Anklelock: a submission hold, the attacker grabs the victim's ankle and twists with both arms. Mixed martial-arts grappler Ken Shamrock was the innovator of it in the WWF.  Note: "Shamrock's snapped!"  --J.R.

• Angle Lock: identical to the above -- just Kurt Angle's rendition of it. Note: "The truth hurts, doesn't it?!!" --Kurt Angle

Arm wrench: a move in which the attacker grabs the wrist of the victim and twists the arm around

• Hammerlock: an arm wrench in which the victim's arm is twisted around behind their back, much like a policeman would do to subdue a perp.
• Old School: a vintage Undertaker manuever, the victim's arm is wrenched while the attacker climbs to the top turnbuckle, then walks out onto the ropes, whereupon the attacker jumps off and hits the victim in the back of the neck with his free hand.

• Bubba Bomb: the attacker grabs the victim in a full-nelson (arms hooked under victims' and hands linked behind the head), pulls them in the air, then drops them on their tailbone from a sit-out position. Bubba Ray Dudley is the chief practitioner of this move.
• Manhattan Drop: usually referred to as an "inverted atomic drop", the attacker grabs the victim from the front and drops them groin-first on their knee.

Bicycle kick: Bull Buchanan's finisher, usually done to a doubled-over opponent, the attacker comes off the ropes, jumps in the air and pistons their legs as though riding a bicycle, then brings the back of one foot or leg down on the victim's head or neck. It can also be done to a standing opponent, as a sort of modified version of the "crane" kick from the Karate Kid movies. Note: This move is sometimes misidentified as a scissors kick (see below).

• Scissors kick: Usually done to a doubled-over opponent, the attacker comes off the ropes, jumps slightly and snaps his legs together around the victim's head. Booker T uses this as a finisher.
  • Axe kick: Often misidentified as a scissors kick, the heel of the attacker's foot comes down on the back of the victim's head.

Big splash: done by a very heavy attacker to a prone opponent, the attacker gets a running start, jumps and lands belly-first on their opponent.

Bitchslap: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley's trademark slap-to-the-face

Bodyslam: any of a series of throws in which the attacker picks the victim up and throws them to the mat

• Dominator: Faarooq's trademark move, the attacker throws the victim up on his shoulder, belly-up and head forward, then slams them belly-first into the mat.
• Powerslam: the attacker grabs their opponent and swings around, slamming the victim into the mat back first
• Snapmare: the attacker turns his back to the victim, grabs him by the head and throws the victim to the mat over his shoulder
• Sidewalk slam: the victim is picked up and held under one of the attacker's arms; the attacker then falls to a sitting position, bodyslamming the victim back-first
• Neckbreaker: while grappling, the attacker grabs the victim's head, then spins himself and his victim around and drops to the mat, slamming the back of the victim's neck into the shoulder
• Twist of Fate: similar to the above, the attacker only turns himself around before dropping the victim. Matt Hardy uses this as a finisher, though Lita and Jeff Hardy have been known to use it as well.

Bulldog: the attacker grabs the victim's head, runs forward and pulls the victim face-first into the mat

• Acid Drop/Dudley Dogg: a tornado bulldog done off the corner. Spike Dudley uses this as a finisher.

Chokeslam: The trademark finisher of most tall wrestlers (like the Big Show, Undertaker, and Kane), the attacker grabs the victim by the throat, then lifts him in the air before slamming them into the mat.

• High Times: the trademark finisher of KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark), a double chokeslam.

Clothesline: the attacker stiffarms the victim in the face with the forearm, knocking them down.  Often done while either attacker or victim is springing off the ropes.

• Lariat: similar to a clothesline, except the attacker swings their arm around and into their opponent
• Clothesline from Hell: Bradshaw's trademark finisher, the attacker charges and gives a strong lariat to their opponent. Note: this move is misidentified as a clothesline

Crossface Chicken Wing: Bob Backlund's trademark submission hold, the attacker grabs the victim from behind around the neck with the right arm, then hooks the left arm up under the victim's left arm and grabs his other hand.

DDT: the attacker grabs the victim's head under the arm, then drops backward, driving the head to the mat.

