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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 that reflect their Gimmick . Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. AIRPLANE SPIN TOSS The wrestler lifts the opponent up on their shoulders face up in an Argentine Backbreaker Rack , spins around, pushes the opponent up, and moves out of the way, dropping the opponent down to the mat. Spinning crucifix toss The wrestler lifts the opponent above their back with the opponent's arm spread out in a Crucifix Hold , spins around, pushes the opponent up, and moves out of the way, dropping the opponent down to the mat. Notable users include: Slash (The Slash and Burn/Whirlybird), James Storm ('''Eye of the Storm'''), and Colt Cabana 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 on the victim's arm. It is also known as a Single Arm DDT. The affected area of this attack is the shoulder, not the head as with normal DDT's. The attacker grabs 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. The attacker then reaches over the victim's shoulder and wrap it around his/her 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, as a result of Wolfe taking the bump wrong and landing on his head instead of his shoulder. ARMBREAKER An armbreaker is any move, in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's arm against a part of the wrestler's body, usually a knee or shoulder. The armbreaker is also a popular name for a submission maneuver involving using leverage against an extended arm, the classic example being a leg scissors over the opponent's shoulder and using leverage on the arm with one's arms or hands. 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 is thought, by some, to have applied some of 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 Seoinage '' found in Judo . 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. The maneuver is a popular rest hold in American wrestling. Quite frequently the move is broken with an Irish Whip, reversed into a hammerlock, or countered with a reverse elbow or eye rake/gouge. 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 Also known as Manhattan drop, mainly in Japan . 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. As this in an indirect Low Blow it is considered a legal move. Theoretically, it is the opponent's groin that has impacted with the wrestler's knee, not the other way around. Notable users include: Bret Hart , Shawn Michaels , Ric Flair , Masahiro Chono (Manhattan Drop), Goldust , Rico , and Charlie Haas BACKBREAKER See Also: 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. BACK BODY DROP A back body drop or '''backdrop''', is a move in which a wrestler bends forward or crouches in front of his/her 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 applied frequently against a charging opponent. In Japan, a backdrop is the term for what is called a Belly-to-back Suplex in America. Mountain Bomb The opponent runs towards the wrestler. The wrestler ducks, hooks one of the opponent's legs with one of his arms, stands up and falls backwards, flipping the opponent and driving him back first down to the mat, with the wrestler landing on top of the opponent. Innovated and named by Hiroyoshi Tenzan . BODY SLAM A body slam is any move in which a wrestler picks up his or her opponent and throws him or her down to the ground. Alabama slam Also known as a Water-Wheel Slam, '''Fly-swatter''' or '''Slapjack spinebuster'''. This High-angle Spinebuster involves a wrestler placing their head between an opponent's knees or under the opponent's arm, then standing up, holding onto their opponent's legs, so that the opponent is facing the wrestler's back. The wrestler then simply brings both hands down, throwing the opponent back-first to the mat. Hardcore Holly uses the Alabama Slam (the name references His Home State ) as his finisher. In the WWF No Mercy videogame for the Nintendo 64, this move is confused with the sidewalk slam. Other notable users include: Booker T , Monty Brown Biel throw The wrestler stands to the side of their opponent, grabs them, and throws them forward, causing them to flip over onto their 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 ming Big Show on ''RAW'' .]] See Also: Chokeslam A chokeslam is any body slam in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them 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 their free hand behind the victim's back to help turn them horizontally for the throw. This is often used by big wrestlers because it emphasizes their strength. A two-handed choke variation on two victims or one is also popular. Cobra clutch slam In this slam a wrestler places the opponent in a Cobra Clutch and then jumps backwards, falling face down, driving the opponent back first down to the mat. Kip James uses this move, calling it The Mississippi Boat Ride, although he would lift the victim into the air by their neck before driving them downward. Fireman's carry slam A wrestler drapes