100 Best Wrestling Moves EVER
90. Konosuke Takeshita | German Suplex
Famously, Konosuke Takeshita wrote his thesis on the German suplex. His practical application of it - the best of all-time - was as strong as the theory.
Takeshita is sensational at shifting through the gears of the arc. He doesn’t launch his opponent too quickly nor too slowly. He registers the ascent just so. He allows the opponent to flail helplessly, but the pacing is such that the recipient can’t overdo the facial expression. Take, from 0-60 in an instant, snaps his opponents on the canvas at the precise moment they realise that they are helpless. It’s this tiny snapshot of theatre that enhances the drama without the moment scanning as anything too silly.
The brunt of the impact is taken across the blades of the shoulders and upper back, but the snap is so exquisite and lightning-quick that it looks like an ugly and ill-advised neck-first drop. The recipient crumples onto the neck almost as quickly as the impact is absorbed.
Invariably followed by a pin attempt, Take’s tippy-toes bridge is beautiful. That he’s such a goddamn unit informs that perfect rating; he looks like he’s monstering people in there.