• Double-arm DDT: Cactus Jack's finisher, same as above, except the attacker keeps the victim's other arm out of the way by hooking it up with his other arm. Note: "Bang! Bang!" --Cactus Jack
  • Buzzkiller/Impaler/Edgecutioner: Edge's finisher, a variation of the double-arm DDT.
• Inverted DDT/Slop Drop : almost identical to the reverse DDT, except the attacker falls forward to complete the move instead of falling backwards
• Reverse DDT: similar to the above, except the attacker grabs from behind
• Tornado DDT: the attacker grabs the victim from the top or second turnbuckle, then jumps and spins around them before dropping.

• Missile dropkick: the attacker springs off the top rope into the post, then flies off in a dropkick to the victim's face.
• Standing dropkick: the attacker does the dropkick from a standing position.  Bob "Hardcore" Holly is one of the undisputed masters of this move.
• Van Daminator: the attacker dropkicks or otherwise kicks a chair into his opponent's face. Rob Van Dam is the innovator and chief practitioner of this move.
• Van Terminator: the victim is set up prone in one corner, a chair or some other object propped on their face. The attacker springs off the top rope from across the ring and dropkicks the chair/object into his opponent's face. Rob Van Dam is the innovator of this move, though a variation of it has been used by Shane McMahon.

Dudley Death Drop (3-D): The Dudley Boyz' trademark finisher, involving two attackers.  The victim is whipped into the ropes, and upon springing back, the first attacker grabs him around the legs as if for a back body drop, but holds on as the second attacker grabs the victim's head on his shoulder.  Upon descent, the victim's face is slammed into the second attacker's chest as his body hits the mat. One of the most effective finishers in the business. Few, if any, people have kicked out of it.  Note: "Thou shalt not mess with the Dudleys!" --the Dudley Boyz

Doomsday Device/Dudleyville Device: one attacker sits the victim on his shoulders and stands up, while the second attacker delivers a flying shoulder tackle from the top of the turnbuckle. The Legion of Doom were the innovators of the move, but it has been used by the Dudley Boyz as well.

Elbow drop: a simple move done only when the victim is lying on the mat, the attacker falls elbow-first onto his victim.

• Savage elbow: the attacker jumps from the top turnbuckle into his opponent. So called because it was the finisher of "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
• Eye of the Hurricane: The Hurricane's finisher, he hooks the victim's head as though for an inverse DDT, then spins around and drops an elbow/forearm on their chest/neck, crashing them to the mat.
• People's Elbow: The Rock's trademark finisher, the victim lies prone on the mat, face-up.  The attacker peels his right elbow pad off, throws it out in the audience, swings his arms back and forth, then runs and springs off the ropes, hurdles his victim, then springs off the other ropes, and upon returning to the victim, drops his bare elbow on the victim's sternum. Note: "I think we're about to see the most electrifying move in sports entertainment!" --Jerry Lawler

• I'm Better Than You: Chris Kanyon's finisher, looking like a Rock Bottom, the attacker instead sweeps the victim's legs out and drops them on their face, not their back. Edge has used this move in the past, as well, calling it the Downward Spiral.

• Sharpshooter: a trademark submission hold, the attacker spreads his prone opponent's legs, steps one foot through to the armpit, twists the legs over the knee, then turns his opponent over and bends their back. When Sting uses this move, it is called the Scorpion Deathlock. (Innovator: Bret "the Hitman" Hart)
• Texas Cloverleaf: a submission hold, the attacker twists the victim's legs into a "4" shape, then holds on and turns him over to bend his back painfully.

Headbutt: the attacker drives his head into the victim's head

• Flying headbutt: similar to the above, except done from the top turnbuckle
• Swandive headbutt: Chris Benoit's trademark move, innovated by the Dynamite Kid, identical to the above, except the attacker spreads their arms out to the sides and falls straight down, as though doing a swandive. Note: "That's it!" --Chris Benoit
• Wassap Drop: the brainchild of the Dudleys, one attacker spreads the victim's legs apart, sometimes screams "Wassap!" to his partner, who jumps from the top of the turnbuckle in a flying headbutt to the exposed nether region of the victim. Notes: "D-Von!!" "What?!" "Get the tables!" --Dudley Boyz

Huracanrana: the attacker wraps his legs around his opponent's neck, swings backwards and flings his opponent to the mat.

• Headscissors takedown: oft-times misidentified as a huracanrana, the attacker swings his legs around and wraps them around his opponent's head, pendulum-swings around in front of them, and swings the opponent to the mat.