an opponent over their shoulders in a Fireman's Carry position then the wrestler then takes hold of the thigh and arm of the opponent, which are hung over the front side of the wrestler, he then either leans forward and pulls the opponent over their head and shoulders slamming the opponent down on their back in front 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. Notable users of this variation include Fit Finlay ('''Finlay Roll'''), Rob Van Dam ('''Steam Roller'''), William Regal ('''Regal Roll'''), and Ken Kennedy , who performs the move From The Second Rope . Fireman's carry takeover The wrestler kneels down on one knee and simultaneously grabs hold of one the opponent's thighs with one arm and one of the opponent's arms with his other arm. He then pulls the opponent on his shoulders and then rises up slightly, using the motion to push the opponent off his shoulders, flipping him to the mat onto his back. This is usually used as a transition move. John Cena uses a standing variation of this move as one of his F-U variations, where he stands up after lifting the opponent over his shoulders, and then flips them over and drops them down on their back. Fallaway slam Also known as a Table Top Suplex. The wrestler, while standing in front of an opponent would reaches between their opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with their other arm. The wrestler lifts their opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestler's body then falls backward throwing the victim over their head down to the mat back-first. This slam can be either Bridged Into A Pin , or the attacker can float over into another fallaway slam. Notable users of the standard fallaway slam include Scott Hall , and Bradshaw who called it the Last Call. Paul London and South West England star Chris Andrews are known for bridging the move into a pin. Full nelson slam In this move the aggressor places their opponent in a full nelson hold and uses it to lift them off the ground. Once in the air, the aggressor removes one of their arms (so their opponent is now in a half nelson) and slams them down to the mat. This is a signature move of Hardcore Holly Sitout full nelson slam The attacker places the victim in a Full Nelson . The attacker then lifts the victim into the air, maintaining the hold. The attacker then drops to a sitting position, driving the lower spine of the victim into the ground. Bubba Ray Dudley uses this move, calling it the Bubba Bomb. Currently in TNA, due to stage name trademark issues, it is just called the '''Full Nelson Bomb'''. Gorilla press slam Gorilla Presses Jeff Jarrett during an episode of TNA IMPACT! ]] This slam sees a wrestler first lift their opponent up over their head with arms fully extended (as in the military press used in Weight Lifting ), before lowering the arm under the head of the opponent so that the victim falls to that side, while flipping over and landing on his/her back. This is one of the signature moves for Goldberg and other powerful wrestlers. In a variation of the move, the attacker falls to a seated position, slamming the victim down between their legs, in a fashion similar to that of the Michinoku Driver II. This is referred to as a Gorilla Press Driver. Gorilla press drop The wrestler lifts their opponent up over their 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. Scott Steiner uses a variation of the Gorilla press drop where he presses the opponent a few times before dropping them. Half nelson slam hits a half nelson slam on Kerwin White ]] The attacker stands behind, slightly to one side of and facing the victim. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with their corresponding arm and places the palm of their 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. This move is used by Val Venis . Olympic slam hits the Angle Slam on Eddie Guerrero ]] An attacking wrestler places their head under an opponent's arm, and lifts up an opponent so that they are 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 described 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'''). A wrist-clutch variant is used by Hirooki Goto , who calls it the '''Go To Heaven'''. Pumphandle drop The wrestler stands behind their opponent and bends them forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between their legs and held, while the other arm is hooked. The attacker then lifts their opponent up until they are parallel with the attacker's chest, then throws themselves forward, driving the back of the victim into the ground with the weight of the attacker atop them. This move is used by B.G. James . A variation of this move is called the Tilt Slam sees the attacker elevate the victim to chest height then simply throw them to the ground. Pumphandle slam The wrestler stands behind their opponent and bends them forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between their legs and held, while the other arm is hooked ( Pumphandle ). The attacking wrestler uses the hold to lift the