A Suplex is an offensive move used in wrestling, both in competitive sport wrestling, including Olympic and collegiate wrestling, and professional wrestling.
The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground (or mat) and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down to the mat with the opponent landing on his or her back. For example, common in professional wrestling is the vertical suplex, which has the wrestlers begin face-to-face, then the attacker forces the opponent's head down and locks the opponent's arm around it. The attacker then places his or her opponent's arm around the opponent's own head, seemingly as a way of helping the opponent to stay in mid-air during the next part of the move, in which the attacker grabs the opponent by his or her trunks and lifts him or her high off the mat, so that the opponent's body is upside-down and vertical above the attacker. The attacker falls backwards onto his or her own back, using his or her body weight to slam the opponent down onto his or her back (the attacker's cradling of the opponent's head helps ensure his or her neck and head will not be damaged by hitting the mat on the landing move). In summary, the opponent has been forced into doing a forward flip onto his or her back.
In Olympic and amateur wrestling there also exist suplex-like moves, called suu-plays or suplays, a Greco-Roman wrestling term. During his career, pro wrestling commentator Gordon Solie used the soo-play pronunciation, but almost all other pro wrestling talent pronounces it soo-plex; this suggests the two names define the same kind of move. (Origin of the words "suplex" or "suplay/suu-play" is still a subject of research.)
Suplex variants
Professional wrestling features many different varieties of suplexes. The following are among the most common, but many more exist, particularly as the signature techniques of individual wrestlers.
Front facelock variants
In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other, the attcking wrestler then applies a Front facelock to the victim before executing a throw. In most, the victim is suspended upside-down during part of the move. The most common front facelock suplex is the vertical suplex.
Fisherman suplex
Also known as a fisherman's suplex or cradle suplex. With their opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over the attacker's shoulder, the wrestler hooks the victim's near leg with his/her free arm and falls backwards, flipping the victim onto his/her back. The attacker usually keeps the leg hooked and bridges to pin the victim, or applies a leglock submission hold.
Notable users: "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig (Hennig/Perfect-Plex) and "The Franchise" Shane Douglas (Pittsburgh Plunge).
Swinging fisherman suplex
Also known as Swinging fisherman neckbreaker and Golden Gates Swing. A swinging variation of this move sees a wrestler, with their opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over their shoulder, hook the victim's near leg with their free arm and roll over to one side, flipping the victim over onto their back.
Notable users: Perry Saturn (Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza), Alex Shelley (Shellshock II), John Cena, Austin Aries
Rolling release suplex
This suplex starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up in the vertical postion, at this point the face lock is partly released as the attacker falls forward, the momentum of the attacker forces the victim to roll out of the face lock and drop back-first down to the mat.
Slingshot suplex
The attacker faces a standing victim with one side of the ring immediately behind the victim. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim, takes hold of the victim with his/her free hand, then lifts the victim until he/she is nearly vertical. The attacker then falls forward so that the torso of the victim bounces off the top ring rope, and uses this momentum to quickly lift the victim overhead once more and falls backwards, driving the back and shoulders of the victim into the ground.
Tully Blanchard was a common user of this move back in the mid/late 80's. Steve Austin also used a variation of the move in his WCW tenure in which the shins of the victim rather than the torso bounced off the ring ropes, calling it the Stun Gun Suplex.
Snap suplex
A front facelock suplex, which sees the attacker apply a front face lock to his/her opponent, draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, while pulling his own leg back then kick the leg forward quickly slaming it to the ground to build momentum to fall backwards and flips the victim over the attacker so they land on their back. It was used frequently by Bret Hart and The Dynamite Kid as one of thier signature moves, and later adopted as a signature move by Chris Benoit, who trained under Bret's father Stu Hart, and idolized The Dynamite Kid.
Super-plex
Any suplex performed by an attacker standing on the second rope against an opponent sitting on the top rope or top turnbuckle. Frequently done to prevent the victim from performing a high-flying technique. This move was made famous by Cowboy Bob Orton.
Suplex slam
This move is similar to most suplexes and starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to his/her opponent and draping the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder, then lifting him/her up and holding the opponent in the vertical postion. This is where the move differs from most of its counterparts with the attacker not falling with the victim but just throwing him to the mat. Sometimes this involves the wrestler turning the victim in midair and slamming the opponent down to the mat in front of him/her onto their back.
Sitout suplex slam
Also known as Falcon Arrow. The attacker applies a front facelock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over their shoulder. The attacker then takes hold of the victim's torso with their free arm and lifts the victim to a vertical position. The attacker then falls to a sitting position, driving the back and shoulders of the victim to the mat between their legs.
Another variation sees the wrestler perform a Vertical suplex, but instead of falling on to their back, the wrestler turns 180° when the opponent is upside down, and sits down driving the opponent back first between their legs.
