Suplex
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A suplex is an offensive move used in wrestling, both in competitive sport wrestling, including Olympic and collegiate wrestling, and professional wrestling.
The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground (or mat) and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down to the mat with the opponent landing on his or her back. For example, common in professional wrestling is the vertical suplex, which has the wrestlers begin face-to-face, then the attacker forces the opponent's head down and locks the opponent's arm around it. The attacker then places his or her opponent's arm around the opponent's own head, seemingly as a way of helping the opponent to stay in mid-air during the next part of the move, in which the attacker grabs the opponent by his or her trunks and lifts him or her high off the mat, so that the opponent's body is upside-down and vertical above the attacker. The attacker falls backwards onto his or her own back, using his or her body weight to slam the opponent down onto his or her back (the attacker's cradling of the opponent's head helps ensure his or her neck and head will not be damaged by hitting the mat on the landing move). In summary, the opponent has been forced into doing a forward flip onto his or her back.
In Olympic and amateur wrestling there also exist suplex-like moves, called suu-plays or suplays, a Greco-Roman wrestling term. During his career, pro wrestling commentator Gordon Solie used the soo-play pronunciation (as has the AWA's Rod Trongard and Terry Taylor), but almost all other pro wrestling talent pronounces it soo-plex; this suggests the two names define the same kind of move. The origin of the word "suplex" is the French "souplesse" (flexibility), so the pronunciation soo-plex is more correct.
Image:DelayedVerticalSuplex.jpg
Suplex variants
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.
Front facelock variants
In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other, the attacking wrestler then applies a Front facelock to the victim before executing a throw. In most, the victim is suspended upside-down during part of the move. The most common front facelock suplex is the vertical suplex.
Fisherman suplex
Also known as a fisherman's suplex or cradle suplex. With their opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over the attacker's shoulder, the wrestler hooks the victim's near leg with his/her free arm and falls backwards, flipping the victim onto his/her back. The attacker usually keeps the leg hooked and bridges to pin the victim (while ironically preventing both shoulders from being on the mat, due to the way the neck is held), or applies a leglock submission hold.
Notable users: "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig (Hennig/Perfect-Plex)
Swinging fisherman suplex
Also known as Swinging fisherman neckbreaker and Golden Gates Swing. A swinging variation of the normal Fisherman Suplex, this move sees a wrestler, with their opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over their shoulder, hook the victim's near leg with their free arm and roll over to one side, flipping the victim over onto their back.
Notable users: Perry Saturn (Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza), Alex Shelley (Shellshock II), Austin Aries
Rolling release suplex
This suplex starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up in the vertical position, at this point the face lock is partly released as the attacker falls forward, the momentum of the attacker forces the victim to roll out of the face lock and drop back-first down to the mat.
Slingshot suplex
The attacker faces a standing victim with one side of the ring immediately behind the victim. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim, takes hold of the victim with his/her free hand, then lifts the victim until he/she is nearly vertical. The attacker then falls forward so that the torso of the victim bounces off the top ring rope, and uses this momentum to quickly lift the victim overhead once more and falls backwards, driving the back and shoulders of the victim into the ground.
Tully Blanchard was a common user of this move back in the mid/late 80's. Steve Austin also used a variation of the move in his WCW tenure in which the shins of the victim rather than the torso bounced off the ring ropes, calling it the Stun Gun Suplex.
Snap suplex
A front facelock suplex, which sees the attacker apply a front face lock to his/her opponent, draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, while pulling his own leg back then kick the leg forward quickly slamming it to the ground to build momentum to fall backwards and flips the victim over the attacker so they land on their back. It was used frequently by Bret Hart and The Dynamite Kid as one of their signature moves, and later adopted as a signature move by Chris Benoit, who trained under Bret's father Stu Hart, and idolized The Dynamite Kid.
Superplex
Image:Superplex.jpg A superplex is a name that comes from the term "super suplex" and refers to any suplex performed by an attacker standing on the second or third rope against an opponent sitting on the top rope or top turnbuckle. The most common suplex used for this top rope move is the standard vertical suplex variation, in which the attackers apply a front face lock to the opponent, draping the victim's near arm over their respective shoulders, at this point the wrestler falls backwards and flips the victim over them so they both land on their backs. This move was made famous by "Cowboy" Bob Orton, who uses it regularly to finish his matches.
Most if not all suplex can be performed off the top/middle rope, though they are generally know as "top/middle rope (super) [name of the suplex]" (i.e. Super belly to belly suplex) and are frequently performed to prevent the opponent from performing a high-flying technique.
