Professional wrestling throws

Much of the action in professional wrestling involves the application of techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming him/her down. These moves are generally illegal in traditional amateur wrestling because they can cause serious injury. They are sometimes also called "power moves", as they are meant to emphasize a wrestler's strength.

There is a wide variety of slams and throws in pro wrestling. Many moves are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their "finisher" (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: one example is the tombstone piledriver, a term originally used for The Undertaker's finisher but now used to refer to any belly-to-belly piledriver.

Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.

Arm drag

A move in which the wrestler uses his/her opponent's momentum against him/her by hooking his/her arm and flipping him/her over onto the mat. The move was popularized by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat who had the best arm drags in professional wrestling.

Over-the-shoulder arm drag

Also called a shoulder throw or ipponzei. The wrestler grabs his/her opponent's arm, then turns to face the other direction and pulls the victim over his/her shoulder. It is essentially the same as the ippon seoi-nage found in Judo.

Armbar takedown

This is a technique in which the attacker grabs the opponent's arm and pulls him/her down to the ground by wrenching down the victim's arm, and is also knwon as a Single Arm DDT.

The affected area for this hold is the shoulder, not the head like normal DDT's, the attacker would grab the victim's arm and bars it in front of the attacker's body so that the attacker is holding out the arm with the arm furthest away from the victim's body, then the attacker would reach over the victim's shoulder and wrap it around their victim's arm with the other, The attacker then drops down and drives the victim's shoulder into the mat.

This hold is noted as the move that broke "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe's neck, this happened because Wolfe took the bump wrong and landed on his head and not his shoulder.

Armbreaker

A armbreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's arm against a part of the wrestler's body

Cross armbreaker

Same as the judo hold "udehishigigyakujujigatame", or "jujigatame" for short.

Arm wringer

An Arm Wringer or Spinning Wristlock is a move in which the attacker grabs the opponent's arm by the wrist/arm and twists it over the attacker's head to spin it around with enough force to take the victim to the mat.

Atomic Drop

A move in which the wrestler goes behind an opponent puts his/her head under the victim's shoulder and lifts his/her opponent up and then drops him/her tailbone-first on the wrestler's knee.

Inverted Atomic Drop

A move in which the wrestler puts his/her head under the victim's shoulder and lifts his/her opponent up and then drops him/her "lower abdomen region" first on the wrestler's knee. Also known as a Manhattan Drop.

Backbreaker

A back breaker is any move in which the wrestler lifts his/her opponent up and jumps or drops his/her opponent so that the opponent's back impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body.

Backbreaker Drop

A move in which a wrestler lifts an opponent up on to his/her shoulder and drops down to his/her knee so that the opponent's back is bent backwards against his/her shoulder.

Double Underhook Backbreaker

The attacker stands facing a bent over opponent and hooks their arms. The attacker then lifts the victim as for a Tiger Driver, but raises a knee and brings the victim back down so their back collides with the knee of the attacker.

Falling Backbreaker

The attacker places the victim in an Argentine backbreaker position with the victim facing upward while the attacker is standing up. The attacker then drops to a sitting position.

This move was invented by Abyss who calls it the "Shock Treatment".

Pendulum Backbreaker

This basic back breaker involves a wrestler standing side-to-side and slightly behind, with the victim facing in the same direction, then reaching around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms and places the other arm under the victim's legs. The wrestler then lifts the victim up, bringing his/her legs off the ground, and dropping him/her back-first against the wrestler's knee.

Back Bodydrop

A back drop, or back body drop, is a move in which a wrestler bends forward or crouches in front of his opponent, grabs hold of his/her opponent, and stands up, lifting the victim up and over and dropping him/her behind the back. It is frequently applied against a charging opponent.

In Japan, a backdrop is the term for what is called a belly-to-back suplex in America.

Body slam

A bodyslam is any move in which a wrestler picks up his/her opponent and throws him/her down to the ground.

Alabama slam

Also known as a Water-Wheel Slam. This move involves a wrestler placing his/her head between an opponent's knees, then standing up, holding onto his/her opponent's legs, so that the opponent is facing the wrestler's back. The wrestler then simply brings both hands down, throwing his/her opponent back-first to the mat. Hardcore Holly uses the Alabama Slam as his finisher.

Biel throw

The wrestler stands to the side of his/her opponent, grabs him/her, and throws him/her forward, causing him/her to flip over onto his/her back. It is considered a very basic technique, so basic that a forward rolling fall is commonly called a biel bump, and is mainly used by very large wrestlers to emphasize power and strength over finesse.

Chokeslam

A chokeslam is any bodyslam in which the wrestler grasps his/her opponent's neck, lifts him/her up, and slams him/her to the mat back-first. It is very common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe yet looks powerful on camera.

The most common variety of chokeslam is performed with a single-handed choke. The wrestler places his/her free hand behind the victim's back to help turn him/her horizontally for the throw. A two-handed choke variation on two victims is also popular. Commonly used by The Big Show, Kane, and The Undertaker.

Fireman's carry slam

A wrestler drapes an opponent over his/her shoulders in a firemans carry position then the attacking wrestler then takes hold of the thigh and arm of the opponent, which are hung over the front side of the attacker, he/she then leans forward and pulls the vitim over his/her head and shoulders slamming the victim down on his/her back infront of the attacker.

A Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam is a variation that sees the attacker keep hold of the opponent and run forward before slamming the victim to the ground and using the momentum to roll over the opponent. This variation was used by William Regal, who called it the Regal Roll

Fallaway slam

Also known as a Table Top Suplex. The wrestler, while standing in front of an opponent would reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up so he/she are horizontal across the wrestler's body then falls backward throwing the victim over his/her head down to the mat back-first. This slam can be either bridged into a pin, or the attacker can floatover into another Fallaway slam.

Scott Hall used this as one of his signature moves. A slightly modified version of this move is used by Bradshaw, who referred to it before (while on APA) as the Last Call.

Samoan Drop

This version of a Fallaway Slam sees a wrestler drapes an opponent over his/her shoulders in a firemans carry position then the wrestler falls backwards dropping the victim to the mat and is mainly performed on charging opponents. It has been a signature move for Samoan wrestlers throughout the years, including The Rock and Rikishi.

Full nelson slam

In this move the aggressor places his/her opponent in a full nelson hold and uses it to lift him/her off the ground. Once in the air, the aggressor removes one of his/her arms (so his/her opponent is now in a Half Nelson) and slams him/her down to the mat.

Gorilla press slam

The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head with arms fully extended (as in the military press used in weight lifting), then slams the victim down on his/her back. Often the attacker will falls to a sitting position, slamming the victim down on his/her back. This version is similar to the Michinoku Driver II used by Taka Michinoku and is referred to as a Gorilla Press Bomb.

Gorilla press drop

The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head with arms fully extended then drops the victim down face first in front or back. It is a popular technique for very large wrestlers because it emphasizes their height and power.