Laying the Smackdown: a classic move of The Rock, the attacker connects several times with an open right hand to the face, then steps back, spits in the palm, and strikes one more time. Notes: "And The Rock will do exactly what he does best, and that is layeth the smacketh down on your candy-ass!" --The Rock

Leg drop: the attacker jumps and drops their leg into the prone victim's body

• Hip Hop Drop: Grandmaster Sexay's trademark finisher, the attacker puts a pair of goggles on before doing a leg drop from the top turnbuckle.  Note: "He's gonna fly!" --Jerry Lawler

• Nut Shot: the attacker is down on the knees and swings their forearm from behind in a low-blow

Moonsault: the attacker backflips off something (turnbuckle, ropes) and collides belly-first with victim.

• Asai moonsault: a moonsault done off the second rope.
• Corkscrew moonsault/Whisper in the Wind: the attacker jumps up to the top turnbuckle, then flips backwards, twisting his body in midair so he comes down more with his legs and back than his belly. Jeff Hardy is one of the masters of it.
• Lionsault: Y2J's trademark finisher, a springboard moonsault done off the second rope into the prone victim.
• Shooting star press: a sort of reverse moonsault. The attacker faces the ring from the top of the post and jumps off, swinging their legs forward and up, making a three-quarter circle before connecting. Billy Kidman uses this as a finisher.

Piledriver: a basic move, the attacker drives the victim's head into the mat from an inverted position; usually the attacker pins the victim's head between the thighs and drops to a sitting position for the attack.  Piledrivers are largely banned, due to excessive damage they can inflict to the victim.

• Death Valley Driver: the opponent is lifted up onto the attacker's shoulders and lain across them, whereupon the attacker drops sideways, dropping the opponent on their head.
• Michinoku Driver: Taka Michinoku's finisher, the opponent is lifted in a scoop slam, but brought down on their head/shoulders, not their back.
• Pedigree: Triple H's trademark finisher, the victim's head is pinned between the attacker's thighs, then his arms are hooked up by the attacker, who jumps in the air and lands on his knees, driving the victim's body face-first into the mat.
  • Kid Krusher: a reverse Pedigree, done behind the back. Billy Kidman uses this as a finisher.
• Spike piledriver: performed by two people, the victim's head is pinned between the thighs of one attacker, their body pointed straight up in the air, and then the second attacker helps spike the victim's head as the first attacker drops to a sitting position.  Note: "And it's for your own good!" --Steven Richards
• Tombstone: The former trademark finisher of Kane and the Undertaker, the victim is inverted and held on the shoulder, the attacker having wrapped his arms around the victim; the attacker then piledrives the victim by dropping to his knees and lying the victim flat on his back. "Rest in Peace." --The Undertaker
• Unprettier: Christian's finisher, the attacker hooks the victim's arms from behind, turns himself around, in the process turning the victim so their head is between their shoulder blades, face-down. The attacker then drops backwards to the mat, driving the victim's face to the mat.
• Vertabreaker: The Hurricane's old finisher, the victim's head is pinned between the attacker's legs from behind, lifted vertical, and brought down on the head.

• Blue Thunder powerbomb: the victim is set up for a back suplex, but rather than dropping them backwards, the attacker swings them around into a sit-out powerbomb.
• Diving powerbomb: a standard powerbomb, the attacker flips the victim onto his shoulders, then drops the victim down in the powerbomb, falling forward to connect
• Double powerbomb: after the first powerbomb, the attacker holds the victim's legs with his elbows, stands back up and grabs the victim up for a second powerbomb. Chris Jericho is the innovator of this move.
• Insider Edge/Razor's Edge: sometimes called a "cross powerbomb," the attacker gutwrenches the victim over his head, but rather than sit him on his shoulders, he hangs them on his back by the armpits, causing the victim's arms to raise out to the sides in a "cross" position.  The attacker then throws himself forward, hurling them down his back into a powerbomb. Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall uses this as a finisher.
• Jacknife powerbomb: a standard powerbomb, the attacker flips the victim onto his shoulders, then swings down in the powerbomb, the attacker remaining on his feet. Kevin Nash uses this as a finisher.
• Last Ride: The Undertaker's trademark finisher, the attacker hoists the victim off his shoulders straight up into the air before slamming. Note: "You try me, and I will make you famous." --The Undertaker
• Sit-out powerbomb: a standard powerbomb, the attacker adds more power to the move by swinging his legs out around the victim, adding his momentum to the victim's slam.
• Baldo Bomb: Albert's finisher, the attacker grabs the victim by the throat with both hands, lifts them up, then executes a sit-down powerbomb.  Notes: "Yaaaaaaagh!" --Albert
• Sky High: D'Lo Brown's trademark move, the attacker grabs the victim's armpits or waist, lifts them in the air, then drives them down in a sit-down powerbomb.

