Neckbreaker
In professional wrestling, a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponent's neck. One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee, head or shoulder. The other type of neckbreaker is a slam technique in which the wrestler throws an opponent to the ground by twisting the opponent's neck. This also refers to a "back head slam" where a wrestler drops to the mat while holding an opponent by their neck.Variations
Argentine neckbreaker
The attacking wrestler first places their opponent face-up across their shoulders, as in an Argentine backbreaker rack, and hooks the opponent's head with one hand and their leg with the other. From here, the attacking wrestler throws the legs of the opponent out backwards and drops down to the mat while holding onto the opponent's head, dragging the opponent down with them to drive their back into the ground and the back of the opponent's neck into the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. Used by Manabu Nakanishi as Hercules Cutter.Arm trap neckbreaker
This move sees an attacking wrestler take hold of an arm of an opponent and then move to a back to back position, so that the opponent's arm hooks across and round the opponent's own head. At this point, the attacking wrestler falls backwards to the ground, forcing the opponent's own arm to drag them to the mat. A straight jacket variation, also known as a cross-armed neckbreaker and double handcuff neckbreaker, exists and sees where the wrestler face their opponent, grab both of their arms and twist around so they have their opponent in a straight jacket hold before finally dropping down to drag the opponent to the floor. Popularized by William Regal as the ''Regal Cutter.''Butterfly neckbreaker
The wrestler and opponent face each other, the opponent bent forward. The wrestler hooks the opponent's arms back in a butterfly, 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 while rotating the opponent, then falls to their back while maintaining the hold, dragging the opponent down with them to drive their back into the ground as in a neckbreaker slam. Will Ospreay would use a corkscrew version as the Storm Breaker.Corkscrew neckbreaker
Also known as a standing somersault neckbreaker and/or rolling neckbreaker, this move sees the attacking wrestler place the opponent in a three-quarter facelock and perform a somersault forwards, then falls down supine, using the momentum of the flip to twist the opponent's neck and back into the ground. Popularized by John Morrison as the Moonlight Drive.Diving neckbreaker
The attacking wrestler jumps from a raised platform and grabs an opponent's neck while in midair, thereby taking them down. Evan Golden popularized a diving somersault neckbreaker variation called the Super Afterburner.Elevated neckbreaker
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. The wrestler takes hold of the opponent by their neck, and from this position performs many variations of the neckbreaker, like falling to a sitting or kneeling position, or just running forward and pulling the opponent away from the corner, and dropping them in a standard neckbreaker. There are also double team variations.Cradle elevated neckbreaker
In this variation of a muscle buster, which focuses more of the attack on the neck, a wrestler holds the opponent upside-down, with both legs hooked and with the back of the opponent's neck against the wrestler's shoulder, and then drops to a kneeling or sitting position so that the opponent’s neck hits against the shoulder. It is usually performed against an opponent who is sitting on the top turnbuckle. R-Truth used this during his TNA stint as the Consequence.Crucifix elevated neckbreaker
The move sees a wrestler places the opponent's head in between their legs, then grabs the opponent's stomach, lifts the opponent over their shoulder, and holds both their arms in a cross position over their head. The wrestler finally runs or falls while holding the opponent's neck and dropping them in their back of the neck. Former WWE superstar JTG uses this as the Brooklyn's Edge. A spinning version of this move also exist which instead sees the wrestler with one arm over the opponent's neck while spinning in place using the centripetal force of the opponent to render them near vertical before falling backwards, slamming the opponent's neck across their shoulder or the ground.Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
A move in which the attacking wrestler performs a gutwrench and lifts the opponent so that their back rests across one of the wrestler's shoulders. The wrestler then reaches forward with both 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 land on the back of their neck.Also known as the Ushigoroshi. The move sees a wrestler take an opponent across their shoulders in a fireman's carry. Once there the wrestler does a fireman's carry slam, extending the knee adjacent to the opponent's face and neck. The opponent then lands neck-first across the extended knee, snapping their neck in a similar manner to a shoulder neckbreaker. Used by Hirooki Goto and KENTA. Shawn Spears used this move as signature move during his second tenure in the WWE under the name Tye Dillinger, originally calling this move the Tye-Breaker. Former WWE superstar and current AEW superstar Adam Cole has been using this move as well.Gator Roll
This neckbreaker variation is based on an amateur wrestling technique that requires the wrestler to capture their opponent in a front facelock, as well trap the arm closest to the wrestler's body in the facelock. The wrestler will then 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 standing position for more impact or from a kneeling position as a wear-down hold.Hip toss neckbreaker
A hip toss neckbreaker involves the attacker delivering a hip toss to the opponent, and while the opponent is falling down on their back in mid-air, the attacker grabs the opponent's head and neck to execute a neckbreaker, falling down to the mat with the opponent.Inverted facelock neckbreaker
This move sees the wrestler stand behind the opponent, bends them backwards, and apply an inverted facelock. The wrestler then drops down to a single knee with the extended knee impacting with the neck of the opponent.Neckbreaker slam
Also known as a falling neckbreaker, this move sees the attacking wrestler stand back to back with their opponent, then reaches over their shoulder and takes hold of the opponent by their head or neck. The wrestler then falls to their back while maintaining the hold, dragging the opponent down with them to drive their back into the ground. 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. A jumping variation also exists. Sasha Banks uses a twist-to-knees variation dubbed "Bankrupt."Straitjacket neck breaker slam
Similar to a neck breaker slam, this move sees the attacking wrestler back to back with the wrestler they plan to attack. The attacker then grabs the opponents wrists and wraps the opponents arms around their neck. The attacking wrestler then holds the wrists or arms of the opponent, proceeding to pull the arm or hands down to the mat. The opponent and attacking wrestler both land on their backs side to side, with the opponent taking full impact of the move. This move was popularized by Gail Kim who used it as a finisher in the early years of her career in TNA and proceeded to make it a signature move of hers after her second run in WWE.Inverted facelock neckbreaker slam
This is a move in which a wrestler places their opponent in an inverted facelock and then pivots 180°, catching the opponent's head with their free arm and then dropping down onto their back so that both wrestlers are in a supine position, as in a neckbreaker slam. This move is also known as a "Reverse Twist of Fate".Used by Reby Sky.Overdrive
This is a version of a swinging neckbreaker where the attacking wrestler would use a leg rather than hands to perform the twist. With the opponent bent forwards (presumes the opponent is spun around, neck landing on the inside of the wrestler's knee. Used by MVP as the Playmaker. Randy Orton used this in OVW and his early WWE career as the Ozone.Inverted overdrive
A move described as an inverted overdrive is another version of a swinging neckbreaker, in which the attacking wrestler would use a leg rather than hands to perform the twist. In this move a wrestler would first place one knee against the base of the opponent's neck, who is leaning forward, while underhooking one of the opponent's arms before falling backwards down to the mat as the opponent is spun over, landing on the back of the head on the attacking wrestler's knee. Briefly used by Zack Ryder as the Zack Attack.Pumphandle neckbreaker
This version of the neckbreaker sees the attacking wrestler put the opponent in a half nelson pumphandle position, lift them up as one would with a vertical suplex, and then drop down onto one knee as the opponent's neck is sent down onto the other knee. Used by Kevin Steen as the Steen Breaker.