Powerslam

A Powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent.

The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.

Types of powerslam

Emerald Frosion

This is a sitout side powerslam in which the wrestler lifts the opponent up on his right shoulder like in a Front powerslam. The wrestler wraps his right arm around the opponent's neck, and the left arm around the opponent's torso. The wrestler then sits down while flipping the opponent forward to the right side of him, driving the opponent neck and shoulder first into the mat.

The move was named by Mitsuharu Misawa but there is no direct translation into English for his Japanese language name for the move, "エメラルドフロウジョン (Emeraludo Furoujon)". Emerald Frosion is the most common English name, as it's the closest to the pronunciation, but Emerald Flowsion has been used on official NOAH merchandise. Another commonly used translation is Emerald Fusion.

Misawa has also used a variation, called Super Emerald Frosion or Emerald Flowsion Custom, where he lifts his opponent upside down like in a Vertical suplex, turns him 180° while still keeping the headlock, places his left arm around the opponent's torso, and sits down leaning to his right, driving the opponent vertically down to the mat on his neck and shoulders.

Inverted sitout side powerslam

The attacking wrestler lifts the opponent up onto one of their shoulders, facing upwards. From this position, the attacking wrestler then sits down and simultaneously flips the opponent forwards and downwards, slamming them down to the ground face-first to one side of the wrestler.

Falling slam

Also known as a front slam, front powerslam or reverse fallaway slam. Facing his/her opponent, the wrestler reaches between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up so he/she are horizontal across the wrestler's body then falls forward to slam the victim against the mat back-first.

The Boogeyman used an inverted variation where he would hold an opponent's back against his chest so that they are facing away from him, and then fall forward, slamming the opponent down to the mat chest first.

Fireman's carry side slam

The wrestler lifts the opponent onto his/her shoulders in a fireman's carry position. He/She then swings the opponent legs forward , then he swings the opponents legs back down and drops them into a side slam.

Fireman's carry powerslam

The wrestler lifts the opponent across his/her shoulders in a fireman's carry, pushes their legs up while turning them to his front and falls forward, slamming the opponent down on their back in a front powerslam.

Front powerslam

This is the most common powerslam, and is often referred to as just a powerslam. This move sees an attacking wrestler reach between an opponent's legs with one arm and reach around that opponent's back from the same side with his/her other arm before then lifting this opponent up over their shoulder. From this position the attacking wrestler falls forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first.

Wrestlers often run forward as they slam in what is often called a Running Powerslam or Oklahoma Slam.

Inverted front powerslam

See Inverted powerbomb.

Gorilla press powerslam

The move, also known as a Military press powerslam, is similar to a gorilla/military press slam. The wrestler lifts his/her opponent up over his/her head with arms fully extended (as in the military press used in weight lifting), then drops his/her opponent up over his/her shoulder into an over the shoulder position and then (runs and) falls forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first.

Oklahoma Stampede

The wrestler reaches between the opponent's legs with one arm and around the opponent's back from the same side with his other arm. The wrestler lifts the opponent up over his shoulder, and runs towards the ring corner, slamming the opponent back first to the turnbuckles. The wrestler keeps the hold and slams the opponent to the opposite corner as well. The wrestler then runs to the middle of the ring and falls down forward, driving the opponent down to the mat back first. This move was popularized, and named by Steve Williams.

Scoop powerslam

The second most common version of a powerslam which is often referred to as just a powerslam sees an attacking wrestler place one arm between an opponent's legs, and reach over the opponent's shoulder with the other arm before then spinning the opponent over onto their back while keeping the opponent horizontal across their body at all times. As the opponent falls to the mat the attacking wrestler will continue to fall face-down on top of them in a lateral press pinning position. This powerslam is usually performed on a charging opponent, using the opponent's own momentum to power the throw.

Suplex powerslam

The wrestler applies a front face lock, throws the opponent's near arm over the wrestler's shoulder, and then grabs his/her tights to lift him/her up straight in the air (as in a standard vertical suplex). When the wrestler begins to drop the opponent to the mat the wrestler will fall face-down on top of his/her opponent.

This move was invented by Dean Malenko but was popularized by Bill Goldberg under the name the Jackhammer.

Another version of this move sees a wrestler use the standard vertical suplex to lift the opponent into the air and place him/her over the attacker's shoulder before performing a running powerslam.

Side slam

This move is commonly referred to as an ura-nage slam, or simply ura-nage. This name is an incorrect americanization of the name for ura-nage, which, translated directly from the Japanese, means, literally, "throw to behind". It has erroneously been translated as "reverse side throw", which is incorrect; the word "ura" means "behind".