Notable users: Hayabusa (Falcon Arrow), Koji Kanemoto, Hardcore Holly (The Hollycaust)
Inverted suplex slam
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and proceeds to throw the victim back to the mat, driving his/her face into the ground. This move is also known as a Gourdbuster.
Reverse suplex
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and falls to their stomach, driving the face of the victim into the ground.
Sitout inverted suplex slam
The attacker applies a front face lock to the victim and drapes the victim's near arm over his/her shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, and falls into a sit-out position, driving the face of the victim into the ground. This move is also known as a sitout Gourdbuster or Inverted Falcon Arrow.
Notable users: Ron Killings (Hat Rack Crack)
Vertical suplex
Known as Brainbuster in Japan, while the western Brainbuster is known as Vertical Brainbuster in Japan.
Set up similar to a snap suplex, except that when the victim is in position he is lifted up and held upside-down before the attacker falls backwards. Eddie Guerrero introduced a signature maneuver in which, after falling to the ground with his opponent, he flips himself over while maintaining his hold, pulls the victim back into the original position, and performs another vertical suplex. He ends once he has performed three suplexes. WWE announcers have dubbed the sequence Three Amigos; some fans have taken to calling this rolling verticals (an analogy from rolling Germans). Simon Diamond also does the three suplex series. He calls them " The Simon Series".
Delayed vertical suplex
This variation, also known as the Hanging Suplex, Standing Suplex or Stalling Suplex, sees the attacker hold his opponent in an upside-down position at the peak of the arc for several seconds before completing the maneuver, thereby causing blood to pool into the head of the victim. This move is a staple of many power wrestlers, most notably Davey Boy Smith. Other notable users include Ric Flair, Kenta Kobashi, Chris Harris, Lance Storm, and CM Punk.
Rotating vertical suplex
The attacker lifts the opponent as in a normal vertical suplex, but turns around in place as he falls back. This variation also goes by the name Rotation suplex, Twisting suplex and Rotary suplex
Underhook suplex
Also known as Half-hatch suplex. The wrestler applies a Front facelock with one arm and underhooks one of the opponent's arms with his other, placing his hand palm down on the back of the opponent. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up while bridging backwards and slightly twisting, bringing the opponent over him and onto their back. The wrestler bridges their back and legs to hold the opponent's shoulders against the mat.
Notable users include: Super Strong Machine (Devil Windmill Suplex), Hiroshi Tanahashi (Half-hatch Suplex Hold)
The wrestler may also release the opponent mid arch, throwing them onto their back. This variation is called Release underhook suplex.
Belly to back variants
In these variants, the attacker stands behind his victim and applies a hold before falling backwards, dropping the victim on his or her upper back. The most common belly to back variants are the German suplex and the back suplex.
Belly to back suplex
The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using both of his arms wrapped around the torso of the opponent. The attacker finally falls backwards to slam the opponent flat on his/her back. This move is often referred to simply as a back suplex, or in Japan a back drop (not to be confused with a back body drop).
Many wrestlers perform the back suplex into a bridging position, simultaneously arching their own back and legs to elevate themselves, gaining leverage and pinning their opponent. Yuji Nagata uses this as a signature move.
Leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using one arm around the waist of the opponent and another under one of his/her legs. The attacker finally falls backwards to slam the opponent flat on his/her back.
Bridging leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands to one side of and slightly behind a standing opponent. The attacker then drapes the near arm of the victim over their neck and uses their own near arm to encircle the waist of the victim. The attacker then reaches under one of the victims legs with their free arm, and lifts, forcing the opponent to bend into a right angle. Finally, the attacker falls backwards, driving the neck and shoulders of the victim into the ground, simultaneously arching their own back and legs to elevate themselves, gaining leverage and placing the victim in a pinning predicament.
Yoshinari Ogawa and Bryan Danielson use this a finishing move.
Spinning leg hook belly to back suplex
The attacker stands behind his opponent and puts his head under the arm of the victim. He then lifts the opponent up using one arm around the waist of the opponent and another under one of his legs. The attacker then turns 180⁰ while falling backwards, slamming the opponent flat on his back.
Notable user of this move is Mitsuharu Misawa.
High angle belly to back suplex
Also known as Backdrop driver. The attacker stands behind his/her opponent and puts his/her head under the arm of the victim. He/she then lifts the opponent up using both of his arms wrapped around the torso of the opponent. The attacker finally falls backwards to drive the opponent to the mat on their neck and shoulders.
Notable users of this move include Lou Thesz, Steve Williams, Masahiro Chono and Toshiaki Kawada.
Cobra clutch suplex
The attacker places the victim in a Cobra clutch. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, driving the victim to the mat on their head.
