously hampered him. It's little wonder Owen cut down on using this afterward.

A pioneer for lighter wrestlers, Tiger Mask was a true superhero come to life. Numerous men have worn the mask over the decades, with Satoru Sayama the first and arguably the best. His high-flying moves were stellar as he also engaged in amazing technical work. His Tombstone was good, maybe not as tops as others on this list but still effective.

Other men took on the role, and there was also Black Tiger, his "evil double," with the fourth, Rocky Romero, using the Tombstone frequently. Seeing this hero hitting this move just made him a bigger deal in Japan, no matter who was under the mask.

It's ignored how The Dynamite Kid changed wrestling. This small guy was doing high-flying moves unlike anyone else in his time and could also engage in epic brawls. Kid was famous in Canada and in Japan, where he and Tiger Mask had a top rivalry going. Thus, the Kid was able to "borrow" Tiger Masks' Tombstone and popularize it in North America.

Kid was also the first to hit a Tombstone off the ropes, a crazy sight back then. He and Davey Boy Smith could try it out as The British Bulldogs, even if WWE didn't give them as many chances to show it off. Yet, bringing the Tombstone to the masses is another reason the Kid was such a pioneer.

After a forgettable run in WWE as Aldo Montoya, Justin Credible landed in ECW, who knew how to push him. As a wild brawler, Credible and Lance Storm were World Tag Team Champions, and Credible was one of the last ECW World Champions. Credible could mix it up from fighting to technical work well and would use a wild version of the Tombstone.

The piledriver's one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling, and has been banned in WWE. Here are 10 variations of the move that are insane to see.

This was a spinning variation with the corkscrew move making it look more devastating. This being ECW, Credible would often hit it off the ropes or through a table to be wilder. It lived up to his name as an incredible variation of an already brutal move.

From his time in WCW to a great run in WWE to now being a trainer, Fit Finlay made his mark in wrestling as one of the toughest guys around. So it's no wonder his version of a Tombstone looked great, with Finlay squeezing a guy hard before dropping them on the mat.

What was notable was that while others used the Tombstone as their finisher, this was just one of Finlay's signature moves. The Tombstone was meant to weaken a guy before moving on to another move. That set it apart from other users while showing how Finlay loved to fight.

One of the best workers on the planet, it's impossible to count the number of moves in Okada's arsenal. Leave it to him to make the Tombstone a stellar sight. Like Finlay, it's not a finisher, despite how it easily could be. It's a jumping variation that jams the opponent's head into the mat and the opponents will often aid it by spreading out their arms so it looks more effective.

It could easily be a knockout blow, but instead, it is just a setup for another of Okada's moves. If he wanted it as his finisher, it could fit with how brutal it looks and stand as yet another maneuver Okada pulls off like no one else could.

One of the more underrated heels of his time, Don Muraco was a top midcarder, including a long run as Intercontinental Champion. Most of the time, Muraco used a thumb spike as his finisher, which could look a bit lame. In the last few years of his WWE run, Muraco switched to a Tombstone, a classic one of dropping to his knees to hit it and it was pretty good with the fun name of the "Hawaiian Hammer."

The Piledriver is one of the most recognizable and vicious moves in professional wrestling, with wrestlers adding their own touch to the maneuver.

Muraco had an odd face turn and left WWE by mid-1988. He never got much of a shot elsewhere save for an early run as ECW Champion. Yet the Magnificent One was doing the Tombstone before the Undertaker to make this list.

While Karl Gotch is credited with inventing the Tombstone, Andre the Giant first popularized it. It may seem odd that Andre would need some sort of fancy finisher. His sheer size and strength were enough to crush anyone with a blow or two. There's also how some guys were so small compared to Andre that he could legitimately hurt them if he wasn't careful.

Still, Andre would use the Tombstone and it worked nicely back when he was lighter on his feet. He obviously cut down on it when he grew in size and his health failing but Andre was the guy who first started popularizing the Tombstone.

The Big Red Monster is an obvious topper to the list, while some might argue he's too closely tied to The Undertaker. Still, no one else in WWE was allowed to use a Tombstone as much as The Undertaker than Kane. He started the using The Undertaker's move as soon as the gimmick first appeared. It was pretty striking to see 'Taker being hit with one and instantly got Kane over.

Kane would keep using it as a singles star even if he also relied a lot on the Chokeslam. His Tombstone was good and it was fun when the Brothers of Destruction used them in stereo. The Big Red Machine was one of the best Tombstone users outside of The Undertaker to make the move as much his own.

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