Suplex slam
This move is similar to most suplexes and starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up and holding the opponent in the vertical position. This is where the move differs from most of its counterparts with the attacker not falling with the victim but just throwing him to the mat. Sometimes this involves the wrestler turning the victim in midair and slamming the opponent down to the mat in front of him/her onto their back.
Sitout suplex slam
Also known as Falcon Arrow. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over their shoulder. The attacker then takes hold of the victim's torso with their free arm and lifts the victim to a vertical position. The attacker then falls to a sitting position, driving the back and shoulders of the victim to the mat between their legs.
Another variation sees the wrestler perform a Vertical suplex, but instead of falling on to their back, the wrestler turns 180° when the opponent is upside down, and sits down driving the opponent back first between their legs.
Notable users: Hayabusa (Falcon Arrow), Koji Kanemoto, Hardcore Holly (The Hollycaust)
Inverted suplex slam
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and proceeds to throw the victim back to the mat, driving his/her face into the ground. This move is also known as the Gordbuster.
Reverse suplex
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and falls to their stomach, driving the face of the victim into the ground.
Sitout inverted suplex slam
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and falls into a sit-out position, driving the face of the victim into the ground. This move is also known as a sitout Gordbuster or Inverted Falcon Arrow.
Notable users: Ron Killings (Hat Rack Crack/Truth Conviction), Christian Cage
Vertical suplex
Image:CandidoSuplex.jpg Known as Brainbuster in Japan, while the Western Brainbuster is known as Vertical Brainbuster or Sheer Drop Brainbuster in Japan.
In a set up similar to a snap suplex, the attacker applies a front face lock to his/her opponent, draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, when the victim is in position he/she is lifted up and held upside-down before the attacker falls backwards slamming the opponents back into the mat. The late Eddie Guerrero adapted the move from close friend Chris Benoit and used it as one of his signature maneuvers in which, after falling to the ground with his opponent, he flipped himself over while maintaining his hold, pulled the victim back into the original position, and performed another vertical suplex. He ended once he performed three suplexes. After Eddie's death, his nephew Chavo Guerrero and his best friend Chris Benoit began using the sequence as an obvious tribute to Eddie. WWE announcers have dubbed the sequence Three Amigos; some fans have taken to calling this rolling verticals (a take on rolling Germans).
Delayed vertical suplex
This variation, also known as the Hanging Suplex, Standing Suplex or Stalling Suplex, sees the attacker hold his opponent in an upside-down position at the peak of the arc for several seconds before completing the maneuver, thereby causing blood to pool into the head of the victim. This move is a staple of many power wrestlers, most notably Davey Boy Smith. Other notable users include Ric Flair, Kenta Kobashi, Chris Harris, John Cena, Lance Storm, CM Punk, and Bobby Lashley.
Rotating vertical suplex
The attacker lifts the opponent as in a normal vertical suplex, but turns around in place as he falls back. This variation also goes by the name Rotation suplex, Twisting suplex and Rotary suplex
Underhook suplex
Also known as Half-hatch suplex. The wrestler applies a Front facelock with one arm and underhooks one of the opponent's arms with his other, placing his hand palm down on the back of the opponent. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up while bridging backwards and slightly twisting, bringing the opponent over him and onto their back. The wrestler bridges their back and legs to hold the opponent's shoulders against the mat.
Notable users include: Super Strong Machine (Devil Windmill Suplex), Hiroshi Tanahashi (Half-hatch Suplex Hold)
The wrestler may also release the opponent mid arch, throwing them onto their back. This variation is called Release underhook suplex.
Notable users include: Karl Gotch, Antonio Inoki, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Bryan Danielson
Belly to back variants
In these variants, the attacker stands behind his victim and applies a hold before falling backwards, dropping the victim on his or her upper back. The most common belly to back variants are the German suplex and the back suplex.
Belly to back suplex
Image:Backdropsuplex.jpg The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using both of his arms wrapped around the torso of the opponent. The attacker finally falls backwards to slam the opponent flat on his/her back. This move is often referred to simply as a back suplex, or in Japan a back drop (not to be confused with a back body drop).
Many wrestlers perform the back suplex into a bridging position, simultaneously arching their own back and legs to elevate themselves, gaining leverage and pinning their opponent. Yuji Nagata uses this as a signature move.
Leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using one arm around the waist of the opponent and another under one of his/her legs. The attacker finally falls backwards to slam the opponent flat on his/her back.
