Professional wrestling aerial techniques

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Evan Bourne performing his finisher Air Bourne (Shooting star press) on Chris Jericho in 2010

This page describes the different types of aerial attacks in professional wrestling.

Diving crossbody[change | change source]

A diving crossbody is a move where a wrestler performs a type of crossbody off of the top turnbuckle and onto a standing opponent.

Diving DDT[change | change source]

A diving DDT is a move where a wrestler who is on higher ground (usually the top rope) is facing either a standing or bent-over opponent. The wrestler dives wraps their near arm around the opponent's head in a front facelock and swings themselves backwards in midair, performing a DDT.

Diving double axe handle[change | change source]

A diving double axe handle (also known as diving axe handle, diving double axe handle smash or diving double sledge) is a move where a wrestler jumps from the top turnbuckle to either the mat or floor and hits their opponent with two fists that are held together in the fashion of holding an axe.

Diving elbow drop[change | change source]

A diving elbow drop is a move where a wrestler jumps from the top turnbuckle and lands on a downed opponent with their cocked elbow. There is also a less common version called the diving back elbow drop, where a wrestler climbs to the top turnbuckle, jumps backwards, cocks their elbow and lands their elbow on the opponent. The diving elbow drop was popularized by "Macho Man" Randy Savage who used it as his finisher. CM Punk adopted the moved as a tribute to Savage after he died.

Pointed elbow drop[change | change source]

A pointed elbow drop is a move where a wrestler that is sitting on the top turnbuckle, jumps while clasping their forearms together, and lands on their knees, while driving both elbows into either the shoulder or chest of their opponent.

Diving fist drop[change | change source]

A diving fist drop is a move where a wrestler jumps from the top turnbuckle onto the opponent and drives their fist into either the opponent's chest or head.

Diving headbutt[change | change source]

A diving headbutt happens when a wrestler jumps from either the top rope or turnbuckle and lands anywhere on the opponent's body. Harley Race accidentally invented the move. The move was popularized by The Dynamite Kid and later by Chris Benoit. It was later found out that the move could cause spinal damage and was blamed as a contributing factor for the damage that was found in Chris Benoit's brain after his double-murder suicide.[1]

Flying clothesline[change | change source]

A flying clothesline is a move where a wrestler jumps from either the top rope, top turnbuckle or somewhere else and performs a clothesline onto their standing opponent.

Flying neckbreaker[change | change source]

A flying neckbreaker is a type of neckbreaker where the wrestler jumps from a higher position, usually the second turnbuckle, grabs the opponents neck in midair and takes them down with a neckbreaker. A common version of this is called the flip neckbreaker slam or Blockbuster when a wrestler does a somersault, and while flipping, catches the opponents head which ends in a neckbreaker slam.

Frankensteiner[change | change source]

A Frankensteiner is a type of hurricanrana that is done when the opponent is sitting on the top turnbuckle. While facing them, the wrestler performing the move wraps their legs around the opponent's head, does a backflip to swing through the opponent's open legs and drags them into a forced somersault which distances the wrestler from the opponent, who lands on his or her back. The name Frankensteiner comes from Scott Steiner, who popularized the move.[2]

Reverse frankensteiner[change | change source]

There is a different version called the reverse frankensteiner, also known as the inverted frankensteiner. The move is performed when an opponent is facing the other way while sitting on the top turnbuckle. The wrestler then performs the frankensteiner but the opponent lands on their chest instead.

Moonsault[change | change source]

A moonsault happens when a wrestler does a backflip and lands on their opponent. It is usually performed from the top turnbuckle.

630° senton[change | change source]

A 630° senton is a move where a wrestler does a senton and flips 630 degrees forward before landing. A corkscrew can be added. In a corkscrew version, the wrestler faces away from the ring and is on the top turnbuckle, they then perform a 180° turn in mid-air and perform a 630° senton onto a lying opponent.

