Attacking maneuvers in professional wrestling are mainly used to wear down an opponent for a submission hold, or set up for a throw.

There is a wide variety of attacking moves in pro wrestling. Many moves are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their "finishers" (signature moves that usually result in a win) new names. Occasionally these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.

Professional wrestling contains a variety of punches and kicks found in martial arts and other fighting sports, listed below are moves more specific to wrestling itself.

Many of the moves below can also be performed from a raised platform (the top rope, the apron, etc) these are called high-flying variations.

Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.

Ax handle

Also known as a Double Sledge, or Polish Hammer, this attack sees the wrestler clasp both his hands together, and swing them at a victim, hitting any part of them.

The names for this move comes from the attack mimicing the motion of that seen when people swing a sledgehammer or axe.

At "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters debut match on WWE RAW, which saw him face the WWE's star Jobber Steven Richards, Masters hit an Ax Handle, which broke both Richards' nose and orbital bone.

Bicycle kick

Big boot

This is usually done with the opponent charging towards the wrestler, using the opponent's momentum to deliver the wrestler's boot to the upper-body or head.

When this move is performed with the wrestler charging towards an opponent it is referred to as a Yakuza Kick

Big splash

A big splash involves a wrestler jumping forward and landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below. This move is mainly used by heavier wrestlers like Big Daddy.

Stinger splash

This is an attack in which a wrestler run run at an opponent who is resting on the turnbuckle then jump foward so that he slashes his whole body, stomach-fist, squashing his opponent between him and the turnbuckle. This move was named after its inventor, Sting, and is now most populary used by Shelton Benjamin.

Bronco buster

This is a seated senton to an opponent who is resting on the bottom turnbuckle.

Chops

Backhand chop

The act of a wrestler to 'slap' the chest of his opponent, using the back of his hand.

Many wrestlers use this chop more or less but it has been popularized by Ric Flair.

Forehand chop

The act of slapping the chest of the opponent using the forehand. This is commonly used by The Big Show.

Clothesline

A move in which one wrestler runs towards another and extends their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, knocking over the other as they run by.

John Bradshaw Layfield's finisher is a type of clothesline in which he bounces off the ropes first before assisted with a running high-impact clothesline calling it the Clothesline from Hell, or more recently Clothesline from Wall Street.

Crossbody

A crossbody (or "cross body block") is a maneuver in which a wrestler jumps onto his opponent and lands horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat and usually resulting in a pinfall attempt.

Cross-faces

This is an attack performed when a wrestler has a rear mount (sitting across the opponents back) and uses forearm shots across the victims face.

Detonator

This attack is preformed while the victim is down on the mat. The attacker places the victim on his stomach and put the victim's arms like a cross on the victim's back. The attacker then marks a cross on his opponent's back and hit him while holding him down.

This attack has never been used by a professoinal wrestler. The detonator is invented by William Hallin, Umeå, Sweden, as the wrestler Sgt. Bash.

Dragon whip

This a leg lariat move which is performed after an opponent catches the leg of a wrestler who attempt a kick of some sort (i.e. superkick or side kick), then while the opponent throws the leg out away from himself the wrestler continues to spin all the way out with his leg still extended to hit the leg lariat.

Dropkick

A dropkick is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with both feet. This is commonly employed by light and nimble wrestlers who can take advantage of their agility.

Maven and Hardcore Holly have been credited with having some of the best dropkicks in the business, and Randy Orton and Mark Jindrak has been credited with having the highest vertical leap to his dropkick.

Drops

Drops are moves in which wrestlers jump or fall down onto a person on the floor, landing with a specific part of the body

Banzai drop

A Banzai drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down from the second rope in the corner of the ring, with his opponent lying on the mat below him, and sits on the latter's chest. This move is generally used by larger wrestlers such as Yokozuna and Rikishi.

Elbow drop

A elbow drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body.

The Rock's People's Elbow is an elbow drop preceded by a routine that involves The Rock pulling off his elbow pad, bouncing off the ropes and lifting one leg as if performing a leg drop then hits the elbow drop as his opponent lays motionless on the mat.