Bridging leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands to one side of and slightly behind a standing opponent. The attacker then drapes the near arm of the victim over their neck and uses their own near arm to encircle the waist of the victim. The attacker then reaches under one of the victims legs with their free arm, and lifts, forcing the opponent to bend into a right angle. Finally, the attacker falls backwards, driving the neck and shoulders of the victim into the ground, simultaneously arching their own back and legs to elevate themselves, gaining leverage and placing the victim in a pinning predicament.
Yoshinari Ogawa and Bryan Danielson use this as a finishing move.
Spinning leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands behind his opponent and puts his head under the arm of the victim. He then lifts the opponent up using one arm around the waist of the opponent and another under one of his legs. The attacker then turns 180 degrees while falling backwards, slamming the opponent flat on his back.
Notable user of this move is Mitsuharu Misawa.
High angle belly to back suplex
Also known as Backdrop driver. The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using both of his arms wrapped around the torso of the opponent. The attacker finally falls backwards to drive the opponent to the mat on their neck and shoulders.
Notable users of this move include Lou Thesz, Steve Williams, Masahiro Chono, Toshiaki Kawada and Akitoshi Saito (Death Landing).
Cobra clutch suplex
The attacker places the victim in a Cobra clutch. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, driving the victim to the mat on their head.
Notable users include: Kenta Kobashi, Johnny Ace, Taiyo Kea (Surfing Suplex)
Crossface chickenwing suplex
The wrestler stands behind the opponent. He locks one of the opponent's arms in a Chickenwing, and wraps his other arm around the opponent's head. He then lifts the opponent up and falls backwards, driving the opponent on to the top of their head, down to the mat. Notable users include Tiger Mask IV who calls it the Millennium Suplex.
Full nelson suplex
Also known as Dragon Suplex, after "Dragon" Tatsumi Fujinami who popularized the move. A belly to back suplex variation where the wrestler applies a full nelson and then bridges his back, lifting the opponent over him and onto their shoulders down to the mat. The wrestler keeps his back arched and the hold applied, pinning the opponent's shoulders down to the mat.
Other notable users include: Chris Benoit, Osamu Nishimura, Keiji Mutoh, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shiro Koshinaka, Minoru, Hiroshi Hase, Takao Omori, and Shinjiro Otani
The wrestler may also release the opponent mid-arch, throwing them down to the mat shoulders and neck first, in a variation known as release full nelson suplex. There is also a slight variation used by Jay Lethal where he flips the opponent over, dropping them down face first on their chest, and not on their shoulders. This move depends on the opponent to perform a backflip, and is thus not viable on less agile, often bigger, opponents.
Gutwrench suplex
A gutwrench suplex involves a wrestler standing over an opponent locking his/her arms around the victim's waist and lifting him/her up and slamming him/her over back-first down to the mat.
Karelin Lift
A gutwrench suplex which begins with the opponent laying on the mat. The wrestler locks his arms around the opponent's waist and stands up, lifting the opponent. He then throws the opponent to his side, dropping them to the mat face up on to their shoulders or face down on their chest. Named after the Greco-Roman amateur wrestler Alexander Karelin, who was the only person to use the suplex in his weightclass.
Notable users include: Takashi Sugiura
German suplex
Image:GermanSuplex1.jpg A belly-to-back waistlock suplex. The wrestler stands behind the victim, grabs them around their waist, lifts them up, and falls backwards while bridging his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and upper back first. The wrestler keeps the waistlock and continues bridging with their back and legs, pinning the opponent's shoulders down against the mat. The move is named after Karl Gotch, a German wrestler.
The variation where the wrestler releases the opponent mid arch to throw them down on their shoulders and upper back is called a Release German suplex.
A popular variant is to follow up a German suplex by rolling sideways while still holding the waistlock and perform another German suplex. This maneuver, popularized recently by Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, is called Rolling German suplexes.
X-plex
A Cross-arm German suplex. A variation of the German Suplex where the opponent's arms are crossed across their chest, in a straight jacket hold, and held by the attacker. The wrestler uses the crossed arms as leverage to aid in lifting the opponent up while falling backwards, throwing the victim like a German suplex.
Notable users: Gregory Helms, Ultimo Dragon (Aztec Suplex), Chris Sabin
Half nelson suplex
This is a version of a German suplex where the attacker stands behind the opponent, facing the same direction. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with his/her corresponding arm and places the palm of his/her hand on the neck of the victim, thereby forcing the arm of the victim up into the air (the Half nelson). The attacker wraps his free arm on the waist of the opponent. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards slamming the victim down on his/her neck and shoulders.
Notable users include Kenta Kobashi and William Regal.
