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Originally, pro wrestling was held between ropes for the protection of both the athletes and the watching crowd. The steel cables -- or sometimes simple hemp rope -- were a barrier between the massive, sweating grappling men and their more delicate fans. This was vitally important in an era when the matches were legit athletic contests, and in the heat of battle two large burly men might end up rolling right out of the ring.
Gradually, as wrestling became more of a performance and less of a combat sport, wrestlers began to leave their feet. Innovators like Abe Coleman -- who claimed to have been trained to leap by kangaroos -- developed moves like the dropkick and flying body press and added them to their repertoires.
By the seventies, wrestling had a whole slew of different aerial moves. Men like the masked lucha libre star Mil Mascaras regularly used the ropes not just as a barrier, but as a means of propulsion.
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Many credit Harley Race for popularizing flying moves in the United States. He once attempted a body press from the second rope, but his opponent didn't quite roll out of the way. The result was the first flying headbutt, a move still utilized in wrestling today.
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Then came men like Superfly Snuka and Randy Savage, who used top rope offense as readily as a headlock. They laid the groundwork for some truly spectacular moves that thrill wrestling fans the world over.
Here are ten exciting top rope moves in pro wrestling.
#1 Flying Body Press
Used by: Jimmy Snuka, Ricky Steamboat, Rey Misterio Jr.
Strengths: Quick and leads to an easy pin.
Weaknesses: Easy to spot coming, high risk.
The flying body press is one of the most basic, yet exciting, of all of pro wrestling's high flying moves. A flying body press can be utilized against either a standing or laying opponent, and is usually called a splash when performed on a downed wrestler lying prone on the mat. The aggressor climbs the top turnbuckle and then simply hurls themselves off at their opponent.
Jimmy Snuka is the most famous practitioner of the move, but wrestling history is unclear on exactly who invented it. One thing that is known is that Jimmy Snuka made the move world famous when he performed it off of the top of a steel cage in Madison Square Garden. Among the fans sitting at ringside who were thoroughly dazzled a young Mick "Mankind" Foley.
#2 Tope Con Hilo
Used by: Mil Mascaras, Sammi Zayn, Keith Lee, Undertaker
Strengths: Fast, often unexpected move and highly devastating.
Weaknesses: Can only be performed on an opponent outside the ring, does not easily lead to a pinfall, often hurts the wrestler using the move.
The Tope Con Hilo roughly translates from Spanish to English as 'butting into a thread.' But despite the confusing name, it has become a staple of not only Lucha Libre promotions, but wrestling federations the world over, including the WWE.
To perform the move, one's opponent must first be outside of the ring, preferably distracted or dazed from another attack. The wrestler runs across the ring, bouncing off the ropes to increase their momentum, and then makes a tremendous leap of faith right over the top rope to crash into their hapless, dazed opponent.
Variants include adding a somersault or other rotation and using the elbow to strike.
#3 Flying Elbow Drop
Used by: Macho Man Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Kairi Sane
Strengths: Devastating and accurate.
Weaknesses: Opponent must be prone on the mat, can hurt the practitioner nearly as much as the victim.
The flying elbow drop is a spectacular move that is only performed by truly elite athletes. To hit a flying elbow drop, one must first make sure one's opponent is truly ragged, struggling to move or even breathe while laying prone on the mat.
One ascends to the top rope, and -- often after a brief pose or appeal to the crowd -- leaps into the air and adjusts mid-flight to come crashing down elbow first on the opponent's sternum.
Randy Savage made the move famous, but athletes like Kairi Sane have taken it to the next level.
#4 Missile Dropkick
Used by: Booker T (especially his WCW days), Zach Ryder, Rob van Dam
Strengths: Powerful striking move, can reach all the way across ring.
Weaknesses: Easy to spot coming, can leave the practitioner in a vulnerable state if dropkick misses.
A missile dropkick is an upgraded version of the conventional dropkick. While both moves involve leaping into the air and planting both feet firmly on one's opponent, the missile dropkick ups the ante by including a trip to the top rope. Combining velocity with strength, the missile dropkick is as beautiful as it is deadly.
The Missile Dropkick has several variants, but usually, the wrestler performing the move ends up twisting in mid-air to land on their belly. A less bump heavy version involves the wrestler performing the dropkick to land flat on their back, and this is the version most used today.
#5 Moonsault
Used by: The Great Muta, Chris Jericho, Charlotte Flair
Strengths: Spectacular and devastating, leads easily into a pin.
Weaknesses: The aggressor must turn their back on their opponent to perform the move, leaves the performer in a vulnerable state if missed.
When it comes to high flying pro wrestling moves, one of the most fascinating and prevalent is the Moonsault. In order to perform a moonsault, one's opponent usually is lying prone, though some variants involve diving onto a standing foe.
Turning their back to their opponent, the wrestler ascends the top rope and then leaps backward, turning a reverse somersault to crash down hard on their opponent's body. The moonsault often leads directly into a pin.
