Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers: Difference between revisions

Double-team maneuvers in professional wrestling are when two wrestlers work together to attack an opponent, these moves are mainly used by tag teams in tag matches.

Many of these maneuvers are combination of two throws, or submission holds.

There is a wide variety of double-team moves in pro wrestling. Most moves are known by the names that professional wrestlers give their "finishing move" (signature moves that usually result in a win) names. Occasionally these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.

Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.

Aided powerbomb

Any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a Powerbomb, either by aiding the wrestler to get the victim up on to their shoulders or by pulling down on the victim as they get dropped down, to force them into the mat harder.

The Acolytes (Faarooq & Bradshaw) were known for doing this double team maneuver.

Aided piledriver

Any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a Piledriver on an opponent by pushing down on the victim's feet for more impact. In a variation of the move, the second attacker jumps off the turnbuckle while pushing the victim's feet downward for even more damage, this is well known as a Spike Piledriver (not to be confused with an one-man Spike piledriver).

Aided neckbreaker

Any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a Neckbreaker, either by aiding the wrestler to get the victim up to an elvated position or by twisting/forcing the victim down to the mat harder while a neckbreaker is performed.

the most common version is the fireman's carry/neckbreaker combination in which one wrestler (usually the larger one) will place an opponent over his shoulders and turn on the spot (like and Airplane Spin as the wrestler turns the victim round the other attacking wrestler would run and jump up along side both men and take hold/twist the neck of the victim and at this point both the attacking wrestler fall bakcdown to the mat forcing the victim down with them.

Aided whiplash

this is a normal whiplash neckbreaker that instead of having the victim held in the air with the aid of the ring rope, he is kept in then elevated position by another wrestler, this wrestler has the opponent's legs on his shoulder and is is facing the first attcker, when the neckbreaker is performed the extra wrestler will often twist himself down to the mat and land on top of the victim. Best known as the Au Revoir a double team move used by La Resistance.

Sidewalk slam, headlock takedown

this move involves one wrestler setting up an opponent for a sidewalk slam will the victim is held in the air his head is exposed at this point another wrestler will be able to perform many moves that only involve the attack of that exposed head (i.e. reverse DDT variations, headlock takedowns, and neckbreakers) these moves force the victim down harder to the mat when the first attacker drops him/her. Was used by the team of Edge & Christian.

Backbreaker hold, top-rope elbow drop combination

One wrestler would hit a backbreaker and hold the opponent over his knee as another wrestler jumped down to hit the opponent with a top-rope elbow drop to his exposed head, flipping the opponent over down to the mat. Used as the finisher of Demolition, who called it the Demolition Decapitation.

Backbreaker hold, top-rope legdrop combination

One wrestler would hit a backbreaker and hold the opponent over his knee as another wrestler jumped down to hit the opponent with a top-rope leg drop to his exposed head, flipping the opponent over down to the mat. Used as the finsher of the WWE's version of the F.B.I.'s Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli and called it as the Kiss of Death.

Bearhug hold, top rope legdrop combination

One wrestler would apply a bearhug and hold the opponent out as another wrestler jumped down to hit the opponent with a top-rope leg drop to his exposed head, forcing the opponent hard back down to the mat.

The most recent use of this move has been utilized by the team of America's Most Wanted, Chris Harris and James Storm, who refer to the move as the Death Sentence. Also known as the Veg-o-Matic popularized by the Midnight Express.

Con-chair-to

This is a double steel folding chair shot to the head of an opponent, one from the front and one from behind.

Made popular by the team of Edge & Christian, who slamed the chairs on the mat to "tune up the band" before hitting the opponent.

Double bulldog

When two wrestlers both hit a bulldog on a single opponent.

Double chokeslam

When two wrestlers both hit a chokeslam on a single opponent at the sametime. Often used by the team of Undertaker & Kane and the tag team of KroniK (Brian Adams & Bryan Clark)

This move is also referred to as a Double Spinebuster Slam as the action of lifting an opponent up and throwing them down are much the same, though the spinebuster slam is more common on a charging opponent.

Double clothesline

When two wrestlers both hit a clothesline on a single opponent by joining hands. A variation has both attackers charging from opposite sides of a single opponent with a clothesline.

