Professional wrestling aerial techniques
From Freepedia
Aerial techniques are used in professional wrestling to show of the speed and agility of a wrestler. These moves are mainly done by smaller quicker wrestlers that are unable to do most of the power moves.
There is a wide variety of aerial techniques in pro wrestling. Many moves are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their "finishers" (signature moves that usually result in a win) new names. Occasionally these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.
As a result of injuries being caused by these high risk moves many promotions ban the use of some maneuvers, or at least tell wrestlers to "tone down" their use. World Wrestling Entertainment only recently banned the use of the 450 Splash and Shooting Star Press moves.
Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.
Arm twist ropewalk chop
The wrestler grabs hold of one of the opponent's wrists, and twists that arm. The wrestler then climbs up the corner turnbuckles and walks on the top rope, before jumping down and chopping the opponent on their chest or side of their neck. Notably used by The Undertaker, who calls it Old School.
Jinsei Shinzaki uses a praying variation, where he bows his head and holds his free hand infront of his head while walking on the top rope, in a praying fashion.
Axe handle
A top-rope axe handle is accomplished by jumping from the top turnbuckle to the mat or floor and striking your opponent with two fists held together in the fashion of holding an axe. This is usually done on a standing or rising opponent, not a prone one. Many wrestlers include this move in their repertoire, though one particularly famous version is done by Randy Savage.
Banzai drop
A Banzai drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down from a raised platform and drops his buttocks on the opponent's body. This move was originated by Yokozuna. Rikishi also used this move, dubbing it the Rump Shaker.
Calf Branding
The opponent is standing near one of the ring corners, facing towards the center of the ring, and the wrestler is standing on the second rope. The wrestler grabs hold of the opponent's upper body with his arms, places one of his knees against the base of the opponent's neck, and pushes away from the corner with his other leg, driving the opponent down to the mat face first, with the wrestler landing on the opponent's upper body, driving his knee to the neck of the opponent. Innovated and named by Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
Image:ReyMysterioCrossbody.jpg
Crossbody
A crossbody (or "cross body block") is a maneuver in which a wrestler jumps onto his opponent and lands horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat and usually resulting in a pinfall attempt. This can be accomplished from the top rope or by going over the top rope to the outside. In lucha libre, this is called a "pescado" when the top rope is used as a slingshot, though the term "plancha" has been popularly accepted in American wrestling for the same maneuver. In Mexico, a plancha is any move which uses the chest or abdomen.
This is another move used by many wrestlers, usually of lighter weights. Ricky Steamboat was well-known for his excellent crossbody.
Diamond Dust
This can refer to a Forward Somersault three-quarter facelock bulldog or Forward Somersault three-quarter facelock jawbreaker, but it is best known by the name Diamond Dust, given to it by Masato Tanaka. This move involves an attacker standing on the top rope facing the back of a standing victim. The attacker then leaps forward, somersaulting, and catches the victim in a three-quarter facelock (the victim's head on their shoulder with the attacker's arm pinning the victim's head in place) as they fall. The attacker falls to a seated position and pulls the victim down with them, driving the victim's jaw into the shoulder of the attacker (Jawbreaker), or falling flat on his/her back forcing their victim's face into the mat (bulldog).
This move is also used by Shark Boy as a finisher; he refers to it as the Dead Sea Drop (DSD).
Diving bulldog
This is a Bulldog (head-lock takedown) performed by an attacker from an elevated position. a bulldog is a move in which the wrestler applies a head lock or face lock to his opponent and leaps forward, so that the attacker lands on his back or in a sitting position, driving the victim's face into the mat.
A standard diving bulldog sees an attacker jump down on an opponent from an elevated platform and apply any version of a headlock to take down the victim to the mat. This move is currently used by Trevor Murdoch, and has been used by WWE Superstar Lance Cade and Maven to finish matches.
Springboard bulldog
This is a Bulldog performed after springboarding (bouncing) off the ring ropes, in some cases a headlock is first applied before the wrestler bounces off the ropes, Trish Stratus uses this move and calls it "Stratusfaction".