The wrestler stands face to face with the opponent, slightly to their side. The wrestler tucks his head under the opponent's near arm, reaches across the opponent's chest and around their neck with his near arm, and places his other arm against their back. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up and falls forward, either flat on their chest or their knees, slamming the opponent down to the mat back first. This move is very closely associated with The Rock who popularized the move as the Rock Bottom.

The wrestler can also stay standing and just body slam the opponent down to the mat.

Matt Hardy uses a variation in which he locks both hands together behind the opponent's back, lifts them up, and swings forward into a sitout position while slamming the opponent down, calling it the Side Effect.

Takeshi Rikio has innovated a high lifting variation where he wraps one of his arms around one thigh and one arm around the waist of the opponent, lifts him up, and them slams him down.

Back suplex side slam

In this Elevated Side Slam the wrestler stands behind the opponent, puts his head under one of the opponent's arms, and lifts them onto his shoulder. The wrestler then pushes the opponent upwards, before it is turned into a side slam so the victim is dropped from an elevated position.

Spinning side slam

The wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the opposite direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms. The wrestler then lifts him/her up with one arm as he/she swings the victim 180° to the opposite side, while the wrestler faces the same direction, then falls onto the opponent slamming the victim onto the mat back-first.

In another version of this move, which is performed against a charging opponent, the wrestler uses the victim's own momentum to power the throw and can see the wrestler with the victim in the air spinning back round nearly 360° before dropping him to the mat.

Standing moonsault side slam

Often described as a moonsault ura-nage slam, this move sees an attacking wrestler stand slightly behind and facing the side of a standing opponent. The wrestler then reaches under the near arm of the opponent, across the chest of the opponent and under their far arm, while placing his/her other hand on the back of the opponent to hold them in place. The wrestler then performs a backwards somersault (Moonsault) while holding the victim, driving the opponent into the mat back-first.

This move can also be performed off the top rope and is known as a moonsault side slam, or solo Spanish fly in reference to the Spanish fly double team move.

Swinging side slam

Also known as a Wind-up Slam the move sees a wrestler facing his opponent, the wrestler would reach between his/her opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around his/her back from the same side with his/her other arm. The wrestler next lifts his/her opponent up so he/she is horizontal across the wrestler's body then the attacker twists himself to one side (the side where the opponent's legs are) and then swings back as he/she throws the lower half of the victim's body out and round until one arm is across the victim's chest and under one or both arms. The wrestler falls forward, slamming the victim into the mat back-first.

Variations of the move can the wrestler hold the opponent up over his/her shoulder and throwing the opponent round from that position, while another variation of the move sees a wrestler hang the opponent across both the attacker's shoulders and throw out the legs behind them so the victim swings back round to drop in a Sidewalk slam position.

Ura-nage

Also known as a sambo suplex or side suplex. The wrestler stands face to face with the opponent, slightly to their side. The wrestler tucks his head under the opponent's near arm, and reaches across the opponent's chest and around their neck with his near arm. The wrestler then simultaneously lifts the opponent up, turns 180° and falls backwards, bringing the opponent over him and slamming them down to the mat back first.

Tamon Honda uses a variation where he locks the opponent into a Arm triangle choke, and then slams the opponent with the ura-nage. He calls this variation the Rolling Olympic Hell.

Hayabusa used a variation where he did not fall backwards, but instead brought the opponent over his head while standing and turning 180°, and then fell forward, slamming the opponent down, similar to a side slam. He called this variation the H Edge.

The name ura-nage (or uranage) is commonly used to refer to a regular side slam and though the name in fact comes from a Judo throw, that throw resembles a Saito suplex more than the professional wrestling ura-nage.

Vertical suplex side slam

In this Elevated Side Slam the wrestler grabs a front facelock on the opponent and wraps their arm over the wrestlers neck. The wrestler then lifts the opponent upside down, as in a vertical suplex. The wrestler moves his arm from around the opponent's neck, and as the victim falls back down, he/she is placed into a side slam position and dropped to the mat.

Sidewalk slam

The wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the victim, facing in the same direction, and reaches around the victim's torso with one arm across the victim's chest and under both arms and places the other arm under the victim's legs. The wrestler then lifts him/her up, bringing his/her legs off the ground and falls down to the mat in a sitting position, slamming the victim into the mat back-first. This is a popular move of Kane

See also

• List of professional wrestling throws