1.
Professional wrestling
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Professional wrestling is a dramatized athletic performance that portrays a combat sport. Various forms of weaponry are sometimes used, the content – including match outcomes – is scripted and choreographed, and the combative actions and reactions are performed to appear violent without injuring the wrestlers. Before the 1980s, these facts were considered trade secrets, in the mid-90s, the presentation of scripted events as legitimate is known as kayfabe. Although the combative content is staged and communicated between the wrestlers, there are physical hazards involved - including permanent injury and death. While it has declined in Europe, in North America it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, unlike in Europe, show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in North America. In Brazil, there was a popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries, although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from live event ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, personal appearances by performers, branded merchandise, pro wrestling was also instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and formerly Bash at the Beach, Halloween Havoc, home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week. Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, there have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling, the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer and this is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and those who participated felt that it was necessary that spectators should be kept in a constant and complete illusion of a real competition to keep audience interest. For decades, up until the mid-1980s, wrestlers lived their lives as though they were their characters. Wrestlers, bookers and promoters all rigorously enforced the illusion and very few were allowed into the society of professional wrestling to maintain suspension of disbelief. The practice of keeping the illusion, and the methods used to do so, came to be known as kayfabe within wrestling circles. An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders knowledge of what was being said, occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events
2.
Professional wrestling throws
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Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes called power maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrestlers strength. Many of these moves are used as finishers by many wrestlers, many maneuvers are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their new names that reflect their gimmick. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible, an armbreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams the opponents arm against a part of the wrestlers body, usually a knee or shoulder. The wrestler stands beside their opponent to either side, crosses their arm against the opponents opposite hand in front of it. From this point, the wrestler places their leg in front of the opponents opposite leg, a wrestler dives from the ropes and lands on the opponents arm. The wrestler grabs one of the arms, jumps and connects both their knees against the opponents stretched arm. As the wrestler falls onto their back they forces the opponents arm down into both knees, thus damaging it, a move in which the wrestler uses their opponents momentum to the opponents disadvantage. The wrestler hooks the opponents arm and flips them over on to the mat, the wrestler may roll on to their side to give the move extra momentum. This move is performed when an opponent runs towards the wrestler facing them, despite its name, it actually comes from Mexican lucha libre, not Japanese puroresu. The wrestler grabs their opponents arm, then turns to face the other direction and it is essentially the same as the ippon seoi nage found in judo. An arm drag sees the wrestler being spun in front of the opponents body in a tilt-a-whirl. This arm drag sees the wrestler being held in a hold by the opponent. A move in which the wrestler goes behind an opponent, then puts their head under the opponents shoulder and they then lift their opponent up, and drops them tailbone-first on the wrestlers knee. Even though this move is a low blow, it is considered a legal move because the groin is not being targeted. Better known as a full nelson bomb, this sees the wrestling apply a full nelson hold to the opponent from behind. The wrestler then lifts the opponent into the air and falls into a seated position and it is applied frequently against a charging opponent
3.
Mitsuharu Misawa
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Mitsuharu Misawa was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his debut on August 21,1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling. From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, following the death of AJPW head booker Giant Baba in 1999, Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president. After being removed as president by a board of executives, Misawa left AJPW in May 2000 to form Pro Wrestling Noah, Misawa is also one of only four wrestlers to have the distinction of being awarded a 6-Star rating for a match with Toshiaki Kawada in 1994. Misawa is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Misawa was born in Yūbari, Hokkaidō, but soon moved with his family to Koshigaya, Saitama. He was a fan of wrestling, especially the All Japan product, from an early age. However, during an encounter with Jumbo Tsuruta, the latter convinced Misawa to complete at least his high school education and he attended Ashikaga-kodai High School in Tochigi, with future rival Toshiaki Kawada, who was only a year below him. Apart from this, very little is known of Misawas personal life and he was said to be private about his home life to the point that wrestlers who had known him for decades had no idea he had children. He left behind at least one brother, his wife, Mayumi, whom he married on May 10,1988. He was said to have been a video game fan. Misawa was an amateur wrestler. Competing in the age group, he placed fifth at the 1980 freestyle World Championships. Misawa was trained in wrestling by Dick The Destroyer Beyer, Shohei Baba. He made his debut on August 21,1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling, wrestling against Shiro Koshinaka. He then traveled to Mexico where he wrestled for EMLL while improving his skills under the guidance of La Fiera. In 1986, Misawa graduated to the class after five years as a junior heavyweight. Between 1988 and 1989, he competed in matches for the AWA and NWA World Heavyweight Championships before a knee injury in March 1989 sidelined him until January 2,1990. Upon his return, he wrestled Bret Hart to a draw on April 13 at the WWF/NJPW/AJPW Supershow in the Tokyo Dome
4.
Samoa Joe
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Nuufolau Joel Joe Seanoa, better known by his ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and performing on the Raw brand. He was previously best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor, Joe established himself in ROH from the promotions beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from May 2003 to December 2004. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH, Joe officially debuted in WWEs developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June, he went on to become the first ever two-time NXT Champion. Seanoa was born and raised in Orange County, California and he resided mainly in Huntington Beach and spent time during his childhood in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Seanoas family founded a Polynesian dance troupe in the United States called Tiare Productions, Seanoa made his stage debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics opening at the age of five. He became a California State Junior Judo Champion and was an all league football player while attending Ocean View High School, before becoming a wrestler, Seanoa worked as a mortgage broker. Joe was the first graduate of the UIWA West Coast Dojo, training under Cincinnati Red, along with Johnny Hemp and, occasionally and he debuted in December 1999 in a match against Uncle Jess Hansen just three months after beginning training. Joe quickly signed with former WWF developmental affiliate Ultimate Pro Wrestling and he tagged with Mike Knox at UPW Proving Ground on December 12,2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana, California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil. He eventually captured the UPW Heavyweight Championship and he later became the longest reigning UPW Heavyweight Champion ever. When Joe was in UPW, he met Bruce Pritchard and Jim Ross, Joe continued to work for the promotion throughout 2002, participating in a number of their biggest shows and tournaments. After forming a team with Keiji Sakoda, they became the inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions and he worked as both Samoa Joe and later King Joe, but ultimately chose to leave the promotion when he was asked to take on a more gimmicky character. Back in the United States, Joe joined the ranks of the East Coast-based Ring of Honor promotion in 2002 and he made his debut at Glory by Honor as Christopher Danielss hired assassin, brought in to take out Danielss chief enemy, Low Ki. He held that title for twenty one months before losing it to Austin Aries at Final Battle 2004 on December 26,2004, during this time, he had a trilogy of title defenses against CM Punk. He held the title for three months before losing it to Nigel McGuinness on August 27 at Dragon Gate Invasion. In October 2005, when Japanese heavyweight superstar Kenta Kobashi made a trip to the United States. ROH officials selected Joe to face him in a match on the first night. Joe proved to be an opponent for Kobashi, in a back and forth match. The match went on to win the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Match of the Year, in 2006, Joe was one of the principal wrestlers representing Ring of Honor in their war against rival Philadelphia promotion Combat Zone Wrestling
5.
Mark Henry
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Mark Jerrold Henry is an American powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE on the Raw brand. He was a two-time Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a gold, silver, as a powerlifter, he was WDFPF World Champion and a two-time U. S. National Champion as well as an all-time raw world record holder in the squat and deadlift. Currently, he holds the WDFPF world records in the squat, deadlift and total. He is credited for the biggest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug tested athlete, regardless of weight class, as well as the greatest raw deadlift by an American citizen. In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U. S. National Weightlifting Champion, an American Open winner, a two-time U. S. Olympic Festival Champion and he holds all three Senior US American weightlifting records of 1993–1997. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic, Henry was born in Silsbee, Texas. As a child, he was a big wrestling fan and André the Giant was his favorite wrestler, while attending a wrestling show in Beaumont, Texas, young Henry tried to touch André as he was walking down the aisle, but tripped over the barricade. André picked him up out of the crowd and put him back behind the barricade, Henry played football in high school until his senior year, when he strained ligaments in his wrist during the first game of the year and scored below 700 on the SAT. When Henry was 12 years old, his father, Ernest, when he was 14 years old, Henry was diagnosed with dyslexia. By the time Mark Henry was in the grade, he was 55. His mother bought a set of weights for him when he was 10 years old, during Henrys freshman year at Silsbee High School, he was already able to squat 600 lb, which was well over school record. In July 1990 at the USPF Senior National Powerlifting Championships, 19-year-old Henry came second only to the legendary six-time World Powerlifting Champion Kirk Karwoski, there have been few lifters in history who have been able to be successful in both lifting disciplines. Mastering the technique of weightlifting usually takes years of practice. But Henry broke four national records in weightlifting after only eight months of training. In April 1991, he won the United States National Junior Championships,20 days later he placed fourth at the U. S, Senior National Championships, and finished sixth at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Germany two months later. Only few weeks afterwards, he became 1991s International Junior Champion in Powerlifiting as well, in Henrys first year in competitive weightlifting, he broke all three junior American records 12 times, and became the United States top Superheavyweight, surpassing Mario Martinez. At the age of 19, Henry had already managed to qualify for the competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Ten months before the 1992 Olympics, Henry had begun training with Dragomir Cioroslan, a bronze medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics, after the Olympics, Henry became more determined to focus on weightlifting and began competing all over the world
6.
Professional wrestling holds
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Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use these holds as their finishing maneuvers, often nicknaming them to reflect their character or persona, moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. An element borrowed from professional wrestlings catch wrestling origins, stretches are techniques in which a wrestler holds another in a position that puts stress on the opponents body. Stretches are usually employed to weaken an opponent or to them to submit, either vocally or by tapping out, slapping the mat. Many of these holds, when applied vigorously, stretch the opponents muscles or twist their joints uncomfortably, chokes, although not in general stress positions like the other stretches, are usually grouped with stretches as they serve the same tactical purposes. In public performance, for sake, stretches are usually not performed to the point where the opponent must submit or risk injury. Likewise, chokes are usually not applied to the point where they cut off the supply to the opponents brain. The wrestler begins the hold by standing over a face-down opponent, a camel clutch can also refer simply to a rear chinlock while seated on the back of an opponent, without placing the arms on the thighs. The move was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico, where it was called la de a caballo, but got its common name from Ed Farhat. Rusev performs a variation he calls The Accolade, where he stomps on his opponents back before applying the hold. A standing variation of the clutch is also used, with this variation popularized by Scott Steiner in the late 1990s as he used it as his finisher dubbed the Steiner Recliner. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, another version of the move is similar to a wheelbarrow facebuster but instead illegally pulls the hair of the opponent while leaning back to pull up the opponents head and neck. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, the wrestler then reaches forwards and applies a chinlock as in a standard camel clutch, leaning backwards to apply pressure to the upper back and arm. The attacker then either pulls straight back on the chin or wrenches it to the side and this move sees the attacker kneel behind a sitting opponent and wrap around one arm under the opponents chin and lock their hands. As with a hold, this move can also be performed from a standing position. This can be transitioned into a clawhold STO, there is also double-handed version sometimes known as a head vise, the wrestler performing the hold approaches their opponent from behind and grip their head with both hands. While in the vise, the wrestler can control their opponent by squeezing the temples and it was innovated and used by Baron von Raschke as well as many members of the Von Erich family
7.
