Powerslam
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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.
Variations
Emerald Flowsion
The wrestler lifts the opponent up on his right shoulder, as in a front powerslam. Then, the left arm is wrapped around the opponent's neck and the right arm around the opponent's torso. The wrestler then sits down while dropping the opponent vertically to the right side, driving the opponent neck- and shoulder- first into the mat. The move was innovated by Mitsuharu Misawa and is technically known as a sitout side powerslam.
Falling powerslam
This move is also known as a falling slam or a reverse fallaway slam. Facing the opponent, the wrestler reaches between the opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with the other arm. The wrestler lifts the opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestler's body, then falls forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first. Although not usually used as a finishing maneuver by most other competitors, Mark Henry uses the falling powerslam as his ending maneuver and refers to it as the World's Strongest Slam, playing off his claim to be the world's strongest man. An inverted version exists, where the opponent is lifted from behind and slammed in a manner similar to a falling slam, only on their face/abdomen.
Fireman's carry powerslam
The wrestler lifts the opponent across their shoulders in a fireman's carry, grabs their right leg and pushes it up, and positions their torso across the other wrestler's abdomen. The wrestler then falls forward, slamming the opponent down on their back in a front powerslam.
Front powerslam
The most common powerslam variation, it is also often referred to simply as a "powerslam". The attacking wrestler reaches between an opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with their other arm before then lifting the opponent up over their shoulder. From this position, the wrestler falls forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first. Wrestlers often run forward as they slam and there is also inverted variation of the front powerslam.
Gorilla press powerslam
The move, also known as a military press powerslam or falling press slam, is similar to a gorilla press slam. The wrestler lifts the opponent up over their head with arms fully extended (as in the military press used in weight lifting), drops the opponent into an over-the shoulder-position, then runs and falls forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first.
Inverted sitout side powerslam
The attacking wrestler grabs the opponent's waist, as in a gutwrench, then hoist the opponent up onto one of their shoulders in an overhead gutwrench backbreaker rack. 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.
Oklahoma Stampede
The wrestler reaches between the opponent's legs with one arm and around the opponent's back from the same side with the other arm. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up over their shoulder, and runs towards the ring corner, slamming the opponent back-first on 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 back-first into the mat. This move was popularized and named by "Dr. Death" Steve Williams.
Scoop powerslam
This move is the second most common version of a powerslam and is often referred to as simply a "powerslam". The attacking wrestler places one arm between an opponent's legs, and reach over the opponent's shoulder with the other arm. Then, the opponent is spun over onto their back while keeping the opponent horizontal across the wrestler's 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. An inverted version exists, where the opponent is lifted from behind, and slammed in a manner similar to a scoop powerslam, only onto their face/abdomen.
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 Japanese, means "throw to behind". It has erroneously been translated as "reverse side throw".[1] To perform it, the wrestler begins standing face to face with the opponent slightly to their side. Then, the wrestler tucks their own head under the opponent's near arm, reaches across the opponent's chest and around their neck with their near arm, and places the other arm against their back. The wrestler then falls forward, either flat on their chest or into a kneeling position, and forces the opponent back-first onto the mat. In another variation, the wrestler can also stay standing and body slam the opponent onto the mat, this is typically called a standing side slam. The fall-forward variation was popularized by The Rock, who called it the Rock Bottom. The kneeling variation was performed by Booker T who calls it the Book End. Matt Hardy performs a sitout version of it, called the Side Effect.
Belly-to-back side slam
This move sees the wrestler stand behind the opponent, put their head under one of the opponent's arms, and lift the opponent into a belly-to-back suplex. The wrestler then pushes the opponent upwards before turning and transitioning into a side slam, so the opponent is dropped from an elevated position.
Spinning side slam
This move is also referred to as a scrapbuster. To perform it, the wrestler stands in front of the opponent with the opponent facing the same direction. The wrestler lift the opponent in front of them in a side powerslam position. The wrestler swing the opponent's legs to the opposite side before sitting down and slamming the opponent's back to the mat. A kneeling version was used by the Big Boss Man
Standing moonsault side slam
This move is often erroneously described as a moonsault ura-nage slam. To perform it, an attacking wrestler stands 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 their 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. The move was used by Paul Burchill and John Morrison, both of whom called the move C-4.
Swinging side slam
This move is also known as a wind-up slam. To perform it, the wrestler faces the opponent and reaches between the opponent's legs with one arm and around the back from the same side with the other arm. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestler's body. Next, the wrestler spins in a circle while swinging the lower half of the opponent's body out and around until one arm is across the opponent's chest and under one or both arms. The wrestler then falls forward, slamming the opponent into the mat back-first. In some variations of the move, the wrestler can hold the opponent up over their shoulder and throw the opponent round from that position, or hang the opponent across both their shoulders and throw out their legs behind them so the opponent swings back round to drop in a position. This move is used by Abyss as the Black Hole Slam. A sitout variant is used by Big Cass as the East River Crossing.
Ura-nage
This move is also known as a sambo suplex or side suplex. To perform it, the wrestler stands face-to-face with the opponent, slightly to their side. The wrestler tucks their head under the opponent's near arm, and reaches across the opponent's chest and around their neck with their near arm. The wrestler then simultaneously lifts the opponent up, turns 180° and falls backwards, bringing the opponent over them and slamming the opponent back-first on the mat.
The name ura-nage (or uranage) comes from a Judo throw which translated directly from Japanese, means "throw to behind/back" and is commonly (albeit incorrectly) used to refer to a regular side slam in pro wrestling. The Judo ura-nage throw more closely resembles a saito suplex in execution.
Vertical suplex side slam
In this elevated side slam variation, the wrestler grabs a front facelock on the opponent and wraps their arm over the opponent's 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 opponent falls back down they are placed into a side slam position and dropped on the mat. This was Hirooki Goto's former finisher as Shouten. He now uses a sitout variant which he called the Shouten Kai.
Sidewalk slam
Also known as a side suplex. To perform this move, the wrestler stands side-to-side and slightly behind, with the opponent facing in the same direction. The wrestler then reaches around the opponent's torso with their near arm across the opponent's chest and under both arms and the other arm under the opponent's legs. The wrestler then lifts the opponent, bringing their legs off the ground, and falls down to the mat in a sitting position, slamming the opponent into the mat back-first. A one-armed variation is also possible, usually performed on smaller wrestlers.
Vertical suplex powerslam
The wrestler applies a front facelock, throws the opponent's near arm over the wrestler's shoulder, and then grabs the opponent's tights to lift them 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 twist to fall face-down on top of the opponent, hooking the leg for a pin. Another variation of the maneuver involves the wrestler applying the front facelock, and throwing the opponent's near arm over the wrestler's shoulder, and then lifting the opponent into a suplex position, before placing the opponent on one shoulder in a front powerslam position, then falling forward to slam the opponent against the mat back-first. The move was innovated by Jaguar Yokota in the 80s, but was popularized by Bill Goldberg in WCW, who called it the Jackhammer.
References
- ^ Vecchio, Linda (2002). Aikido. Lakeland Community College. p. 60.