10 Advanced Wrestling Moves

Pro wrestling is known for its colorful characters and equally colorful advanced wrestling moves. But on occassion, a wrestler comes up with a move that is then used by those that follow, or in some cases is never duplicated by anyone else. Here is a sampling of such maneuvers and the wrestlers who made them famous.

1. Superfly Splash- The ultimate finisher, originated by the one and only Superfly Jimmy Snuka. After ascending to the top rope, Snuka would reach up to fifteen feet above the ring and come down onto his prone opponent. It's highly dangerous for both men, and is perhaps the most difficult move to pull off due to the inherent danger.
2. Cradle Suplex- Suplexes are a staple in pro wrestling, but to pull off a cradle suplex, where an opponent’s leg is hooked and then hoisted into the air before getting dropped back to the mat and into a pin, is a great feat. Harley Race, Ric Flair, and Curt Hennig all used this move to finish their matches at one point or another in their careers.
3. DDT- When Jake "The Snake" Roberts perfected this move, it revolutionized the quick finisher that could come out of nowhere and end a match. The move is a simple front facelock followed by dropping the poor guy on his nugget. It's often imitated, but never duplicated.
4. Hurricanrana- From Japan’s Dragon Kid to Scott Steiner, watching such a large man jump up and do a head scissors takedown on a running opponent inspires awe. Seeing others take it to the top rope such as Jushin Liger did made even normally stoic Japanese audiences gasp.
5. Doomsday Device- The legendary finishing move of the even more legendary Road Warriors. The move started with a hapless opponent raised up on Animal’s shoulders, then the Hawk would take flight off the top rope with a devastating clothesline. A 360 spin by the now defeated opponent usually resulted, and a three count was a sure thing. This move is so ingrained with the Road Warriors that no other tag team has used it out of respect for Hawk and Animal.