As used to great effect by The Ultimate Warrior with his Gorilla Press / Big Splash combination

Half nelson slam

the attacker stands behind, slightly to one side of and facing the victim. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with his/her corresponding arm and places the palm of his/her hand on the neck of the victim, thereby forcing the arm of the victim up into the air (the Half Nelson). The attacker then lifts the victim up turns and falls forward slamming the victim into the mat.

Michinoku Driver II

Also known as a sit-out scoop slam but is named after its inventor Taka Michinoku. while facing his/her opponent, the wrestler reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up and turns them upside down so that they are held up by the attacker's arm cradling their back. The attacker then throws the victim to the ground as he/she falls to a sitting position so that the victim lands on his/her upper back. This is often just called a Michinoku Driver because TAKA rarely uses the original Michinoku Driver, a double underhook implant DDT.

Olympic slam

An attacking wrestler places his/her head under an opponent's arm, and lifts up an opponent so that he/she is face-up across the attacker's shoulders. Then the wrestler falls backwards forcing the opponent to the mat back-first.

This move has also been discribed as a spinning back drop (belly-to-back suplex) and a signature move of Kurt Angle (Angle named the move the Olympic Slam but now refers to it as the Angle Slam)

Pumphandle slam

The wrestler stands behind his/her opponent and bends him/her forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between his/her legs and held, while the other arm is hooked. The attacker then lifts his opponent up over his/her shoulder and falls forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first.

Another version of the Pumphandle Slam sees the wrestler drop the victim to the Sidewalk Slam (Side Slam) position. This version is referred to as a Pumphandle Side Slam and is the signature move of Gene Snitsky.

Samoan Driver

A wrestler drapes an opponent over his/her shoulders in a firemans carry position then the wrestler then takes hold of the opponent and pulls him/her over the attaker's shoulder and down to the ground as he/she falls to a sitting position so that the victim lands on his/her upper back and neck between the legs of the attacker facing towards him/her.

Another way to discribe this move is as a Sit-out version of a Death Valley Driver.

A slight variation of this move is used by Chris Sabin and is called the Cradle Shock.

Scoop slam

Facing his/her opponent, the wrestler reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up and turns him/her upside down so that he/she are held up by the attacker's arm cradling his/her back. The attacker then throws the victim to the ground so that they land on their back.

Spinebuster slam

Also known simply as a spinebuster. The wrestler starts facing his/her opponent. He grabs the opponent around the waist and lifts him/her up. He then turns 180°, at the same time turning the victim into a horizontal position across the chest, and tosses him/her forward onto his/her back. It is usually performed against a charging opponent, using the victim's own momentum to power the throw.

Another version of this sees the wrestler elevate the charging opponent up, and without spinning, slamming the victim down to the mat.

Most famously used by Arn Anderson, this move has since been used by The Rock, HHH and more recently by Batista in the WWE.

Death Valley Driver

This is a move in which a brainbuster-type slam is proformed from a position in which the victim is held across both shoulders, there are two variations of this move:

The most well-known variation and the move in which Death Valley Driver mainly refers to is one from a Fireman's Carry (facing down) position. The attacker falls to the side in which his/her opponent's head is pointing, driving the victim's head into the mat. Tommy Dreamer's Death Valley Driver (or D.V.D.) has already been credited as one of the best Death Valley Drivers ever executed. Perry Saturn also has an effective Death Valley Driver. The F.U. finisher of WWE wrestler John Cena is a slight variation of this move, except that the victim's back is impacted first.

The second variation is sometimes referred to as a Burning Hammer. or inverted D.V.D. It is done from an Argentine backbreaker rack or "Torture Rack" (face up, with the neck and one leg cradled) position. The attacker falls to the side in which his/her opponent's head is pointing, driving the victim's head into the mat or in a slight variation of this move when the victim's body is slammed into the mat face-first. This is an extremely dangerous move as the opponent's body cannot roll with the natural momentum of the move to absorb the impact. It was invented by Japanese professional wrestler Kenta Kobashi.

Bulldog

A bulldog, or bulldogging headlock, is any move in which the wrestler applies a head lock or face lock to his/her opponent and jumps forward, so that the attacker lands on his/her back or in a sitting position, driving the victim's face into the mat.

Cobra Clutch Bulldog

The attacker applies a Cobra Clutch and then leaps forward, falling into a sitting position and driving the face of the victim into the ground.

Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog

A Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog is a move that mostly sees an attacker applying a Three-quarter Facelock then drop to the floor driving the opponent's face into the mat. This version has been previously used by Johnny Ace, who called it the Ace Crusher and Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter. Currently this move is being used by Randy Orton and, who calls it the R.K.O. and Homicide. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy also have a variation of a Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog called the Twist of Fate, in which a half-grapple is twisted into the Three-Quarter facelock.

TKO

The Total Knock Out (TKO) is a Fireman's carry into a Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog. This variant has been used by Marc Mero and Jerry Lynn.

Rolling Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog

This is when a Inverted facelock is rolled in to a three-quarter facelock bulldog.

This move has two major variants: one in which the attacker rolls under his/her opponent, and one in which he/she rolls over. The former has been widely referred to as the Last Rites in the indy promotions due to its use by Christopher Daniels; in the WWE, Test used this move and referred to it as a Test Drive. Another version spins the opposite way, aka the Roll of the Dice as named by Reno. The Roll of the Dice has been used by wrestlers such as Bill DeMott and Luther Reigns who have each referred to it with different names.

Brainbuster

A brainbuster also known as a Avalanche Suplex is a move in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her tights, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was performing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then jumps up and onto his/her back so that the victim lands on his/her head while remaining vertical.

This move can also use the fisherman's variation. There is a controversy whether this move should be classified as a suplex or a high lifting DDT.

Fisherman Brainbuster

A Fisherman Brainbuster a variation of the brainbuster in which the wrestler will also hook the victim's near leg with his/her free arm to aid in lifting him/her off the ground. The wrestler then slams his/her opponent down to the mat headfirst.

This move can also see the wrestler drop to a sit-out position landing the victim between his/her legs.

Most notably the sit-out version is used by Low Ki as a finisher; and also by Shane Douglas and called it the Pittsburgh Plunge.

Catapult

A Catapult or Slingshot Catapult is a throw that typically starts with the victim on his/her back, and the attacker standing and facing him. The attacker hooks each of the victim's legs in one of his arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes etc.

DDT

Similar to a bulldog, a DDT is any move in which the wrestler falls down or backwards to drive the victim's head into the mat. The classic DDT is performed by putting the victim in a front facelock and falling backwards so that the victim is forced to dive forward onto his/her head.

Invented by Jake "The Snake" Roberts after he tripped while performing a front facelock. When referring to the move Roberts gave it the name DDT for his snake Damien, standing for Damien's Dinner Time though the move is actually named after the chemical Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane.

Brainbuster DDT

See: Brainbuster

Diving reverse DDT

Standing back to back with his/her opponent, the wrestler bends him/her back and applies a inverted facelock, then falls forwards dropping the victim's head into the mat.