Bionic elbow

This is a move in which a wrestler faces an opponent and smashes his elbow on to the top of the victims head, made famous by Dusty Rhodes.

Spinning headlock elbow drop

This is any elbow drop which is proformed straight after a headlock is applied, the most widely known variation is a inverted facelock elbow drop in which a wrestler puts his opponent into a inverted facelock and then spins round droping the elbow across the victims chest forcing him to the mat below.

Big Show and The Hurricane have both used slight variation of the inverted facelock elbow drop, Big show calling it a Final Cut and Hurricane naming his the Eye of the Hurricane

Fist drop

A fist drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his fist into anywhere on the opponent's body.

John Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle is an fist drop preceded by a routine that involves Cena bouncing off the ropes then he wipes one hand down the other arm before hitting the fist drop using that hand, as his opponent lays motionless on the mat.

Forearm drop

A forearm drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his forearm into anywhere on the opponent's body.

Scotty 2 Hotty's The Worm is a forearm drop preceded by a routine that involves Scotty hopping on one leg four times (as the crowd chants W-O-R-M), doing worm dance moves towards the opponent and swinging his arms just before hitting the forearm drop, while his opponent lays motionless on the mat.

Headbutt drop

A headbutt drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his head into anywhere on the opponent's body.

Knee drop

A knee drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving his knee into anywhere on the opponent's body.

Leg drop

A move in which a wrestler will jump and land his leg across an opponent's chest, throat or face. Most famously used by The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan, who uses this as his finisher when wrestling in North America.

Fameasser

A version of a leg drop, it involves the attacker placing the back an opponent's head, who is leaning forward, under the his leg, then dropping his leg and the opponent's head down to the mat. This move was first made popular by Shawn Michaels as part of the tag team "The Rockers" with Marty Jannetty. Named after "Mr Ass" Billy Gunn.

usally the back of the head is place under the attackers leg, though the name hoglock (most recently used by the Big Show) is refered to when the head is the other way round when the leg is dropped

Scissors kick

A version of a leg drop, which is proformed on an opponent who is standing, bent over, usually in the middle of the ring. This sees a wrester bounces off the ropes, jumps -- driving his leg(s) into the back or neck of the opponent, forcing them face first into the floor. Also known as an Ax Kick, or a Butterfly Kick.

This is a signature move of wrestlers such as Ron "The Truth" Killings & Booker T.

Enzuigiri

There are two "versions" of the Enzuigiri: the Japanese version, and the Western version.

In Japanese puroresu, the term Enzui refers to any attack that strikes the back of the head. Giri is a generic suffix referring to a kicking attack (single leg). The Japanese Enzuigiri, therefore, is any form of kick to the back of the head, though commonly the Enzuigiri is a roundhouse-style kick. Sometimes, though, it is employed by striking the back of the head with the heel of the foot.

The North American version of the move, usually performed with one leg being held by the opponent (or with the wrestler running towards the opponent), involves the attacker jumping to the side of the victim and swinging the "far" leg (the leg further from the opponent's body) to kick at the side of the opponent's head. This is a misnomer, as it is not a true "Enzuigiri" as the name actually means in Japanese.

European uppercut

This is an uppercut forearm in which a wrestler does a quick grapple then brings their arm up inside to hit the opponent under the chin. This move is currently being made popular by Randy Orton.

High knee

An attack in which a wrestler will charge towards towards thier opponent, then raise their knee or jump up so that their knee would hit the victim usually in the face.

This move has been closely associated with Harley Race and more recently Triple H.

Illegal attacks

Illegal attacks are mainly used by heel wrestlers and are usally an offense punishable by disqualification.

One man con-chair-to

This is a steel folding chair shot to the head of an opponent whos head is resting on another chair.

Made popular by the former team Edge & Christian, who developed this move from its double team version during thier feud with each other.

Eye poke

When a wrestler pokes his finger(s) into an opponent's eye(s). This is an illegal attack mainly used by heel wrestlers to gain an upperhand on thier opponent.