opponent up over their shoulder, while over the shoulder the attacking wrestler would fall forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first, normally the type of Powerslam delivered is a Front Powerslam . The move can also see other variations of a powerslam used, Gene Snitsky is known to drop the victim into a Sidewalk Slam position; this version is referred to as a Pumphandle Side Slam, Snitsky calls this '''Egoist Schwein'''. The standard Pumphandle slam was popularized by WCW star Wrath, who called it the '''Meltdown''', and was also used by Test , and The Boogeyman who calls it '''Goodnight'''. Pumphandle Michinoku driver II The attacker lifts the victim as with a pumphandle slam, but falls to a sitting position and drops the opponent between their legs as with a Michinoku Driver II . Used by Scott Andrews (Force of Nature) and Magnum TOKYO ('''Viagra Driver''' and '''Egoist Driver'''). Pumphandle fallaway slam Also known as the Tilt Suplex. The wrestler hooks up the opponent as per a pumphandle slam, then the wrestler goes through the body movements for the fallaway slam, executing the release of the opponent as they enter the apex of the throw, instead of at or just past the apex of the throw like when one executes the fallaway slam. Usually the opponent then adds effort to gain extra rotations in the air for effect or to ensure that they do not take the bump on their side. Used by Monty Brown and Goldberg . Samoan drop The wrestler drapes an opponent over their shoulders in a Fireman's Carry position then falls backwards, dropping the victim to the mat. This throw is mainly performed on charging opponents and has been a signature move for Samoan wrestlers throughout the years, including The Rock and Rikishi . Currently this move is used by Shelton Benjamin , Viscera , Sonny Siaki , and Tatanka (The Trail's End) Scoop slam Facing their opponent, the wrestler reaches between their opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with their er other arm. The wrestler lifts their 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 so that they land on their back. Spinebuster slam This is also known simply as a Spinebuster. The wrestler starts facing their opponent. They then grab the opponent around the waist and lift them up. They then turn 180°, at the same time turning the victim into a horizontal position across the chest, and toss them forward onto their back. It is usually performed against a charging opponent, using the victim's own Momentum to power the throw. Notable users of this move include: Arn Anderson , Triple H , Stone Cold Steve Austin , David Young , Rhino . Another version of this sees the wrestler elevate the charging opponent up, and without spinning, slamming the victim down to the mat. Notable users of this version include: The Rock , Faarooq , Batista , Trish Stratus , Triple H , Booker T. , Val Venis , Brock Lesnar , and John Cena . BRAINBUSTER See Also: Brainbuster A brainbuster, also known as an 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 falls onto his/her back so that the victim lands on his/her head while remaining vertical. BULLDOG performing a one arm bulldog / Facebuster on James Dick.]] A bulldog, or bulldogging headlock, is any move in which the wrestler grabs an opponent's head or applies a head lock or face lock to his/her opponent and jumps forward, so that the attacker lands 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. Half nelson bulldog The attacker hooks a half nelson hold on his opponent with one arm and his opponent's waist with the other. He then leaps forward into a sitting position, driving the face of the victim into the ground. Users of note: Edge (The Winning Edge) Spinning bulldog The attacker places the victim in a Modified Fireman's Carry in which the victim is held diagonally across the attackers back with their legs across one shoulder and head under the opposite shoulder (usually held in place with a facelock). The attacker then spins simultaneously throwing the victim's legs off the attacker's shoulders and dropping to the ground, driving the victim's head into the mat in a bulldog position. It is currently used by wrestler James Storm as his finisher the Eight Second Ride Cutter ''See Cutter (professional Wrestling) '' 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/her arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes etc. This can also be held for a Backbreaker . DDT See Also: DDT (professional wrestling) 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. DEATH VALLEY DRIVER Often abbreviated to D.V.D. Known as '''Death Valley Bomb''' in Japan . This is a move in which a brainbuster-type slam is performed from a Fireman's Carry . The attacker falls in the direction that the victim's head is facing, driving the victim's head into the mat. A notable user of the D.V.D. was Louie Spicolli , who used it as a finisher during his tenure in ECW. Upon his death the move was unofficially renamed a "Spicolli Driver" when any wrestler performed the move in ECW, especially Tommy Dreamer , by announcer Joey Styles . Other notable users include: Perry Saturn , Daisuke Ikeda , & The Godfather (Pimp Drop) Sean O'Haire uses a varation of this move calling it the Widow Maker or '''The Prophecy''', in which he throws out his opponent on the opposite side. Inverted Death Valley driver Also known as a Burning hammer, or '''inverted D.V.D.'''