Inverted DDT

Standing behind his/her opponent with the victim in front of him/her, the wrestler bends him/her back and applies a inverted facelock, then falls backwards to slam the victim's head into the mat. Also known as a Reverse DDT, or a Scorpion Death Drop, used by Sting.

Lifting DDT

A wrestler applies a front facelock to an opponent then lifts the victim off the ground just before falling backwards to drive the opponent's face into the mat. It is also known as the Impaler DDT.

Currently used by Edge who refers to the move as Edgecution.

T-Bone DDT

This is where the attacker reaches across the victim's torso with one hand and graps then thighs with the other, the attacker lifts the victim up horizontal to the mat and falls back like a Lifting DDT. It may be called, The Exploder DDT, T-Bone Lifting DDT, DDplex, T-Bone Driller or Diver.

Reverse Tornado DDT

The wrestler applies a inverted facelock from an elevated position (for example, sitting on the top turnbuckle against an opponent standing on the mat, or from the apron against an opponent standing on the ground). He/she then jumps off so that he/she swings around the opponent. Using the momentum from the jump, he/she falls forwards and slams the back of the victim's head into the mat.

Tornado DDT

The wrestler applies a front facelock from an elevated position (for example, sitting on the top turnbuckle against an opponent standing on the mat, or from the apron against an opponent standing on the ground). He/she then jumps off so that he/she swings around the opponent. Using the momentum from the jump, he/she falls backwards and slams the victim's head into the mat. This move is currently being used by Funaki as his finishing move.

This is also called a swinging DDT.

Jump Swinging DDT

This is an alternate version of a Tornado DDT in which a wrestler runs at a standing opponent, jumps and applies a front facelock then swings his/her legs foward to swing the opponent around using the momentum from the jump, falls backwards and slams the victim's head into the mat.

Spinning DDT

The attacker runs at an opponent who is bent over facing them. The attacker applies a front facelock and then uses his/her momentum to spin themselves in a circle. The attacker then falls to their stomach, driving the face of the attacker into the ground.

Underhook DDT

Instead of applying a head or face lock, the wrestler bends his/her opponent forward and hooks each arm behind the victim's back, then falls back to pull the victim forward onto his head.

This is also called a double arm DDT and was used by Mick Foley during his Cactus Jack and Mankind gimmicks.

Electric chair drop

The attacker lifts the victim on his/her shoulders in a sitting position, with both facing the same way. Then the attacker falls backwards driving the victim back-first into the mat. A variation of Electric Chair Drop known as the "Electric Chair Bomb" ends in the attacker sitting down and slamming the victim face-first to the mat. The beginning of the electric chair drop is also the setup for the doomsday device.

Facebreaker

A facebreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's face against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee.

Knee Smash

The knee smash is a standard Facbreaker which involves the attacker grabbing hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair and pulling the opponent's face down, dropping it on to the attacker's knee. Often used by an attacker to stun an opponent and set him/her up for another move.

Facebuster

A facebuster is any move in which the wrestler forces his/her opponent's face down to the mat which does not involve a headlock or Facelock. if these are used then the move is either a DDT or bulldog variation.

also Inverted Mat Slams are commonly referred to as facbusters.

A standard Facebuster involves the attacker grabbing hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair and pulling them down, the opponent's face into the mat.

Belly-to-back inverted mat slam

From a position in which the victim is bent forward against the wrestler's midsection, the wrestler grabs around his opponent's midsection and lifts so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then hook both the arms of the victim using his legs, and then falls foward planting the opponent's body into the mat face-first.

Best known as Styles Clash as named by AJ Styles, also known as a Crash Landing as named by the late Mike Lockwood who started using the move during his last stint in the WWE. Styles claims to have invented the move while watching his younger brother attempt to perform a powerbomb.

Gory Bomb

A back-to-back release facebuster a move which is a variation of the Gory Special. Also known as the Gory Buster.

F-5

A move named and made popular by Brock Lesnar, in which the attacker would put his/her victim in a fireman's carry position, then throw the opponent's legs out in front of him/her to spin him/her out while the attacker fell to back to drive the victim's head in to the mat.

The move's name was taken from the Fujita scale, which ranks the intensity of a tornado, with F5 being the strongest.

Forward Russian Legsweep

A move in which a wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind the victim, facing in the same direction, and reaches behind the victim's back to hook the opponent's head with their other hand extending the victim's near arm, then while hooking the opponent's leg with his/her own leg the wrestler falls forward, pushing the victim forward to the mat face-first.

It is best known as "The Stroke", the finisher of Jeff Jarrett.

Front Facelock Drop

The attacker applies a Front Facelock and then throws their legs out behind them, falling stomach first to the ground and driving the face of the victim into the ground. Similar to a DDT, but targeting the face of the victim rather than the head.

Jumping facebuster

A move in which the attacker grabs hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair and then jump down, forcing the opponent's face into the mat. This is basically a one-handed bulldog which doesnt involve the use of a headlock.

Sitout facebuster

Also known as a sit-down facebuster. A move in which the attacker grabs hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair then jumps down into a sitting position, forcing the opponent's face into the mat. It was used as a finisher by X-Pac, who called it the X Factor.

Double underhook facebuster

Instead of holding the opponent's head like most facebusters, a wrestler bends his/her opponent forward, placing the victim's head between the attacker's legs (a standing head scissors), and hooks each of the opponents arms behind his/her back. He/she then drops to his/her knees, forcing the opponent's face into the mat. Triple H uses it as his finisher, and calls it the Pedigree.

A variation of this move is used by CM Punk, who ascends the turnbuckle so he is standing on the top rope, pulls his victim with him and applies the move (as above), then drops to the ground, landing on his knees and driving the victim's face into the ground with increased force. This move is called The Pepsi Plunge.

Inverted double underhook facebuster

The attacker bends the opponent forwards, then stands in front of them and reaches back, hooking both arms of the victim and forcing down the head of the victim. The attacker then drops to a sitting position, driving the face of the victim into the ground. This move is normally executed from behind; the attacker bends over behind the victim, hooks their arms and then quickly stands up while turning around so the victim is in the aforementioned position. This move has been used by Tommy Rogers, who called it the Tomikaze, and Christian, who calls it the Impaler or the Unprettier.

Lifting double underhook facebuster

This inverted mat slam is performed when a wrestler bends his/her opponent forward, placing the victim's head between the attacker's legs (a standing head scissors), and hooks each of the opponents arms behind his/her back. He/she then pulls back on the opponent's arms lifting him/her up so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then falls forward (or sometimes down to a sitting position) planting the opponent's body into the mat face-first.

This was a popular move of Rob Van Dam, when he wrestled for the ECW promotion. It is also used by Mark Jindrak

Sitout double underhook facebuster

Also known as a sit-down double underhook facebuster. A move in which instead of holding the opponents head like most facebusters, a wrestler bends his/her opponent forward, placing the victim's head between the attacker's legs (a standing head scissors), and hooks each of the opponents arms behind his/her back, he/she then proceeds to lift the opponent up and jumps down into a sitting position, forcing the opponents face into the mat. It is used as a finisher by Christopher Daniels, who calls it the Angel's Wings.