Mitsuharu Misawa introduced a variation of this move. It is called Tiger Suplex '85. Instead of wrapping the other arm around the opponents waist, the arm is wrapped under the opponents other arm and across his/her chest, right under the neck. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, bridging with his back and legs, causing the opponent to end in a pinning predicament.
Katahajime suplex
A back-bridging suplex in which the wrestler seizes his victim in a katahajime hold - one arm applies a half-nelson while the other clamps under the victim's chin in a choke. Previously used by Tazz (Tazmission Plex).
Pumphandle suplex
The wrestler stands behind the opponent and bends him forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between his legs and held, while the opponent's other arm is hooked by the attacker maneuvering his arm around in front of the opponent's shoulder and securing it behind the head (a quarter-nelson). The attacker then lifts his opponent up over his head and falls backwards to slam the victim against the mat back-first.
There are many variations of the pumphandle suplex, including the maintaining of the grip in order to land the opponent on the mat face-first, or inverting the opponent's body position and securing the opponent's free arm using a half-nelson grip instead of the normal quarter-nelson, etc.
Sleeper suplex
The attacker places the victim in a Sleeper hold and then hooks one of the victims arms with his free arm. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, driving the victim on their head. Notable users include Kenta Kobashi.
Tiger suplex
Image:Tiger suplex.jpg This is also referred to as a Double arm German suplex. Standing behind his opponent, the wrestler hooks both of his opponent's arms from the sides, and places his hands palm down flat against the opponent's upper back. He then lifts the opponent up and falls backwards, arching his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and neck first, pinning him against the mat.
Sometimes the regular pinning variation is referred to as the Tiger suplex hold. The wrestler can also release the opponent in mid arch, which is referred to as a Release tiger suplex.
Innovated and named by the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama. Also a signature or a finishing move for Mitsuharu Misawa, Koji Kanemoto, and Tiger Mask IV, the other tiger masks.
Wheelbarrow suplex
This move is achieved when a wrestler wraps a forward facing opponent's legs around the his/her waist (either by standing behind an opponent who is lying face-first on the mat or by catching a charging opponent), then the wrestler would apply a gutwrentch hold and lift the opponent up off the ground into the air, then the attacker will continue lifting and fall backwards to hit this variation of a German Suplex.
This was the signature move of WWE superstar Randy Orton back when he wrestled in OVW.
Belly to belly variants
In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other. The attacker then applies a bodylock before falling backwards and flipping the victim onto his back.
Belly to belly suplex
The attacker wraps his/her arms around his/her opponent in a waistlock or a bodylock and flips him/she over by violently bridging his/her own body so the opponent lands on his/her back. This can be done either overhead or to the side. Magnum T.A. was the first notable wrestler to win matches with it. This move is also performed by Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley as one of their signature moves.
Super belly to belly suplex
This version of a superplex is an overhead belly to belly suplex executed on an opponent sitting or standing on the top rope, facing inward. Also one of Kurt Angle's signature moves.
Capture suplex
The attacker stands facing a standing opponent. The attacker then catches one leg of the victim and pulls the victim towards them so that they are face to face, with the attacker reaching under the victim's leg and hooking it. The attacker then uses their free arm to reach behind the neck of the victim and take hold of them. The attacker then quickly bridges backwards and releases the victim, throwing them overhead, or turns 180° while slamming the opponent down to the mat. This move can be used to counter a kick. The move is also known as the Head & Leg suplex, and can be seen as a variation of the Head & Arm suplex.
Notable users include: Tazz, Akira Maeda, Koji Kanemoto, KENTA and Josh Barnett.
Choke suplex
The wrestler grabs the throat of the opponent as if he was going for a chokeslam, but instead of slamming them down he simultaneously lifts them up, turns around 180° and then falls forward, similar to a ura-nage, throwing the opponent over so that they land down onto their back.
Notable users include: Akira Taue (Tsukuba Makiwari)
Double underhook suplex
Image:Doubleunderhooksuplex.jpg The wrestler and opponent face each other, the opponent bent forward. The wrestler hooks the opponent's arms back in a reverse nelson, placing his forearms in the crooks of the opponent's elbows, with his hands on top of the opponent's back in a butcher's grip. The wrestler then lifts the opponent into an upside-down vertical position and falls back, shifting the opponent to one side as the opponent flips over. The wrestler executing the suplex may release the reverse nelson hold during the throw, or can maintain the grip and attempt a bridging pin or submission hold transition upon impact.
