Professional wrestling strikes
Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. 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; the moves listed below are more specific to wrestling itself. 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.
Body press
A maneuver that involves a wrestler attacking with the core of the body. It is executed from an upright, running position using momentum and weight to run over the opponent.Body avalanche
The wrestler takes a short charge into an opponent in the corner of the ring without leaving the feet as they open both arms just before reaching the opponent, resulting in hitting with the chest and abdominal area while throwing both arms inward as in a bearhug, crushing the opponent into the turnbuckle. This is normally used by bigger, heavier wrestlers.Stinger [|splash]
A variation innovated by, popularized by, and named after Sting. It involves the wrestler trapping the opponent in a corner. Then the wrestler charges at the opponent, usually from the opposite corner, launching themselves and sandwiching the opponent between them and the turnbuckle while grabbing hold of the top rope.Thesz press
This move, originally called a flying body scissors, was innovated by, popularized and subsequently named after Lou Thesz, sees the attacking wrestler jumping toward a standing opponent, knocking them over their back, sitting on their waist and pinning them in a body scissors. It was initially developed by Thesz as a legitimate move and has since been seen in modern submission grappling contests. A variation, popularized by Stone Cold Steve Austin, is done in reverse; the attacking wrestler performs the Thesz press on a charging wrestler from a standing position, then instead of pinning them, they attack them with [|mounted punches].Vertical press
Also known as vertical splash body press, this variation is made by a charging wrestler against a standing opponent, landing on their chest and shoulders while remaining upright. The wrestler employs the momentum to bring their opponent down to the mat into a seated senton.Chop
A chop is a strike to the opponent's neck, shoulders or chest with the edge of a hand.Backhand chop
Also known as a knife edge chop, back-hand slice or gyaku suihei chop respond with a "Woooo!" noise in honor of Ric Flair, who popularized the move.Cross chop
A double variation of the aforementioned chop, the wrestler lunges forward or jumps forward in a [|pressing] fashion while crossing arms forming an "X", hitting both sides of the opponent's neck.Spinning knife edge chop
This variation sets the wrestler spinning 180 or full 360° striking the opponent's chest with a backhand chop.Kesagiri chop
A downward diagonal attack to the side of the opponent's neck or shoulder. The words kesa and giri in Japanese mean "monk's sash" and "cut" respectively, and it is based on a legitimate defensive cut in traditional Japanese swordsmanship. This move is notably used by Kenta Kobashi.Mongolian chop
The act of chopping both the opponent's shoulders or sides of the neck in a downward swinging motion at the same time.Overhead chop
The wrestler draws a hand back and hits the opponent vertically, atop the head. This move is primarily used by very tall wrestlers such as The Great Khali and Andre the Giant. It is also known as the tomahawk chop when used as part of a Native American gimmick, ostensibly due to it resembling a tomahawking motion. It was used as a finisher by Wahoo McDaniel, Chief Jay Strongbow and Tatanka, neither of whom were particularly tall.Throat thrust
Also known as throat strike or sword stab. Similar to a conventional [|wrestling uppercut], the wrestler strikes the opponent's throat upward with the tips of all five stiffed fingers of a supine hand. Abdullah the Butcher and Sgt. Slaughter were professional wrestlers known for its use as signature move.Thumb to the throat
A simple maneuver derived from the thumb chokehold having a wrestler drawing back a hand and striking the windpipe with only the thumb, sometimes while holding the opponent by the nape. Performed by wrestlers like Ernie Ladd. Others include Umaga who dubbed the move the Samoan Spike; the move would later be used by his nephew Solo Sikoa. Bad Luck Fale uses a variation, what is preceded by a choke-lift, called Grenade Terry Gordy used this as a move alongside the Thumb choke hold which he dubbed the Oriental Spike. Dabba-Kato also used this move during his WWE main roster tenure as Commander Azeez called the Nigerian Nail.Clothesline
A move in which one wrestler runs toward another extending their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, hitting the opponent in the neck or chest, knocking them over. This move is often confused with a [|lariat].Cactus clothesline
Popularized by Mick Foley and named after his "Cactus Jack" gimmick. The attacking wrestler charges at an opponent against the ring ropes and clotheslines them, the charge's force and momentum knocks both the wrestler and the opponent over the top rope outside the ring.Corner clothesline
An attack used by a wrestler where instead of knocking down a standing opponent, aims to squash them against the turnbuckle.File:Randy Reigns clothesline.jpg|thumb|right| Randy Reigns delivering a double-rebound clothesline to Josh Alexander and Ethan Page
Double clothesline
Any variant where instead of aiming at just one opponent, the attacking wrestler knocks down two opponents at once.Leaping clothesline
Also known as a jumping clothesline or a flying clothesline, this move involves the attacking wrestler running toward an opponent, then leaping into the air before connecting with a clothesline. This variant's use is commonly associated with The Undertaker, The Rock, and Roman Reigns. Another version sees an attacking wrestler leap up into the air and connecting with a clothesline onto an opponent leaning against the corner turnbuckle.The Rock also used a lesser variant of this move which saw him jump into the air at the exact moment the clothesline connected.
