10 Japanese Wrestling Moves

Puroresu, or Japanese wrestling, is a celebrated form of professional wrestling around the world and a list of 10 Japanese wrestling moves does not do Japanese wrestling justice. Japanese wrestling has a plethora of innovative wrestling moves performed by some of the greatest and soon-to-be greatest wrestlers of all time.  

1. Burning Hammer. Performed by Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi, the Burning Hammer is a reverse Death Valley Driver. You pick up your opponent in a reverse fireman's carry and then drop the opponent on the ground headfirst.
2. Emerald Flowsion. The late, great Mitsuharu Misawa popularized this Japanese wrestling move. Misawa placed his opponent on his shoulders belly-first and he slammed his opponent to the ground.
3. Tiger Bomb. Tiger Mask innovated this Japanese professional wrestling maneuver. The Tiger Bomb is a double underhook powerbomb and it is sometimes used as a pin to end a match or as a regular powerbomb.
4. Go 2 Sleep. CM Punk, current WWE Superstar and Japanese wrestler that innovated this Japanese wrestling move, performs Go 2 Sleep. Pick up your opponent in a fireman's carry and you throw your opponent over your head just enough for you to strike him with your knee. 
5. Phoenix Splash. A Japanese wrestling move performed by Hayabusa, this maneuver is performed on the top turnbuckle. The Phoenix Splash is a corkscrew 450 splash, meaning Hayabusa would perform a 360 flip and spins another 450 degrees in the air, landing stomach-first on his opponent.
6. Shooting Star Press. One of the most innovative junior heavyweight Japanese wrestlers of all-time, Jushin "Thunder" Liger performs the Shooting Star Press from the top rope. Liger climbs on the top rope and does a backflip, but instead of landing on his back, he lands on his stomach.
7. Moonsault. The Great Muta performs this Japanese wrestling move from the top turnbuckle. A moonsault is a backflip where the wrestling doesn't land on his feet. Instead, he lands on his stomach. The Great Muta usually runs to the adjacent turnbuckle and quickly performs the moonsault on his opponent.
8. Liger Bomb. Another innovative Japanese wrestling move by Jushin Liger, place your opponent by a corner turnbuckle, while your back is facing the turnbuckles. Liger picks up his opponent like he is doing a regular powerbomb, runs to the middle of the ring and does a sit-down powerbomb used as a pinning combination.
9. Dragonrana. The Dragon Kid, a protege of another Japanese wrestling legend, performs the Dragonrana from the top rope, a diving hurricanrana into a pin. This Japanese move resembles Rey Mysterio's old finisher, the West Coast Pop.
10. Shining Wizard. A Japanese wrestling signature move by the Great Muta, he uses his opponent's knee while he's kneeling as a platform to perform a running kick, hitting his opponent on the back of his head.