All types of bulldog can be performed in this way including the Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog variation which sees the attacker run up to ropes while applying Three-quarter Facelock then droping the victim to the mat face first. This version is used by Spike Dudley as the Acid Drop (in ECW) or the Dudley Dog (in WWE).
Another version is the springboard bulldog is seen where a wrestler will springboard off the ring ropes before applying the headlock. While flying towards an opponent, a wrestler will catch the victim in a headlock and the drive them into the ground as he fall to the mat.
Diving elbow drop
A diving elbow drop is executed by diving onto a prone opponent with one's elbow cocked, driving the elbow into the opponent's shoulder or chest. Variations of this move have been used as signature maneuvers by Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Randy Savage, Test, Garrison Cade, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and each of The Nasty Boys.
Shane McMahon would place his opponent on an announcer's table, climb to the top rope, and then leap off and drive his elbow into the opponent's chest, breaking the table in the process. He called this "The Leap of Faith."
Axe handle elbow drop
The attacker sits on the top rope with a foot on each second rope, facing a supine victim. The attacker then leaps towards the victim, clasping their forearms together, and lands on their knees, driving both elbows into the shoulder or chest of the victim.
Diving back elbow drop
A less common variation on a diving elbow drop; the attacker stand on the top rope facing away from the victim then leaps backwards, extending and cocking one elbow. This allows for greater range but less precision.
Shooting star elbow drop
The attacker leaps towards a prone opponent from an elevated position, executes a backflip in mid-air, and lands with their elbow cocked, driving the elbow into the victim. Teddy Hart is credited for popularizing the move, which he has dubbed the Hart Attack 2.0 and the Lethal Injection.
Diving stomp
When a wrestler jumps down from a raised platform on an opponent dropping his foot onto any part of an opponent's body.
Diving double foot stomp
When a wrestler jumps down from a raised platform on an opponent driving both his feet into anywhere on the opponent's body. This is a signature move of Spike Dudley and Tajiri. Perro Aguayo and Perro Aguayo, Jr. use it as a finisher, calling it "La Lanza."
Mushroom stomp
Whilst situated on the middle rope of a turnbuckle, a wrestler will jump over a charging attacker, pressing his feet off their back to push them into the turnbuckle with more force, before landing on their own two feet.
Notable users: Paul London
Diving fist drop
A fist drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down from a raised platform on an opponent driving his fist into anywhere on the opponent's body. This move was used by former USWA Superstar Jerry "The King" Lawler as a finishing maneuver.
Image:Benoit & Flair & Mongo vs. Nash.jpg
Diving headbutt
A diving headbutt is exactly what it sounds like: a "swan dive" style headbutt delivered from the top rope to anywhere on the opponent's body. the move was originally used by "The Dynamite Kid" Tommy Billington. The most popular version today is used by Chris Benoit as one of his finishing manuvers. Though Meng/Haku, Bam Bam Bigelow, and the late Chris Candido are also known for using variations of the move as well.
Diving hurricanrana
Also known as Diving huracanrana. This move is executed by jumping forward with legs apart, landing on a standing opponent straddling his shoulders, and using the momentum to execute a hurricanrana.
Dragonrana
In this variant of the diving hurricanrana, the attacker performs a front flip from the top rope before executing the technique. The technique is named by and after the wrestler Dragon Kid, pupil of Ultimo Dragon, who invented the maneuver.
Springboard hurricanrana
Also known as Springboard huracanrana. A move in which the wrestler jumps up and springboards off the top rope from the outside of the ring, performs a hurricanrana in to a pin. Rey Mysterio uses this as a finisher when combined with the 619 and calls it a West Coast Pop.
Diving knee drop
A move in which a wrestler will jump from a raised platform (the top rope, the apron, etc) and land his knee on a prone opponent.