. The move is executed from a Argentine Backbreaker Rack (face up, with the neck and one leg cradled) position. The attacker falls sideways, driving the victim's head to the mat. This is an extremely dangerous move as the opponent's body cannot roll with the natural momentum of the move to absorb the impact. The move was innovated by Kotetsu Yamamoto , and popularized by Kenta Kobashi (Burning Hammer). Side Death Valley driver A variation between the regular Death Valley driver and the inverted one. The opponent lays on the shoulders of the wrestler on his side, facing either the opposite or the same direction as the wrestler, with the wrestler holding the opponent by the lower leg, and either the head or lower arm. The wrestler then falls sideways, driving the opponent down to the mat shoulder and neck first. Notable users include: Claudio Castagnoli Kenta Kobashi has used a Pumphandle variation known as Wrist-clutch Burning Hammer. DRIVER A Driver is a variation of many moves that involves an opponent being driven down between the legs of an attacker (who is dropping to a seated position) on the back of his/her neck/shoulder area. Blue Thunder driver See Spin-out Powerbomb . Fisherman driver The wrestler places the opponent in a Front Facelock and hooks one of the opponent's legs with his free arm. The wrestler then lifts the opponent upside down or onto his shoulders, and then sits down, driving the opponent between his legs, head and shoulder first. Notable users include: Low Ki (Ki Krusher '99) Half nelson driver The attacker hooks a Half Nelson Hold on his opponent with one arm and his opponent's waist with the other. The attacker then leaps forward into a sitting position, while flipping the opponent over, and driving the victim between his legs, onto his head and back. Notable users include: Jonny Storm (Wonderwhirl) Michinoku driver II Also known as a body slam piledriver 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 him/her upside down so that he/she is held up by the attacker's arm cradling his/her 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 Michinoku rarely uses the original Michinoku Driver, a double underhook brainbuster. Other notable users include: Juventud Guerrera (Juvi Driver), Rene Dupree ('''Dupree Driver''') Michinoku driver II-B Taka Michinoku also invented a variation of the Michinoku Driver II in which the wrestler stands behind the opponent, applies an Inverted Facelock , lifts them upside down, and then drops down to a sitting position, driving the opponent down to the mat between the wrestler's legs upper back first. Samoan driver performing a modified Samoan driver.]] This move is essentially a fireman's carry variation of a Michinoku Driver II . The attacking wrestler drapes an opponent over their shoulders in a Fireman's Carry position and then takes hold of the opponent and pulls them over their shoulder and down to the mat while falling to a sitting position so that the opponent lands on their upper back and neck between the legs of the attacker, facing towards them. Notable users include: Chris Chetti (Amityville Horror), Scott D'Amore ('''D'Amoralizer'''), and Alex Shane ('''One Night Stand'''). A slight variation of this move, called the Cradle Shock, is used by Chris Sabin who crosses his opponent's legs whilst they are on his shoulders. Tiger driver Popularized by Mitsuharu Misawa . The wrestler faces a bent over opponent. The wrestler then double underhooks the opponent's arms and lifts them up, flipping them and dropping them on their back. The wrestler falls to a sitting position, often pinning the opponent in the process. This is also known as a sitout double underhook powerbomb. Other notable users include: James Gibson , Dean Malenko , Yoshinari Ogawa , Roderick Strong (Gibson Driver) Mitsuharu Misawa innovated a variation which he called the Tiger Driver '91 (for the year it was invented). In this variation, instead of dropping the opponent on their back, they are dropped on their neck and shoulders, and the wrestler drops to their knees. There is some dispute over the correct name because the move resembles a Powerbomb more than a driver - thus, the move is also known as a Tiger Bomb. However, Tiger Driver is the original and more commonly accepted name. Some consider a ''' Double Underhook Powerbomb ''' where the attacker does not sitout to be a Tiger Bomb, while the sit-out variant is considered the Tiger Driver. 