Eye rake

Also called a Thumb to the eye. This is when a wrestler rakes his thumb(s) down an opponent's eye(s). This is an illegal attack mainly used by heel wrestlers to gain an upperhand on thier opponent. Well used by "the nature boy" Ric Flair.

Low blow

A direct shot to the groin of an opponent. This is an illegal attack mainly used by heel wrestlers to gain an upperhand on thier opponent and is an offense punishable by disqualification.

Lariat

Lariat is another name for a lasso and is referred to in wrestling when an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent wraps his arm around their head then forces them to the ground, very similar to a Clothesline. The term Lariat is synonymous with the name Stan Hansen, who is said to have performed the best lariat in wrestling history.

Crooked arm lariat

The Crooked Arm Lariat is performed when an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent with the his arm bent upward at the elbow 60-90 degrees and wraps his arm around their head forcing them to the ground. Hulk Hogan used this maneuver as a finisher while wrestling in Japan.

Leg lariat

When an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent jumps and wraps his leg around the opponents head then forces him to the ground. Also referred to as a Jumping Leg Lariat.

Senton

A senton is similar to a big splash, except that instead of impacting stomach first, the attacker lands back first across the opponent.

Shining wizard

An aerial knee to the face after stepping off the opponent's knee. It can be performed in numerous positions and can be seen by wrestler Keiji Mutoh.

Shoulder block

Chop block

This is a shoulder block to the back of the knee, used to weaken the leg for submission holds.

Spear

This is also known as the Shoulder Block Takedown. A move in which a wrestler runs towards his opponent, drives their shoulder into the victim's stomach and forces him down to the mat.

Commonly used by wrestlers such as Goldberg, Edge and Rhyno, who calls it The Gore.

Spinning heel-kick

Usually involves the attacker spinning as they jump so that his body is somewhat horizontal, before hitting their opponent with back of his leg(s) or heel(s) on the face, neck or chest. Familiar mainly with agile wrestlers as Rob Van Dam and Shannon Moore, but larger wrestlers have also been known to show off their agillity by using this move like Viscera.

Standing moonsault

A move in which a wrestler, who is standing next to an opponent laying on the ground, turns his back to the victim and executes a standing backflip, landing on the opponent chest-first.

Standing Shooting Star Press

See Professional Wrestling Aerial Techniques.

Stinkface

Used by Rikishi

Stomp

When a wrestler stamps his foot on any part of an opponent. Also known as a foot stomp.

Double foot stomp

When a wrestler jumps and stamps both feet on any part of an opponent.

Superkick

A high side thrust kick to the opponent's head, usually preceded by a sidestep, often refered to as a Shuffle side kick, or just a Side kick.

Many wrestlers use this as signature move, most notably Shawn Michaels who uses this as his finisher (which is often preceded by a series of foot stomps), referring to it as the "Sweet Chin Music". Also Steven Richards who calls it the "Stevie Kick"

Tiger feint kick

The Tiger Feint Kick is a move where a wrestler jumps through the second and top rope while holding on to the ropes, using his momentum to swing around back into the ring. This move is also used to perform a fake dive to opponents outside the ring. This move requires high agility, and is mainly used in Japan and Mexico.

A variation of this move used by Rey Mysterio Jr. and dubbed the "619" sees an opponent being placed hung over the second rope in the "stun gun" position facing the outside as he swings around back to the ring his feet would hit the prone opponent in the head (or any other part of the victim's body). Another variation of this manuever used by Mikey Batts sees the victim lying with their back on the 2nd or bottom rope facing into the ring, while Batts swings through the ropes and grapevines the opponents arms, applying a sort of jujigatame stretch.

Transition move

Some moves are meant neither to pin an opponent, nor weaken them or force them to submit, but are intended to set up the victim for another attack.

Discus

This is a move in which a wrestler will spin on the spot before hitting an attack, like the Discus Clothesline, Dicus Punch, or the Discus Forearm. The move is usally used instead of charging towards an opponent to built up momentum for an attack.