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High fliers are that part of the wrestling business which often gets over looked whenever a big promotion is booking their main event scene. These superstars might be around to add in some flashiness but there are not always given the deserved booking for one reason or the other.However, these are the same superstars that have the ability to steal the limelight when they get on that top rope. The current product of WWE might be a bit toned down on high flying moves due to safety reasons but there were enough of them in the past to keep the Network Running. Apart from WWE, there is some high octane aerial action in the independent circuit as well, so here is a pick of the top ten high flying moves from professional wrestling.
#10 Shooting star press
This one might be a familiar move to all those WWE fans who tuned into the programming during Ruthless Aggression Era or Attitude Era. Billy Kidman used to do the move but was responsible for getting it banned after he botched it, almost killing his opponent.
After that, Brock Lesnar nearly killed himself trying to do the same in that memorable match against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania.
Evan Bourne was the superstars, who gave modern WWE fans a taste of how good the Shooting star press is, but now that he is gone, it wouldn’t be a surprise if no one takes up this dangerous maneuver.
#9 Frog Splash
ECW products Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam perfected the frog splash in WWE. Eddie used to nail his move to perfection no matter who his opponent was while Van Dam brought some variations into the technique. Van Dam had a turn in the air which almost every time produced a sense of Awe in the fans that were witnessing the move.
Both the superstars went on to win numerous championships with the same move which made the fans feel froggy every time the body slammed into the mat after executing the trademark bent in midair. Now that Van Dam is gone, WWE should let someone else take the move so that it still stays there for pleasing the WWE Universe.
#8 450 Splash
Back when WWE decided to assemble seven rookies from NXT and decided to make a stable, it gave rise to the Nexus. The entire member had a different style and move set but one superstar who in particular got the attention was Justin Gabriel. He was the high flier in the group and was known for pulling off the 450 splash on everyone that was laid out by the rest of the pack.
Gabriel was also lucky enough to use the move and pin John Cena which is someone that is considered next to impossible by most of the fans. it is a very hard move to pull off but Gabriel used to make it look easy.
#7 Infrared
The WWE fans might not be familiar with this move as it was barely used in the promotion. Independent wrestling fans on the other hand has seen plenty of it from Amazing Red. Being one of the superstars who built up the TNA X Division is not an easy task.
There was a need to have a good set of high flying moves to one’s arsenal. Red had just that. His inferno was one of the most unique moves that the TNA fans saw in a roster which had names like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniel, Chris Sabin and a handful of others. Red is still pretty much active in the Indy circuit keeping the door open for a possible WWE spell.
#6 Swanton Bomb
Jeff Hardy’s legacy in WWE would not be complete without the mention of his trademark Swanton bomb which always managed to produce a pop among the fans. It might not be that flashy like the remaining moves on the list but a Swanton was able to make the fans go wild irrespective of the promotion that it was being pulled off at.
Also, the amount of danger involved in the move is high since the performer could easily land up on the neck which would’ve instantly broken it in the worst case scenario. Many superstars have tried it, but Jeff still holds a special place in everyone heart when it comes to this move.
#5 Moonsault
This is one of those moves which, if not pulled off perfectly would end up killing someone. The Moonsault is black marked on most occasions by WWE but this hasn’t stopped names like Kurt Angle and Cody Rhodes pulling this off. In most of the aerial moves, the wrestler has the luxury of facing his opponent and knowing where he is going to jump. However, when it comes to Moonsault, it is purely dependent on how confident a wrestler is about his ability and calculations. If you thought that doing it from the top rope is dangerous, a certain Kurt Angle did it from the top of a steel cage.
#4 Shooting Star Senton
This is another move which the WWE fans aren’t familiar with since the company is too reluctant to let it be on the television program. The idea of to perform the initial steps of the Shooting star press and land on your opponent with one’s back. It is a high impact move with a lot of strain going into the back of the performer while the opponent is in danger of getting legitimately squashed if the move was misplaced by an inch. Current NXT champion Adrian Neville, back in the Independent days used to be known for using the move often but he was pretty much toned down once he was signed by WWE into the developmental territory.
#3 Corkscrew Shooting Star press
Another Adrian Neville move in the list, this is actually something that the WWE allowed him to do in in between the ropes. In fact, it is currently his finishing move in NXT with which he won the NXT championship. It is a shooting star press variation with a corkscrew turn in midair reminding of how John Morrison used to pull of something similar during his stay in the company. So far there hasn’t been any problem with Neville performing this but it would be interesting to see whether the writers would let him stick with the move once he gets his place in the main roster.
#2 630 Splash
Now this is the place where the readers start asking whether the list was made just for Adrian Neville. Well to be frank, he is that damn talented when it comes to high flying moves. The 630 splash is another specialty of Neville and some other independent superstars.
It has more spin than the 450 splash and is incredibly hard to pull off. The chances of getting it botched are sky high which might be the reason why WWE doesn’t allow their superstars to use it. 450 had its place in the company but the chances of 630 making it into the roster might be a dream that ain’t coming alive anytime soon.
#1 Double Moonsault
If you thought the Moonsault was sick, well meet the double moonsault. Instead of doing just one rotation, the wrester does two rotations while being turned on his back before hitting the ground making this one of the dangerous moves ever. Many wrestlers have tried to perform and failed with disastrous consequences while other were lucky enough to walk away after doing this. The superstars who pulled off includes the lights of Adrian Neville (again in case you missed the rest) and Ricochet who is known for pulling off some epic matches with the current Cesaro.