Other names include:
- Double arm suplex
- Reverse nelson suplex
- Double axe-handle suplex / double axe suplex
- Double chicken-wing suplex
- Butterfly suplex
Exploder suplex
The Exploder suplex is a variant of a belly-to-belly suplex. The wrestler performing the Exploder suplex seizes the opponent in a head-and-shoulder hold as in an uranage and seizes the opponent's tights at the belt/cradles behind the near knee/grips the inside near thigh, then falls backwards and throws him/her overhead in the same motion as a belly-to-belly. Image:ExploderSuplex.jpg
In the United States the basic Exploder it is sometimes referred to as a T-Bone Suplex, a term coined by Tazz, who called the throw the T-Bone Tazzplex. American wrestler B.J. Whitmer, who uses the same variations as Akiyama has popularized the exploder name in the US.
Jun Akiyama uses the exploder as one of his finishes, and also employs a variation, which he calls the Exploder '98, in which he clutches the opponent's free hand in a pumphandle. It is also commonly known as the Wrist clutch exploder and is considered to be more impactful.
There are modified version of an Exploder which see the throw end in different ways. One way of finishing the suplex is during the belly-to-belly like motion of throwing the opponent is for the wrestler to catch him/her and fall backward like a fallaway slam. Another modified version which ends in a type of Powerslam pin is currently being used as a finisher by Shelton Benjamin, his version is referred to as "T-Bone". However, a standard Exploder with ends in a pinning position is often known as the Blizzard Suplex.
Head and arm suplex
The move is a variation of the traditional overhead belly-to-belly suplex in which the wrestler, standing face-to-face with his opponent, clutches his hands together having firmly encircled the opponent's head and one arm. This grip, as opposed to the waistlock of a normal belly-to-belly, is then used to hoist the opponent in the overhead arching throw. At one point the signature move of "The Human Suplex Machine" Tazz, who called it Tazplex or Head and arm Tazplex.
A modification of this move is the Machinegun head and arm suplex, in which the attacking wrestler holds the head-and-arm grip using just one of his own arms, and with his other grabs the opponent's free wrist and forces it behind his back to secure a hammerlock. This double grip is then used to hoist the opponent overhead in the belly-to-belly throw.
Northern Lights suplex
The attacker puts his head under the arm of the victim and clutches the victim in a belly to belly suplex and flips him/her over. This move was invented and first performed by Japanese wrestler Hiroshi Hase. This suplex can be either bridged into a pin, or the attacker can float over into another Northern Lights Suplex.
Modifications to this suplex include hammerlocking the opponent's free arm behind his back and maintaining the hold during the impact to damage the shoulder joint, and also cradling the leg in a similar fashion to the Fisherman's suplex.
Table top suplex
See Fallaway Slam
T-Bone suplex
see Exploder Suplex
Trapping suplex
This is when a wrestler holds both the opponent's arms under his own (known as overhooks in mixed martial arts, as the arms loop under the opponent's arms from above, with the hands connected below the opponent's triceps), from here the opponent is left secure and unable to counter or move away from the attacker while he/she delivers a belly to belly throw flipping the victim overhead in the normal belly to-belly motion.
Notable users include: Akira Taue (Dynamic Suplex), Bobby Lashley, Gangrel
In amature wrestling and other contact-sports, the Trapping Suplex is called the Suicide Throw. It is done slightly differently, usually the opponent is tossed to the side and lands on their back.
Side variants
In these suplexes, the attacker stands to the side of his or her victim and applies a hold before falling backwards to slam the victim to the mat. The most common is the side suplex.
Saito suplex
The attacker stands either facing directly one of his/her opponents sides or slightly behind in an angle. He places the opponents near arm over his shoulder, grabs a waistlock, and then lifts the opponent up while falling backwards, causing the opponent to land on his/her neck and shoulders.
Leg hook Saito suplex
The attacker stands behind and to one side of the victim. The attacker wraps one arm around the waist of the victim and grabs the back of the victim's near leg with his/her other arm. The attacker then lifts the victim on to his/her shoulder and then falls backwards, driving the victim into the ground at a high angle.
Notable users: Shawn Michaels (Teardrop Suplex).
Side suplex
See Ura-nage. Can also refer to a Russian legsweep.
Inverted facelock variants
In these suplexes, an attacker begins by facing the back of an opponent and applying an inverted facelock before executing a throw. In most, the victim is suspended upside-down during part of the move.
Inverted suplex
See Lifting inverted DDT.
Inverted vertical suplex
The attacker stands behind an opponent and applies an inverted facelock with one arm, and uses the other arm to aid in elevating the opponent so that he/she is lifted up and held upside-down before the attacker falls to his back driving the victim down to the mat front-first, behind the attacker.de:Suplex ja:スープレックス