A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta. In a standard moonsault, which is generally attempted from the top rope, a wrestler faces away from the prone opponent and executes a backflip landing on the opponent in a splash/press position but facing towards the elevated position. Though this move is generally attempted from the top rope to an opponent lying face up in the mat, myriad variations exist, including moonsaults that see the wrestler land on a standing opponent and forcing them down to the mat. In kayfabe, the move is considered a higher-impact version of a splash, since the wrestler utilizes rotational speed.
A less common variation sees the wrestler perform a moonsault on a standing opponent, with the torso of the wrestler striking the torso of the opponent (albeit upside down), forcing the opponent backwards and to the ground with the opponent on top of them, usually placing the opponent in a pinning predicament. Most of the variations listed below can also be performed on standing opponents.
Variations[]
Corkscrew moonsault[]
This is a twisting moonsault in which the attacker stands on an elevated platform, such as the top rope, and performs a moonsault with a 360° twist or multiple twists, landing as if performing a normal moonsault.
Double jump moonsault[]
This is a variation of springboard moonsault. This variation sees the wrestler bounces off the middle-rope to elevate himself/herself to the top-rope from where he/she bounces off to perform the moonsault. This version of a moonsault is often referred to as a picture perfect moonsault or double springboard moonsault. There is also a variation known as the Triple Jump Moonsault where, from a running start, the attacking wrestler jumps to a chair or other elevated platform, onto the top rope and then does a moonsault from there onto his opponent.
Double moonsault[]
This is a double rotation moonsault where another rotation is performed after the initial moonsault. There are two major variants of the double moonsault, an Asai moonsault version and a normal moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the inside of the ring with two rotations. The first rotation is an arc of the back
The first variation, also known as the 720° Moonsault, sees a wrestler who is standing on the apron, with a wrestler on the floor behind them, jump up on to either the first or second rope and perform and backflip as in to perform an Asai moonsault but while in mid air tucks their legs reducing resistance and performs a second complete backflip after the first one, landing on a standing opponent below. This is the more common of the two variants due to the increased airtime of the springboard and height from the springboard to the floor.
The second variation, also known as a 540° Moonsault, sees a wrestler ascend to the top rope and perform a backflip while tucking their legs. This allows the wrestler to have lesser resistance and continues to rotate after the initial first 360° for another 180° completing the second rotation onto an opponent lying on the mat.
Moonsault slam[]
Any move where the wrestler stands on an elevated position, grabs hold of the opponent, and performs a moonsault while still holding on to the opponent, driving them down to the mat. This move is also known as a Solo Spanish fly.
Rounding moonsault[]
This variation is also referred to as a sideways moonsault, rolling moonsault, rounding splash, and Original Style Moonsault. The attacker climbs the top rope, or other elevated position facing away from the opponent, instead of doing a backflip as in a normal moonsault, the attacker rotates his or her body off to one side horizontally and lands on the opponent chest first, facing the turnbuckle as in a normal moonsault.
Split-legged moonsault[]
This moonsault variation sees the performer jump to the top turnbuckle before then dropping down so that they can split their legs onto the top rope which is coming into that turnbuckle post using the impact of their thighs on the rope to flip themselves backwards and on to a prone opponent.
Springboard moonsault[]
Called La Quebrada in Mexico sometimes shortened to simply Quebrada, this is a move in which a wrestler springboards (bounces off ropes) then executes a backflip and lands on an opponent. When a springboard moonsault is performed onto an opponent on the floor outside the ring, rather than one in the ring, it is called an Asai moonsault.
Standing moonsault[]
Also known as a backflip splash. A move in which a wrestler, who is standing next to an opponent lying on the ground executes a backflip and lands on him. Many competitors add something to the move to make it their own before performing the backflip. Some do a dance, while others perform moves such as cartwheels to build momentum.
See also[]
- Professional wrestling aerial techniques - (moonsault leg drop, moonsault double foot stomp)
- Professional wrestling attacks
References[]
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fr:Moonsault it:Moonsault ja:ムーンサルトプレス