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Attacking maneuvers in professional wrestling are mainly used to wear down an opponent for a submission hold, or set up for a throw.
There is a wide variety of attacking moves in pro wrestling. Many moves are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their "finishers" (signature moves that usually result in a win) new names. Occasionally these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.
Professional wrestling contains a variety of punches and kicks found in martial arts and other fighting sports, listed below are moves more specific to wrestling itself.
Many of the moves below can also be performed from a raised platform (the top rope, the apron, etc) these are called high-flying variations.
Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.
Big Boot
This is usually done with the opponent charging towards the wrestler, using the opponent's momentum to deliver the wrestler's boot to the upper-body or head.
When this move is performed with the wrestler charging towards an opponent it is referred to as a Yakuza Kick
Big splash
A big splash involves a wrestler jumping forward and landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below. This move is mainly used by heavier wrestlers like Big Daddy.
Chops
Backhand chop
The act of a wrestler to 'slap' the chest of his opponent, using the back of his hand.
Forehand chop
The act of slapping the chest of the opponent using the forehand. This is commonly used by The Big Show.
Clothesline
A move in which one wrestler runs towards another and extends their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, knocking over the other as they run by.
Crossbody
A crossbody (or "cross body block") is a maneuver in which a wrestler jumps onto his opponent and lands horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat and usually resulting in a pinfall attempt.
Cross-faces
This is an attack performed when a wrestler has a rear mount (sitting across the opponents back) and uses forearm shots across the victims face.
Dragon whip
This a leg lariat move which is performed after an opponent catches the leg of a wrestler who attempt a kick of some sort (i.e. superkick or side kick), then while the opponent throws the leg out away from himself the wrestler continues to spin all the way out with his leg still extended to hit the leg lariat.
Dropkick
A dropkick is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with both feet. This is commonly employed by light and nimble wrestlers who can take advantage of their agility.
Maven and Hardcore Holly have been credited with having some of the best dropkicks in the business, and Mark Jindrak has been credited with having the highest vertical leap to his dropkick.
Drops
Drops are moves in which wrestlers jump or fall down onto a person on the floor, landing with a specific part of the body
Banzai drop
A Banzai drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down from the second rope in the corner of the ring, with his opponent lying on the mat below him, and sits on the latter's chest. This move is generally used by larger wrestlers such as Yokozuna and Rikishi.
Elbow drop
A elbow drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body.
The Rock's People's Elbow is an elbow drop preceded by a routine that involves The Rock pulling off his elbow pad, bouncing off the ropes and lifting one leg as if performing a leg drop then hits the elbow drop as his opponent lays motionless on the mat.
Bionic Elbow
This is a move in which a wrestler faces an opponent and smashes his elbow on to the top of the victims head, made famous by Dusty Rhodes
Spinning headlock elbow drop
This is any elbow drop which is proformed straight after a headlock is applied, the most widely known variation is a inverted facelock elbow drop in which a wrestler puts his opponent into a inverted facelock and then spins round droping the elbow across the victims chest forcing him to the mat below.
Big Show and The Hurricane have both used slight variation of the inverted facelock elbow drop, Big show calling it a Final Cut and Hurricane naming his the Eye of the Hurricane
Fist drop
A fist drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his fist into anywhere on the opponent's body.
John Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle is an fist drop preceded by a routine that involves Cena bouncing off the ropes then he wipes one hand down the other arm before hitting the fist drop using that hand, as his opponent lays motionless on the mat.
Forearm drop
A forearm drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his forearm into anywhere on the opponent's body.
Scotty 2 Hotty's The Worm is a forearm drop preceded by a routine that involves Scotty hopping on one leg four times (as the crowd chants W-O-R-M), doing worm dance moves towards the opponent and swinging his arms just before hitting the forearm drop, while his opponent lays motionless on the mat.
Headbutt drop
A headbutt drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his head into anywhere on the opponent's body.
Knee drop
A knee drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his knee into anywhere on the opponent's body.
Leg drop
A move in which a wrestler will jump and land his leg across an opponent's chest, throat or face. Most famously used by The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan, who uses this as his finisher when wrestling in North America.