Doomsday device

This is a move in which a top rope clothesline is hit on a wrestler while he is being set up for an electric chair drop. One wrestler hoists the victim on his shoulders, while his partner climbs the ring post and delivers the crushing blow. Created and named by the Road Warriors this move is also known as the Dudley device/Dudleyville device as named by the Dudley Boyz

Another variation of a Device sees a wrestler hit a top rope clothesline on a wrestler while he is being set up for an powerbomb.

Double DDT

When two wrestlers both hit a DDT on a single opponent.

Double dropkicks

When two wrestlers both hit a dropkick on a single opponent. This is the finisher of the Rock 'N Roll Express.

Double missile dropkick

Similar to the double dropkick, both wrestlers execute missile dropkicks from adjacent turnbuckles onto a single opponent. This was the finisher of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, the Rockers. Timing is of the utmost importantance when executing this move; at the 2003 Royal Rumble, Edge jumped too late, and landed on the face of a supine Christopher Nowinski, injuring his nose.

Double leg drop

This is a tag team manuver which involves two wrestlers hitting a leg drop on one person.

The team of Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio used a version of the double leg drop which they called the 420 (the name comes from the number of feet 4 and their combined shoe size 20). This version involves one wrestler standing upright and one hanging off the shoulders of the other. The hanging wrestler extends his legs in a horizontal position, similar to a normal leg drop. The upright wrestler then jumps, extends his legs in a horizontal position, where all four legs will land on an opponent's chest, throat or face at the same time.

The Hardy Boyz also utilized a variation of this move; it involved Jeff delivering a double leg drop to the opponent's groin while Matt delivered a flying leg drop to the chest.

Double Team STO

This move can either be a Double STO when two wrestlers both hit a STO on a single opponent at the sametime, or an Aided STO where one wrestler help another wrestler to perform the STO, usually by sweeping out the legs from under the victim.

The Heart Throbs on WWE RAW use the Double STO version, it has been referred to as the Heart Attack (not to be confused with the Hart Attack.) The move was called the "Erectile Dysfunction" during their stay in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Double submission

This is when two wrestlers will put the opponent in a submission move at the same time, most commonly this is done when one wrestler places an opponent in a Boston Crab while the other will put the opponent in a Crossface. Variations do exist, such as Sharpshooter and Camel Clutch, Texas Cloverleaf and Crossface, Sharpshooter and Crossface, Texas Cloverleaf and Camel Clutch, Reverse Figure Four and Camel Clutch, Reverse Figure Four and Crossface etc.

Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit often performed this maneuver when they were tag teaming, when Jericho puts the victim in The Walls of Jericho (Boston Crab) and Benoit adds The Crippler Crossface (Crossface)

Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle once performed an Ankle Lock and The Crippler Crossface combination on The Undertaker while competing in a Triple Threat match.

The (Self-Proclaimed) World's Greatest Tag-Team once performed a double Ankle Lock on their former mentor Kurt Angle.

Double suplex

This move mainly referes to when two wrestlers both perform a vertical suplex on a single opponent, also it is common to see a snap suplex performed in this fashion.

Dudley Death Drop

Widely known as a 3-D is a combination of a Flapjack and 3/4 Facelock Bulldog.Created and named by the Dudley Boyz this maneuver sees an opponent get pushed upwards in a flapjack throw by D-Von Dudley then as the victim falls to the mat Bubba Ray Dudley would apply a 3/4 facelock bulldog forcing the victims head into the mat.

Dudley Death Drop 2

Also known as a 3-D a combination of backdrop and a neckbreaker. Named by the Dudley Boyz this maneuver sees an opponent get pushed upwards in a Backdrop throw by D-Von Dudley then as the victim falls to the mat Bubba Ray Dudley would apply a headlock neckbreaker forcing the victim's head into the mat.

Elevated DDT

Also known as a Flapjack DDT a combination of Flapjack and a DDT. This maneuver sees an opponent get pushed upwards in air during a flapjack attempted then just as the victim falls to the mat the attackers partner will put victim in a front facelock and as all three fall down to the mat the DDT will ensure the victim is forced to dive forward onto his own head. This has been used as a finisher by the team of Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger which they dub The Problem Solver and by MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro) which they dub The Snapshot.

Elevated splash

This is where one wrestler (usually a larger wrestler) backs up to the corner turnbukles and allows another wrestler to climb the turnbukle then up onto his/her shoulders, this wrestler then jumps off to perform a splash on a prone victim. Sometimes this move sees a wrestler climb up on the turnbuckle first getting even higher before the second wrestler jumps off him.