WWE
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Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American professional wrestling promotion and the sanctioning body for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Federation. Founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1953, Capitol Wrestling Corporation is the precursor to todays WWE, run by Jess grandson, Jess McMahon was a successful boxing promoter who began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing at the third Madison Square Garden, a few years prior, professional wrestler Toots Mondt had created a new challenge of professional wrestling that he called “Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling”. He convinced wrestler Ed Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow to implement this new solution, after much success, a disagreement over power caused the trio to dissolve and, with it, their promotion. Mondt later formed partnerships with other promoters, including Jack Curley in New York City. Mondt eventually took over the New York wrestling scene, due to the fact Curley was dying, with the aid of several bookers, together, McMahon and Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. which later joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1953. In November 1954, Jess McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondts associates, both men left the company in protest following the incident and formed the WWWF in the process, awarding Rogers the new WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in April of that year. He lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17,1963, after gaining a television program deal and turning preliminary wrestler Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartinos heel opponents, the WWWF was doing sell out business by 1970. Mondt left the company in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon, at the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and WWF employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization. By March 1979, for marketing purposes, the World Wide Wrestling Federation was renamed the World Wrestling Federation and that same year, Vincent J. McMahons son, Vincent K. McMahon, founded Titan Sports, Inc. incorporated on February 21,1980, originally in Massachusetts. In 1982, Titan Sports Inc. acquired Capitols operations, effectively relocating its headquarters to Greenwich, in an attempt to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the world, McMahon began an expansion that fundamentally changed the industry. In the end, the elder McMahon would never live to see his company grow from a promotion to what is now a worldwide organization. He died from cancer at 69 years old on May 24,1984. By 1985, Titan moved to Stamford, Connecticut then establishing a new entity in 1987 in Delaware which later merged with the old company in 1988. Titan later changed its name to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. before finally becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, list of independent wrestling promotions in the United States
8.
Weight training
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Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It utilizes the force of gravity in the form of weighted bars, weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups and types of movement. Sports where strength training is central are bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman, highland games, shot put, discus throw, strength training for other sports and physical activities is becoming increasingly popular. Strength training is a term that describes all exercises devoted toward increasing physical strength. Weight training is a type of training that uses weights. Endurance training is associated with aerobic exercise while flexibility training is associated with stretching exercise like yoga or pilates, weight training is often used as a synonym for strength training, but is actually a specific type within the more inclusive category. Contrary to popular belief, weight training can be beneficial for men and women. The genealogy of lifting can be traced back to the beginning of history where humanitys fascination with physical abilities can be found numerous ancient writings. Another Greek, the physician Galen, described strength training using the halteres in the 2nd century. Ancient Greek sculptures also depict lifting feats, the weights were generally stones, but later gave way to dumbbells. The dumbbell was joined by the barbell in the half of the 19th century. Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot, another early device was the Indian club, which came from ancient Persia where it was called the meels. It subsequently became popular during the 19th century, and has made a comeback in the form of the clubbell. The 1960s saw the introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became popular in the 1970s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron. The specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, and weights depends on the aims of the performing the exercise. In addition to the principles of strength training, a further consideration added by weight training is the equipment used. Types of equipment include barbells, dumbbells, pulleys and stacks in the form of weight machines, different types of weights will give different types of resistance, and often the same absolute weight can have different relative weights depending on the type of equipment used
9.
Backbreaker
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The standard version of the move sees the wrestler scoop their opponent horizontally before dropping to one knee, slamming the opponents back on their other knee. A variation of the Argentine backbreaker rack, known as La Reienera, often set up by a tilt-a-whirl, the opponent ends up suspended with one arm hooked behind him and both legs hooked by the wrestlers other arm. This was utilized by wrestlers like Awesome Kong, roderick Strongs variation is where he dropped his opponet with both knees as the Strong Breaker II. While being held face up across the shoulder, the wrestler then links his/her arms around the opponents torso and presses down. A common variant of this hold has the attacking wrestler apply a double underhook before or after lifting the opponent. The double underhook variant is seen when the hold is used to transition to another maneuver. The catapult throw typically starts with an opponent on his/her back, the wrestler hooks each of the opponents legs in one of his/her arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes etc. At this point the wrestler will remain on the ground. The rebounding opponent will instantly trip falling backwards onto the raised knees of the wrestler, another method is that the wrestler performs a catapult and raises the knees prematurely so that the wrestler is draped over the knees without an actual launch. The wrestler performing the move stands in front of and slightly to the left of the opponent receiving it, the wrestler then reaches out and grabs the opponents throat and trunks, and lifts him or her in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a chokeslam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the wrestler kneels and this move is popularly known as a chokebreaker, which is a portmanteau of this moves technical name. All while the wrestler continues to maintain the hold, the attacking wrestler can maintain the hold after impact for a cobra clutch submission attempt. An attacking wrestler stands facing a bent over opponent and hooks each of the arms behind the opponents back. However, as the attacker drops the opponent back down, he raises a knee and this move is performed behind the opponent, the wrestler grabs his/her opponent by the hair and pulls them back, so the opponents back lands on the wrestlers knee. The attacking wrestler stands behind his opponent, bends him backwards, the wrestler then drops down to a single knee with the extended knee impacting with the upper back of the opponent. This move sees the wrestler stands behind the opponent and places one arm around the opponents neck. The attacker then bends forward pulling the opponent across his own back, before dropping down to his knees, can be also known as an inverted three-quarter facelock neckbreaker or more commonly known as neckbreaker backbreaker. The attacking wrestler stands behind an opponent, grabbing them by their head or hair to seemingly perform a standard mat slam, however, as the wrestler pulls the opponent backwards down to the mat, the wrestler kneels down, driving the opponents back into the wrestlers exposed knee
10.
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams
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Dr. Death was a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion, having won the UWF World Heavyweight Championship twice and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship once. In addition to his singles success, Dr. Williams attended Lakewood High School in Colorado and he was on the track & field team, played football, and wrestled all four years. Williams graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1981 after a career that saw him named an All-American. He also competed as a wrestler, where he was a four time All American, finishing 6th as a freshman, 5th as a sophomore, 3rd as a junior. His senior year he lost in the finals of an NCAA tournament to future Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner, Death by one of his schools coaches and his sister. Williams, trained for professional wrestling by Bill Watts and Buddy Landel, in 1985, he formed a team with Ted DiBiase and feuded with Eddie Gilbert and The Nightmare. In 1986, Mid-South was renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation and Williams went on to win the UWF Heavyweight Championship from Big Bubba Rogers. When Jim Crockett Promotions bought the UWF in late 1987, he was one of the few UWF wrestlers to receive a push in the National Wrestling Alliance. Williams, however, turned heel and joined the Varsity Club in late 1988 and he and Sullivan won the NWA United States Tag Team Championship at Starrcade. They feuded with The Road Warriors and he and Mike Rotunda won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in the process, in May 1989, Williams and Rotunda were stripped of the title, and the Varsity Club disbanded. Williams was scheduled to face Luger for the title at WrestleWar 90 on February 25,1990, Williams went to All Japan Pro Wrestling where he formed a tag team with Terry Gordy called The Miracle Violence Connection. They went on to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship from The Steiner Brothers, one week after winning the WCW World Tag Team Title, Williams and Gordy won the vacant NWA World Tag Team Title, defeating Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham in the tournament final. Their NWA title win, however, went unrecognized by the NWA and they held onto both titles until September 1992, when they lost them to Rhodes and Windham. At Starrcade, Williams substituted for the injured Rick Rude to challenge Ron Simmons for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, on July 28,1994, he defeated Mitsuharu Misawa for the AJPW Triple Crown Championship, holding it for three months before dropping it to Toshiaki Kawada. He also sporadically wrestled in the U. S. on the independent circuit and that run was brought to an end during one of his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling. After defeating Axl Rotten in approximately 2 minutes, Williams had an impromptu ECW World Heavyweight Championship match, the loss happened in February 1997 at ECW Crossing the Line Again, thus ending his unpinned streak in North America, which lasted since March 26,1987. In 1998, Williams was signed by the World Wrestling Federation prior to the Brawl for All competition which was set up in legitimate fights and he entered the competition and was expected to win it due to his reputation as one of the toughest men in the wrestling business. However, after beating Pierre Carl Ouellet in the first round, he faced Bart Gunn in the semifinals, Gunn then knocked out Williams, who missed several months following the injury
11.
Pin (professional wrestling)
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A pinfall is a victory condition in various forms of professional wrestling that is met by holding an opponents shoulders on the wrestling mat, usually till the referee counts to three. In professional wrestling, a pinfall is a method of winning a match. The purpose of a maneuver is to hold the opponents shoulders against the mat for a count of three. The count is if the opponent manages to raise one or both of his shoulders off of the mat, commonly by kicking out. In some positions, a wrestler may bridge to put more of their weight on the opponent or to prop themselves up from being pinned. Sometimes, a wrestler may hook the opponents tights for extra leverage. The attacking wrestler stands back-to-back with their opponent and hooks both of the opponents arms and they then lean forward and drop to their knees, sliding the opponent down their back so that their shoulders are against the mat and their chin is against their chest. The attacker holds the arms down with their own arms for the pin. Also known as a press, cross press, or simply as the basic pin. With an opponent lying face-up on the mat, the wrestler lies face-down across the opponents chest to hold them down. Sometimes, when both wrestlers are exhausted or badly hurt the attacking wrestler will cover with just an arm or lie down face up rather than face down. The term floatover refers to a wrestler using the momentum of a throw or slam they are performing to propel themselves over the opponent into the lateral press position. A variation commonly used by WWE superstar The Undertaker sees the cross the opponents arms across their chest. This can be called a Rest In Peace pin, the attacking wrestler lies across the opponents chest and hooks a leg with the arm on the opposite side. Holding the leg gives the attacker greater leverage and makes it harder for the opponent to kick out and this was derived from the inside cradle and outside cradle in amateur wrestling. An attacking wrestler hooks the arms of an opponent, by grapevining their legs around one arm and this positions the attacking wrestler horizontally across the back of the opponent and forces the opponents arms out like a crucifixion. The attacking wrestler then lowers their bodyweight so that the opponent is brought down to the mat backwards and is forced on to his own shoulders in a position with his legs in the air. The Delfin Clutch has an attacking wrestler crossing the arms of the opponent across their own chest while lying on their back on the mat
12.
Daniel Bryan
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Bryan Lloyd Danielson is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under the ring name Daniel Bryan, where he is the on-screen general manager of SmackDown. He was also the 2011 SmackDown Money in the Bank winner and he is the 26th Triple Crown Champion and the 15th Grand Slam Champion in WWE history and headlined several major pay-per-view events, including SummerSlam in 2013 and WrestleMania XXX. Danielson was previously signed to the WWE, then known as the WWF, prior to joining WWE for his second stint in 2009, Danielson wrestled for various companies internationally using both his real name and the ring name American Dragon. He wrestled for Ring of Honor from 2002 to 2009, being recognized as a Founding Father of the promotion and he was the first winner of ROHs annual Survival of the Fittest tournament in 2004. Along with CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, Danielson is one of four men to have won a championship in both WWE and ROH. Danielson also wrestled extensively in Japan, winning the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship in Pro Wrestling Noah, between WWE, ROH, and Japanese promotions, he held eleven total championships, including five world titles. Danielson also won titles on the independent circuit, including two PWG World Championships, the FIP Heavyweight Championship, and the wXw World Heavyweight Championship. In 2016, at age 34, Danielson retired from wrestling due to medical issues arising from multiple concussions. Later that year in July, he was named the General Manager of SmackDown following the return of the WWE brand extension, Danielson was born and raised in Aberdeen, Washington, the son of a logger father and a therapist mother, who divorced when Danielson was young. Danielson has a sister named Billie Sue. He competed in sports at Aberdeen-Weatherwax High School, including football. After Danielson graduated from school in 1999, he decided to pursue wrestling professionally. When it closed he trained under Shawn Michaels and Rudy Gonzalez at the Texas Wrestling Academy. He debuted in the TWA, and on March 21,2000, won his first title when he teamed with Spanky to win the TWA Tag Team Championship, defeating Jeromy Sage and Ruben Cruz. There, Danielson gained exposure, and was trained by WWF competitor William Regal, during this time Danielson adopted his moniker American Dragon. WWF severed its ties with MCW in 2001, but not before Danielson won the MCW Light Heavyweight Championship, after 18 months with the company, Danielson was released from his WWF contract in July 2001. Danielson revealed in his 2015 autobiography that he was close to being called up to the roster during the 2001 Royal Rumble match. He explained the WWF thought of using him as one of their key figures in the newly created cruiserweight division which was inspired by World Championship Wrestling, in 2002, Danielson wrestled two matches for the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment despite not being a contracted performer for the company
13.
