Moves off the top rope have everything a wrestling fan could want. The anxiety as the wrestler makes their way up top, the athleticism as the move is executed, and the drama of what happens after they hit it or not, all delivered in a few tense moments.
Here’s a list, by no means completely encompassing and in no particular order, of some memorable top rope maneuvers and the people behind the moves.
11. The Superfly – Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka
Prior to the 1980′s wrestlers very rarely ventured any higher than their own vertical leap. That changed when a chiseled high flyer from the Fiji Islands performed the Superfly – a body splash from the top rope. The move combined a simple elegance with devastating impact.
Snuka’s splash on Don Muraco from Madison Square Garden in 1983, FROM THE TOP OF A STEEL CAGE, is an iconic moment in professional wrestling history and helped influence a generation to take up the wrestling trade, including most famously, Mick Foley.
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4 Comments
Good list but its a joke that Punk is No. 2 and that you forgot to include the 450 splash
Try not to get wrapped up in the numbers as I wasn’t really trying to rank, in so much as tell some nice anecdotes that went with each move.
As for the 450, it pained me not to because I couldn’t peg down an origin (I sincerely question Scott Steiner as the innovator) nor come up with a nice tale to go with a noteworthy performer. Sorry Juventud Guerrero fans, he squandered too many opportunities and Justin Gabriel hasn’t shown complete a body of work.
Some other moves I wanted to include:
Swanton Bomb (trouble finding origins)
Awesome Bomb
Diamond Dust
Phoenix Splash
Great list. Hakushi’s inclusion was inspired.
Great list, I never knew the origin of Undertakers rope walk before reading this.
You have to give Brock Lesnar a break on the SSP, that was his original finishing move in OVW. He could easily cover half the ring, which is absurd for a guy his size. Unfortunately, the one time he really botched it was on the grandest stage of them all!
Try looking for senton bomb (sure its the original name before it was changed for Jeff), that might help uncover the origins of the Swanton.
The Double Moonsault deserves an honourable mention too. Then again, if you start to venture into the indies, there’s too many ridiculous top-rope moves to count!