Fameasser
A version of a leg drop, it involves the attacker dropping his leg across the back of the head of an opponent who's is leaning forward. This move was first made popular by Shawn Michaels as part of the tag team "The Rockers" with Marty Jannetty. Named after "Mr Ass" Billy Gunn.
Enzuigiri
There are two "versions" of the Enzuigiri: the Japanese version, and the Western version.
In Japanese puroresu, the term Enzui refers to any attack that strikes the back of the head. Giri is a generic suffix referring to a kicking attack (single leg). The Japanese Enzuigiri, therefore, is any form of kick to the back of the head, though commonly the Enzuigiri is a roundhouse-style kick. Sometimes, though, it is employed by striking the back of the head with the heel of the foot.
The North American version of the move, usually performed with one leg being held by the opponent (or with the wrestler running towards the opponent), involves the attacker jumping to the side of the victim and swinging the "far" leg (the leg further from the opponent's body) to kick at the side of the opponent's head. This is a misnomer, as it is not a true "Enzuigiri" as the name actually means in Japanese.
European Uppercut
This is when a wrestler does a quick grapple then brings their arm up inside to hit the opponent under the chin.
Lariat
a lariat is another name for a lasso and is referred to in wrestling when an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent wraps his arm around their head then forces them to the ground. very similar to a Clothesline. The term Lariat is synonymous with the name Stan Hansen, who is said to have performed the best lariat in wrestling history.
Leg lariat
When an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent jumps and wraps his leg around the opponents head then forces him to the ground. also referred to as a Jumping Leg Lariat.
Scissors kick
A move where the opponent is standing, bent over, usually in the middle of the ring. The wrester bounces off the ropes, jumps -- driving his leg(s) into the back or neck of the opponent, forcing them face first into the floor. Currently it is used by Ron "The Truth" Killings & Booker T.
Senton
A senton is similar to a big splash, except that instead of impacting stomach first, the attacker lands back first across the opponent.
Shining Wizard
An aerial knee to the face after stepping off the opponent's knee. It can be performed in numerous positions and can be seen by wrestler Keiji Mutoh.
Shoulder block
Spear
This is also known as the Shoulder Block Takedown. A move in which a wrestler runs towards his opponent, drives their shoulder into the victim's stomach and forces him down to the mat.
Commonly used by wrestlers such as Goldberg, Edge and Rhyno, who calls it The Gore.
Snake Eyes
This requires the attacker to hold their opponent, facing down, on top of their shoulder and dropping or throwing the opponent, face first, onto a turnbuckle.
This move is used commonly by The Undertaker
Spinning heel-kick
Usually involves the attacker spinning as they jump so that his body is somewhat horizontal, before hitting their opponent with back of his leg(s) or heel(s) on the face, neck or chest. Familiar mainly with small quicker wrestlers as Rob Van Dam and Shannon Moore, but larger wrestlers have also been known to show off their agillity by using this move like Viscera.
Standing moonsault
A move in which a wrestler, who is standing next to an opponent laying on the ground, turns his back to the victim and executes a standing backflip, landing on the opponent chest-first.
Standing Shooting Star Press
See Professional Wrestling Aerial Techniques.
Superkick
A high side thrust kick to the opponent's head, usually preceded by a sidestep. WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels uses this as his finisher (which is often preceded by a series of foot stomps), referring to it as the "Sweet Chin Music".
Tiger feint kick
The Tiger Feint Kick is a move where a wrestler jumps through the second and top rope while holding on to the ropes, using his momentum to swing around back into the ring. This move is also used to perform a fake dive to opponents outside the ring. This move requires high agility, and is mainly used in Japan and Mexico.
A varition of this move used by Rey Mysterio Jr. and dubbed the "619" sees an opponent being placed hung over the second rope in the "stun gun" position facing the outside as he swings around back to the ring his feet would hit the prone opponent in the head (or any other part of the victim's body). Another variation of this manuever used by Mikey Batts sees the victim lying with their back on the 2nd or bottom rope facing into the ring, while Batts swings through the ropes and grapevines the opponents arms, applying a sort of jujigatame stretch.
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