Rebound clothesline
As the opponent runs to the ropes on one side of the ring and rebounds against them, the attacker also runs to the same ropes and rebounds ensuring to be behind them and performs the clothesline as the opponent turns to face them.Short-arm clothesline
This snapping variation is set up by a [|short-arm], then the wrestler pulls the opponent back and clotheslines them with the free arm.Three-point stance clothesline
In this attack a wrestler uses a three-point stance, then runs and clotheslines the opponent. Famously used by performers with known football background, such as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan or "Mongo" McMichael.Double axe handle
Also known as a double sledge or polish hammer after its most noted user, Ivan Putski. It sets an attacking wrestler clutching both hands together, swinging them downward hitting usually the opponent's back, face, or top of the head. The many names of this move come from the attack mimicking the motion seen when people swing a sledgehammer or axe. There is also a top rope variation.Discus double axe handle
The Wrestler performs a discus before clutching the hands together and delivering the double axe handle. It was used by Manabu Nakanishi as Yaijin Hammer.Drops
Attacks in which an attacking wrestler jumps and falls down onto an opponent on the floor, striking with a specific part of the body.Chop drop
The wrestler either falls forward, or jumps up and drops down, hitting a lying opponent with a [|kesagiri chop] on the way down, usually landing in a kneeling position. Scotty 2 Hotty is best known for performing the chop drop which is always preceded by a routine that involves him hopping on one leg four times, doing worm dance moves toward the opponent and swinging his arms just before hitting the chop drop, while his opponent lies face up and motionless on the mat.Elbow drop
A move in which a wrestler jumps or falls down on an opponent driving their elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body. A common elbow drop sees a wrestler raise one elbow before falling to one side and striking it across an opponent. The Rock popularized the [|high impact] elbow drop and called it The People's Elbow.Another common elbow drop is the pointed elbow drop, that sees a wrestler raise both elbows up and drop directly forward dropping one, or both elbows onto the opponent.
Corkscrew elbow drop
This variation sees the wrestler raise one elbow before falling and simultaneously twisting around as falls to one side, striking the opponent with the elbow anywhere on the body. Sometimes, the wrestler will swing one leg around before the fall, gaining momentum for the corkscrew twist, first invented by "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel in 1984.Spinning headlock elbow drop
This is any elbow drop which is performed after applying a headlock, the most widely known variation is the inverted facelock elbow drop, in which a wrestler puts the opponent into an inverted facelock, and then turns 180°, dropping the elbow across the opponent's chest, driving them down to the mat. This was used by The Hurricane as the Eye of The Hurricane.Another variation of this move sees the executor use the whole arm as a lariat instead of just the elbow, a side headlock from a jumping position variant can also be executed and twisted around into a sitout lariat. An inverted variation of this move sees the wrestler applying a front facelock before executing an elbow or a lariat to the back of the opponent's head causing them to land on the mat or into a facebreaker where the wrestler places their knee in front of the opponent whilst when executing the move.