Americanization
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The term has been used since at least 1907. While not necessarily a term, it is most often used by critics in the target country who are against the influences. Americanization has become prevalent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-91. In Europe, in recent years there is growing concern about Americanization through Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Inc. and Uber, European governments have increasingly expressed concern regarding privacy issues, as well as antitrust and taxation issues regarding the new American giants. The Wall Street Journal in 2015 reported deep concerns in Europe’s highest policy circles about the power of U. S. technology companies, within the United States, the term Americanization refers to the process of acculturation by immigrants or annexed populations to American customs and values. Hollywood since the 1920s has dominated most of the media markets. It is the medium by which people across the globe see American fashions, customs, scenery. In general, the United States government plays only a role in the dissemination of films, television, books, journals. For example, In Germany, the American occupation headquarters, Office of Military Government, die Neue Zeitung was edited by German and Jewish émigrés who fled to the United States before the war. Its mission was to destroy Nazi cultural remnants, and encourage democracy by exposing Germans to how American culture operated, there was great detail on sports, politics, business, Hollywood, and fashions, as well as international affairs. Americanization would continue to spread out over the Iron Curtain even before the fall of the Soviet Union, copies of American-based TV programs are re-broadcast around the world, many of them through American broadcasters and their subsidiaries. Many of these distributors broadcast mainly American programming on their TV channels, American films are also extremely popular around the world, often dominating cinemas as a result of a high demand of US product exported to consumers to clear away the outlook of World War II. Out of the top-50 highest-grossing films of all time,35 of them were made in the United States, often part of the negotiating in free trade agreements between the U. S. and other nations involves screen quotas. One such case is Mexico, which abolished screen quotas following the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the U. S, recently South Korea has agreed to reduce its quota under pressure from the U. S. as part of a free trade deal. Many U. S. -based artists, such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jacksons album Thriller, at 100 million sales, is the best-selling album of all time. Of the top ten global brands, seven are based in the United States, Coca-Cola, which holds the top spot, is often viewed as a symbol of Americanization. The world-wide tours of musician Louis Armstrong were sometimes referred to as Coca-Cola diplomacy, fast food is also often viewed as being a symbol of U. S. marketing dominance. Companies such as McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dominos Pizza among others have numerous outlets around the world
14.
Dwayne Johnson
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Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor, producer, singer, and professional wrestler. He holds American and Canadian citizenships and he later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League and was cut two months into the 1995 season. This led him to become a professional wrestler like his grandfather, Peter Maivia and he returned to wrestling part-time for WWE from 2011 to 2013 and continues to make sporadic non-wrestling appearances for the company. Johnson has 17 championship reigns in WWE, including 10 as a champion, winning the WWF/WWE Championship eight times. He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the WWF Tag Team Championship five times, Johnson is the sixth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history and won the 2000 Royal Rumble. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, co-written with Joe Layden, was published in 2000. It debuted at No.1 on The New York Times Best Seller list, spent 20 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, Johnsons first leading film role was in The Scorpion King in 2002. For this role, he was paid US $5.5 million and he has since appeared in various films, and become known for his ability to reinvigorate film franchises. Perhaps his greatest success in his career can be sourced to his role as Luke Hobbs in The Fast. Forbes listed Johnson No.25 in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in 2013 and he is the worlds highest-paid actor of 2016. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016, in 2015, Muscle & Fitness named Johnson their Man of the Century. Johnson was born in Hayward, California, the son of Ata Johnson and professional wrestler Wayde Douglas Bowles and his maternal grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, was also a wrestler. His maternal grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of few female promoters, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husbands death in 1982. His cousin, Savelina Fanene, is also a wrestler working for WWE. His father is a Black Nova Scotian, and his mother is of Samoan heritage and his father was part of the first black tag team to win the World Tag Team Championship in the World Wrestling Federation. Through his mother, he is considered a relative of the Anoai wrestling family. Johnson briefly lived in the suburb of Grey Lynn in Auckland and he attended Richmond Road Primary School, before returning to the United States with his parents. Johnson spent 10th grade at President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, as he entered 11th grade, his fathers job required his relocation to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
15.
Booker T (wrestler)
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Booker T. Huffman Jr. better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American retired professional wrestler and promoter, signed with WWE. He is also the owner and founder of the independent promotion Reality of Wrestling in Texas City, Booker is a six-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship five times and WWEs World Heavyweight Championship once. He is the first non-mixed race African American to become a champion in WWE. Booker has also gained success as a tag team wrestler. Additionally, he was the winner of the King of the Ring tournament in 2006, the sixteenth Triple Crown Champion, as the ninth Triple Crown Champion in WCW history, Booker is one of four men in history to achieve both the WWE and WCW Triple Crowns. Longtime wrestler Kurt Angle said of Booker, Hes done it all and he legitimately is one of the top five best of all time. Booker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6,2013, by his brother, Booker T Huffman was born the youngest of eight children, in Houston Texas. By the time Booker was fourteen, both of his parents had died, and his older brother Lash Stevie Ray Huffman stepped in to raise him, in high school, Booker was a drum major. He also played football and basketball. Booker spent nineteen months in prison after pleading guilty to armed robberies at Wendys restaurants in Houston, Booker and his partners wore Wendys uniforms during the holdups since they had been working there for 2½ years. Booker pleaded guilty in December 1987 to two aggravated robbery counts and was sentenced to five years in prison and he was released after serving about one-third of that term, and was placed on parole until April 1992. As a single father working at a company in Houston, Texas, Huffman was looking to make a better life for himself. His brother Lash suggested that he and Booker check out a new wrestling school being opened, run by Ivan Putski and his boss from the storage company sponsored the money to pay for the wrestling lessons. Booker trained under Scott Casey, who helped to turn Bookers background as a gangster and dancer into sports entertainment, teaching the newcomer in-ring psychology, eight weeks later, Booker debuted as G. I. Bro on Putskis Western Wrestling Alliance Live, the character was a tie-in to the raging Gulf War and the WWFs Sgt. Even though the WWA met its demise some time later, Booker continued to wrestle on the Texas independent circuit, often with his brother Lash and they were spotted by Skandor Akbar who hired them to work for the Global Wrestling Federation, where he and Eddie Gilbert were involved. Gilbert teamed Stevie Ray and Booker T together as the Ebony Experience, during their time with GWF, they held the tag title a total of three times. Subsequently, Booker T and Stevie Ray left the GWF to work for World Championship Wrestling, Booker and his brother Stevie Ray signed with World Championship Wrestling after Sid Vicious recommended they sign with the company
16.
Matt Hardy
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Matt, along with his real-life brother Jeff, gained notoriety in WWEs tag team division due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. Aside from his success as a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a world heavyweight champion, having held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice. He has also won the WWE United States Championship, the WWE European Championship, the WWE Hardcore Championship, altogether, Hardy has won 18 championships between WWE, ROH, and TNA, as well as 44 championships in his overall career. Hardy was born in Cameron, North Carolina, the son of Gilbert and he is the older brother of Jeff Hardy. Their mother died of cancer in 1986. Hardy played baseball as a child and throughout high school, but had stopped by his senior year and he also played football, either as a linebacker or a defensive end. Hardy was a student at Union Pines High School in North Carolina, and was a nominee for the Morehead Award. Hardy attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he majored in engineering, after a year, however and he then attended Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst to gain his associate degree. Hardy, along with his brother Jeff and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling Federation and mimicked the moves they saw on television. A few years later, it was revealed to him by Chris Kanyon that the tape had been kept in the WCW Power Plant, watched multiple times, beginning in 1994, The Hardys wrestled for several North Carolina-based independent circuit promotions and adapted a number of alter-egos. As The Wolverine, Hardy captured the New England Wrestling Alliance Championship in May 1994, as High Voltage, he teamed with Venom to claim the New Frontier Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship in March 1995. A month later, High Voltage defeated the Willow for the NFWA Championship, Matt would continue to wrestle in various independent promotions until 2001. In 1997, Matt and Jeff created their own wrestling promotion, The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, the Hardys launched the promotion because, at the time, there werent many places to wrestle, nor did they know anyone who could help. Both Matt and Jeff would take apart the ring and put it together at every event they had. The promotion would fold in October 1999, after both Matt and Jeff signed with the World Wrestling Federation, Hardy worked as a jobber for the World Wrestling Federation from 1994 up until he signed a full-time contract. His first WWF match was against Nikolai Volkoff on May 23,1994 and he wrestled sporadically throughout 1994 in the WWF, losing matches against Crush, Razor Ramon, Hakushi, Owen Hart and the imposter Undertaker. Hardy continued wrestling with the WWF sporadically, including matches against Hunter Hearst Helmsley and it was not until 1998, however, that the Hardy brothers were given full-time WWF contracts, and sent to train with former wrestler Dory Funk, Jr. The Hardy Boyz used a cruiserweight, fast-paced high flying style in their matches, although Jeff was better known for his extreme moves, Hardy was a prodigious high-flier himself
17.
Suplex
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A suplex is an offensive move used in both professional and amateur wrestling. A suplex is a throw that involves lifting the opponent and bridging or rolling to slam the opponent on their back, though there are many variations, the term suplex can also refer specifically to the vertical suplex. In Olympic and amateur wrestling there exists a move called a souplex, pronounced suplay, during his career, pro wrestling commentator Gordon Solie used the soo-PLAY pronunciation, but almost all other pro wrestling talent pronounces it SOO-plex. Professional wrestling features many different varieties of suplexes, the following are among the most common, but many more exist, particularly as the signature techniques of individual wrestlers. In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other, in most cases, the opponent is suspended upside-down during part of the move. The most common front facelock suplex is the vertical suplex, Also spelled as a fisherman suplex and also known as a cradle suplex or leg hook suplex. In most cases the wrestler will keep the leg hooked and bridge to pin the opponent in a cradle-like position, as in the case of Curt Hennigs Perfect-plex. Val Venis also used this move in the past, other times the wrestler will apply a leglock submission hold to the hooked leg. Also known as swinging fisherman neckbreaker and the Golden Gate Swing, in this variation of the suplex, the attacker applies a hammerlock on his opponent before applying a front facelock and positioning the opponents free arm over the attackers head. The attacker then lifts up the opponent and falls backwards, dropping the opponent down back first, the attacker faces a standing opponent with one side of the ring immediately behind the opponent. The attacker applies a front facelock to the opponent, takes hold of the opponent with his/her free hand, then lifts the opponent until he/she is nearly vertical. Sometimes this involves the turning the opponent in midair and slamming the opponent down to the mat in front of him/her onto their back. The suplex slam can also be used for other such as the fisherman suplex or gutwrech suplex. Also called a driver or a falcon arrow, this sees an attacker apply a front facelock to the opponent. The attacker then takes hold of the torso with their free arm. The facelock is loosened so the opponent can be twisted slightly, then the attacker falls to a sitting position, the opponent lands between the attackers legs with their head toward them. Also called a front suplex or a gourdbuster, this move sees attacker apply a front face lock to the opponent, the attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, then he falls forward, driving the opponents face into the ground. A sitout version is used by WWE superstar Dean Ambrose as signature move, the attacker applies a front face lock to the opponent and drapes the opponents near arm over his/her shoulder
18.