Complete Shot

A move in which a wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the opposite direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest with his/her hand holding onto his/her other hand which is behind the opponent's head. The wrestler then falls backward, diving the victim into the mat face-first.

WWE wrestler Edge used to use this move, calling it the Downward Spiral.

A variation is to hook the leg similar to a Russian legsweep, which was popularized as the Flatliner, by Chris Kanyon.

It is also currently used by WWE superstar Muhammad Hassan and Orlando Jordan as a finisher

Wheelbarrow facebuster

Also called a Reverse Powerbomb. The attacker grabs a standing victim around the waist from behind and lifts him/her in the air. The attacker then falls to a sitting position, swinging the victim down so that their face is driven into the mat.

This move can also see the wrestler hook both an opponent's the arms in a double chickenwing to aid in lifting him up into the air before dropping the victim into a sit-out faceplant position. This Sit-out Chickenwing Facebuster is often refered to as a Waffle Face.

Flapjack

A flapjack is any move that throws the victim so that he/she is pushed upward and therefore having he/she fall on his/her front. The basic flapjack is similar to a back drop, but the wrestler pushes upwards so that the victim falls onto his/her face instead of falling back-first.

A Hotshot is refered to when a flapjack is performed so that the victim would fall across the ring ropes.

Alley Oop

This is a flapjack where the victim is lifted on to the attacker's he/she flies over the attacker's head and land front-first on the mat.

It was made famous by Tori and then The Big Show.

Gutbuster

A Gutbuster is any move in which the wrestler lifts his/her opponent up and jumps or drops him/her so that the victim's stomach impacts against part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee.

Gutbuster Drop

A move in which a wrestler lifts an opponent up on to his/her shoulder and drops down to his/her knee droping the opponent's stomach on the wrestler's shoulder.

Rib breaker

Also called a stomach breaker it is essentially the same as a back breaker but with the victim facing the opposite direction, it involves lifting the opponent up and dropping him/her stomach-first against the wrestler's knee.

Headscissors takedown

With the attacker's legs scissored around the opponent's head, the attacker performs a backflip, dragging the victim into a forced somersault that distances the attacker from the victim and lands the opponent on his/her back. Is also performed when a wrestler runs to the side of an opponent spin up on to his/her shoulders while scissoring his/her legs around his/her head as he/she continues to spin throwing the opponent to the mat.

Hurricanrana

The correct name for this maneuver is the Huracanrana/Huracarrana but it is commonly misspelled in English as Hurricanrana, this is a headscissors takedown that ends in a rana pinning hold. The Rana is any double-leg cradle (or the ending of a Sunset Flip) The Huracanrana is typically done with more velocity than the headscissors takedown, as the victim needs to land directly underneath the attacker, instead of being tossed away. Luchador Huracán Ramírez invented the maneuver. This move can be thought of as an inverted version of a victory roll.

It is often confused with the more impactful non-pinning headscissor variation known as a Frankensteiner, although the difference is similar to seeing a bridged suplex compared to a released one etc.

Hip Toss

The attacker stands next to the victim with both facing the same direction, and the attacker hooks his/her arm underneath the victim's closest armpit.

The attacker then quickly lifts the victim up with that arm and throws the victim forward, which would lead the attacker to flip the victim onto his/her back to end the move.

Irish Whip

Also called a hammer throw. A move in which the wrestler grabs one of his/her opponent's arms and spins, swinging the victim into an obstacle such as the ring ropes, a turnbuckle, or the stairs leading into the ring. One popular use of the irish whip is to try to "hit for the cycle" by whipping one's opponent into each corner in turn. An Irish whip into the ring ropes is usually used to set the victim up for another technique as he/she bounces off, such as a suplex or clothesline.

Jawbreaker

A jawbreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's jaw against a part of the wrestler's body, usually his/her knee, head or shoulder.

A standard jawbreaker is seen when an attacker (either stands facing or not facing victim) places his/her head under the jaw of the victim and holds the victim in place before falling into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the jaw of the victim into the to of his/her head.

Three-quarter Facelock Jawbreaker

This is a move that mostly sees an attacker applying a Three-quarter Facelock then sees the wrestler fall to a sitting position dropping the opponent's jaw across his/her shoulder.

This was made famous by Stone Cold Steve Austin who referred to it as a Stone Cold Stunner. The name Stunner is widely used when referring to this move.

Rolling Three-quarter Facelock Jawbreaker

This is when a Inverted facelock is rolled in to a Three-quarter Facelock that ends in the seated (Stone Cold) stunner position, the most famous version of a three-quarter facelock jawbreaker is know as the Whipper-snapper and is proformed by Mikey Whipwreck of ECW fame.

Shoulder Jawbreaker

The attacker stands facing the victim, places his/her shoulder under the jaw of the victim and holds the victim in place before falling into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the jaw of the victim into his/her shoulder. This move was used by Shane Douglas in WCW, and was named the Franchiser.

Mat slam

A matslam is any move in which the wrestler forces the back of the opponent's head into the mat which does not involve a headlock or Facelock. If these are used then the move is normally a DDT variation.

A standard Mat Slam involves the attacker grabbing hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair and pulling back, forcing the back of the opponent's head into the mat.

Inverted mat slam

Inverted Mat Slams are commonly referred to as facebusters.

Sleeper slam

The attacker applies a sleeper hold to the victim, then falls face first to the ground, pulling the victim down with them and driving the back and head of the victim into the ground. Billy Gunn used a modified version of this move where he lifted the victim before falling, which he called The One and Only.

Neckbreaker

There are two general categories of neckbreaker, which are related only in that they attack the victim's neck.

Neckbreaker Drop

A neckbreaker drop is a clothesline that ends almost like an upsidedown bulldog. Matt Hardy uses a lariat (wrapping clothesline) version that ends in an inverted bulldog-like position and calls it the Side Effect. The running version is extremely popular and also called the Necktie Clothesline, Bulldog Lariat and the Hart Attack.

Shoulder Neckbreaker

From a back-to-back position, the wrestler reaches back and pulls his/her opponent's head over his shoulder, then drops, causing the back of the victim's neck to hit the shoulder. Another version of this, known as a Hangman's Neckbreaker, involves the wrestler placing the victim's head not on the shoulder but above their own head for the drop.

Elevated Cradle Neckbreaker

Also called a muscle buster. The wrestler holds his/her opponent upside-down with the back of the victim's neck against his/her shoulder and with one or both legs hooked, and drops to a kneeling or sitting position so that the victim's neck hits against the shoulder. It is usually performed against a victim who is sitting on the top turnbuckle and facing away from the attacker. This is more properly a double leg version of a fisherman's brainbuster

indy star Samoa Joe, uses this maneuver.