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. The beginning of the electric chair drop is also the setup for many of the Device double team moves. Frankie Kazarian uses a wristlock variation of this move, bridged into a pin, as a finisher, calling it the Back to the Future. Electric chair bomb The attacker lifts the victim so they are sitting on the shoulders of the attacker, facing in the same direction. The attacker then quickly falls to a sitting position, slamming the victim face-first to the mat. 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. Facebreaker DDT The attacker applies a Front Facelock and then falls backwards, much like a normal DDT , but instead of the victim's head impacting the mat, the attacker falls to a kneeling, or sitting position, driving the face of the victim onto his/her knee. Notable users include: Bruno Sassi , Sonjay Dutt Facebreaker knee smash The knee smash is a standard ''Facebreaker'' which involves the attacker facing an opponent and grabbing hold of them by their 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 them up for another move. Notable users include: Triple H Another variation sees the wrestler apply a Standing Side Headlock , and simultaneously pull the opponent forward and smash the wrestler's knee to the opponent's head. The opponent usually falls forward onto their back after impact. Notable users of this variation include: Giant Baba (Coconut Crush), Akira Taue FACEBUSTER See Also: Facebuster A facebuster, also known as a face plant, 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 facebusters. A standard ''Facebuster'' also known as a ''Jumping facebuster'' involves the attacker grabbing hold of the opponent by his/her head or hair and jumping down, forcing the opponent's face into the mat. FLAPJACK A flapjack is any move that throws the victim so that he/she is pushed upward and therefore having him/her fall on his/her front. In a basic flapjack a wrestlers would push the victim upward by reaching under their legs and lifting them into the air, while remaining the hold on the victim's leg the wrestler would fall backwards, dropping the opponent front-first into the canvas. The move 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 referred to when a flapjack is performed so that the victim would fall across the ring ropes. The finishing move of Eddie Gilbert ; "Stunning" Steve Austin also used the hotshot but referred to it as the '''Stun Gun'''. A variation sees the wrestler lift the opponent on to a Fireman's Carry , and then throw the upper body of the opponent away from the wrestler while the wrestler falls backwards, driving the opponent down to the mat chest first. Alley Oop Also known as reverse powerbomb. The wrestler lifts the opponent so that they are seated on the wrestlers shoulders, facing away from him, as in a Powerbomb . The wrestler then falls backwards while throwing the opponent the same way, dropping them down to the mat on their chest. 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. A basic gutbuster is often called a stomach breaker it is essentially the same as a Backbreaker but with the victim facing the opposite direction. Gutbuster drop A move in which a wrestler lifts an opponent up on to his/her shoulder and drops down to his/her knee dropping the opponent's stomach on the wrestler's shoulder. Current TNA wrestler Christian Cage utilized this technique near the end of his run in WWE. Dean Malenko often employed a second rope variation. Rib breaker hits a rib breaker on Funaki ]] A rib breaker is a version of a gutbuster that involves the attacker scooping the opponent up by reaching between the legs of the opponent with one arm and reaching around their back from the same side with his/her other arm. The attacker then lifts his/her opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestlers body. From here the attacker drops down to one knee, forcing the opponent to drop stomach/rib-first against the wrestler's raised knee. HEADSCISSORS TAKEDOWN The move can be performed two ways, with the wrestler facing up or down. With the attacker's legs scissored around the opponent's head, and if the wrestler is facing up, he performs a backflip, dragging the opponent into a forced somersault that throws the opponent away and on to their back. If the wrestler is facing down, he bends forward instead of performing a backflip. A variation where the wrestler forces the opponent to spin before releasing him is referred to as a Satellite headscissors. Frankensteiner attemps to flip David Young with a Frankensteiner which is often referred to as a Hurricanrana .]] This move is commonly, if not always referred to as a huracanrana/'''Hurricanrana''', although it is technically slightly different. The move is described as a headscissors takedown that is performed against a running opponent. The wrestler jumps on the shoulders of the charging opponent and performs a backflip, using his momentum to throw the opponent over him and on to their back. It was named "Frankensteiner" by Scott Steiner , who used it as a finishing move. The move also has a variation where the opponent is sitting on the top