Big Boss Man (wrestler)
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During his appearances with the WWF, Big Boss Man held the WWF World Tag Team Championship once and the WWF Hardcore Championship four times. On March 7,2016, Traylor was confirmed to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016 and he was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame 2016 by Slick and the award was accepted by his wife Angela and his daughters Lacy and Megan. A former prison guard in Cobb County, Georgia, Traylor debuted in 1985, initially working as a jobber for Jim Crockett Promotions and he got a solid push as a seemingly unstoppable heel and feuded with Rhodes in a series of Bunkhouse Stampede matches in 1986. He and Rhodes were tied for wins in this series, leading to a cage match. In 1987, Traylor joined the Universal Wrestling Federation, and won their heavyweight title from One Man Gang, in June 1988, Traylor joined the WWF as Big Boss Man, a prison guard character. Wrestling as a heel and managed by Slick, Boss Mans post-match routine often included handcuffing his defeated opponents to the rope and beating them with a nightstick or ball. After defeating Koko B. Ware at the inaugural SummerSlam, Boss Man began his first major WWF angle by attacking Hulk Hogan on The Brother Love Show. During this feud, he also challenged Randy Savage for the WWF Championship, after being double-teamed for a while, Hogan eventually rallied and defeated The Twin Towers on his own. At WrestleMania V, The Twin Towers defeated The Rockers and then, for most of spring and early summer 1989, during the match, Hogan superplexed Boss Man off the top of the cage. Boss Man retrieved a bag containing both the belt and Roberts pet python, Damien, on The Brother Love Show, he refused to accept DiBiases money for the bag, and returned it to Roberts. Boss Man then feuded with former partner Akeem, defeating him in less than two minutes at WrestleMania VI, as part of his face turn, he later stopped handcuffing and beating jobbers after matches. In the fall of 1990, Boss Man began feuding with Bobby Heenan, at the SummerSlam, he defeated The Mountie in a Jailhouse Match, a match in which the loser must spend a night in jail. This was the only match ever held by the promotion. Boss Man then briefly feuded with Irwin R. Schyster, Boss Man took time off TV to sell his injuries, eventually returning and having a series of matches with Nailz in the latter half of 1992. The feud culminated at Survivor Series, when Boss Man defeated Nailz in a Nightstick on a Pole match. This was the push for the Boss Man during this run, as he was subsequently used as enhancement talent against Razor Ramon, Bam Bam Bigelow. The Big Boss Mans last pay-per-view match of this run came at the 1993 Royal Rumble and he left the WWF shortly after a house show in Gatineau, Quebec on March 14. During the next few months he made appearances in the USWA, on December 4 he made a one-time return to the WWF as a special guest referee to officiate the main event of a house show in Anaheim, CA between Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett
19.
Moonsault
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A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero, much of its popularity in both Japanese and American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by Leaping Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan. The move is considered a version of a splash, since the wrestler utilizes rotational speed. Most of the variations listed below can also be performed on standing opponents and this is a variation of a springboard moonsault. This variation sees the wrestler bounces off the middle-rope to elevate himself/herself to the top-rope from where they bounce off to perform the moonsault and this version of a moonsault is often referred to as a picture perfect moonsault or double springboard moonsault. It was used by Christopher Daniels, who called the move the BME and this is a moonsault where another rotation is performed after the initial moonsault. There are two variants of the double moonsault, an Asai moonsault version and a normal moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the inside of the ring with two rotations. This is the common of the two variants due to the increased airtime of the springboard and height from the springboard to the floor. This variant is associated with Jack Evans who popularized it as the Stuntin 101. Evans is also known to perform a version of this variant. The second variation sees a wrestler ascend to the top rope and this allows the wrestler to have less resistance and continus to rotate after the initial first 360° for another 270° completing the second rotation onto an opponent lying on the mat. This move has been popularized by wrestler Sabu, any move where the wrestler stands on an elevated position, grabs hold of the opponent, and performs a moonsault while still holding on to the opponent, driving them down to the mat. This move is known as a Solo Spanish fly. Multiple variations exist, such as a version and a side slam version. This variation is referred to as a sideways moonsault, rolling moonsault, rounding splash. Alexa Bliss uses this move as her finisher, which she calls Twisted Bliss and this variation involves performing a corkscrew moonsault after using the impact of their thighs on the rope to flip themselves over. It was popularized by John Morrison, who called the move Starship Pain and this is a move in which a wrestler springboards, then executes a backflip and lands on an opponent. This move is known as La Quebrada in lucha libre, sometimes shortened to simply Quebrada, a variation performed off the second rope, popularized by Chris Jericho, is known as the Lionsault
20.
Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers
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In professional wrestling double-team maneuvers are executed by multiple wrestlers instead of one and typically are used by tag teams in tag team matches. Many of these maneuvers are combination of two throws, or submission holds, most moves are known by the names that professional wrestlers give their finishing move names. Occasionally, these names become popular and are used regardless of the performing the technique. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible and these moves involve one wrestler actually performing the move to an opponent. An ally of the attacker will do something to make the more effective. For example, a wrestler could perform a DDT on an opponent, however, an ally could lift the opponent feet off the ground first, making it an Aided DDT, a much more effective variation of the move. An aided brainbuster sees one wrestler help another wrestler perform a brainbuster, any double-team move in which one wrestler helps another to perform a neckbreaker by twisting/forcing the opponent down to the mat harder while a neckbreaker is performed. This is a normal whiplash, but instead of having the opponent held in the air with the aid of the ring rope and this wrestler has the opponents legs on his or her shoulders and is facing the first wrestler. When the whiplash is performed, the wrestler will often twist himself or herself down to the mat. The move is known as the Magic Killer, originally used by Giant Bernard. The move was used by Bernard and Karl Anderson, the latter of whom went on to also use it with Doc/Luke Gallows. A wheelbarrow facebuster can be combined with many facebuster and DDT variations, any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a piledriver on an opponent by pushing down on the opponent’s foot for more impact. In a variation of the move, the wrestler jumps off the turnbuckle while pushing the opponent’s feet downward for even more damage. A triple team variation existed, previously used by The Shield, in this version one partner sits on the top rope facing the ring, the second partner stands behind the opponent. The Dudley Boyz made this move famous by putting their adversaries through tables, the one closest to the opponent picks up the other partner, who is facing away from him/her, and makes a 180° turn before dropping the partner on the opponent. The wrestler can lift his partner in a variety of ways before dropping him on the opponent, another variation starts with both partners on either the right or left side of an opponent who is lying prone on the mat, face-up, with one partner from the opponent. The one closest to the opponent performs a military press on the partner and before throwing them. Also known as double suplex, a move in which one wrestler help another to perform a suplex
21.
Paul Burchill
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Paulcliff Paul Birchall, better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is a semi-retired English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE, where he signed after training and debuting for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in his home country. While training at the Academy under Sloans guidance, Birchall made his debut in August 2002 using the modified spelling of his name Paul Burchill. Debuting with manager Twisted Genius Dean Ayass he defeated the tag team of Double Dragon, by the end of 2003 he was voted Rookie of the Year by both Total Wrestling and 1 Stop Wrestling. His winning streak would go untarnished until mid-2004 at Junes Carpe Diem event where Simmons continued to resist being pinned or submitting to Burchill. Frustrated, Burchill went up the ramp to talk to his manager Ayass but while there veteran Drew McDonald came from the back and hit him with a steel chair causing Burchill to lose via count out. On 1 August 2004, Burchill defeated Doug Williams and The Zebra Kid in a No Holds Barred three way match to become the International Wrestling Promotions Heavyweight Champion and he would hold the title until 6 November, when he lost a Falls Count Anywhere match to DLo Brown. In May 2004, Burchill made two appearances in Athletik Club Wrestling in Germany losing in a tag match to Jerry Lynn. Later that night he took part in a 22-man battle royal losing to fellow Brit Doug Williams and he returned in July for Summer Heat where he took on Patrick Shulz, who he had tagged with at the previous event, and won in a grudge match. Shulz, with his Made in Germany tag team partner Eric Shwarz, gained a victory later that night over Burchill. Burchill briefly appeared in Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2005 before his appearance on SmackDown, in January 2006 he began a feud with Ken Doane after Doane abandoned Burchill during a tag team match. The following week Burchill defeated Doane despite the presence of the rest of The Spirit Squad at ringside. He also had an angle where he interrupted a match to attack Shelly Martinez but instead carried her backstage and she was later seen wearing a pirates wench outfit. She would later attack Cherry Pie during his win over Deuce Shade, in September he won a battle royal for a shot at the OVW Heavyweight Championship but lost the match later that night. He earned another shot at the championship in December by defeating Seth Skyfire in a Christmas Presents match and he won it back the next day from Rhodes. After more successful defences Aaron The Idol Stevens won the belt from him on 14 March, two weeks later on 23 May, a rematch between Burchill and Stevens went to a draw when both men simultaneously pinned each other leading the title to be held up and vacated. A match for the vacant title was booked between Burchill, Stevens and Jay Bradley on 1 June with Bradley picking up the win, Burchill regained the belt later that month on 27 June but lost it 28 July to Vladimir Kozlov. In August, Burchill pinned Mark Henry in retaliation for Henry injuring him on SmackDown months prior, in the first show of 2008 the team beat Cabana and Charles Evans to capture the titles
22.
John Morrison (wrestler)
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John Randall Hennigan is an American professional wrestler, traceur and actor, who currently wrestles for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and Lucha Underground under the ring name Johnny Mundo. He is known for his tenure with the WWE where he was known by his ring names John Morrison, while in OVW, he adopted the ring name Johnny Nitro and was placed in a tag team with Joey Mercury. The duo won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship and alongside their manager Melina, MNM was called up to the SmackDown. Roster and on their match in April 2005, Hennigan. After the stable split, Hennigan won the ECW World Championship, during his tenure with WWE, Hennigan was a sporadic world title contender, feuding with the likes of Jeff Hardy, CM Punk and John Cena, won nine championships and is a two-time Slammy Award winner. In Lucha Underground, Hennigan won the event of the debut episode, as well as the first ladder match. He is also the second Triple Crown Champion in the companys history, in AAA, he participated in the 2015 and 2016 Lucha Libre World Cups, winning the latter tournament. Hennigan is the current AAA Mega, AAA Latin American and AAA World Cruiserweight Champion, in his career, Hennigan is a three-time world champion, having held the ECW World Championship, Lucha Underground Championship and AAA Mega Championship. Before getting into wrestling, Hennigan attended the University of California. Upon deciding that he did not want to either path, Hennigan began his professional wrestling career training at the Supreme Pro Wrestling school in Sacramento. For winning, Hennigan was awarded a contract and assigned to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. Hennigan competed in the Acolytes Protection Agencys invitational Bar Room Brawl match at Vengeance in July 2003, Hennigan and Cappotelli made an appearance on an episode of Heat in January 2004, losing to Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak in a tag team match. On March 1,2004, Hennigan debuted on the Raw brand under the ring name Johnny Blaze and his gimmick was that he was the apprentice and assistant of the Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff. The next week his name was changed to Johnny Spade, the Nitro name, which finally stuck, was a reference to WCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show of World Championship Wrestling for which Bischoff had previously worked. To drive the point home, he began using the Nitro theme as his entrance music. Nitro acted as Bischoffs apprentice and assistant until June, when he was sent back to OVW, to explain his departure, Nitro lost a match on June 7 episode of Raw against Eugene, which carried the stipulation that upon his loss, he also lost his job. Upon his return to OVW, Nitro was put into a feud with his former partner Matt Cappotelli, during the course of the feud Melina was brought into the company as Nitros ex-girlfriend and an ally of Cappotelli, only to turn on him and side with Nitro. Not long after, Nitro and Melina were joined by Joey Mercury, MNM wrestled in OVW for around a year, holding the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, before being called up to the main SmackDown
23.
Colt Cabana
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Scott Colton is an American professional wrestler and podcaster better known by his ring name Colt Cabana. He is currently working for Ring of Honor and Global Force Wrestling, Colton also wrestled as Scotty Goldman in World Wrestling Entertainment and as old school masked wrestler Matt Classic in Wrestling Society X and Chikara. Cabana began his wrestling career in the Midwest. He competed routinely in St. Paul, Minnesota, for Steel Domain Wrestling in 2000 and 2001, often teaming or facing rival, Cabana and Punk competed extensively from Michigan to Pennsylvania, and notably for IWA-Midsouth across Indiana and Illinois. Cabana made a name for himself when he joined ROH, where he was placed in a rivalry with Punk before uniting with Punk and he later formed a tag team with Punk to win the World Tag Team Championship twice. He also had rivalries with Homicide and then-World Champion Bryan Danielson and he made several appearances, as Scotty Goldman, with WWE on its SmackDown brand before being released from his contract in February 2009. Cabana is a former one-time JCW World Heavyweight Champion, and two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Colton was born in Deerfield, Illinois to a family of Jewish heritage and faith. He attended Western Michigan University and played on their team until graduating in 2002 with a degree in Business marketing. Scott Colton was trained by Ace Steel and Danny Dominion, alongside Phil Brooks and he broke into Ring of Honor with the name Colt Cabana as CM Punks rival before joining with Steel and Punk as the Second City Saints. Cabana and Punk later became two–time ROH Tag Team Champions, with Punk becoming a singles star, Cabana feuded with Austin Aries and Nigel McGuinness. On August 13,2005 Cabana defeated Punk in a two out of three match in their hometown of Chicago in what was supposed to be Punks last ROH match before going to World Wrestling Entertainment. On April 1,2006 in Chicago, Cabana finally got his revenge and earned the respect of Homicide after a Chicago Street Fight, which saw the feud settled with a handshake and an embrace. After his decisive victory against Homicide, Colt Cabana challenged the ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson for the World Championship at Ring of Honors 100th show on April 22,2006 in Philadelphia, Danielson defeated him in less than five minutes. Feeling he lost the match because he had spent the past eight months brawling as opposed to wrestling and he eventually earned a rematch against Danielson at Chi-Town Struggle on June 24, though he once again lost. Cabana received one last shot against Danielson for the ROH World Championship on August 26, the two fought to a 60-minute time limit draw in a two out of three falls match, with each wrestler earning one fall. In October 2006, Cabana was involved in an accident with fellow Ring of Honor stars Adam Pearce. Cabana was driving from a Ring of Honor event in Dayton, the car was totaled but everyone was wearing seat belts, which saved their lives. It was initially reported that Cabana had to have a toe amputated, despite the injury, Cabana wrestled the next night in Chicago Ridge, Illinois
24.
