10 Best Wrestling Dives

Mr. Orton, would you kindly look away?

Shane McMahon WrestleMania 33
WWE.com

Having engulfed wrestling over the past few days, the "dive" debate isn't ending anytime soon. It started with a tweet by former OVW trainer Rip Rogers criticising independent wrestling for becoming too repetitive and flashy, drawing an immediate backlash from some of the indy scene's brightest stars.

Randy Orton (one of Rogers' old developmental students) responded with a snarky tweet of his own, before "apologising" for the backlash with a blunt assault on flips, dives, and "indy marks." This has naturally led to widespread debate across social media, with Will Ospreay going so far as turning Orton's initial Tweet into a t-shirt.

It's an unwinnable argument, because while wanting to reduce the physical toll wrestlers take on their bodies is a noble cause, neither side has the right to tell the other what to do. There's no denying that dives have become a huge part of the sport however, and as wrestling continues to evolve, wrestlers will find new ways to push their bodies to the limits in the name of entertainment.

Leaping from ladders, cages, and other structures provided some of wrestling's most memorable spots. The dangers are very real, but when perfectly executed, it's hard to beat the exhilaration of a death-defying dive...

10. Jimmy Snuka's Groundbreaking Cage Dive (MSG, 1983)

Pioneering high-flyer, WWE Hall of Famer, popular babyface: ‘Superfly’ Jimmy Snuka was all these things and more, but his career’s defining moment remains his 1983 cage dive.

Fighting for The Magnificent Muraco’s Intercontinental Championship, Snuka had the Madison Square Garden crowd gasping as he scaled the cage, stood tall, and formed his trademark “I love you” gesture. With cameras flashing around him, Snuka soared from the top, landing on Muraco with a huge splash, sealing his place on highlight reels for decades to come.

The fact that Muraco emerged victorious is often forgotten, but it doesn’t matter: this was about the moment rather than the outcome, with the spot becoming an important reference point in wrestling’s eternal evolution.

This wasn’t the first time Snuka had leaped from the cage (he’d done so against Bob Backlund one year prior), but it remains one of wrestling’s most iconic spots. Sure, it looks tame when compared to some of today’s efforts, but as far as historical importance goes, no other dive can top this moment. Its impact inspired generation after generation of future daredevils, and will continue to do so.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.