10 Absolute Best Moves In Wrestling Right Now

2. Konosuke Takeshita's German Suplex

Konosuke Takeshita
AEW

As Excalibur has disclosed on AEW television, whenever the exceptional Konosuke Takeshita is in the ring, the DDT import did in fact write his sports science degree thesis on the mechanics of the German suplex. He got an A.

The German is the most common suplex because it intersects the aesthetic, arcing beauty with comparatively minimal risk. It isn't some demented head-dropper. The impact is absorbed by the recipient across the upper back and shoulders. Really, it's almost the perfect move; the angle at which it is taken makes it seem far more dangerous than it actually is.

This is why it is commonplace and generates an appreciate gasp in WWE, AEW and everywhere else. Chad Gable has a sensational German, and given his size, and the fact that it is invariably executed on opponents far bigger than he is, it really puts over his core strength.

Takeshita's is the best; the arc is lurching, disorienting, but it never compromises the snap, and that bridge is practically NSFW; distributing his weight perfectly to inform the most agonising of near-falls, the angle of his tiptoes is surely physically impossible.

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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!