Big Cass
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Morrissey was born on August 16,1986 in the Glendale, Queens neighborhood of New York City. He is of Italian and Irish heritage and attended Archbishop Molloy High School and served as a tutor, a homeless shelter volunteer. He played basketball in his year and was featured in the Catholic High School Athletic Association Senior Classic All-Star game. After graduating high school, Morrissey received a scholarship to attend New York University, while attending NYU, he played as a center for the NYU Violets from the 2005–06 to the 2008–09 seasons. He co-captained the team for his final season, after graduating, Morrissey founded a ticket brokerage specializing in events held at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium. Morrisey trained as a wrestler at Johnny Rodzs professional wrestling school in Brooklyn. He debuted in Rodzs World of Unpredictable Wrestling promotion in 2010 under the ring name Big Bill Young with the gimmick of a cowboy and he went on to wrestle a number of matches for the promotion before signing with WWE in mid-2011. In June 2011, WUW announced that Morrissey had signed with Florida Championship Wrestling, Morrissey made first televised FCW appearance in July 2011, portraying the dean of the University of Florida. Morrissey wrestled his first televised match under the name of Colin Cassady on the September 4,2011 episode of FCW TV in a disqualification loss to Richie Steamboat. Cassady found no success, losing matches for the rest of 2011. Cassady scored his first win on the March 11,2012 episode of FCW TV, Cassadys final FCW TV match was on July 7,2012 in a win against Aiden English. When WWE rebranded its developmental territory, FCW, into NXT in August 2012, Cassady then formed a tag team with Enzo Amore, who had also previously lost to Ryan, and they labelled themselves the realest guys in the room. In real life, Cassady first met Amore at the age of 15, Ryan defeated Amore and Cassady in consecutive singles matches, but lost to them in a handicap match. Ryan ultimately had the last laugh when he caused Amore and Cassady to be attacked by Tons of Funk, Amore and Cassady then feuded with Sylvester Lefort and his stable of Alexander Rusev and Scott Dawson. Amore suffered a broken leg in November 2013, which led Cassady to try his hand at singles competition. Amore returned on the June 26,2014 episode of NXT, saving Cassady from an attack from Sylvester Lefort, Carmella had her televised in-ring debut on the October 16 episode of NXT. In March 2015, Amore and Cassady began a rivalry with then NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy, with the champions insulting Amore, Amore and Cassady defeated The Lucha Dragons in a number one contenders match for a title opportunity against Blake and Murphy. Amore and Cassady received their title match at NXT TakeOver, Unstoppable, at NXT TakeOver, London, Amore and Cassady challenged Dash and Dawson for the NXT Tag Team Championship in a losing effort
25.
Judo
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Judo was created as a physical, mental and moral pedagogy in Japan, in 1882, by Jigoro Kano. It is generally categorized as a martial art which later evolved into a combat. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as well as defenses are a part of judo. A judo practitioner is called a judoka, the philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for other modern Japanese martial arts that developed from koryū. The early history of judo is inseparable from its founder, Japanese polymath and educator Kanō Jigorō, Kano was born into a relatively affluent family. His father, Jirosaku, was the son of the head priest of the Shinto Hiyoshi shrine in Shiga Prefecture. He married Sadako Kano, daughter of the owner of Kiku-Masamune sake brewing company and was adopted by the family and he ultimately became an official in the Shogunal government. Jigoro Kano had an academic upbringing and, from the age of seven, he studied English, shodō, when he was fourteen, Kano began boarding at an English-medium school, Ikuei-Gijuku in Shiba, Tokyo. The culture of bullying endemic at this school was the catalyst that caused Kano to seek out a Jūjutsu dōjō at which to train, early attempts to find a jujutsu teacher who was willing to take him on met with little success. With the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, many of those who had once taught the art had been forced out of teaching or become so disillusioned with it that they had simply given up. Nakai Umenari, an acquaintance of Kanōs father and a soldier, agreed to show him kata. The caretaker of Jirosakus second house, Katagiri Ryuji, also knew jujutsu, Another frequent visitor, Imai Genshiro of Kyūshin-ryū school of jujutsu, also refused. Several years passed before he found a willing teacher. In 1877, as a student at the Tokyo-Kaisei school, Kano learned that many jujutsu teachers had been forced to pursue alternative careers, frequently opening Seikotsu-in. After inquiring at a number of these, Kano was referred to Fukuda Hachinosuke, a teacher of the Tenjin Shinyō-ryū of jujutsu, Fukuda is said to have emphasized technique over formal exercise, sowing the seeds of Kanos emphasis on randori in judo. On Fukudas death in 1880, Kano, who had become his keenest and most able student in both randori and kata, was given the densho of the Fukuda dojo, Kano chose to continue his studies at another Tenjin Shinyō-ryū school, that of Iso Masatomo. Iso placed more emphasis on the practice of kata, and entrusted randori instruction to assistants, Iso died in June 1881 and Kano went on to study at the dojo of Iikubo Tsunetoshi of Kitō-ryū. Like Fukuda, Iikubo placed much emphasis on randori, with Kitō-ryū having a focus on nage-waza
26.
Hirooki Goto
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Hirooki Goto is a Japanese professional wrestler. Goto attended Kuwana Kogyo High School in Kuwana, Mie, where he was classmates with Katsuyori Shibata, Goto later attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro Wrestling and he returned to NJPW in November 2002 after healing and began training in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo. He debuted on July 6,2003, in Gifu, Gifu, in early 2005, he won the NJPW Young Lion Cup, defeating Hiroyuki Itō in the tournament final. After turning heel and joining Jushin Thunder Ligers Control Terrorism Unit stable and he won his first championship on May 15,2005, teaming with Minoru to defeat Koji Kanemoto and Wataru Inoue in the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. The duo held the titles for nine months, losing to El Samurai, in 2006, Goto joined the American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion as a member of Team Japan, one of the four teams competing in the TNA2006 World X Cup Tournament. He debuted in TNA on April 23,2006 at Lockdown, Team Japan defeated USA when Black Tiger pinned Lethal. On the April 27,2006 episode of TNA Impact, Goto and Minoru lost to Dutt and Shelley, giving a first round victory and two points to Team USA. On May 14,2006 at Sacrifice, Goto and the members of Team Japan accompanied Liger to ringside. Later that night, all four members of Team Japan took part in a match that was won by Team Canada captain Petey Williams. The 2006 World X Cup was won by Team USA, with Team Japan coming last with three points, on August 1,2006, Goto left for a lengthy learning excursion to Mexico after losing in a farewell match at the CTU 2nd Anniversary Show. While in Mexico he wrestled primarily for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, during his time in Mexico he formed a rudo unit Hajime Ohara and Shigeo Okumura in CMLL. In August 2007, Goto returned to New Japan after his almost one-year stay in Mexico, upon his return, the now much more muscular Goto graduated from a Jr. heavyweight to a Heavyweight. Goto showed a great deal of promise and skill since last seen in July 2006 and he showcased whole new moveset and he quickly tried to establish himself as one of the top Heavyweights in New Japan. Not that far into his return Goto join the Stable R. I. S. E with Shinsuke Nakamura, Travis Tomko, Giant Bernard and fellow former CTU team mates Minoru, Milano Collection AT, and Prince Devitt. On November 11, he challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, shortly after that Goto entered the 2007 G1 Tag League with Milano Collection AT, but the pair would finish in third place. In 2008 Goto wrestled one of his idols, The Great Muta at New Japans annual January 4 Tokyo Dome Show. Although having a good showing, Goto would fall to Muta, Gotos progress was good through 2008, as he joined Shinsuke Nakamuras RISE faction
27.
Matt Morgan
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Matthew Morgan is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, he is currently working for Impact Wrestling, where he is a two-time Impact World Tag Team Champion. As a college player, Morgan competed in the 1996 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament. Also, he has appeared in American Gladiators, after a successful high school basketball career at Fairfield High School in Connecticut, Morgan played Division I college basketball for Monmouth University at center position. During Morgans freshman year at the university, the Monmouth Hawks defeated Rider University to become the Northeast Conference champions, by winning the conference tournament, Monmouth received an automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA tournament. Of his trip to the tournament, Morgan said, it was fun to be able to say that you played in the NCAA tournament. I didn’t score, but at least I got in as a freshman, Monmouth lost to Marquette University in the first round of the tournament by a final score of 68–44. Following a coaching change at Monmouth, Morgan transferred to Chaminade University in Hawaii, while at Chaminade, Morgan played in the Maui Invitational against the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils. Morgan participated in tryouts for the NBA teams Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors, Morgan was first introduced to the World Wrestling Federation when he entered as part of its Tough Enough II program but left the show early due to an injury. In April 2002, Morgan signed a deal with World Wrestling Federation. He made his OVW debut on October 2,2002, at the OVW TV Tapings as The Blueprint Matt Morgan teaming with Mark Jindrak, defeating Travis Bane and he wrestled there sporadically until October 2003 when he was called up to the SmackDown brand. He held the title for almost six months before losing it to Chris Cage on October 13,2004. Since the stipulation was that if Morgan lost he would never show his face again in OVW, he began wearing a mask to the ring and tweaked his name to simply The Blueprint. He made his WWE debut on the October 30,2003, paul Heyman, to join Team Lesnar, which consisted of Matt Morgan, Nathan Jones, Brock Lesnar, Big Show and A-Train. It was hinted that Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones would be a tag team, but their only tag team match was at the 2003 Survivor Series pay-per-view, when they took on Team Angle. They lost to Team Angle in an elimination tag team match at 2003 Survivor Series. Morgan was then used to make run-ins along with the members of Team Lesnar. Soon thereafter, Nathan Jones quit WWE, so Matt Morgan occasionally teamed with Lesnar. He teamed up with Lesnar, Big Show, and Rhyno in a four-on-two Handicap match against Chris Benoit and John Cena on the January 22,2004, Morgan returned to WWE on the April 21,2005, episode of SmackDown
28.
Jaguar Yokota
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Rimi Yokota is a Japanese professional wrestler and later wrestling trainer, who wrestled under the name Jaguar Yokota. She is widely considered one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time, Yokota was born on July 25,1961 in Tokyo, Japan. She spent the majority of her career as a headliner for the All Japan Womens promotion and it was highlighted by two title runs as the WWWA Champion. Having been inspired to join AJW by 1970s stars, the Beauty Pair, Yokota debuted on June 28,1977 in Tokyo at the age of 15 and she won her first belt on January 4,1980, when she became the AJW Junior Champion. Later that year, she won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship with Ayumi Hori, on December 17, on February 25,1981 she achieved her greatest success to that point, defeating her original inspiration, Jackie Sato, for the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship. She was 19 years old at the time of her first title reign and she lost her first world championship to La Galactica on May 7,1983 in a mask vs. hair match, then won it back a month later. During her second title run, she had very notable feuds with Devil Masami and Lioness Asuka. After her early retirement in 1986, she became a trainer for AJW, notable students of hers include Manami Toyota, Toshiyo Yamada, Megumi Kudo, Kyoko Inoue, and Takako Inoue. In 1995 she came out of retirement to form her promotion Jd, and wrestled as its top star until 1998, Yokota stayed retired from 1998 to 2004, as she started to have a family. Yokota was married in August 2004 to the lead vocalist for the obscure and she has since returned to professional wrestling as a freelancer, including a stint as part of the Monster faction in HUSTLE as Jaguar Y. Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time, Winding Stair Press,2002, page 166
29.