Rock Bottom: The Rock's trademark finisher, the attacker swings his arm up around the victim's neck and grabs his shoulder (making sure the victim's arm is behind their head), then sweeps the legs and slams the victim into the mat back-first.

• Book End: Booker T's finisher, identical to the Rock Bottom.

Sleeper hold: a hold designed to drive the victim into unconsciousness; the victim is grabbed from behind around the neck, while the attacker pulls the head back with his other hand, applying pressure until the victim goes out cold.

• Cobra Clutch: Sgt. Slaughter's finisher, the opponent is grabbed from behind in a sleeper variant, but the opponent's left wrist is locked, bending their arm in painfully.  Note: "And that's an order!" --Sgt. Slaughter
• Regal Cutter: William Regal's finisher, the victim's left arm is grabbed, wrapped around their neck, and then dropped in a neckbreaker.
• The One and Only: Billy Gunn's new finisher, the victim is grabbed in a half nelson, then slammed to the mat in a neckbreaker-like move.
• Tazz-mission: Tazz's trademark submission hold, similar to the above, except the attacker grabs from under one of the victim's arms with a hand before locking in.

Spinebuster: the victim charges, and the attacker grabs their legs, swings them around, and drives them back-first into the mat.

• Pinebuster: The Rock's rendition of the spinebuster, the victim charges, the attacker hits a double-leg takedown and throws his body into the victim's body as they fall onto their back. So named as a tribute to French Canadian retired wrestler Pat Patterson, who has trouble with his S's.
• Spinebuster slam: the victim charges, the attacker lifts them off the mat around the waist, then shoves them down back-first to the mat.

Spinning heel kick: a kick to the face, usually done after springing the victim into the ropes; the attacker hits the victim with the ankle of his/her foot or the back of his/her shin.

• Harlem Side Kick: a charging spinning heel kick to the face. Booker T is the chief practitioner of this move.

Splash: any of a series of moves in which the attacker throws his body into the victim's

• 450 Splash: done from the top rope, before collision, the attacker flips around one-and-a-quarter times
• Avalanche: the stunned victim stands against the turnbuckle, and the attacker charges and drives their body into the victim's
  • Ho Train/Censored Train: The Godfather/Goodfather's trademark move, the attacker, upon connecting, swings his arms into the victim's head.
  • Bass-Ackwards Splash: a trademark move, done by a heavy attacker, before connecting, the attacker spins and slams his back into the victim. Note: "Back that ass up!" --Rikishi
• Banzai Drop: Rikishi's trademark finisher, a bottom-heavy attacker sets up the prone victim near one of the corners, ascends to the second rope, springs a few times, then drops their rear-end right on the chest of the victim and sits for the pin. (Originator: Yokozuna)
• Frog Splash: a splash done from the top turnbuckle, usually from a crouching position, so called because the attacker jacknifes his body once before stretching out to connect.
  • Five-Star Frog Splash: Rob Van Dam's finisher, an extremely flashy Frog Splash, often damaging his own ribs. Note: "I'm the Whole F'n Show." --Rob Van Dam
  • 'Lo Down: D'Lo Brown's trademark finisher, a flashy Frog Splash, wherein the attacker chops his hands between his legs in midair before stretching out for the splash.
• Money Shot/Censored Shot: Val Venis' trademark finisher, the attacker jumps off the top rope into his prone opponent, arms spread, and lands on the chest.  Notes: "Hello, ladies." --Val Venis
• Poetry in Motion: done by two attackers, the victim is whipped into the corner, one attacker gets down on hands and knees, facing away from the victim in front of him.  The second attacker runs, uses his partner as a step and leaps hip-first into the victim. (Originators: the Hardy Boyz)
• Senton: the attacker flips himself so his shoulder blades strike his opponent as he comes down
  • Rolling Thunder: A trademark move of Rob Van Dam, the attacker somersalts toward his opponent, stands up and sentons his prone opponent. Notes: "Here we go! Rolling Thunder!" --Paul Heyman
  • Swanton Bomb: Jeff Hardy's trademark finisher, a senton done off the top rope.
    • Seanton Bomb: Sean O'Haire's finisher, identical to the above.
• Stink Face: Rikishi's trademark move, the victim lies against the corner, the attacker positions himself over the victim's face, then drives his rear end into the victim's face and rubs it in.

