The Charismatic EnigmaIn pro-wrestling, stars who do high flying maneuvers command a certain amount of respect and get over with the crowd in a quick time. The fans appreciate the risks involved and are always rooting for their high-flying heroes. Even heels who tend to be great in the air, over time are forced to turn face or drop their aerial move set to suit their ongoing storyline.It is a fact that the fans love to see the back-flips and moonsaults that leave them awestruck. Over the years, there have been countless stars who in spite of lacking the promo skills, have left the fans wanting more due to their daredevilry and pure ability to improvise in the air.We take a look at the past and the present crop of stars, that were a pure joy to watch every time they stepped into the squared circle to show how well they can defy gravity.Honorable mentions include Randy Savage, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, Sabu, Kalisto, Sin Cara, Shelton Benjamin and Kofi Kingston just to name a few.
#1 Jeff Hardy
If there is any superstar in the WWE that had complete disregard for his personal well-being barring Shane McMahon of course, it has to be ‘The Charismatic Enigma’ Jeff Hardy.
He was among those superstars, who did not have the look or promo skills to be the top guy in the WWE, but his ability to leave the fans in disbelief due to his move set and dedication, made him a main event talent.
His move, The Swanton Bomb is an iconic finisher, that he has executed from spots that would make you rethink his sanity. The bumps he used to take due to his high flying ability would make you cringe. He was a pure treat to watch as he would jump out of the rope on his opponents, perform the 450 splash out of nowhere and execute suicide dives like none other. He is credited with creating many moments that are forever etched in the memory of fans.
It's a shame he left the WWE due to his drug problems, but you never know when he might be back considering the return of The Dudley boyz came as a surprise. So keep your fingers crossed folks and hope for the best.
#2 Rey Mysterio
For a guy who is 5 ft 3 inches tall and weighs around 175 pounds, winning the WWE World Heavyweight championship seems odd. But he is one of the most deserving winners of the title ever.
Óscar Gutiérrez aka Rey Mysterio became a household name in the WWE because of his Lucha infused high flying style that was fast paced and a pure joy to the eye. He could do it all from Moonsaults to flips, springboards to Hurricanranas with seamless flow and perfection.
His finisher, 619, became one of the most well-known moves in the WWE. He was so over with the crowd due to his wrestling style that, even if he face big guys such as Brock Lesnar or the Big Show, the fans believed he would win.
That’s a testament of his talent and he had countless moments, one being him diving off the cage on SmackDown among many. He was fast, agile and a star people got behind with ease.
He is credited to making the high flying Mexican Lucha style a famous entity in the United States Of America. The fans never quite got behind any masked Luchador like the way they did in Rey’s case and let’s hope the recent rumours of him coming back to the WWE do materialise.
#3 Rob Van Dam
Wasn’t is awesome to watch Rob Van Dam get that insane elevation and hang time on the Five Star Frog Splash.
RVD has one of the most innovative move sets in pro-wrestling circles and is a source of inspiration for many wrestlers from the independent and big scene. He is one of the most decorated wrestlers from the ECW era when he was at his extreme best.
The Rolling Thunder is one famous move that RVD performed that was a thing of beauty. The Van Daminator was great but even greater was the Van Terminator, which saw him perform a missile drop kick from one corner turnbuckle to the other just like the coast-to-coast by Shane O Mac.
He was a daredevil and his matches with Jeff Hardy, Sabu and the ones in the ECW are some of the most extreme and high-flying matches ever, with some moments that are out of this world.
Over time he, due to his marijuana smoking habit and all these years of ring rust, he has slowed down a bit and avoids the really risky high spots, but looking back, he is a legend when it comes to the extreme and the gravity defying style of wrestling.
#4 Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon never really had to take those deadly bumps as he was the chairman's son, but in spite of that he went ahead to do the unthinkable every time.
That makes him truly special who cared to entertain the fans and he went to any heights to do that. He can be called one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time due to his incredible high flying abilities. His move coast-to-coast was the stuff that would make your jaw drop, even better when the chair was placed in front of the opponents face.
His leap of faiths off the Titantrons were just insane and would make you go ‘holy sh**’ is he alive.’ The ones at Backlash and SummerSlam still would make you realize how nuts Shane was and the craziness level was like godlike.
He would do a shooting star press, an elbow drop, a diving DDT and would always capture the fans attention. He left the WWE for other ventures but has the respect of all the fans, be it casual or the hardcore ones.
#5 Eddie Guererro
That feeling when a wrestler who was so close to your heart, dies an untimely death and wasn’t able to reach his ultimate potential in the WWE, is downright sad and disappointing.