Bill Goldberg
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Regarded as one of the more popular professional wrestlers of the late 1990s, Goldberg was the top star and public face of World Championship Wrestling at the peak of the Monday Night Wars. Goldberg is best known for his time in WCW, where he performed between 1997 and 2001, Goldberg rose to fame in WCW with a lengthy undefeated streak in singles competition from 1997 to 1998, which is considered the longest winning streak in professional wrestling. During this time, he became WCW United States Champion and WCW World Heavyweight Champion and he was also a one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, making him along with Hart the fifth WCW Triple Crown winner. Following WCWs closure in 2001, Goldberg wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling between 2002 and 2003, and for WWE between 2003 and 2004, becoming a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in the latter. Goldberg headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWE, including closing WCWs premier annual event, Starrcade, before he was a professional wrestler, Goldberg was a professional football player. After first retiring from wrestling, he began working as a commentator for the mixed martial arts promotion EliteXC until its closure. He hosted 26 episodes of Garage Mahal on the DIY Network from 2009 to 2011, Goldberg was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he had a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel and graduated from Tulsa Edison High School. He acquired a love for early in life and was a bouncer at age 16. Goldbergs mother, Ethel, is a classical violinist, while his father, Jed and they divorced, and Jed died in late 2006. Ethel also breeds flowers and created a hybrid orchid, which she named after Goldberg. His brother, Michael, is the owner of a club in Aspen. Goldberg is proud of his Jewish heritage and refused to hide it in the wrestling world and his Romanian great-grandfather, Marcel, emigrated from Bucharest and came to the U. S. through Ellis Island. His other great-grandfather, Willie, was a Russian immigrant, Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection and he played for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1990 NFL season, followed by a stint with the CFL Sacramento Gold Miners and Atlanta Falcons from 1992 to 1994. After being cut from the Falcons, in 1995 he was selected by the new team, the Carolina Panthers, in the 1995 NFL expansion draft. He was the first player to have been cut by the Panthers, Goldbergs NFL career ended when he tore his lower abdomen off his pelvis. He had hopes of returning to the league after rehabilitation but, due to his lack of success, wasnt considered a major asset. Goldberg has described playing in the NFL as an emotional experience because, despite reaching the goal of simply playing in the NFL
30.
World Championship Wrestling
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WCW Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion, historically based in Atlanta, Georgia. Immediately after the buyout, the business was renamed the Universal Wrestling Corporation, WCW also developed a popular cruiserweight division. WCW eclipsed the WWF in popularity throughout the United States for much of the latter-1990s, however, numerous financial, Turner owned WCW until 2001, when selected assets were purchased by the WWF. Since 2001, WCW images and video footage have been distributed in WWE-owned media. Two separate subsidiary companies exist as successors to WCW, WCW, Inc. is the WWE subsidiary established in Delaware in late 2000, initially as W. Acquisition Company, which holds the rights to the WCW video library and other intellectual property. The former WCW entity, which retained liabilities not acquired by WWE, was renamed back to the Universal Wrestling Corporation, the name World Championship Wrestling was first used as a brand and television show title in 1982. Jim Barnett came to Atlanta in the 1970s during a struggle over Georgia Championship Wrestling. Barnett ultimately became majority owner of the promotion, and began using his previous name for his new promotions television program in 1982. The promotion was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions. However, it was not until November 2,1988 that an actual, National Wrestling Alliance -affiliated promotion called World Championship Wrestling appeared on the national scene and this entity was under the ownership of media mogul and cable-TV pioneer Ted Turner, based in Atlanta, Georgia. WCW went through changes in business and creative leadership during its existence. Once Bischoff was relieved of his duties in 1999, Vince Russo, the two, however, did not get along well and Bischoff soon resigned from the sinking company. It was only a few months later that Russo would also depart after suffering from a concussion at the hands of Bill Goldberg, following Russos departure, the creative needs of the WCW were handled by a booking committee which included Johnny Ace and Terry Taylor. From 2000 to 2001, Monster Jam had a series of trucks based on wrestlers names. These include nWo, Sting, Nitro Machine, Madusa and Goldberg, the first to go was nWo, which only ran for a season. Next, all but Goldberg, Nitro, and Madusa were retired after the WCW sponsorship was lost, Nitro then became Flashfire, and then was converted into Inferno. Madusa has stayed the same since its creation, because it is driven by former WCW wrestler Debrah Miceli, as for Goldberg, it was changed to Team Meents in 2002, then into Maximum Destruction, which debuted in 2003 and continues to compete in the series. WCW also had a presence in NASCAR from the mid-1990s to 2000, sponsoring the #29 team in the Busch Grand National Series full-time and the #9 Melling Racing team in the Winston Cup Series part-time
31.
Professional wrestling attacks
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Attacking maneuvers are offensive moves in professional wrestling, used to set up an opponent for a submission hold or for a throw. There are a variety of attacking moves in pro wrestling. Professional wrestlers frequently give their finishers new names, occasionally, these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique. Professional wrestling contains a variety of punches and kicks found in martial arts and other fighting sports, many of the moves below can also be performed from a raised platform, these are called aerial variations. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible, also known as a splash, a body press involves a wrestler falling against the opponent with the core of their body. It is executed from a running or jumping position, using momentum and weight to impact the opponent and this attack is a plancha in lucha libre. The big splash involves a wrestler jumping forward and landing stomach-first across an opponent lying on the ground below, on some occasions a wrestler has a short running start before executing the move. The wrestler charges into an opponent in the corner of the ring without leaving their feet and this is normally used by bigger, heavier wrestlers. There is also a variation, known as a diving crossbody. A move named after Sting, who popularized it, the Stinger splash involves the wrestler trapping his opponent in a corner. This move is described as a crossbody as a counter of a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker/tilt-a-whirl mat slam. The bronco buster is normally treated as having comic or sexual connotations rather than as a painful move. Similar to a bronco buster, the wrestler jumps onto a standing opponent in the corner, straddling and sitting on the opponents chest. The attacking wrestler then follows with mounted punches, the act of a wrestler to slap the chest of his opponent with the palm of the hand using a backhand swing. Many wrestlers use this chop, often referring to it as a knife edge chop, because it was popularized by Ric Flair the crowd always responds with a woo noise. Sometimes referred to as a frying pan chop or an open-hand chop, the act of slapping the chest of the opponent using the forehand. A downward diagonal backhand chop to the side of the opponents neck, the act of karate chopping both the opponents shoulders and sides of the neck with the hands edges in a swinging motion at the same time. Also known as a brain chop or a tomahawk chop, the wrestler draws his hand back and hits the opponent vertically with a backhand chop, usually hitting the head
32.
Dropkick
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A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. This is commonly employed by light and nimble wrestlers who can take advantage of their agility, in order to be pulled off effectively, it requires great leg strength in order to gain elevation. Coleman, listed at 52 in height, called the move a Kangaroo Kick, the wrestler runs and slides feet first at the opponent, kicking them with both feet, like a baseball player sliding into a base. It is usually performed by a wrestler in the ring sliding to kick the upper torso or head of a wrestler standing outside and beside the ring, a variation involves sliding to kick the head of an opponent hung upside-down from the turnbuckles. In defensive terms, a slide can be used to counter an Irish whip. It can also be used to slide under an opponent, usually as a technique to avoid an attempted kick, the wrestler sets up the opponent, usually seated at a corner turnbuckle and hits him with a dropkick. The most common variation of this is a version, where the wrestler uses the ring ropes to elevate his body. Sometimes this move can see the wrestler land chest-first on another opponent, many wrestlers perform this move with great care, as any slight twist in their body can injure them. This move was popularized by Paul London during his tenure in the WWE. A front dropkick, or flying dropkick, is an attack where the jumps up. This enables the wrestler to fall backwards to the mat, landing on their upper back and this is often used to attack lower parts of the opponent than the normal dropkick. This move is used when an opponent is sitting or kneeling on the ground so that the feet will connect with the opponents head. Another variation is the high impact front dropkick, the attacker charges from one corner to an opponent standing in the mittle of the ring, catapulting the opponent into the corner. This was popularized in Japan by Takahiro Suwa and Yasushi Kanda in Japan and this variant sees the wrestler setting up in front of a bent over opponent, or running to the ropes and applying the traditional dropkick in a side or front position. Also known as a dropkick, a missile dropkick is an attack where the wrestler jumps off the top turnbuckle. From this position the wrestler leaps at his opponent and performs a front dropkick and this move was innovated by Rob Van Dam who named it a Van-Terminator and later popularized by Shane McMahon, who named this move Coast to Coast. In this dropkick an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent and jumps up sideways striking a head or chin with the sole of their highest foot. A front dropkick variation, in which the wrestler doesnt twist like in a normal dropkick, is also possible
33.
Leg drop
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The wrestler spins 180° while they jump and land their leg across an opponents chest, throat, face, or head. This variation of the leg drop sees the wrestler drop both legs onto the opponent, usually onto the midsection, instead of just one leg and it was used by Kofi Kingston, who calls it the Boom Drop. This leg drop sees the attacking wrestler hold the opponents legs. If performed to hit the lower-abdomen, the user bends their legs. If it is to hit the area, the attacking wrestler bends out and keeps their legs straight. This also refers to the attackers leg hitting the throat in a standard leg drop. The wrestler jumps in the air and uses one of his legs to push down on the head of an opponent who is leaning forward, which drives the opponent face-first into the mat. The move was innovated by Johnny Ace calling it The Ace Crusher II and later popularized by Billy Gunn, who called it the Famouser or Fame-Ass-Er, the latter name used when he wrestled as Mr. Ass. Marty Jannetty performed a version of the move where he applied a wristlock to the opponent first, Kelly Kelly later adopted the same variation as her finishing maneuver calling it K2. An inverted version of this sees the wrestler drop the opponent on the back of their head. A variation to the original, the wrestler bounces off from one side of the ring, runs. It was said that Hogan had popularized this and also invented it, the attacker, while on the outside, pulls back on the ropes and, assisted by the rebound of the ropes, propels themselves into the ring and onto their victim. Variations include using the ropes for a slingshot somersault leg drop, another variant is when the attacker slingshots onto the opponents neck. An attacking wrestler would perform a forward somersault to drop their leg across the throat or chest of an opponent. This is very similar to the leg drop, but there are two variations to this move. The first is that the wrestler jumps splits his legs in the air. This move is performed by women. The wrestler, while standing on the apron, jumps over the top rope and dives upwards, stretching and extending a leg, targeting the neck of the opponent
34.
Brainbuster
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A brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts the opponent in a front facelock, hooks their pants or thigh, and lifts them up as if they were executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto their back so that the opponent lands on their head while remaining vertical and this move is a version of the DDT. In Japanese puroresu, the term refers to a regular vertical suplex. Dick Murdoch is credited with the innovation, although it was taught to him by Killer Karl Kox. Also known as a brainbuster, the wrestler stands facing a standing opponent. The wrestler then shifts their grip so they are holding the opponent by their legs, a fisherman buster is a variation of the brainbuster in which the wrestler will hook the opponents leg to aid in lifting them off the ground. With the opponent elevated, the wrestler perform a fishermans suplex. This variation in a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock and uses his/her free arm to go under the opponents near leg and hook the far one. After lifting him/her off the ground, the wrestler jumps up and falls down on his/her back. This variation involves grabbing and pulling by the opponents wrist then lifting them up into the air before falling to their back, the wrestler begins behind and facing a standing opponent. The wrestler then pulls the head of the opponent back and applies an inverted facelock to the opponent with one arm, the wrestler then places his/her other arm under the lower back of the opponent, then uses that arm to elevate the opponent until they are vertical. The wrestler then jumps up and falls down on his/her back, also known as a spike brainbuster. Instead of just falling down onto his/her own back, the wrestler jumps up. It was used most notably by Koko B. Ware early in his WWF career, also known as the Northern Lights Bomb in Japan and the Snow Plow
35.
