Backbreaker

A backbreaker refers to professional wrestling moves which see a wrestler dropping an opponent so that the opponent's back impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body.

Variations

Argentine backbreaker rack

This backbreaker submission, better known as a Torture rack, sees the attacking wrestler place his/her opponent face-up across the wrestler's own shoulders before hooking the head with one hand and a leg with the other to then pull down on both ends to flex the opponent's back. This move is closely associated with American wrestlers Lex Luger and Hercules Hernandez.

The Argentine backbreaker drop variation of this submission move sees the attacking wrestler first hold an opponent up for the "Argentine backbreaker rack" before dropping to the mat in a sitting/kneeling position, thus flexing the opponent's back with the impact of the drop. The seated variation of this move, known as the Shock Treatment, is used by Abyss as one of his finishers.

The Burning Hammer by Kenta Kobashi is a variation of the Argentine backbreaker drop version sees the wrestler lift the opponent further up by lifting the opponents legs and pulling down on their head further before performing the drop. This isolates and increases the damage in the neck and ribcage areas rather than across the back. This move is considered to be one of the most dangerous moves in professional wrestling.

Backbreaker drop

A backbreaker move in which a wrestler lifts an opponent up into a backbreaker submission hold before dropping down to a sitting or kneeling position while maintaining the hold, thus jarring the back of the opponent by driving the opponent's spine into the attacking wrestler's shoulder.

Notable variations include: Argentine backbreaker drop, Canadian backbreaker drop

Another variation is the double underhook backbreaker drop which sees the attacking wrestler first face a bent over opponent and hook both of the opponent's arms with their own arms before then flipping the opponent up and over so the opponent's back is resting on the wrestler's shoulder, with the opponent's head pointing in the direction that the wrestler is facing. The attacking wrestler then drops to a kneeling or sitting position while maintaining the hold, thus jarring the back of the victim by driving the victim's spine into the attacker's shoulder.

Belly to back suplex backbreaker

The wrestler stands behind his opponent and puts his head under the arm of the opponent, as for a belly to back suplex, but raises a knee, and brings the opponent back down, so that the opponent's back collides with the knee of the wrestler.

Also known as the Blue Thunder Backbreaker in reference to the Blue Thunder Driver, which also involves an opponent being spun-out in front of a wrestler after being lifted for a belly to back suplex.

Canadian backbreaker rack

An attacking wrestler first lifts an opponent up so the opponent's back is resting on the wrestler's shoulder, with the opponent's head pointing in the direction that the wrestler is facing. While being held face up across the wrestler's shoulder, the wrestler then links his/her arms around the opponent's torso and presses down, squeezing the opponent's spine against the wrestler's shoulder.

The Canadian backbreaker drop variation of this move sees the attacking wrestler, who is applying the hold, drop down to a kneeling position while maintaining the hold, thus jarring the back of the opponent by driving the opponent's spine into the attacking wrestler's shoulder.

Catapult backbreaker

The Catapult throw typically starts with an opponent on his/her back, and the attacking wrestler standing and facing him/her. The wrestler hooks each of the opponent's legs in one of his/her arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes etc. At this point the attacking wrestler will remain on the ground and raise his knees while still holding the opponent's legs. The rebounding opponent will instantly trip falling backwards onto the raised knees of the wrestler.

Chokeslam backbreaker

The wrestler performing the move stands in front of and slightly to the left of the opponent receiving it. The wrestler then reaches out and grabs the opponent's throat and trunks, and lifts him or her in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a chokeslam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the wrestler kneels, slamming the other wrestler's back onto his extended knee. This move is popularly known as a Chokebreaker / Choke Breaker, which is a portmanteau of this move's technical name.

Cobra clutch backbreaker

This move involves an attacking wrestler first putting an opponent in a cobra clutch hold before then lifting the opponent up while maintaining the hold (turning them in mid-air so they are horizontal) and bringing them down while the wrestler drops to a knee so that the opponent impacts back-first on the knee of the attacking wrestler. All while the wrestler continues to maintain the hold. The attacking wrestler can maintain the hold after impact for a cobra clutch submission attempt. Most used by The Big Show during his tenure in ECW.