Diving leg drop
A move in which a wrestler will jump from a raised platform (the top rope, the apron, etc) and land his leg across an opponent's throat or face. Also called a guillotine legdrop, and is used by many wrestlers as well as popular luchador Psicosis as a finisher.
Diving Fameasser
This is a version of a diving leg drop, it involves the attacker coming off one of the rope and droping his leg across the back of the head of an opponent whos is leaning forward. Named by "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn.
Somersault corkscrew leg drop
The wrestler is standing on an elevated position. He then jumps forward, flipping and rotating 360° simultaneously, and lands his leg on the chest of the opponent laying beneath him.
Notable users include: A.J. Styles (Spiral Tap)
Somersault legdrop
The wrestler performs a forward somersault off of a raised platform while descending to drop their leg across the throat or chest of an opponent.
Notable users: Booker T (Harlem Hangover)
Shooting star legdrop
The wrestler performs a reverse backflip but keeps revolving and performs a legdrop. This move is used by Georgia-based independent wrestler Jason Cross, who calls it the Crossfire.
Other notable users:Teddy Hart(Triple Bypass)
Springboard legdrop
A move in which a wrestler bounces off the ropes and lands his leg across an opponent's throat or face. Currently used by wrestler Rey Mysterio who referres to it as Dropping the Dime, as a finisher when combined with the 619.
Diving shoulder block
Diving Spear
This is a Diving Shoulder Block Takedown a move in which a wrestler will jump from a raised platform i.e. top-rope and drive their shoulder into the victims stomach and force them down to the mat.
Flying clothesline
A move in which a wrestler will jump from an elevated position and perform a clothesline to a standing opponent. Kane uses the flying clothesline regularly.
Shelton Benjamin and Hardcore Holly have recently been using a version of this move, called a Flying Lariat which is similar but involves the wrestler wrapping his arm around the opponents head.
Flying neckbreaker
also known as a Flipping Neckbreaker are neckbreaker techniques involving the attacker jumping from a raised platform (usually the middle/second rope at the turnbuckle) and throwing the opponent to the ground by twisting the victim's neck. Made famous by Marcus "Buff" Bagwell, dubbing it the Blockbuster.
Other users include: Shannon Moore (Moorgasm), Simmons (Butlerbuster), The Hurricane, (Overcast)
Flying thrust kick
Executed when an attacker jumps from a raised platform (usually the top turnbuckle), and hits a standing victim with a thrust kick in mid-air. "Gentleman" Chris Adams invented this maneuver in the late-1980s, calling it a "flying superkick". Also used by Rob Van Dam.
Shooting star piledriver
This move more closely resembles a shooting star ending in a facebuster rather then a piledriver, though it was refered to as a "Shooting Star Piledriver" by annoucers at the time of its most notable occurrence.
During a Ring of Honor event, wrestler Jody Fleisch tried to execute a springboard shooting star press on a standing wrestler but botched the landing in such away that, instead of the opponent catching Fleisch and falling to the ground, Fleisch's legs straddled the head of the opponent and grounded him with so much force it it drove the opponents head into the mat below.
Other occurrences of this move taking place have seen wrestlers end in positions similar to that of the DDT and the Flatliner.
Sunset flip
This is a pinning move where a wrestler and his opponent face each other, with the attacker on higher ground (such as the top turnbuckle). The attacker dives over the victim, catches him in a waistlock from behind, and rolls into a sitting position as he hits the mat. As the attacker rolls over, he pulls the victim over backwards so that he lands on his back.
Frankensteiner
This is a headscissors takedown executed on a victim sitting on the top rope. With the attacker's legs scissored around the opponent's head while they face each other, the attacker performs a backflip to swing through the opponent's open legs, dragging the victim into a forced somersault that distances the attacker from the victim and lands the opponent on his back.
The name "Frankensteiner" comes from Scott Steiner, who popularized the move in the United States after learning the technique on a tour of Japan. The move is also commonly called Huracanrana or Hurricanrana, although technically that move is slightly different.
