10 Times A Wrestler Did A Move Better Than The Innovator
3. The Dragon Suplex
Tatsumi Fujinami pioneered the dragon suplex, and his version was superb.
Tightly applied, frighteningly executed, and complete with a just gorgeous bridge designed to prevent a counter - not that one was often forthcoming, since Fujinami dumped his opponents right on their necks - it was a super-convincing and well thought-out update on the suplex.
Kenny Omega's tweak ignored the bridge and emphasised the velocity of the drive to awesomely brutal effect.
The snap element invariably elicits a ghoulish pop because the spike looks so sudden, jarring and dangerous. Omega located the fastest route to head trauma this side of his own concussive V-Trigger. Designed to stun rather than finish, it works as phase one of his chain of head-focused attacks. The descent is so sudden and the impact so stiff that his opponent is left hopelessly stunned and vulnerable to eat his incredible bicycle knee kick.
If wrestling had to evolve into a more content-heavy form, and it did, Omega had the nous to thread his offensive flurry together in a scorching video game-inspired sequence that put him over as the most exciting athlete in a scene swarming with them.