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, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan. 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. The move is considered a higher-impact version of a splash, since the wrestler utilizes rotational speed.
A less common variation, used by Jimmy Wang Yang 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.
Triple jump moonsault[]
This is a variation of the Double 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. Its most noted user is Sabu.
Double moonsault[]
Also known as a double rotation moonsault, a double moonsault is a wrestling move in which a opponent is on the ground and the wrestler jumps off the top rope performing two full backflips in the air and landing on his stomach on the opponent.
Triple moonsault[]
Similar to the double rotation moonsault, but rather than executing two full backflips in the air, the wrestler executes three. Due to not enough height from the turnbuckle, wrestlers usually uses it from a very high elevated area (top of a cell, top of a cage, or sometimes of a tag team partner on the top rope).
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. Multiple variations exist, such as a belly-to-belly version and a side slam version, which can also be performed while standing.
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. Rob Van Dam uses this move whilst in ECW as hish finisher called Hollywood Star Press, which he innovated.
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, which is named after and innovated by Último Dragón. This can also be used as a setup for an inverted DDT, as done by Rey Mysterio, (Jr.). This move has also been alternatively titled the Lionsault by Chris Jericho.
Standing moonsault[]
This is a wrestling move in which the wrestler does a backflip on the mat landing on the opponent. This move can be set up by preceding with a cartwheel.
Standing corkscrew moonsault[]
A variation of the Standing moonsault in which the wrestler performs a corkscrew moonsault on an opponent from the mat rather than the top rope.
See also[]
References[]
Template:Wrestling Moves
fr:Moonsault it:Moonsault ja:ムーンサルトプレス