Inverted Neckbreaker

see Three-quarter Facelock Bulldog

Overdrive

With the opponent hunched over, the attacker hooks his/her inside leg over the opponent's head, grabbing the arm closest to them. The attacker leans back before throwing himself/herself forward, landing on his/her hands and knees as the opponent is spun around, his/her neck landing on the inside of the opponent's knee.

This was previously used Randy Orton as a finisher, as well as Primetime Elix Skipper who referred to the move as the Play of the Day. Carlito Caribbean Cool also uses this move as a finisher.

Swinging Neckbreaker

The attacker applies a front face lock and grabs hold of the victim's right hand with his/her left hand. The attacker then swings himself/herself to the ground, in a semi-circular motion, so that both the attacker and the victim fall to the ground back first.

Neckbreaker Slam

A neckbreaker slam is any technique in which the attacker throws his/her opponent to the ground by twisting the victim's neck. also a back head slam

Whiplash

The attacker faces a standing victim with one side of the ring immediately behind the victim. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim, takes hold of the victim with his/her free hand, then lifts the victim until he/she is nearly vertical. The attacker then moves forward so that the victim's legs are placed on the top ring rope, and this point the attacker twists on the neck and quickly throws himself to the ground, the momentum of this lifts the victim off the rope driving the neck and shoulders of the victim into the ground.

There is also a double team version of this move.

Piledriver

A piledriver is any move in which the wrestler grabs his/her opponent, turns him/her upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the victim's head into the mat.

Cradle Piledriver

Similar to a Texas Piledriver but with an added leg lock. From a position in which the victim is bent forward against the wrestler's midsection, the wrestler grabs around his/her opponent's midsection and lifts so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then hooks his arms around one leg of the victim, and drops to a sitting or kneeling position with the victim's head falling between the wrestler's thighs down to the mat. Veteran wrestler Jerry Lynn uses this as a finisher.

Double Underhook Piledriver

In this move a wrestler will bend his/her opponent forward, placing the victim's head between the attacker's legs (a standing head scissors), and hooks each of the opponent's arms behind the opponent's back. He/she then pulls back on the opponent's arms lifting him/her up so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then drops to a sitting or kneeling position dropping the victim's head into the mat.

The version of falling to a sitting position is a popular move of Juventud Guerrera who refers to the move as the Juvi Driver.

The version that involves the wrestler falling to a kneeling position is similar to the Double Underhook Piledriver, but instead of sitting down while doing the move, the opponent's head is pushed out of the legs and the attacker kneels down, thus driving the opponent's head and neck into the mat.

This version of the move is being being used by Mitsuharu Misawa who refers to it as a Tiger Driver '91. Kid Kash also uses this as his finishing move, which he calls the Money Maker.

Flip Piledriver

Similar to a Texas Piledriver, except in this case the wrestler begins by latching onto the opponent's back, with his/her head to one side of his/her opponent's hips, and his/her legs around his/her opponent's head. The wrestler then flips over into a sit-down piledriver. Petey Williams of TNA fame uses this as his finisher, calling it the Canadian Destroyer.

Kryptonite Krunch

Also called a Over the Shoulder Belly to Back Piledriver. The attacker shoulders the victim by clutching him/her around the knees and lifting him/her onto his/her shoulder so that the victim's head is dangling by the waist of the attacker. The attacker then holds the attacker in place by holding his/her leg with one arm and applies a headlock to the victim with his/her other arm. The victim is now bent into a circle. The attacker then drops to a seated position, driving the head of the victim into the ground. The move was named by Nova, although it has been done for years under many other names like the Reality Check and the Schwein. Another method is lifting the opponent across the attacker's back, which is best known as Mariko Yoshida's Air Raid Crash.

Scoop Slam Piledriver

Best known as the Emerald Fusion popularized by Mitsuharu Misawa, the attacker scoops the opponent up by his/her leg and trunk so that he/she is suspended to an angle. The attacker then drops to his/her side quickly, with the opponent's head striking the mat. Also used by Al Snow who refers to it as the Snow Plow.

Spike Piledriver

From a position in which the victim is bent forward against the wrestler's midsection, the wrestler grabs around his opponent's midsection and lifts so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then jumps in the air and drops to a sitting or kneeling position.

Texas Piledriver

Also called a belly-to-back piledriver, this is the classic piledriver technique. From a position in which the victim is bent forward against the wrestler's midsection, the wrestler grabs around his opponent's midsection and lifts so that the victim is held upside down facing in the same direction as the wrestler, the wrestler then drops to a sitting or kneeling position with the victim's head falling between the wrestler's thighs down to the mat.

Tombstone Piledriver

The wrestler flips his/her opponent upside-down so that he/she is facing each other, and drops to a sitting or kneeling position so that the victim falls to the mat headfirst. It was popularized by The Undertaker, who used it as his finisher and first called it the "Tombstone Piledriver". It is also called a belly-to-belly piledriver or reverse piledriver.The easy way to do this is to put on arm around their shoulders, one around the bottom part of the hip, lift them onto your shoulders, then drop them in between your legs.

Vertebreaker

Originally invented by Japanese female wrestler Megumi Kudo. She called the move The Kudome Valentine. The move is also referred as the Kudo Driver. The name Vertebreaker was invented by Gregory Helms who has used it as a finisher.

Also called a reverse gory special piledriver. From a position in which the victim is standing behind the attacker, the attacker hooks his/her arms around the victim's arms. Then the attacker turns his/her body around so that the attacker is facing the ground and the victim is standing with his/her back resting against the attacker's back. Then the attacker stands up while holding the victim in an upside down position while both the victim and the attacker's arms are still hooked. The attacker then drops to a sitting position.

Vertical Suplex Piledriver

Better known as the Steiner Screw Driver or PilePlex, the wrestler applies a front face lock to the opponent and hooks the recipient's nearest arm over the attacker's shoulder and lifts him/her into a Vertical Suplex position. He then lets go and forces him/her into the normal Piledriver position, dropping them on his/her head, while the attacker drops to a sitting position. Scott Steiner popularized this move, primarily while wrestling in Japan.

Powerbomb

A powerbomb is a move in which a victim is lifted up (usally so that he is sitting on the attacker's shoulders) then slammed down back-first to the mat.

The standard Powerbomb sees a wrestler placed in a standing headscissors position (bent forward with his head placed between the attacker's thighs) then lifted up on the attacker's shoulders, then slammed down back-first to the mat.

The very first ever power bomb, was allegedly performed by Lou Thesz accidentally when he badly botched a piledriver.

Belly to Back Powerbomb

The attacker puts the victim in a standing headscissors (Bent over in between the attackers legs) lifts the victim upside down (Piledriver Postion), From there he/she swings the victim up horizontally to the mat, and slams the victim down to the mat with extra force. This is sometimes called "The Power Outage"

Chokebomb

Similar to a chokeslam, except that the wrestler drops to a sitting position and slams the victim to the mat between his/her legs. The two-handed choke variant was made popular by The A-Train who called it the Derailer, A-Bomb, or Baldo Bomb, and is currently being used by Viscera as The Embalmer. The one-handed choke variant is used by TNA's Abyss who calls it the Miracle Ecstasy Bomb, a name that was made popular by the Japanese innovator of the move, Men's Teioh.