Shiranui[change | change source]

A shiranui is a move where a wrestler puts their opponent in a three-quarter facelock, runs up the corner turnbuckles, jumps backwards, does a backflip in the air and lands face down on the mat, driving the opponent back first on the mat. There is a standing version and a sitout shiranui where the wrestler lands in a seated position and drives the opponent's head between their legs. It is the finishing move of Brian Kendrick who calls it the Sliced Bread #2. The move was invented by Naomichi Marufuji.

Shooting star[change | change source]

A shooting star is when a wrestler jumps forward from higher ground and performs a backflip in midair. The most common technique of the shooting star is the shooting star press.

Shooting star press[change | change source]

A shooting star press is a move where the wrestler jumps forward, presses their knees to their chest, does a backflip in midair and lands on their opponent chest first. A corkscrew version has also been used where the wrestler either a 180°, 360° or more in midair and lands in either a senton or press. The move was invented by Jushin "Thunder" Liger.

Shooting star leg drop[change | change source]

A shooting star leg drop is a move where the wrestler jumps forward from higher ground, does a backflip in midair, continues the rotation (by either doing a full 360° or more rotation) and lands on the downed opponent with their leg.

Shooting star elbow drop[change | change source]

A shooting star elbow drop is a move where the wrestler jumps forward from higher ground, does a backflip in midair, and lands on the downed opponent with their elbow.

Shooting star DDT[change | change source]

A shooting star DDT is a move where the wrestler jumps forward from higher ground, does a backflip in midair, catches the standing opponent and performs a DDT on the way down.

Shooting star senton[change | change source]

A shooting star senton is a move where the wrestler jumps forward from higher ground, does a backflip in midair, and continues the rotation (by either doing a full 360° or more rotation) and adds another 90 which ends in a senton.

Corkscrew Shooting star press[change | change source]

A corkscrew shooting star press is a move where the wrestler jumps forward from higher ground, twists and flips backwards at the same time, and hits a shooting star press. Pac/Adrian Neville uses the move as his finisher which he calls the Red Arrow.

Sunset flip[change | change source]

A sunset flip is a pinning move performed when a wrestler is on higher ground. The wrestler then dives over the opponent, catches them in a waist-lock from behind and rolls them into a sitting position when they hit the mat. When the wrestler rolls over the opponent, they pull the opponent backwards and land their back into a pinning position.

Transition moves[change | change source]

Some of the moves that are done are not meant to pin an opponent or weaken them. They are used to set up another attack on an opponent.

Springboard[change | change source]

A springboard is when a wrestler bounces themself upward off of a rope into a move. There is also a double springboard where a wrestler bounces off one rope and onto another. Some moves that can be done from a springboard position are a springboard dropkick, springboard legdrop and a springboard moonsault.

Slingshot[change | change source]

A slingshot is when a wrestler, who is standing on the ring apron, pulls the top rope and uses the momentum that is gained to hurl themself over the rope and into the ring.

Modifiers[change | change source]

Corkscrew[change | change source]

A corkscrew is when a wrestler twists themself in the air. It can also refer to when a wrestler does a backflip but it is twisted so the wrestler faces the inside of the ring instead of the outside when the move ends.

Plancha[change | change source]

A Plancha is the name in American wrestling for when a wrestler performs a slingshot crossbody to an opponent on the outside of the ring. In lucha libre, it is called a Pescado when a wrestler uses the top ring rope for the slingshot.[3]

Ropewalk[change | change source]

A ropewalk is when a wrestler walks across the top rope before performing a move. The Undertaker uses a ropewalk in his Old School signature move.

Suicide[change | change source]

the name suicide or suicida is used before any move that wrestler uses which goes either from the ring, the ring apron, or the turnbuckles to the outside of the ring. The most common move is the suicide dive or topé suicida where a wrestler jumps through the ring ropes to the opponent on the outside. Sometimes a front flip is used after the wrestler leaps through the ropes, this is known as suicide senton or Topé con Hilo.

References[change | change source]

  1. "Zidane heads a list that dates back to the dinosaur". The Age. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  2. "Scott Steiner Wrestling History". Legacy of Wrestling. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  3. "Jericho, Benoit on their time in Mexico - Lucha Libre: A spicy Mexican treat". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2014-07-04.[permanent dead link]