Double knee backbreaker

This move was innovated by independent wrestler Chi Chi Cruz, who calls it the Cruz Control, and is also referred to as a Lung Blower. This backbreaker involves an attacking wrestler going behind an opponent and putting both of their hands round an opponent's head for a rear chin lock or on both of the opponent's shoulders while jumping up to place both his/her knees against the opponent's back; both wrestlers then fall backward to the ground, forcing the wrestler's knees to push up into the back of the opponent. Carlito of the WWE performs a version of this which he calls the Back Cracker or more recently the Back Stabber.

Double underhook backbreaker

An attacking wrestler stands facing a bent over opponent and hooks his/her arms before then lifts the opponent as for a Tiger Driver. However as the opponents drops back down the wrestler raises a knee and brings the opponent back down horizontally so his/her back collides with the knee of the attacking wrestler. It has been used extensively by Chris Jericho and by CM Punk (who named it the Welcome to Chicago, Motherfucker).

Front backbreaker

The attacking wrestler scoops up the opponent so that they are holding them horizontally, and then drops to one knee, slamming the opponent's back onto their other knee.

Half nelson backbreaker

The attacking wrestler stands behind the opponent and locks in a half nelson before then lifting the opponent, as if to perform a half nelson slam, but as the wrestler brings the opponent down to the mat he/she drops to one knee slamming the opponent's back across the extended knee.

Inverted facelock backbreaker

"See Inverted facelock neckbreaker"

Inverted headlock backbreaker

The attacking wrestler stand back to back to the opponent and uses one arm to place the opponent in an inverted headlock from behind before then executing a quarter turn while bending at the waist to bend the opponent backwards neck first across the back of the attacking wrestler. This move is mostly used by Randy Orton.

Mat backbreaker

The attacking wrestler stands behind an opponent, grabbing them by their head to seemingly perform a standard mat slam. However, as the wrestler pulls the opponent backwards down to the mat, the wrestler kneels down, driving the opponent's back into the wrestler's exposed knee. If the wrestler uses the opponent's hair to pull them back onto the wrestler's exposed knee it is known as a hair-pull backbreaker.

Pendulum backbreaker

This basic backbreaker involves a wrestler standing side-to-side and slightly behind, with the opponent facing in the same direction, then reaching around the opponent's torso with one arm across the opponent's chest and under both arms and places the other arm under the opponent's legs. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up, bringing his/her legs off the ground, and dropping him/her back-first against the wrestler's knee. The pendulum backbreaker can also be done by spinning around and then dropping the opponent onto the knee.

Backbreaker submission

This basic backbreaker submission involves the wrestler to lay his opponent's back across one of his knees, then while placing one hand on his opponent's chin and the other on their knee the wrestler would push down to bend the opponent around his/her knee.

This move is usually performed at the end of a pendulum backbreaker, a move which sees a wrestler drop an opponent down on the wrestler's knee, thus weakening the back before the hold is applied, as well as setting the opponent in a proper position.

ide slam backbreaker

The wrestler firsts stands side-to-side and slightly behind with the opponent, facing in the opposite direction before next reaching around the opponent's torso with one arm across the opponent's chest and under both arms, lifting him or her in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a side slam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the attacking wrestler kneels, slamming the opponent's back across his/her extended knee.

A swinging side slam variation sees the attacking wrestler first lift the opponent horizontally across their chest before swinging them to their side and dropping the opponent back first on their knee. A spinning side slam variation sees the attacking wrestler catch an oncoming opponent and spin them around 180° before dropping them back first onto their knee.

TO backbreaker

The attacking wrestler stands facing the opponent, then puts one of their arms across the opponents chest holding their shoulder, the attacking wrestler then sweeps the legs of the opponent in the fashion of an STO, but brings their knee forward so the opponent falls back first on to it. Jay Lethal utilizes this backbreaker in unison with the reverse STO, which he calls the Lethal Combination. John Morrison does a variation where he preforms this backbreaker and then follows it with a Russian legsweep, STO or a neckbreaker slam.

Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker

The attacking wrestler stands facing the opponent, who is often charging at the attacker, before bending the opponent down so they are bent in front of the attacking wrestler as he/she stands over them then the wrestler reaches around the opponent's body and lifts them up, spinning the opponent in front of the wrestler's body. As the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the wrestler kneels, slamming the opponent's back across the extended knee.

ee also

*Professional wrestling holds
*Professional wrestling throws