Eddie Guererro was a well-rounded star, who could cut promos and do it all in the ring. Although his mat wrestling skills were on another level, his skills in the air were in the same ballpark. He had one of the best Five Star Frog Splashes in the business and he made it look ridiculously cool.
The elevation and hang time would make your jaw hang out. As I said, he could do it all, the slingshot somersault senton, Head scissors takedown, dropkicks and flips which looked perfect and the point of impact beautiful. How can anyone forget the moment he Frog splashed Brock Lesnar to win the world title, which will forever be remembered as the ultimate feel-good moment. The frog splash on JBL from atop the cage was equally beautiful and breathtaking.
#6 Seth Rollins
If Seth Rollins did half of the moves he did during his time in the indies, he would be one of the most over stars in spite of being a heel, which of course he wouldn’t considering his character.
This guy is one of the most talented wrestlers the WWE has ever the seen and the stuff he can do in the ring would make you want him turn face. The recent SummerSlam match against John Cena saw him get some of his breathtaking moves out of his arsenal, such as the running shooting star press, Frog splash and the double stomp on the turnbuckle.
That is just a few of the moves he does. He is on of those rare breeds of stars who can get an instant elevation by just jumping on the spot. His moves get some insane height and the day he turns face, we would get to see the real Seth Rollins.
Wish that happens soon, because he would be a great high flying face that has decent promo skills too. In coming years, he would be higher up this list just like Neville as he has greater things in store for him in the future.
#7 Adrian Neville
Adrian Neville, before coming to the WWE made a great name for himself on the indie scene as Pac, who did moves that were humanely impossible to the human eye and vowed the crowd.
It is a fact that Neville can do things in the ring that a handful of wrestlers around the world can even think of doing. The foundation of his offense includes a host of amazing aerial moves and his style is frantic and fast. He is an epitome of a perfect high-flying athlete and the moves that are very prone to being botched are done with effortless ease by this man.
His move set includes some insane maneuvers that include the Corkscrew 450 splash (Red Arrow), Corkscrew shooting star press, imploding 450 splash, Standing corkscrew splash, standing moon sault, Dragonrana and the list goes on and on. He is by far the most impressive high flyer to ever step foot in the WWE due to his exorbitant move-set and in time he would be very high up this list.
His matches against AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Sydal in the indies and the WWE would have a high-flying fanatic’s mouth water. His physique is impressive too which makes him suitable for power moves too and that is just the icing on the cake. His promo skills are below par, but a manager or some speech traning can take care of that for him.
We just hope WWE creative doesn’t screw him up with senseless storylines and gimmicks and builds him up as one of the best.
#8 Evan Bourne
Evan ‘The Airbourne” Bourne will forever be remembered as a wonder in the air and a talent that WWE wasted due to some horrid booking. He was a very lanky guy, not your typical WWE main eventer but got over with the fans due to his skills in the air.
His Shooting star press also known as Shooting Sydal press or Airbourne was one of the renditions of the move you would see due to the sheer height at which he went before crashing into his opponents. His move set included a host of aerial moves such as the Cockscrew Plancha, 450 splash, Dragonrana and the belly-belly Moonsault slam. These days he captivates the fans attention at Ring Of Honour.
Although his time in the WWE was short, he had many a highlight reels that the fans would remember. He is reminiscent of Adrian Neville and we hope Neville doesn't meet the same fate as Bourne.
#9 John Morrison
John Morrison had the looks and the persona to be ‘The Guy’ in the WWE, but for some reason or another he never quite made it.
His moves are innovative, lovely to watch and his impressive body added to the overall impact. His move set includes aerial moves that are damn tough to execute like the Split-legged corkscrew Moonsault, corkscrew Neckbreaker, break dance leg drop just to name a few.
Morrison had the flair and he could have been a huge draw in the WWE, but plaguing injuries cut short his time with the WWE. He is a three-time Intercontinental champion and a one-time ECW champion. At the moment, he is doing a pretty good job down at Lucha Underground, where the brand of wrestling suits his style.
#10 Jimmy \'Superfly\' Snuka
Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka started off as a villain but due to his high flying athletic ability he got over with the fans in a big way. He is credited for introducing the aerial style of wrestling to the masses with his leaps and splashes.
His dive of the cage against Bob Backlund is the stuff of legends and was voted the match of the year. His move set included classic aerial moves such as his famous Superfly Splash, diving crossbody, dropkick and the diving headbutt. His matches with Bob Backlund, Muraco and Buddy Rodgers are pro-wrestling at its classic finest and he has been an inspiration to many future WWE stars such as Mick Foley and Bubba Ray Dudley.
His famous dives of the top of the 15 ft steel cage has inspired countless wrestlers to do the same and he is a pioneer when it comes to high-flying gravity defying wrestling and daredevilry.