Elix Skipper uses a variation of this in which he walks on the top rope before he gives an opponent, who is seated on the top rope, a huracanrana. He calls it New School in reference to the Old School ropewalk clothesline performed by The Undertaker. At TNA Turning Point, Skipper did the New School on the top of the Six Sides of Steel cage, a move referred to by insiders as a cagewalk rana.
Iconoclasm
The opponent is seated on the top rope. The wrestler turns his back to him and grabs hold of the opponent's arms from below, right at the arm pits. He then throws the opponent forward while sitting down, flipping them over in midair, and slamming them down to the mat back first.
Notable users include CIMA, who also uses a cross-arm variation called the Goriconoclasm. Christopher Daniels also uses a cross-arm variation.
Moonsault
- Main article: Moonsault
A move in which a wrestler executes a backflip and lands on an opponent. A basic moonsault is generally attempted from the top rope, though myriad variations exist.
Missile dropkick
- Main article: Dropkick
A dropkick from a elevated surface such as a turnbuckle, a table or a ladder to a standing opponent.
Plancha
An accepted term in American wrestling for a slingshot crossbody from the inside to the outside of the ring. In Mexico, a plancha is any move which uses the chest or abdomen.
Senton
A senton is similar to a splash, except that instead of impacting stomach first, the attacker lands back first across the opponent.
630 senton
The attacker performs a senton, spinning 630 degrees before landing, i.e. one full rotation (360 degrees) following by a somersault senton (270 degress).
This move is used by Jack Evans and Jerrelle Clark.
Seated senton
This variant on the senton is performed by jumping forward off a raised platform or springboarding on to the shoulders of a standing opponent forcing them to the ground. Japanese wrestler Dick Togo is the most famous user of the move; he copied it from an older Japanese wrestler, Hiro Saito. A variation of this move, springboarding from the top rope, is used regularly by Rey Mysterio.
Molly-go-round
This variant on the seated senton is performed by flipping forward off a raised platform on to the shoulders of a standing opponent forcing them to the ground, generally named after WWE diva Molly Holly its technical name is a flipping seated senton.
Senton bomb
This variant on the senton is performed by leaping from the top turnbuckle (or other raised surface), flipping forward 270°, and landing on the opponent back-first in the standard senton position. Jeff Hardy employs a variant of this as his finisher, dubbed the Swanton Bomb, in which he waits until the last second to execute the flip, so that he just barely completes the flip when impacting with his opponent.
Corkscrew senton
Also known as the Sky Twister Press, this senton is performed by executing a backflip, then spinning 720°, landing on a fallen opponent back-first. This move can also be performed on a standing opponent, and is often refered to as a Halo when it is.
Other notable users: Teddy Hart (Open Hart Surgery), Amazing Red (Infrared), Shannon Moore (Halo)
Imploding senton bomb
This is variant of a Reverse Shooting Star Press sees an attacker facing away from the ring while on the top turnbuckle jump backwards executing a Senton Bomb.
Shiranui
This is a Springboard somersault three-quarter facelock diving reverse DDT, which has also been known as Sliced Bread #2, Ninja, and Shinobi. In this move a wrestler grabs a Three-quarter facelock on the opponent and runs up a vertical surface, usually the corner turnbuckles, and jumps backwards, somersaulting in the air, and landing face down to the mat, driving the opponent back-first down to the mat.
Notable users include: Naomichi Marufuji (Shiranui), Spanky (Sliced Bread #2)
In a slight variation the wrestler lands instead to a seated position, driving the opponent's head between his legs. This variation is used by Jimmy Jacobs, who calls it the Contra Code. Both variations can see a modfied version where both wrestlers are already perched on the top rope, and the somersault DDT is the only part performed, which is known as the Super Shiranui.
Splash
A basic splash (also known as a Press) involves a wrestler jumbing forward from a raised platform—usually the top turnbuckle—and landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below.
WWE wrestler Val Venis uses the move, which he calls The Money Shot, which is a little variation of a Splash. The splash was popularized in America by Jimmy "The Superfly" Snuka, one of the first 'high-fliers' to wrestle in North America, who called the move The Superfly. It was one of the first and most popular highflying moves to be seen in mainstream wrestling.
