For sure, but I don't know what the alternative is, so I think it's just part of the territory

That's really frustrating. It seems like an issue in a lot of wrestling games that performing attacks on grounded opponents tends to wake them up rather than knock them out. I know it's so that the attacker doesn't have an unfair advantage where every stomp or elbow drop causes the defender to stay down longer and longer until it's impossible for them to recover, but it really messes up signature moves and finishers since the defender winds up recovering from Macho Man flying elbows and swanton bombs right after being hit so the attacker never gets the chance to pin them. And of course, it hurts these ground grapple finishers since they'll pop right back up after powerbombs and whatnot.