Chokeslam
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A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponents neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, the chokeslam is typically used as a finisher by large wrestlers, further enhancing its perception as a powerful maneuver. This maneuver can be damaging if the victim is slammed into an object, such as a table, steel chair. The most common variety of chokeslam is performed with a single-handed choke, the wrestler places their free hand behind the opponents back to help turn them horizontally for the throw. Although a chokeslam begins with a choke, it is not usually considered to be an illegal move, the single arm choke that normally precedes a chokeslam is known as a goozle. Often used by large, powerful wrestlers such as The Undertaker, Kane, The Big Show, Abyss, The Great Khali, Vader and this is because a larger, taller wrestler will be able to deliver a much higher, more impressive chokeslam than most smaller wrestlers. Their height and/or larger frames can also give them time to correct a botch if something goes wrong. However, some wrestlers and even female performers have used the chokeslam, including Lacey Von Erich, The Hurricane. In this elevated chokeslam the wrestler stands behind the opponent, puts his head one of the opponents arms. The wrestler then pushes the opponent upwards, turns 180°, and grabs hold of the opponents throat. The wrestler performing the move stands in front of and slightly to the left of the opponent receiving it, the wrestler then reaches out and grabs the opponents throat and trunks, and lifts him or her in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a chokeslam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the wrestler kneels and this move is popularly known as a chokebreaker/choke breaker, which is a portmanteau of this moves technical name. When two wrestlers execute a chokeslam on an opponent at the same time it is referred to as a double chokeslam. Like the vertical suplex chokeslam, but in this variant, the attacking wrestler puts the opponent in a powerbomb position, the wrestler moves his arm from around the opponents neck, grabbing hold of their throat. The wrestler then slams the opponent down to the mat back first, then, the attacker lifts the opponent into the air and slams the opponent down to the mat. The move can also be used as a reversal from when the opponent tries some form of only to have the attacker catch. A sitting version and a kneeling version are also possible, the Big Show, Kane, and The Undertaker frequently perform this. The Big Show invented the kneeling chokeslam during his time in WCW under the name The Giant from 1995-1999, the attacking fighter grabs hold of an opponents neck with both hands, one on the front, and one on the back
36.
Cutter (professional wrestling)
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In professional wrestling, a cutter is a ¾ facelock front face bulldog maneuver. This move sees an attacking wrestler first apply a ¾ facelock before falling backwards to force the opponent face-first to the mat below, the cutter was innovated by Johnny Ace, who called it the Ace Crusher. It was later popularized by Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter, the cutter also formed the base for the later development of another professional wrestling move known as the stunner. The attacking wrestler gets his opponent in the Argentine backbreaker position as to execute the Argentine Backbreaker drop, the attacking wrestler then pushes his opponents legs so that he flips horizontally 180 degrees. As his opponents weight is being shifted to one side, the attacking wrestler applies the ¾ facelock and this variation sees the wrestler lift an opponent from behind as with a belly to back suplex. Then, instead of falling backwards, the wrestler pushes the legs so that the opponent turns over in mid-air so that they are now face down. As the opponent falls, the wrestler reaches back and seizes opponents head in order perform the cutter, in this version, the wrestler first lifts the opponent up in a crucifix hold before rotating them into the cutter. Another variation involves the opponent lifted in a crucifix and dropped into the cutter. This particular version was innovated and popularized in America by Tommy Dreamer, with an opponent placed on an elevated surface, a wrestler applies a ¾ facelock and then draws the opponent away, leaving only the opponents feet over the elevated surface. The wrestler then falls backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto the top of their due to the angle of which they are dropped. The elevated cutter can also be performed as a double team maneuver including several variations including the doomsday-style elevated cutter or the 3D. Also known as the TKO, and was innovated by Marc Mero, is another elevated cutter variation in which the opponent is first raised over the shoulders of a wrestler in the firemans carry position, a stunner variation is also possible. This move was innovated by Jason Kincaid, charlotte uses this move as her finisher, calling it Natural Selection. This cutter variation sees the wrestler first lock his opponent in a front facelock or a front facelock. The wrestler then pivots 180° and catches the opponent in a ¾ facelock with their arm before falling down into the cutter. This move is known as the Twist of Fate, and is associated with Jeff and Matt Hardy, as well as the latters former real-life girlfriend. This variation sees the attacking wrestler execute an inverted suplex lift on his opponent before bringing him down face first with the cutter, also known as the Osaka Street Cutter. Randy Orton and Karl Anderson are using a variation named the RKO
37.
DDT (professional wrestling)
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In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock/inverted headlock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponents head into the mat. The classic DDT is performed by putting the opponent in a front facelock, when asked what DDT meant, Jake once famously replied The End. The abbreviation itself originally came from the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, a pesticide, as stated during shoot interviews. Many think that the term DDT was applied because the chemical DDT is a hazardous chemical buried in the ground which potentially causes brain damage, the wrestler falls down to the mat front first, driving the opponent face first down to the mat. WWE wrestler Paige uses this variation as a move called the Ram-Paige. British wrestler Joseph Conners uses this variation, known as the Righteous Kill, innovated by the legendary Kenta Kobashi. Instead of applying a head or facelock, the wrestler bends his opponent forward and this is known as a butterfly. It is also known as a double arm DDT or a butterfly DDT, mick Foley, Stevie Richards, Drew Galloway, and Dean Ambrose have popularized variations of this DDT. Richards uses a variation he calls the Stevie-T, while Galloway and Ambrose use snap variations that they call the Future Shock and Dirty Deeds. The wrestler stands in a position and faces the standing or bent-over opponent. This version of a DDT first sees a wrestler place the opponent on an elevated surface. The attacking wrestler falls backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto his/her head with extra force due to the height of which they were dropped. This is used as a Signature move by Randy Orton and this can also be performed as a double team move. A slight variation, known as a diving DDT or a Halo DDT, exists and sees the wrestler and the opponent both on an elevated surface, albeit with the wrestler facing the ring. With the opponent in the front facelock, the wrestler and the opponent both dive off the surface, resulting in the wrestler falling forward to perform the DDT instead of falling backwards. The move is referred to as a spike DDT, because the defending wrestler lands in an upside-down, almost completely vertical. This move is performed with the defending wrestlers feet on the middle rope. Also known as a front flip DDT, after applying a front facelock, the wrestler pushes off the mat with his/her legs to flip the opponent and drive them onto the top of their head in a manner similar to the flip piledriver
38.
Facebuster
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A standard facebuster, also known as a jumping facebuster, involves the wrestler grabbing hold of the opponents head / hair and dropping down to their knees, forcing the opponents face into the mat. The wrestler then hooks both arms of the opponent using his or her legs, and then falls forward planting the body into the mat face-first. This move was innovated by Col. DeBeers and was famous by A. J. Styles, who refers to the move as the Styles Clash and this variant is later utilized by former WWE Diva Michelle McCool, who referred to the move as the Faith Breaker. Like a belly-to-back suplex, the wrestler wraps their arms around the opponent in a waistlock and lifts the opponent in the air. In another variation the wrestler could just jump from the turnbuckle grabbing the opponents head/hair in the air, the wrestler bends their opponent forward, placing the opponents head between the wrestlers legs and then applies a double underhook on the opponent. The wrestler performs a kneeling or sitout facebuster. It is perhaps known as a Pedigree, the name Triple H gave to the move as his finisher, while a sitout version. The wrestler stands behind and facing the same way as their opponent, the wrestler then places their head next to the opponents back and turns 180 degrees while twisting one of the opponents arms over both of their heads. With the wrestler now in front of the opponent and still hooking the opponents arms and it has also been known as the Tom-ikaze-like Maneuver courtesy of Jim Ross. Candice Michelle also had her own version of this maneuver called The Candy-Wrapper and this facebuster is performed when a wrestler bends an opponent forward, placing the opponents head between the wrestlers legs, and hooks each of the opponents arms behind his/her back. A sit-out variation of this move exists and this maneuver was popularized by Christopher Daniels, uses a spinning sit-out version of the move and calls it the Angels Wings. Awesome Kong uses a version as her finisher, known as the Implant Buster. The wrestler approaches the opponent from behind, and lifts him on his shoulders into a seated position, the wrestler then lifts the opponent up by his thighs and pushes him forward and down, slamming him down to the mat chest first. The wrestler may also sit down while slamming the opponent and this move was popularized by Brock Lesnar, who uses the move as a finisher and named it the F5. In his earlier career, Lesnar would occasionally use the move to propel an opponents leg into the ringpost, currently Rosemary uses the move as a finisher calling it The Red Wedding. The wrestler grabs the opponent by the arm and goes behind him holding the arm. The wrestler then bends the opponents back and slams their face to the mat, the forward Russian legsweep was popularized by Jeff Jarrett, who began using the maneuver as a finisher in the late 1990s and calls it The Stroke
39.
Neckbreaker
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In professional wrestling, a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponents neck. One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponents neck against a part of the body, usually the knee. The other type of neckbreaker is a technique in which the wrestler throws an opponent to the ground by twisting the opponents neck. This also refers to a head slam where a wrestler drops to the mat while holding an opponent by their neck. The attacking wrestler first places their opponent face-up across their shoulders, as in an Argentine backbreaker rack, WWE wrestler Kevin Owens used this as his finisher on a few occasions. This move sees a wrestler take hold of an arm of an opponent and then move to a back to back position, so that the opponents arm hooks across. At this point, the wrestler falls backwards to the ground. William Regal was known for using this move as a finisher in the half of his career. Damien Sandow was also known for using this move during 2012-2013, and Gail Kim also used it as a finisher during her first TNA run and as a signature move thereafter, naming it the Happy Ending. An elevated neckbreaker refers to any neckbreaker performed on an opponent who is held on an elevated position, normally a wrestler places the opponent on the turnbuckle so that they face away from the ring. There are also double team variations and it is usually performed against an opponent who is sitting on the top turnbuckle. A move in which the wrestler performs a gutwrench and lifts the opponent so that their back rests across one of the wrestlers shoulders. The wrestler then reaches forward with hands and grabs the opponent under the chin. At this point, the wrestler would drop down to the mat backwards, causing the opponent to drop from an elevated height and this moves sees a wrestler take an opponent across their shoulders in a firemans carry. Once there the wrestler does a firemans carry slam, extending the knee adjacent to the opponents face, the opponent then lands neck-first across the extended knee, snapping their neck in a similar manner to a shoulder neckbreaker. The wrestler will spin their body opposite the opponent, either releasing their opponent or continuing to spin with the hold intact. The wrestler can perform the move from a position for more impact or from a kneeling position as a wear-down hold. The wrestler then falls to their back while maintaining the hold and this move is often used by a wrestler who ducks under an attempted attack by the opponent, such as a clothesline, and is thus back to back with their opponent
40.
Piledriver (professional wrestling)
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The technique is said to have been innovated by Wild Bill Longson. The act of performing a piledriver is called piledriving, someone who has recently been the victim of a piledriver is said to have been piledriven. The piledriver is often seen as one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling, due to this, the move is banned in the WWE with the exception of Kane and The Undertaker due to their experience and size. The piledriver is generally considered a dangerous maneuver in wrestling because of the impact on the head. The proper way to execute the move, in most cases, is for the performing the move to tuck the opponents head between his legs before falling to the mat. If done in this manner, the receiving the move will land with little or no contact made with the mat at all. Perhaps the most famous example of an injury from an improperly performed piledriver came at the 1997 WWF SummerSlam event, as Austin had feared, Hart botched the move and dropped Austin on top of his head. The impact jammed Austins neck and left him temporarily paralyzed and he continued and finished the match, but stayed away from the ring for two months to recover from the injury. The physical demands of Austins standing as one of the top stars in the WWF did not allow much downtime for him to rest and take care of the injury and as his career progressed, Austin underwent surgery on the neck in 1999, but it never fully healed. By 2002, Austins doctors told him that he risked permanent disability if he did not retire, the piledriver was banned in WWE in 2000, unless the wrestler has special permission to use the move. In a discussion in 2007, Stephanie McMahon said that only two wrestlers were allowed to use the move, two of the guys, Undertaker and Kane. In fact, The Undertakers tombstone piledriver continues to be his finishing move, the piledriver is also banned in many other promotions and certain cities. It is also considered an automatic disqualification in professional wrestling matches held in Tennessee, in some promotions in the United Kingdom, the move can result in not only a disqualification, but a fine. In Mexico, the piledriver is an automatic disqualification, because of the dangers of the piledriver, it is classed as a foul and is illegal in mixed martial arts under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a piledriver on an opponent by pushing down on the foot for more impact. In a variation of the move, the wrestler jumps off the turnbuckle while pushing the opponent’s feet downward for even more damage. The move is executed from an Argentine backbreaker rack position, the wrestler pushes the opponent forward while holding the opponents leg with one arm, and the head with the other arm, and then sits down, driving the opponent head first down to the floor. The wrestler bends forward or crouches in front of their opponent, grabs hold of the opponent around the legs and stands up, the wrestler then either sits down or drops on to his knees, driving the opponents head down to the mat
41.