450 splash
Invented by 2 Cold Scorpio, the 450 Splash involves flipping forward 450° from a raised platform, landing on the opponent in the splash position. Wrestlers like Juventud Guerrera and John Kronus popularized the move in the United States, while it was a trademark in Japan for Hayabusa, who called it the Firebird Splash.
Other notable users include: Austin Aries, and Paul London.
Corkscrew 450 splash
A Corkscrew 450° splash is performed when a wrestler (facing backwards to the ring from the top turnbuckle) jumps, turns 180° and performs a 450° splash. This move was popularized by the Japanese wrestler Hayabusa, who called it a Phoenix Splash. Low Ki uses it by that name. Sonjay Dutt calls it the Hindu Press. It is also known to some as the Stardust Press.
Frog splash
This move is performed by leaping from the top rope, stretching out to a horizontal position, and bringing one's feet and hands inward and outward before landing. The in-out motion is supposed to sandwich the opponent between the knees and hands to add power but is more or less a typical splash. This is Eddie Guerrero's finishing move, as well as Rob Van Dam's, though he calls it the "Five-Star Frog Splash".
Other slighly different variation sees the wrestler bring his hands between his legs and kick up with his feet before drawing both arms and legs back outwards. Among notable users of this variation are Art Barr, CIMA (Mad Splash), D'lo Brown (Lo-Down), Kid Kash
Split Legged Splash
Simular to the Split Legged Moonsault, only instead of moonsaulting, the attacker turns arounds and hit a splash
Shooting star press
- Main article: Shooting Star Press
The attacker jumps forward from an elevated position, executing a backflip in mid-air, landing on the opponent in the splash position. The move was invented by Jushin Liger but is performed by many other wrestlers. Billy Kidman and Brock Lesnar have used it as their finishers. Paul London, Teddy Hart, A.J. Styles and Mark Briscoe can often be seen performing it as well.
Transition move
Some moves are meant neither to pin an opponent, nor weaken them or force them to submit, but are intended to set up the victim for another attack.
Grounding
The attacker jumps onto an opponent from an elevated platform as the opponent is standing up, so that the opponent falls to his knees with his head between the legs of the attacker. This move is generally used to set up for a powerbomb.
Springboard
Springboarding invovles a wrestler using any of the ring ropes to bounce off of, most high-flying techniques can be performed after a spring board, i.e. Springboard leg-drop, Springboard dropkick. Sometimes wrestlers will bounce off of one set of ring ropes then off another to perform a move, this is refered to as a double springboard, the most notable double springboard move is a version of a Springboard moonsault in which a wrestler bounces off the middle-rope to elevate himself/herself to the top-rope from where he/she bounces off to perfom the moonsault.
Sick Boy was known for frequently using the ropes as a springboard. Chris Jericho frequently uses the springboard plancha and the springboard dropkick.
Slingshot
A slingshot involves a wrestler pulling on the rope and using the spring of the ropes to hurl themselvess over it. Most high-flying techniques can be performed after a sling shot.
Shooting star
this move sees an attacker jump forward from an elevated position, executing a backflip in mid-air. Many techniques can be performed after a shooting star, most well known is the shooting star press but there are other variations like the shooting star legdrop, Shooting Star Elbow Drop and the unique shooting star piledriver
Modifiers
Super
The term Super is placed before any move which is being performed off the top rope. For example, if a samoan drop was performed from the top turnbuckle it would be called a "Super Samoan Drop". Many move variations performed off the top rope use the term "Avalanche" instead of "super", especially in Japan.
Suplexes performed from the top or second rope are referred to as superplexes.
Suicide
The term Suicide is placed before any move that goes from the ring, the ring apron, the ropes or the turnbuckles to the outside of the ring. The most obvious is a "suicide dive", which is simply a jump through or over the ring ropes to the outside.