rope, that variation is also referred to as Frankensteiner . Another variation of the Frankensteiner sees a grounded wrestler first "kip up" on to a standing opponent's shoulders, this is where a wrestler roll onto the back of his/her shoulders bringing his/her legs up and kicking forward to build momentum to lift themselfs off the floor and on to the standing opponent. This is often referred to as a "Kip up hurricanrana" (though technically its a frankensteiner) and is closely associated with A.J. Styles . Hurricanrana The correct name for this maneuver is the Huracanrana or '''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 Huracan Ramirez invented the maneuver. This move can be thought of as an inverted version of a victory roll. This move is now commonly used by Rey Mysterio . 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. HIP TOSS The attacker stands next to the victim with both facing the same direction, and the attacker underhooks his/her closest arm underneath and behind 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 John Cena often uses a sitout variation of the hip toss as one of his "Six Moves Of Doom". 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. Sometimes it is also used to counter a headlock by the opponent. 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''.It was also used by Danny Doring in ECW and was known as the Bareback. Stunner MAT SLAM A mat slam 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 considered a type of DDT (if the attacker falls backwards) or Bulldog . 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 Facebuster s. Sitout rear mat slam The attacker takes hold of their opponent's from behind, holding them by the hair or top of the head. The attacker then jumps backwards and falls to a sitting position, driving the back of the victim's head into the ground between their legs. Notable users include: Edge (Edge-O-Matic) Sleeper slam This slamming version of a headlock takedown sees an attacker apply 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. Chyna is well known for using this move. Chris Jericho uses a slight variation, called the Flashback, where he catches the head of a charging opponent, swinging around them to pull them down to the mat. A similar variation is used by Hiroshi Tanahashi who runs towards an opponent, catches their head, swings around them and pulls their head down to the mat with him. He calls this variation '''Sling Blade'''. Another variation is used by Matt Hardy , dubbed the Side Effect, in which Hardy faces the opponent and grabs hold of their upper body, lifts them up and swings his legs forward, bringing the opponent down to the mat with him, onto their upper back. Tilt-a-whirl mat slam As the name suggests the wrestler would first use a Tilt-a-whirl to raise the opponent into a Belly-to-belly (piledriver) position, from here the attacker would fall forward planting the victim into the mat back-first. The move is sometimes named by fans and independent commentators as an ''"Inverted Styles Clash "'' in reference to a belly-to-back version. Though not often used by many wrestlers, this mat slam does happen as a result of other Botched (poorly executed) moves. When a wrestler is lifted for a standard tilt-a-whirl slam they can often be positioned wrong a land in this fashion, also when wrestlers are performing Tombstone Piledriver if the weight isn't properly distributed the attacking wrestler can fall forward instead of straight down; hitting a mat slam rather than the piledriver they are attempting. MONKEY FLIP This throw sees the wrestler jump onto the knees or waist of the victim and hook their hands behind the opponent's head or neck. The wrestler then falls backwards and pushes up with his legs, thus flipping the opponent over and onto their back. This move is commonly done out of a ring corner, and is often referred to as a ''Monkey Climb'' in British wrestling. Notable users include: Mil Máscaras , Rob Van Dam , Eddie Guerrero , Jushin Liger , Claudio Castagnoli , Ashley Massaro NECKBREAKER See Also: Neckbreaker There are two general categories of neckbreaker, which are related only in that they attack the victim's neck. One category of neckbreaker is the type of move in which the wrestler slams his/her opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually his/her knee, head or shoulder. A neckbreaker slam is another technique in which the attacker throws his/her opponent to the ground by twisting the victim's neck. also a ''back head slam'' or, when a wrestler drops to the mat while holding an opponent by their neck, without having to twist it. PILEDRIVER See Also: Piledriver (professional wrestling) 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. POWERBOMB hits a sitout powerbomb]] See Also: Powerbomb A powerbomb is a move in which a victim is lifted up (usually so that he/she 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/her 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 . POWERSLAM See Also: Powerslam A powerslam is any slam in which the wrestler performing the technique falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "Powerslam" usually refers to the Front Powerslam and the Scoop Powerslam . SHIN BREAKER The wrestler faces the opponent from the side, slightly behind. He tucks his head under the opponent's near armpit, and grabs hold of the opponent's near leg, bending it fully. He then lifts the opponent up and slams him downwards, impacting the opponent's bent leg on one of the wrestler's knee. This move is used to weaken the leg for a submission maneuver. Ric Flair uses this to set up for the Figure Four Leg Lock . 