Variants on the move include the Lionsault, or springboard Moonsault, which is performed off the middle rope, and AJ Styles's moonsault into a reverse DDT.
#6 Guillotine leg drop
Used by: Fandango, Psychosis, RD Evans, Matt Hardy
Strengths: Flashy and punishing looking move, attacks opponent's most vulnerable area, the throat.
Weaknesses: Very dangerous if missed, wears down a wrestler's body.
The top rope leg drop is often referred to as a Guillotine leg drop, or simply top rope leg drop. It is a variant of the standard leg drop utilized by Hulk Hogan and X Pac, but begins with the aggressor standing on the top rope looking at a downed opponent.
From there the wrestler performing the move leaps up and out, extending their legs in mid-air to land with their limb across their opponent's vulnerable throat.
The move has some variants, such as the Houston Hangover utilized by Booker T which adds a forward spin to the move, as well as a double leg drop which involves both legs being dropped across the opponent's midsection. This move is really rough on a wrestler's body, which is why so few of them use it.
#7 Shooting Star Press
Used by: Jushin Thunder Liger (who also invented the move,) Matt Sydal, Buddy Murphy
Strengths: Simply astounding to behold, hits with a lot of impact, and leads directly into a pinfall attempt.
Weaknesses: Difficult and dangerous to perform; Takes a long time to set up.
The shooting star press combines the dazzling athleticism of gymnastics and acrobatics with the devastating impact of pro wrestling. To perform the move, the aggressor climbs to the top turnbuckle and often spends several seconds setting up, getting good footing, and making sure the ropes aren't too slippery with sweat.
Then they launch themselves into the air, performing a backward flip while still maintaining forward momentum. The aggressor comes crashing down on their foe, smashing them flat and setting them up for an instant pin attempt.
Billy Kidman popularized the move in the West, but Jushin Thunder Liger is credited with its invention. Many wrestlers jealously guard the Shooting star press as their finisher, and Paul London was once ordered to stop using the move so Evan Bourne could use it.
#8 450 Splash
Used by: Juventud Guerrera, Rick Swann, AJ Styles, Zack Ryder
Strengths: An amazing looking move that uses rotation to inflict extra impact/damage, leads directly into a pinfall attempt.
Weaknesses: Difficult to perform, opponent must be ragged/prone to attempt.
There is a lot of controversy attached to the 450 splash. Many credit Scott Steiner with its invention, but a Mexican grappler known as Black Gordman was using the move against El Santo in the 1960s. Most people credit Flash Funk/Too Cold Scorpio for popularizing the move in the west.
To perform a 450 splash, the aggressor climbs to the top turnbuckle and then pitches a forward somersault and an extra half twist. This is where the 450 comes from, a 360-degree rotation with a little something extra. The aggressor lands across his opponent's body and directly leads to a pinfall attempt.
#9 Frog Splash
Used by: Eddie Guerrero, Rob Van Dam, Art Barr
Strengths: Dynamic and exciting, easily leads into a pinfall, one of the simpler aerial moves to master
Weaknesses: Opponent must be prone or really ragged to connect, can be dangerous to perform (Eddie Guerrero once dislocated his elbow performing the move.)
When you hear the words 'frog splash,' one name instantly comes to mind; Latino Heat Eddie Guerrero. This has led many fans and wrestling critics alike to believe that Eddie actually invented the move, but he did not.
Eddie's former tag team partner Art Barr -- also known as the Juicer in WCW -- invented the move but called it the Jackknife Splash. Their friend Too Cold Scorpio said it looked like a jumping frog, so Art changed the name to Frog Splash. Eddie popularized the move as a tribute to Art Barr after Barr's untimely death.
To perform a frog splash, one first ascends to the top rope and sights up one's opponent. The aggressor then leaps off, folding their body in mid-air to create extra impact upon landing. Variants include leaping off the middle turnbuckle (often called a tadpole splash) and Rob Van Dam's five-star version, which starts much higher in the air.
#10 Red Arrow
Used by: Adrian Neville/Pac.
Strengths: Simply breathtaking to behold, hits with a lot of impact and leads directly into a pinfall attempt.
Weaknesses: Very difficult to perform, takes a long time to set up, and the opponent must be prone and very close to turnbuckle.
A move that utterly defies description, the Red Arrow is only utilized on a regular basis by one performer, Adrian Neville, AKA PAC. The former WWE cruiserweight and NXT champion developed the move on his own as a more dazzling variant on moves like the 450 and shooting star press.
To perform the move, PAC climbs to the top turnbuckle and then crazily leaps into the air, performing multiple spins and rotations before crashing down across his opponent's sternum. The move leads into a pinfall directly, and is usually the end of the match.
There you have it - ten devastating top rope aerial moves and the wrestlers who perform them. What's your favorite aerial move? Please comment and let us know, and thanks for reading!
