This John Laurinaitis Move Was A Precursor To Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter
There's a popular saying that states that clothes make the man. Well, in professional wrestling, it can be argued that a wrestler's finisher is one of the most important aspects of their total package. A good finisher can turn a performer from a memorable one to a legendary one. Try to think about The Undertaker without the Tombstone Piledriver or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin without his Stone Cold Stunner. Undoubtedly, these titans of the business might be viewed differently.
One of the men who encapsulated this perfectly was Diamond Dallas Page. Page, a former club promoter who decided to start wrestling at 35 years old, was known for his hard work just as much as his charisma and style. After being a very successful manager for several years he decided to try his real passion — performing in the ring as opposed to outside of it. However, as much time, effort, and energy he put in to get better, Page struggled to connect with the crowd and get over as an in-ring performer. That is until he was given the greatest gift he'd ever be given in his career.
From Crusher To Cutter To RKO
John Laurinaitis, the former WWE Head of Talent Relations, used to wrestle as a member of the tag team The Dynamic Dudes. During his career, Laurinaitis created what he called the Ace Crusher – essentially a falling front bulldog — and used it while he was working in Japan in the early 1990s. Diamond Dallas Page was introduced to the move by Laurinaitis and began to adopt it as his own finishing maneuver, dubbing it the Diamond Cutter. Page put his own stamp on the move, adding extra flair to the move, complete with his Diamond Cutter hand signal while being able to hit it from a multitude of different positions. Finally adding the ultimate element to his overall presentation, Page quickly started to ascend up the card, ultimately becoming one of the most popular stars of his era in WCW.
Since DDP retired, another star has adopted a variation of the Diamond Cutter as their finishing maneuver, adding their own twist to it; 14-time WWE Champion Randy Orton calls his version the RKO. He was able to modernize the ability to hit the move in a variety of ways, creating the "outta nowhere" aspect it has become known for.
The idea of a dream match between the two men most associated with the move has come up — Diamond Cutter vs. RKO. In an interview with PWTorch, DDP spoke about the possibility of it ever actually happening. "That's the only match I would come out of retirement for," Page mentioned. "The only thing I'll hook him with is he's killed all the legends but he ain't killed me yet."