10 Absolute Best Moves In Wrestling Right Now

5. Bianca Belair's KOD

Konosuke Takeshita
WWE.com

There's just something really cool about the torture rack set-up.

Because it is applied when the recipient is caught from behind, any move executed from this position feels significantly less contrived. The posting is more easily obscured. When mounted on the shoulders back first, the set-up narrows most lines of pedantic questioning. It's a lot harder to reverse by, for example, frantically jabbing at somebody's gut when you can't see what you are aiming at.

And again: while wrestling has only very rarely approached realism in its very long history, it should make sense within its own, ultimately daft context. Unless the aim is meta parody, piss-taking should be kept to a minimum. The KOD enables that, and because Bianca Belair is so impressively strong, it's also logical from a character perspective. She registers it very well for dramatic effect, and when you put yourself in the shoes of the person taking it, it feels like a very disorienting journey towards a wincing, face-first collision with the canvas.

Bianca's ability to execute it against the likes of Doudrop and really sell the struggle positions it highly on the list, as do her creative, opportunistic attempts to deliver it when dazed opponents are straddling the top turnbuckle.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!