Powerbomb
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A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position and he is then lifted on the wrestlers shoulders and slammed down back-first to the mat. A prawn hold is used for a pinning powerbomb. Powerbombs are sometimes used in mixed martial arts competitions, when a fighter attempts to slam another fighter who has him trapped in a triangle choke, in professional wrestling, it is also sometimes used by a bigger wrestler as a counter to an attempted hurricanrana by a smaller wrestler. While it was associated with super-heavyweight wrestlers, the move was innovated by Lou Thesz, often the wrestler drops to a seated position while spinning the opponent. Styles with the name Rack Bomb, also known as a sitout two-handed chokeslam and a choke driver. The most common move referred to as a chokebomb sees a wrestler grasps an opponents neck with both hands and then lift them up into the air. From here the wrestler would throw the opponent back down to the mat while falling to a seated position. This would see the opponent land in a position where their legs are wrapped around the wrestler with their back and this allows the attacking wrestler to lean forward and place both his/her arms on the opponent for a pinfall attempt. A falling version exists, and usually ends with the attacking wrestler pinning the opponent immediately while still holding the throat after the move has already been executed. The wrestler places his opponents head in between his legs then grabs the opponents stomach and lifts his opponent over his shoulder and holds both his arms in a position over his head. The wrestler finally runs or falls to his/her knees and throws his opponent onto the mat back/neck first, WWE superstar Sheamus employs the running variation, dubbing it the High Cross. The falling variation is associated with Razor Ramon, who called it Razors Edge. This move is used by Roman Reigns as a signature move and was also commonly performed by Matt Hardy. A top rope version was used by Konnan as well, one opponent is placed on the attackers shoulders as per a standard powerbomb, then the other will be placed on the first opponents shoulders, facing in the same direction. This is normally performed by putting the first opponents head between the legs while they are sitting on the second or top turnbuckle. Finally, both opponents will be slammed to the mat, also known as a Tiger Bomb. The wrestler faces a bent over opponent, and hooks each of the arms behind the opponents back
42.
Stunner (professional wrestling)
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A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the sitout ¾ facelock jawbreaker maneuver. It was innovated by Mikey Whipwreck who called it the Whipper-Snapper, but it was popularized by Stone Cold Steve Austin, the move was named for Austins Stone Cold Stunner finisher. It involves an attacking wrestler applying a three-quarter facelock before falling to a seated position, the free hand is sometimes used to hold the top of the head. In this elevated stunner variation, the opponent is first raised up in a piggy-back position, from here, the attacking wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock and drops down to a seated position while still holding the opponents head to force them to fall into the stunner. This version is known as a piggypack stunner, or the Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder. Ember Moons version of the stunner is when the wrestler launches themselves off the top rope, after completing the corkscrew, whilst still in mid-air the attacking wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock to the opponent whilst falling down to a seated position to complete the stunner. This version is known as the O-Face during Moons time on the independent circuit as Athena. With an opponent placed on a surface, a wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock and then draws the opponent away. The wrestler then falls to a position so that the opponent is forced to dive forward across the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. This is believed to have more impact due to the angle of which the opponent is dropped, the elevated stunner can also be performed as a double-team move. Also known as the Total Knock Out or TKO for short, from here, the attacking wrestler throws the legs of the opponent out backwards and drops down to the mat while taking hold of the opponents head to force them to fall into the stunner. The name originally referred to the cutter variation, the name has since been used to refer to both types. Rebecca Hardy uses as her finisher as this sit-out variant is called the Twist of Fate. This variation sees the wrestler apply an inverted facelock on an opponent before hooking their tights, the move has been innovated and popularized by John Cena. This elevated stunner first sees the wrestler apply a front facelock, hook the opponents near arm over their shoulder. Innovated and popularized by Masato Tanaka as the Shotgun Stunner
43.
Boston crab
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The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with one wrestler lying in a supine position on the mat, with the other wrestler standing and facing him. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the legs in one of his arms. The final position has the wrestler in a position and facing away from his opponent, with the opponent’s back. The original name for the maneuver was the Backbreaker, before that became known for its current usage. In modern wrestling, the Boston crab is not treated as a submission maneuver. In Japan, it is used as a hold to defeat young and inexperienced wrestlers. In submission grappling, the Boston crab can be used to set up an ankle lock. Innovated by Braeden Bacon and used mainly in his early DWA career, similar to a normal Boston crab, this move sees the attacking wrestler use a single knee to add additional pressure by pressing it into the opponents back. Roderick Strong uses this as the Strong Hold, an elevated variation, best known as Chris Jerichos Liontamer, also exists. This variation of a normal Boston crab sees the attacking wrestler get a hold of both of the feet, then crossing both legs over before tucking both legs under its same armpit. After completing this, the attacking wrestler turns the opponent face-down, similar to a normal Boston Crab, this move sees the attacking wrestler stand farther back. The step-back allows additional pressure to be placed on the back from the higher angle. This move is best known as Chris Jerichos Walls of Jericho, a single leg variation, also known as a Stump Puller, involves only one of the opponents legs being stretched and a figure-four leglock variation as well. This move can be used as a pin as well as a submission maneuver, the wrestler then uses their arms to force the shin and thigh of the opponent down, thereby placing pressure on the opponents knee. This move can best be described as an Torture Rack applied to a single leg, not to be confused with the Inverted Boston crab, this move is executed by an aggressor standing over a face-down opponent facing in the same direction. From there the aggressor take each of his opponents leg under each arm, with both legs under each armpit, he pushes down putting pressure on the knees & lower back of his opponent. This was popoularized by Colt Cabana, who calls it the Billy Goats Curse, a wrestler can also grab an opponents arms, performing in effect a Reverse Rocking Horse, also known as Campana or Pendulum, this hold is highly popular in Mexico. Also known as a half Boston crab or a crab, a move that typically starts with the opponent on their back
44.
Nelson hold
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A nelson hold is a grappling hold which is executed from behind the opponent, generally when both are on the mat face down with the opponent under the aggressor. One or both arms are used to encircle the opponents arm under the armpit, and secured at the opponents neck, several different nelson holds exist, and they can be separated according to the positioning of the encircling arm. A nelson is used to control an opponent or to him over on his back. The term nelson is derived from full nelson, which dates back to the early 19th century. The quarter nelson involves putting one hand on the neck, passing the free arm under the arm of the opponent. In amateur wrestling a strong quarter nelson can be used to secure a pin, or to control the opponent, the half nelson is referred to by most coaches as being the easiest, but most effective move in folkstyle wrestling, and is very commonly used. The half nelson is done using one hand, by passing it under the arm of the opponent. In addition, the not being used should be holding the opponents other wrist in so that they can not post the hand or peel the half nelson off. A power half nelson is a type of half nelson, the hand not performing the nelson is placed on the opponents head to increase the overall power of the half nelson. When the half nelson has been put into place, it is used to turn the opponent over onto his back. This is accomplished by using the hand to press the opponents neck down, while using the arm under the shoulder to lift the shoulder. Often the aggressor remains perpendicular to the opponent, chest on chest, the aggressors free hand is used to minimize struggling by hooking the opponents near or far leg or crotch. When the aggressor is in the process of putting the half nelson in and this is especially effective if the opponent is on his knees instead of lying flat, which is why the half nelson should not be attempted until the opponents stomach is on the ground. From this position he can try to turn either toward or away from the aggressor. The three-quarter nelson is done by performing a half nelson using one hand, the three-quarter nelson can be used in amateur wrestling to pin the opponent, and is more secure than a half-nelson. The full nelson is done by performing half nelsons with both arms, in collegiate, high school, middle school/junior high school, and most other forms of amateur wrestling, the move is illegal. The holder is on the side of the opponent, and has his or her hands extended upwards under the opponents armpits. By cranking the hands forward, pressure can be applied to the neck of the opponent, the usage of the full nelson in combat sports is very limited
45.
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
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The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The Sharpshooter hold begins with the opponent supine on the mat, the applying wrestler steps between the opponents legs with their own left leg and wraps Os legs at shin level around that leg. If A decides to cross Os legs around As own right leg, holding Os legs in place, A then grabs Os leg which he has crossed over the other and steps over O, flipping O over into a prone position before leaning back to compress Os lower back. This move is used commonly by Canadian wrestlers, typically in Canada, to give A a bigger crowd reaction, since the move is associated with Bret Hart. Hart revealed that the person in the locker room who knew how to execute the move was Konnan. Its name was based on Harts Hit Man nickname, in WWF publications of the era, Brets father Stu Hart, long known as a trainer in the game, was generally given credit for devising the move. Retired WWE superstar Edge innovated a variation where he would apply the hold normally, only to face the opposite direction, the Sharpshooter was infamously used in the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series in 1997. Shawn Michaels applied Harts own Sharpshooter on him, vince McMahon double-crossed Hart by ordering referee Earl Hebner to ring the bell and award the match to Michaels, despite Hart never having submitted. Another occurred on the March 18,2006 edition of Saturday Nights Main Event, however, instead of stepping over the opponent to flip the opponent, the applying wrestler flips the wrestler over from left-to-right, keeping the opponent in front of him/her. The applying wrestler then leans over the opponent and grabs his/her arms, the applying wrestler then squats back, lifting the opponents torso into the air. The move was used by Bull Nakano and later used by current WWE wrestler Paige
46.
Professional wrestling aerial techniques
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Aerial techniques are maneuvers, using the ring and its posts and ropes as aids, used in professional wrestling to show off the speed and agility of a wrestler. These moves are mainly done by smaller, quicker wrestlers who are unable to do most of the power moves, there is a wide variety of aerial techniques in professional wrestling. Due to injuries caused by high risk moves, some promotions have banned the use of some maneuvers. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible, the wrestler takes hold of one of the opponents wrists and twists that arm in an arm wrench. The wrestler then climbs up the corner turnbuckles and walks on the top rope, before jumping down and striking the opponents chest and this is often referred to as Old School, the name used by The Undertaker, who popularized it. This move is a forward somersault three-quarter facelock bulldog/jawbreaker performed by a wrestler from an aerial platform. This move involves the wrestler standing on a platform and facing the back of a standing opponent while applying an inverted facelock. This move was innovated by Masato Tanaka and this variation of a diving elbow drop sees a wrestler stand facing away from a standing or supine opponent and in an elevated position. The wrestler then dives backwards and strikes the opponent in the shoulder and this is a bulldog performed by a wrestler from an elevated position. A standard diving bulldog sees a wrestler jump down on an opponent from an elevated platform, from this point, the wrestler delivers a kick with the back of his leg. This is a move in which a wrestler will jump from an elevated position, a version of this move, called a flying lariat, involves the wrestler wrapping his arm around the opponents head. This move is used by many, usually light, wrestlers and is known as a diving crossbody. To perform the move, a wrestler jumps from an elevated position onto an opponent, landing horizontally across the torso, forcing them to the mat. The diving crossbody is popularized by Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, along with the diving brain chop, there is also a reversed version, named reverse crossbody, where the wrestler faces away from the prone opponent before executing the crossbody maneuver. The wrestler stands in a position and faces the standing or bent-over opponent. This is usually done on a standing or rising opponent, not a prone one, a common variation of the diving double axe handle sees the wrestler standing over the top rope, facing away from the ring. From this point, the jumps and twists his body. A diving elbow drop is executed by diving onto an opponent with ones elbow cocked, driving the elbow into the opponents shoulder, chest