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. This move is used to weaken the arm for a submission maneuver. This move would usually see the attacker turn the victim upside-down and drop the victim shoulder-first on the attacker's knee. Usually the victim is held over the attacker's shoulder in either a Powerslam position (as used by Paul Burchill ), or most commonly an Inverted Powerslam position. This was used by Don Muraco as a finishing move as well as Scott Norton while in WCW. Papa Shango used this as a finisher. SNAKE EYES This move would see the attacker to place the victim on top of the attacker's shoulder so that both are facing the same direction while the victim is facing forward, and then the attacker would throw the victim face-first onto a turnbuckle. Notable users include: The Undertaker , Kevin Nash SNAPMARE With the attacker's back to the victim the attacker applies a cravatte or a 3/4 facelock then kneels down and snaps the victim over his/her shoulder so the victim lands back-first on the mat. This is often done as a set-up move for any submission hold that requires the attacker to stand behind the victim. SUPLEX See Also: Suplex A suplex is the same as the amateur '''suplay''', a throw which involves arching/bridging either overhead or twisting to the side, so the opponent is slammed to the mat back-first. The term ''suplex'' (without qualifiers) can also refer specifically to the Vertical Suplex . TRIPS AND SWEEPS Double leg takedown see also Double Leg Takedown A tackle where the intention is to force the opponent down on their back by tackling them at their waist or upper thighs. This usually involves grabbing the opponent with both arms around the opponent's legs while keeping the chest close to the opponent, and using this position to force the opponent to the ground. Similar to Spear or a poorly executed Spinebuster . Dragon screw This is a legwhip where an attacker grabs an opponent's leg and holds it parallel to the mat while they are facing each other, before spinning it toward the inside of the opponent's leg, bringing them down in a turning motion. Popularized by Tatsumi Fujinami who gave the move its name. The Rock and Chris Benoit have also been known to use this move to set up the Sharpshooter . 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/her or her momentarily. Also referred to as a Scissor Sweep. It is used by Rey Mysterio into the second rope as a set-up to his 619 finisher. Raven uses this move to usually trip opponents head first to an upright chair. 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. Three-quarter facelock Russian legsweep The attacker stands in front of, facing away from and slightly to one side of the victim. The attacker then reaches behind themselves and applies a Three-quarter Facelock to the victim. The attacker then hooks the victim's near leg with their own near leg and sweeps the leg away, simultaneously throwing themselves backwards, thus driving the victim to the ground (with the weight of the attacker on top of them) and wrenching the victim's neck. Notable users include: Lash LeRoux (Whiplash 2000) Schoolboy This technique gives its name to the '' Schoolboy Bump '' and is performed when the attacker drops down to his/her knees behind the opponent and forces his/her bodyweight forward to trip the opponent over the attacking wrestler so that they fall flat on their back. The term also gives its name to a Pinning Takedown where the attacking wrestler drops down behind the opponent and puts one arm up between the opponent's legs to pull the opponent over to trip them down in the same fashion. At this point the attacking wrestler would stack the fallen opponent on their shoulders for the pin. Often when female wrestlers use this move commentators will refer to it as a ''Schoolgirl''. STO 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.'' Naoya Ogawa adapted the move into pro wrestling, and was an Olympic Judoka ). Notable users include: Steve Corino , Rufio Rush , Christopher Daniels 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. Notable users include: Kensuke Sasaki (STK - Space Tornado Kensuke), Kenzo Suzuki Reverse STO ''See Complete Shot '' SET UP MOVE These are transition moves that set up for various throws and slams. ''See Transition Holds |
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