Crossface chickenwing suplex
The wrestler stands behind the opponent. He locks one of the opponent's arms in a Chickenwing, and wraps his other arm around the opponent's head. He then lifts the opponent up and falls backwards, driving the opponent on to the top of their head, down to the mat. Notable users include Tiger Mask IV who calls it the Millennium Suplex.
Double underhook suplex
The wrestler and opponent face each other, the opponent bent forward. The wrestler hooks the opponent's arms back, placing his/her arms under the back of the opponent's elbows, with his/her hands on top of the opponent's back in an axe-handle. The wrestler then lifts the opponent into an upside-down vertical position, and releases the armlocks as he/she falls back, shifting the opponent to one side as the opponent flips over.
Other names include:
- double axe-handle suplex / double axe suplex
- double chicken-wing suplex
- butterfly suplex
Full nelson suplex
This move is also known as the Dragon Suplex and Nightmare Suplex, a variation of the German Suplex where the attacker does a full nelson, then lifts the victim up and slams him/her backwards on the upper back and head. It can be bridged for a pinfall attempt.
Gutwrench suplex
A gutwrench suplex involves a wrestler standing over a opponent locking his/her arms around the victim's waist and lifting him/her up and slamming him/her over back-first down to the mat.
Karelin Lift
A gutwrench suplex which begins with the opponent laying on the mat. The wrestler locks his arms around the opponent's waist and stands up, lifting the opponent. He then throws the opponent to his side, dropping them to the mat face up on to their shoulders or face down on their chest. Named after the Greco-Roman amateur wrestler Alexander Karelin, who was the only person to use the suplex in his weightclass.
Notable users include: Takashi Sugiura
German suplex
A belly-to-back waistlock suplex. The wrestler stands behind the victim, grabs them around their waist, lifts them up, and falls backwards while bridging his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and upper back first. The wrestler keeps the waistlock and continues bridging with their back and legs, pinning the opponent's shoulders down against the mat.
The variation where the wrestler releases the opponent mid arch to throw them down on their shoulders and upper back is called a Release German suplex.
A popular variant is to follow up a German suplex by rolling sideways while still holding the waistlock and perform another German suplex. This maneuver, popularized recently by Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, is called Rolling German suplexes.
X-plex
A Cross-arm German suplex. A variation of the German Suplex where the opponent's arms are crossed across their chest, a straitjacket-like hold, and held by the attacker. The wrestler subsequently lifts the opponent backwards, landing like a German Suplex.
Notable users: Shane Helms, Ultimo Dragon (Aztec Suplex)
Half nelson suplex
This is a version of a German suplex where the attacker stands behind the opponent, facing the same direction. The attacker reaches under one of the victim's arms with his/her corresponding arm and places the palm of his/her hand on the neck of the victim, thereby forcing the arm of the victim up into the air (the Half nelson). The attacker wraps his free arm on the waist of the oppontent. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards slamming the victim down on his/her neck and shoulders.
Notable users include Kenta Kobashi and William Regal.
Mitsuharu Misawa introduced a variation of this move. It is called Tiger Suplex '85. Instead of wrapping the other arm around the opponents waist, the arm is wrapped under the opponents other arm and across his/her chest, right under the neck. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, bridging with his back and legs, causing the opponent to end in a pinning predicament.
Pumphandle suplex
The wrestler stands behind his/her opponent and bends him/her forward. One of the victim's arms is pulled back between his/her legs and held, while the other arm is hooked. The attacker then lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head and falls backwards to slam the victim against the mat back-first.
Sleeper suplex
The attacker places the victim in a Sleeper hold and then hooks one of the victims arms with his free arm. The attacker then lifts the victim up and falls backwards, driving the victim on their head.
Tiger suplex
This is also referred to as a Double arm suplex. Standing behind his opponent, the wrestler hooks both of his opponent's arms from the sides, and places his hands palm down flat against the opponent's upper back. He then lifts the opponent up and falls backwards, arching his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and neck first, pinning him against the mat.
Sometimes the regular pinning variation is referred to as the Tiger suplex hold. The wrestler can also release the opponent in mid arch, which is referred to as a Release tiger suplex.
Innovated and named by the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama. Also a signature or a finishing move for Mitsuharu Misawa, Koji Kanemoto, and Tiger Mask IV, the other tiger masks.
Wheelbarrow suplex
This move is achieved when a wrestler wraps a forward facing opponent's legs around the his/her waist (either by standing behind an opponent who is lying face-first on the mat or by catching a charging opponent), then the wrestler would apply a gutwrentch hold and lift the opponent up off the ground into the air, then the attacker will continue lifting and fall backwards to hit this variation of a German Suplex.
This was the signature move WWE superstar Randy Orton back when he wrestled on OVW.