Crucifix powerbomb

Also known as the "Razor's Edge"; it is a powerbomb in which the opponent is lifted on to the back of the attacker with his/her arms spread out. This variation was made popular by Scott Hall and is used now by Mordecai. A variation is Mike Awesome's Running Awesome Bomb and is also known as the Hammer Bomb.

Elevated powerbomb

Similar to a normal Powerbomb but instead of slamming the opponent directly on the mat from the shoulders, the attacker lifts the opponent even higher by extending his/her arms up then drives the opponent down to the canvas.

This version of a powerbomb is used by The Undertaker as one of his finishers and refers to it as The Last Ride.

Ganso Bomb

Whether or not this exists as a move is controversial, since some think it was originally a blown spot. It was done seemingly accidentally by Toshiaki Kawada in a match against Mitsuharu Misawa in 1999, but its subsequent use by Kawada against Keiji Muto in 2002 more or less confirmed its status as a real move.

The move happened when Misawa tried to reverse Kawada's Powerbomb with a Hurracanrana. However, Kawada stood his ground against the reversal, and Misawa's momentum caused him to hang vertically against Kawada, facing away from him; Misawa had his back against Kawada's stomach, his head between Kawada's knees, and his knees over Kawada's shoulders. Kawada wrapped his arms around Misawa's torso to secure the hold and dropped to his knees, driving Misawa's head into the mat. The move has gained a legendary reputation for being dangerous to the receiving performer because of its "unprotected" head bump (i.e., Misawa's head fell against the mat without being secured between Kawada's knees), but since Misawa's head was above the level of Kawada's knees, he was relatively safe compared to some other bumps taken regularly by AJPW performers.

Ganso means "original" in Japanese. The move is also known as the Hangman's DDT, this name was invented and popularized by two games, WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and WWF No Mercy, which were developed by AKI and released on the Nintendo 64 in the US. Having previously developed Japanese wrestling games featuring Toshiaki Kawada, AKI left the move, along with many other Japanese moves, the in the US games they developed as a bonus feature. However, most Americans didn't know what the Ganso Bomb was or even that ganso was a real word, so calling it its original name in an American video game sound like Engrish.

Gutwrench powerbomb

A gutwrench powerbomb involves a wrestler standing over a opponent locking his/her arms around the victim's waist and lifting him/her up over the wrestler's head on the wrestler's shoulders and slamming him/her down back-first to the mat. Also known as the Doctor Bomb as used by "Dr. Death" Steve Williams.

Inverted Powerbomb

The attacker faces a bent-over victim and applies a waistlock. The attacker then flips the victim up so they are lying across the attacker's shoulder, facing upward, with the attacker maintaining the waistlock to hold them in position. The attacker then falls forward while flipping the victim back down, driving the victim horizontally face first into the ground. This move was popularised by Ron "Faarooq" Simmons, who called it The Dominator.

Jackknife powerbomb

Commonly used by Kevin Nash, it is similar to a normal powerbomb. But, when the opponent is lifted into the air, he/she is simply dropped without any extra force exerted. Sometimes, the opponent would be thrown away from the attacker rather than just a normal drop.

Sitout powerbomb

Also called a sit-down powerbomb, this is any powerbomb in which the attacker drops into a sitting position as he/she slams his/her opponent down to the mat. This maneuver can be done with any variation of a powerbomb i.e Sitout Gutwrench Powerbomb, Sitout Tiger Driver etc.

The most common sitout variation is that of a standard powerbomb, in which the victim is placed in a standing headscissors then lifted up on the attacker's shoulders. At this point, the attacker slams the victim and at the same time falls to a sitting position, Current WWE superstar Batista uses this version and calls it the Batista Bomb. Also known as [Akira Taue's] Dynamic Bomb

Spin-out powerbomb

This is a belly-to-back powerbomb usually beginning in the back suplex position and ending as a sitout powerbomb.

Also known as a Blue Thunder Powerbomb or Blue Thunder Driver, popularized by Japanese wrestler Jun "Blue Thunder" Akiyama. In mainstream US wrestling, Val Venis is probably the most famous user of this move.

Another variation of this move ends in side slam positions like John Cena's Protobomb/Freestyle.

Sunset flip powerbomb

A move in which a wrestler will roll/flip over an elevated opponent facing him/her and use the momentum to pull the victim down to the mat back-first.

Tiger Driver

The attacker hooks the opponent's arms before the victim is lifted up so that he/she is sitting on the attacker's shoulders then slammed down back first to the mat. Also called a double underhook powerbomb.

This move's most famous user, Mitsuharu Misawa, also innovated a variation called Tiger Driver '91 (for the year it was invented). In this variation, the receiver's head is clenched between the attacker's knees and driven into the mat; afterwards, the attacker flips them over for a pin.

Some people refer to a Tiger Driver as a Tiger Bomb because of it being a version of a powerbomb.

Turnbuckle Powerbomb

The attacker faces a standing victim, forces him/her to bend forwards, takes holds of his/her torso and then flips the victim up and over so the victim is sitting on the attacker's shoulders. The attacker then faces a corner of the ring and throws the victim into the corner, driving the back and neck of the victim into the turnbuckle. This move is used by wrestlers B-Boy and Erik Watts who used it as a finisher he dubbed the E-Bomb during his time in TNA.

Powerslam

A powerslam is any slam in which the wrestler performing the technique falls face-down on top of their opponent.

Front Powerslam

The attacker reaches between the victim's legs with one arm and reaches around the victim's back from the same side with their other arm. The wrestler lifts their victim up over their shoulder and falls forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first. Wrestlers sometimes run forward as they slam—this is called a Running Powerslam, and was made famous by The British Bulldog.

Powerslam Pin

The attacker places one arm between the victim's legs and reaches over the victim's shoulder with their other arm. The wrestler then spins the victim over onto their back, keeping the victim horizontal across their body as they fall face-down on top of the victim in a pinning position. This move is usually performed on a charging opponent, using the victim's own momentum to power the throw.

Falling slam

Facing his/her opponent, the wrestler reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up so he/she are horizontal across the wrestler's body then falls forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first. Also known as a Reverse Fallaway Slam, this can also see the attacker slam the victim to the ground and roll over them using his/her weight and momentum (a rolling fallaway slam).

Gorilla press powerslam

Similar to a gorilla press slam. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head with arms fully extended (as in the military press used in weight lifting), then drops his/her opponent up over his/her shoulder and falls forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first. Johnny Stamboli used this as finisher which he dubbed the "Fuhgetaboutit".