The Hurricane and Rosey often use this manuver on opponents. They have dubbed it the "Hero Splash"

Event Omega

While the opponent is lying on the mat, both wrestlers climb on the same turnbuckle and come down simultaniously with a Legdrop and a Big Splash.

This move was often used by the Hardy Boyz.

Hart attack

The Hart Attack was the traditional finishing move of The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). Neidhart would lift up the opponent in a bearhug in the center of the ring, while Hart leaned against the ringside ropes, facing the opponent's back. Hart would then run past the two and bounce off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. On his return, Hart would make a running leap and clothesline the opponent as Neidhart let go of him, resulting in both Hart and the opponent falling onto their backs. (Of course, Hart was never hurt by this fall, while the combination of the clothesline and the fall always did in the opponent.) Neidhart would usually tag Hart in just before they performed this maneuver, allowing Hart to make the pin.

This maneuver is also used by the team of Danny Doring and Roadkill, which they dub Lancaster Lariat of Lust. Also by the team of La Résistance (Sylvain Grenier and Rob Conway), where it is known as Bonne Nuit or Le Crepe.

There are many varations of this move that use a secondary move that isn't a clothesline

Bearhug hold, flying crossbody combination

One wrestler would apply a bearhug and elevate the victim while the other wrestler executed a flying body press from the top rope, driving the victim to the ground from an elevated height.

Bearhug hold, high kick combination

One wrestler would apply a bearhug and elevate the victim while the other wrestler executed a high dropkick (as popularized by Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade), or other high kicks as the first wrestler drops the victim to the ground.

Leapfrog stun gun

Also called the Broken Arrow and The World's Greatest Double Team. This move can be best described as an assisted leaping backbreaker splash used by the "The World’s Greatest Tag Team"/Team Angle (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) The victim rests with his upper body on the ropes and his feet on Haas' shoulders. Shelton Benjamin gets a running start bounces off the ropes, runs toward Haas, leaps over Haas and onto the victim's back, groin first, though Benjamin never sells a groin injury.

Poetry in motion

This move is proformed when one wrestler throws his opponent into one of the corner turnbuckles, while another wrestler follows him, and jumps down to a kneeling position infront of the victim. At this point the other wrestler will run, put his feet on the back of his partner to elevate himself off the ground and jump at the victim to hit an attack i.e. calfkick, heel kick, splash etc.

Most famously used by the members of Team Xtreme (Matt, Jeff, and Lita)

Prone low blow

This is a double team move in which one wrestler will set up an opponent so this his partner can perform a low blow.

Diving headbutt low blow

While one wrestler slams an opponent and spreads their legs apart the other wrestler would climb the turnbuckle and perform a diving headbutt into the opponent's groin.

Bubba Ray and D-Von also use this double-team move and would say "Whazzzup?!" before performing it, an allusion to the Budweiser beer commercials that were popular at the time they started performing the move.

Rocket Launcher

One wrestler ascends the top turnbuckle. Their partner then stands below them and reaches up, taking hold of them. The wrestler on the top rope then performs a flying body splash, with their partner throwing them, thus increasing their range and height.

Assisted Senton

Identical to a Rocket Launcher, but with the airborne attacker executing a Senton bomb.

Russian leg sweep, clothesline combination

Named the Ball and Gag by the Basham Brothers. One wrestler would begin a russian leg sweep as another wrestler hit the opponent with a clothesline, forcing the opponent hard back down to the mat.

Spanish fly

This Moonsault Ura-nage slam is performed while all three wrestlers are on the top turnbuckle. The attackers stand either side, slightly behind, and facing the front of a standing victim, the attackers then reach under the near arms of the victim, across the chest and under the victims far arm, while placing their other hands on the back of the victim to hold them in place. The attackers then perform a backwards somersault (Moonsault) while holding the victim, driving the victim into the ground back-first in a side slam position.

The move was named, and widely used by The S.A.T./Los Maximos.

Total Elimination

Both attackers stand facing a standing victim. One attacker exectutes a spinning leg sweep, and the other executes a spinning heel-kick simultaneously, knocking the victim backwards. This move was named and used by Perry Saturn and John Kronus The Eliminators.

Villano breaker

A double team maneuver in which one wrestler picks up his opponent for a powerbomb, and his partner catches the opponent in a shoulder neckbreaker. Named after Villano IV, who was severely injured by a botched version of this move by Kanyon and Raven.