Belly to belly variants
In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other. The attacker then applies a bodylock before falling backwards and flipping the victim onto his back.
Belly to belly suplex
The attacker wraps his/her arms around his/her opponent in a waistlock or a bodylock and flips him/she over by violently bridging his/her own body so the opponent lands on his/her back. This can be done either overhead or to the side. Magnum T.A. was the first notable wrestler to win matches with it. This move is also performed by Kurt Angle as one of his signature moves.
Super belly to belly suplex
An overhead belly to belly suplex executed on an opponent sitting or standing on the top rope, facing inward. Also one of Kurt Angle's signature moves.
Capture suplex
The attacker stands facing a standing opponent. The attacker then catches one leg of the victim and pulls the victim towards them so that they are face to face, with the attacker reaching under the victim's leg and hooking it. The attacker then uses their free arm to reach behind the neck of the victim and take hold of them. The attacker then quickly bridges backwards and releases the victim, throwing them overhead, or turns 180° while slamming the opponent down to the mat. This move can be used to counter a kick.
Notable users include: Tazz, Akira Maeda, Koji Kanemoto and Josh Barnett.
Exploder suplex
This is a variant of a belly-to-belly suplex. Rather then crossing the opponent's arms around his/her own, the wrestler performing the Exploder Suplex wraps one of the opponent's arms behind his/her back and throws him/her overhead in the same motion as a belly-to-belly. Another way of finishing this grapple is during the belly-to-belly like motion of throwing the opponent is for the wrestler to catch him/her and fall backward like a fallaway slam.
The first version involved a bridging pin and was called the Blizzard Suplex.
Jun Akiyama uses a variation, which he calls the Exploder '98, in which he clutches the opponent's free hand in a pumphandle. It is also commonly known as the Wrist Clutch Exploder.
A modified version that ends in a Powerslam Pin is currently used as a finisher by WWE Superstar, Shelton Benjamin.
The term T-Bone suplex came from Tazz, calling it the "T-Bone Tazzplex".
Northern lights suplex
The attacker puts his head under the arm of the victim and clutches the victim in a belly to belly suplex and flips him/her over. This move was invented and first performed by Japanese wrestler Hiroshi Hase. This suplex can be either bridged into a pin, or the attacker can float over into another Northern Lights Suplex.
Table top suplex
See Fallaway Slam
T-Bone suplex
see Exploder Suplex
Trapping suplex
This is when a wrestler holds both the opponent's arms under his own, from here the opponent is left secure and unable to counter or move away from the attacker while he/she delivers a belly to belly throw flipping vitcim over by violently bridging his/her own body so the opponent lands on thier back.
Side variants
In these suplexes, the attacker stands to the side of his or her victim and applies a hold before falling backwards to slam the victim to the mat. The most common is the side suplex.
Saito suplex
The attacker stands either facing directly one of his/her opponents sides or slightly behind in an angle. He places the opponents near arm over his shoulder, grabs a waistlock, and then lifts the opponent up while falling backwards, causing the opponent to land on his/her neck and shoulders.
Leg hook Saito suplex
The attacker stands behind and to one side of the victim. The attacker wraps one arm around the waist of the victim and grabs the back of the victim's near leg with his/her other arm. The attacker then lifts the victim on to his/her shoulder and then falls backwards, driving the victim into the ground at a high angle.
Notable users: Shawn Michaels (Teardrop Suplex).
Side suplex
See Ura-nage. Can also refer to a Russian legsweep.
Inverted facelock vaiants
In these suplexes, an attacker begins by facing the back of an opponent and applying an inverted facelock before executing a throw. In most, the victim is suspended upside-down during part of the move.
Inverted suplex
The attacker applies an inverted facelock to the victim with one arm and uses the his/her other arm to elevate the victim, so the victim ends up in a sitting position with his/her back parallel to the ground. The attacker then falls backwards, driving the upper back and shoulders of the victim into the ground.
This move is also refered to as a Lifting Diving Reverse DDT and is most well known as D-Von Dudley's finisher called the Saving Grace
Inverted vertical suplex
The attacker stand behind an opponent and applies an inverted facelock with one arm, and uses the other arm to aid in elevating the opponent so that he/she is lifted up and held upside-down before the attacker falls to his back driving the victim down to the mat front-first, behind the attacker.
Grounded variants
Leg/ankle suplex
The attacker stands at the feet of a face-up supine victim. The attacker then lifts and hooks one leg of the victim with their opposing arm (e.g. the left leg of the victim with the right arm of the opponent). The attacker then throws themselves backwards to the ground, placing stress on the lower leg and ankle of the victim.
This move was invented by Greg Valentine as an alternative to the Figure Four Leglock, and was named by David Crockett.