Stone Cold Stunner: quite possibly one of the most famous moves in sports entertainment, the trademark finisher of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the attacker boots the victim in the gut, then turns and grabs the victim's head with one hand and drops to the mat, pulling the victim's jaw into the attacker's shoulder.  Note: "And that's the bottom line, `cuz Stone Cold said so!" --Stone Cold Steve Austin

• Bubba Cutter/Diamond Cutter: sometimes referred to as a "modified version of the 3D", the attacker whips his victim into the ropes, then grabs their head on the rebound and drops them to the mat in a stunner-like manuever. Used by Bubba Ray Dudley (Bubba Cutter) and Diamond Dallas Page (Diamond Cutter).

Superkick: the attacker kicks back into the victim's jaw. Note: "Sooner or later everyone dances to my sweet chin music." --Shawn Michaels

Suplex: any of a series of moves in which the attacker throws the victim while falling backwards

• Death suplex: also called a "back suplex" the attacker stands beside their opponent, throws their opponent's arm over their shoulder, then lifts their legs and drops backwards.
• Fisherman's suplex: the attacker grabs the victim by the neck and leg, then suplexes. Also known as the Perfectplex, since it was used as a finisher by "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
  • Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Credenza: a variation of the fisherman's suplex, the attacker hooks the leg and arm, but then swings the opponent backwards in a slam instead of a suplex. (Originator: Perry Saturn)
• German suplex: also called a "belly-to-back suplex," the attacker grabs the victim from behind around the waist and does a suplex, bending over backwards
• Jackhammer: also called a "brainbuster," the victim is lifted into the air in a suplex, then brought down almost onto their head. Bill Goldberg used this as part of his famous one-two combo, following a spear. Note: "Who's next?!" --Goldberg
• Snowplow: Al Snow's finisher, a jackhammer variant.  Note: "What does everybody want?" --Al Snow
• Samoan Drop: the attacker grabs the victim by the knee and arm, swings them up in a quarter-turn, then drops backwards
• Angle Slam/Olympic Slam: Kurt Angle's trademark finisher, similar to the above, except the attacker grabs higher up on the thigh and does a half-turn.  Note: "It's true, it's true." --Kurt Angle
• Superplex: the victim is set up in a sitting position on the top turnbuckle, while the attacker climbs to stand astride them, then grabs them around the head and suplexes down
• Stackplex: a team manuever, the opponent is set for a superplex by the first attacker, then lifted higher as the second attacker lifts his partner up on his shoulders.
• Vertical suplex: the standard suplex -- the attacker faces their opponent, throws their opponent's arm over their shoulder, grabs their waist, then lifts and falls backwards.
• Wrist-clutch suplex: the attacker stands to the victim's side, clutches his hands between the victim's legs while they are bent over, then throws them back over his head.

• Cross-body: the attacker jumps and takes the opponent down.
• Lou Thesz press: the attacker jumps and straddles their opponent's torso, taking them down
• Spear: The attacker drives his shoulder hard into the gut of the victim. Edge uses this move a great deal. Bill Goldberg uses this move as part of his famous one-two combo, along with the jackhammer.
  • Gore: Rhyno's trademark move, a charging spear to the midsection. "GORE! GORE! GORE!" --Paul Heyman

Wishbone: done by two attackers, the victim lies prone as the attackers each grab a leg, then pull them in opposite directions, not unlike snapping a wishbone from a turkey.

The Worm: Scotty 2 Hotty's trademark finisher, the attacker hops in a circle before wriggling in the dance move of the same name toward the victim.  Upon reaching him, the attacker stands, swings his arms back and forth three times, then drops his forearm on the victim's sternum.  Note: "The W-O-R-M!" --Jerry Lawler

X-Factor: X-Pac's trademark finisher, the attacker grabs the victim by the head and jumps in the air, then brings the victim face-first into the mat, usually making the victim's limbs splay out in an 'X.'

• Edge-o-matic: an inverted X-Factor (Originator: Edge)

If you can see any move listed here incorrectly, or see a move that is missing (the list is far from comprehensive), send an email to Jay Winger listing the name of the move and its description.  Include any details, such as who uses it, whether it is a trademark move or not, and whether it is derived from any other moves.