Suplex Powerslam

The attacker applies a Front face lock, throws his/her near arm over his/her shoulder, and then grabs his/her tights to lift him/her up straight in the air (as in most standard suplexs). When the wrestler begins to drop the victim to the mat the wrestler will fall face-down on top of his/her opponent (in a powerslam position).

This move was invented by Dean Malenko, and popularized by Bill Goldberg, who called it "The Jackhammer".

Another version of this move sees a wrestler use the standard vertical suplex to lift the opponent into the air and place him/her over the attacker's shoulder before proforming a running powerslam.

Side slam

The wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the opposite direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms. The wrestler lifts him/her up with one arm and falls forward, slamming the victim into the mat back-first. The side slam is frequently referred to by its Japanese name of Ura-nage and is frequently performed against a charging opponent, similar to a low clothesline.

It has been used as a finisher by many wrestlers, including The Big Boss Man, who called it the Bossman Slam, The Rock, who calls it the Rock Bottom, and Booker T, who calls it the Book End.

More variations:

Elevated side slam

In this variation the opponent is first lifted into the air in a belly-to-back suplex motion before it is turned into a side slam so the victim is dropped from an elevated position. This version is used by Mark Jindrak, who calls it "The Mark of Excellence".

Another elevated side slam starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up and holding the opponent in the vertical postion, at this point the face lock is released and as the victim falls back down, his/she is placed into a side slam position and dropped to the mat. This version is used by Matt Morgan.

Swinging side slam

Facing his opponent, the wrestler reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestler's body then the attacker swing the lower half of the victim's body out and round until one arm is across the victim's chest and under both arms. The wrestler falls forward, slamming the victim into the mat back-first. Chris Harris also uses this move in which he calls the Catatonic. Billy Gunn uses this move and he calls is the Gunn Slinger.

Spinning side slam

The wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the opposite direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms. The wrestler then lifts him/her up with one arm as he/she swings the victim 180° to the opposite side, while the wrestler faces the same direction, then falls onto the opponent slamming the victim onto the mat back-first.

In another version of this move, which is performed against a charging opponent, the wrestler uses the victim's own momentum to power the throw and can can see the wrestler with the victim in the air spinning back round nearly 360° before droping him to the mat. This version is currently being used by Abyss who calls it the Black Hole Slam it has also been used recently by Heidenreich.

Sidewalk slam

The wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the same direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms and places the other arm under the victim's legs. The wrestler then lifts him/her up, bringing his/her legs off the ground, and falls down to the mat in a sitting position, slamming the victim into the mat back-first. It was formerly used by late Big Boss Man.

Shoulderbreaker

A Shoulderbreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's shoulder against any part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee.

Snake Eyes

This requires the attacker to place his/her opponent on top of the attacker's shoulder, facing down, and throwing the opponent, face first, onto a turnbuckle.

This move is used commonly by The Undertaker and Kevin Nash.

Snapmare

With their back to the victim the attacker applies a cravatte or a 3/4 facelock then kneels down and snaps the victim over their shoulder so the victim lands back first on the mat.

Suplex

A suplex is the same as the amateur suplay, a throw which involves arching/bridging either overhead or twisting to the side. The term suplex (without qualifiers) can also refer specifically to the vertical suplex.

Belly to Back Suplex

The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using one arm around the waist of the opponent and another under his/her legs. The attacker finally falls backwards to slam the opponent flat on his/her back. Often more simply referred to as a back suplex.

Belly to Belly Suplex

The attacker wraps his/her arms around his/her opponent in a waistlock or a bodylock and flips him/she over by violently bridging his/her own body so the opponent lands on his/her back. This can be done either overhead or to the side. Magnum T.A. was the first notable wrestler to win matches with it. This move is also performed by Kurt Angle as one of his signature moves.

Double Underhook Suplex

The wrestler and opponent face each other, the opponent bent forward. The wrestler hooks the opponent's arms back, placing his/her arms under the back of the opponent's elbows, with his/her hands on top of the opponent's back in an axe-handle. The wrestler then lifts the opponent into an upside-down vertical position, and releases the armlocks as he/she falls back, shifting the opponent to one side as the opponent flips over.

Other names include:

• double axe-handle suplex / double axe suplex
• double chicken-wing suplex
• butterfly suplex

Exploder Suplex

This is best known as a T-Bone Suplex and is a variant of a belly-to-belly suplex. Rather then crossing the opponent's arms around his/her own, the wrestler performing the T-Bone Suplex wraps one of the opponent's arms behind his/her back and throws him/her overhead in the same motion as a belly-to-belly. Another way of finishing this grapple is during the belly-to-belly like motion of throwing the opponent is for the wrestler to catch him/her and fall backward like a fall-away slam.

The first version involved a bridging pin and was called the Blizzard Suplex.

Jun Akiyama used a variation of this which he calls it the Exploder '98. The only difference is that he takes the opponent's free hand and clutches it in a Pumphandle.

A modified version that ends in a Powerslam Pin is currently used as a finisher by WWE Superstar, Shelton Benjamin.

The term T-Bone suplex came from Tazz, calling it the "T-Bone Tazzplex".

Fisherman Suplex

Also known as a cradle suplex, or a "Perfectplex" (named by Mr. Perfect as his finisher). With his/her opponent in a front face lock with the near arm draped over the attacker's shoulder, the wrestler vhooks the victim's near leg with his/her free arm and falls backwards to flip the victim oer onto the victim's back. The attacker usually keeps the leg locked and bridges to get a pin, or applies a leglock submission hold.

A swinging variation of this move sees a wrestler, with his/her opponent in a front face lock with the near arm draped over his/her shoulder, hook the victim's near leg with his/her free arm and rolls over to one side, fliping the victim over onto his/her back.

Full Nelson Suplex

This move is also known as the Dragon Suplex and Nightmare Suplex, a variation of the German Suplex where the attacker does a full nelson, then lifts the victim up and slams him/her backwards on the upper back and head. It can be bridged for a pinfall attempt.

Gutwrench Suplex

A gutwrench suplex involves a wrestler standing over a opponent locking his/her arms around the victim's waist and lifting him/her up and slamming him/her over back-first down to the mat.

German Suplex

A belly-to-back waistlock/gutwrench suplex. The attacker stands behind the victim, grabs him/her around the waist, lifts him/her up, and falls backward to slam the victim back-first. Frequently the attacker finishes in a bridging position with the waistlock still applied to try for a pin. A popular variant is to follow up a German suplex by rolling sideways while still holding the waistlock and perform another German suplex. This maneuver, popularized recently by Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, is called rolling Germans.

Half Nelson Suplex

This is a version of a German suplex where the attacker stands behind, slightly to one side of and facing the victim. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with his/her corresponding arm and places the palm of his/her hand on the neck of the victim, thereby forcing the arm of the victim up into the air (the Half Nelson). The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards slamming the victim backwards on to the upper back and head of his/her head. Or, the victim can be thrown backwards face-first as popularized by Mitsuharu Misawa.

Inverted Suplex

The attacker applies an inverted facelock to the victim with one arm and uses the his/her other arm to elevate the victim, so the victim ends up in a sitting position with his/her back parallel to the ground. The attacker then falls backwards, driving the upper back and shoulders of the victim into the ground.

This move is also refered to as a Lifting Diving Reverse DDT and is most well known as D-Von Dudley's finisher called the Saving Grace

Northern Lights Suplex

The attacker puts his head under the arm of the victim and clutches the victim in a belly to belly suplex and flips him/her over. This move was invented and first performed by Japanese wrestler Hiroshi Hase. This suplex can be either bridged into a pin, or the attacker can floatover into another Northern Lights Suplex.

Pumphandle Suplex

The wrestler stands behind his/her opponent and bends him/her forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between his/her legs and held, while the other arm is hooked. The attacker then lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head and falls backwards to slam the victim against the mat back-first.

Rolling Release Suplex

This suplex starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up in the vertical postion, at this point the face lock is partly released as the attacker falls forward, the momentum of the attacker forces the victim to roll out of the face lock and drop back-first down to the mat.

Saito Suplex

The attacker stands behind and to one side of the victim. The attacker wraps one arm around the waist of the victim and grabs the back of the victim's near leg with his/her other arm. The attacker then lifts the victim on to his/her shoulder and then falls backwards, driving the victim into the ground at a high angle. This move was formerly used by Shawn Michaels, who called it the Teardrop Suplex.

Side Suplex

Also knwon as a Ura-nage Suplex, or Sambo Suplex this move involes a wrestler standing side-to-side and slightly behind an victim, facing in the opposite direction, and reaching around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms, the wrestler then bridges backwards and twists his own body to the oppsite side of the opponent pulling the victim over the attacker and down to the mat back-first.

Also, "side suplex" can refer to a Russian Legsweep.

Slingshot Suplex

The attacker faces a standing victim with one side of the ring immediately behind the victim. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim, takes hold of the victim with his/her free hand, then lifts the victim until he/she is nearly vertical. The attacker then falls forward so that the torso of the victim bounces off the top ring rope, and uses this momentum to quickly lift the victim overhead once more and falls backwards, driving the back and shoulders of the victim into the ground.

Snap Suplex

A front facelock suplex. The attacker applies a front face lock to his/her opponent and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then quickly falls backwards and flips the victim over to land on his/her back. The attacker may grab the victim's shorts for extra leverage before falling. It is used commonly by Chris Benoit as one of his signature moves.

Super-plex

Any suplex performed by an attacker standing on the second rope against an opponent sitting on the top rope or top turnbuckle. Frequently done to prevent the victim from performing a high-flying technique. This move was made famous by Cowboy Bob Orton.

Suplex slam

This move is similar to most suplexes and starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up and holding the opponent in the vertical postion. This is where the move differs from most of its counter parts with the attacker not falling with the victim but just throwing him to the mat. Sometimes this involves the wrestler turning the victim in midair and slamming the opponent down to the mat infront of him/her. The normal form of the move slams the opponent onto his back; if the opponent is slammed onto his/her front, it is an inverted suplex slam. In performing either the normal or inverted moves, the wrestler can also fall into a sit-out position, resulting in a sitout suplex slam.

The normal sitout suplex slam is also called the Falcon's arrow, and is a popular move of Hardcore Holly who at one point referred to the move as The Hollycaust. The inverted suplex slam is also known as the Gordbuster, and the inverted sitout suplex slam as the sitout Gordbuster.

Table Top Suplex

See Fallaway Slam

T-Bone Suplex

see Exploder Suplex

Tiger Suplex

Another variation of the German Suplex except the attacker grabs the victim's arms in a double chickenwing and lifts him/her up while bridgeing into a pin or released.

Vertical Suplex

Set up similar to a snap suplex, except that when the victim is in position he is lifted up and held upside-down before the attacker falls backwards. Eddie Guerrero introduced a signature maneuver in which, after falling to the ground with his opponent, he flips himself over while maintaining his hold, pulls the victim back into the original position, and performs another vertical suplex. He ends once he has performed three suplexes. WWE announcers have dubbed the sequence Three Amigos; some fans have taken to calling this rolling verticals (an analogy from rolling Germans). Simon Diamond also does the three suplex series. He calls them " The Simon Series".

Wheelbarrow Suplex

This move is achieved when a wrestler wraps a foward facing opponent's legs around the his/her waist (either by stands behind an opponent who is laying face-first on the mat or by catching a charging opponent), then the wrestler would apply a gutwrentch hold and lift the opponent up off the ground into the air, then the attacker will continue lifting and fall backwards to hit this variation of a German Suplex

X-Plex

A variation of the German Suplex where the victim's arms are crossed across their chest, a straitjacket-like hold, and held by the attacker. The attacker subsequently lifts the victim backwards landing like a German Suplex.

Gregory Helms, The Hurricane, used this move in the WCW.

Trips/Sweeps

Drop Toe-hold

The attacker falls to the ground, placing one foot at the front of the opponent's ankle and the other in the back of the shin. This causes the victim to fall face first into the ground. It is sometimes used illegaly to force an opponent into a chair or other elevated weapon; it is also used occasionally to force an opponent face-first into the turnbuckles, stunning him or her momentarily.

It is used by Rey Mysterio into the second rope as a set-up to his 619 finisher.

Half Nelson Legsweep

The attacker stands behind, slightly to one side of and facing the victim. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with his/her corresponding arm and places the palm of his/her hand on the neck of the victim, thereby forcing the arm of the victim up into the air (the Half Nelson). The attacker then uses his/her other arm to pull the victim's other arm behind the victim's head, so both victim's arms are pinned. The attacker then hooks the victim's near leg and throws themselves backwards, driving the victim back-first to the ground.

Russian legsweep

Also known as a Side Suplex or a Side Russian Legsweep a move in which a wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the same direction, and reaches behind the victim's back to hook the opponents head with the other hand extending the victims nearest arm, then while hooking the opponents leg the wrestler falls backward, pulling the victim to the mat back-first.

There is also a facebuster variation of this move.

Schoolboy

The attacker drops down to his/her knees behind the opponent and forces his bodyweight forward to force the opponent to fall flat on his/her face. This technique gives its name to the schoolboy bump.

STO

The STO (Space Tornado Ogawa) is a sweep in which an attacker wraps one arm across the chest of his/her opponent and sweeps the opponent's legs with his/her own leg to slam the other wrestler back-first. This can also be a lariat-legsweep combination to slam down opponent. Same as the judo sweep O-soto-gari. Today the move is utilized as a signiture move (from a run) by independant wrestler Rufio Rush.

Claw-hold STO

Also known as an STK, this move is a STO where the attacker would first apply a head claw with one hand before sweeping his/her opponent's legs to slam down the victim's head on the mat. This move is used by Kenzo Suzuki as his finisher.

Set up move

These are transition moves that set up for various throws and slams. See Transition holds