hank

From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk (compare haki (“something bent”)), related to Proto-Germanic *hakô (“hook”). Akin to Old English hangian (“to hang”). First known use: 14th century.

(wrestling) A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.


get over

en-verb

get over (third-person singular simple present gets over, present participle getting over, simple past got over, past participle (UK) got over or (US) gotten over)

gets over (present singular third-person)
getting over (participle present)
got over (past)
got over (UK participle past)
gotten over (US participle past)

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling slang) To establish a connection with the audience as a character or faction.


squared circle

(sports, boxing, wrestling, professional wrestling) The boxing or wrestling ring.


tag-team

tag-team (third-person singular simple present tag-teams, present participle tag-teaming, simple past and past participle tag-teamed)

tag-teams (present singular third-person)
tag-teaming (participle present)
tag-teamed (participle past)
tag-teamed (past)

We haven't tag-teamed in the ring for quite a while.

2010, Hulk Hogan, My Life Outside the Ring, →ISBN:

I suggested, to no avail, that WWF (nature) should sponsor a fluffy black-and-white wrestler called the Panda, tag-teamed with the Game Warden.

2012, Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, →ISBN, page 171:

Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling David Shoemaker. He had some success, ... He tag-teamed with Tony Atlas (known variously as "Black Superman" and "Mr. USA") and, later, Andre the Giant, to some success.

2013, David Shoemaker, The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling, →ISBN, page 127:

(professional wrestling) To wrestle as part of a tag team (sense 1).


tag team

Probably from tag (“children’s chasing game in which one player (known as ‘it’) attempts to touch another, who then becomes ‘it’; (baseball) instance of touching the baserunner with the ball or the ball in a gloved hand to rule him ‘out’”) + team.

compound

(professional wrestling) A group of wrestlers who work together as a team. Only one is in the ring at any given time, and they change places by "tagging" each other with a gesture like a high five.


backheel

(wrestling) A method of tripping or throwing by getting the leg back of the opponent's heel on the outside and pulling forward while pushing his body back.


backheel

en-verb

backheel (third-person singular simple present backheels, present participle backheeling, simple past and past participle backheeled)

backheels (present singular third-person)
backheeling (participle present)
backheeled (participle past)
backheeled (past)

(wrestling) To perform such a trip or throw.


faceplant

faceplants (plural)
face-plant (alternative)

From face + plant (“place, set firmly”). Originally skateboarding and snowboarding slang, a humorous variant of handplant, which is an intentional technique in these sports.

(wrestling) A wrestling move in which an attacking wrestler forces an opponent down to the mat face-first without a headlock or facelock.


kayfabe

Unknown, but attributed to US carnival slang (carny), usually as a purposefully obscure variant of the admonition “be fake” formed through backslang or mangled pig Latin. Also sometimes attributed to an alteration of cave (Latin for “beware”), keep cavey (“stay alert”), or an eponymous figure named Kay Fabe or Kay Fabian.

Kay Fabe (alternative)
kay fabe (alternative)
kay-fabe (alternative)
kafabe (alternative)

"Jack, Gordon and I were talking about how we heard Ric Flair do an interview where he said there was no such thing as kay-fabe any more," said Blair, referring to the fact most wrestler secrets were exposed in the 1990s.

2001 April 27, Alex Marvez, "Grappling for the Right Words?", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, p. 44

Suddenly, I heard a shout behind me: "Kayfabe! Kayfabe!" It was Gagne, freaking out and twitching and gesturing. He was afraid that some of the marks would see us in such close proximity and wonder why I wasn't choking out Wahoo with the velvet rope leading to the reservation counter, or carving him up with the ticket agent's pen. The thing was that, with the exception of the AWA guys, the terminal was empty.

2006, Eldridge Wayne Coleman & al., Tangled Ropes, p. 143

I've been breaking kayfabe a lot lately and it's bad, completely unprofessional.

2013, Saul Lemerond, "Cowboys in Rainbow City", Kayfabe & Other Stories, p. 45

(professional wrestling) The act, situation, or code of portraying staged events, performances, rivalries, etc as authentic or spontaneous.


kayfabe

My wife... currently serves as a Florida State Senator... My kayfabe wife has enormous fake breasts, bleach blonde hair, and a nose that is too small for her face.

2013, Saul Lemerond, "Cowboys in Rainbow City", Kayfabe & Other Stories, pp. 43–4

(professional wrestling) Of or related to kayfabe, especially forbidden to mention or show in order to maintain kayfabe.


kayfabe

kayfabe (third-person singular simple present kayfabes, present participle kayfabing, simple past and past participle kayfabed)

kayfabes (present singular third-person)
kayfabing (participle present)
kayfabed (participle past)
kayfabed (past)
Kay Fabe (alternative)
kay fabe (alternative)
kay-fabe (alternative)
kafabe (alternative)

...Mascaras was never one of the boys. Here's an example: after his matches, he'd shower with his mask on. I understand protecting your image, but the guy was kayfabing us.

2006, Eldridge Wayne Coleman & al., Tangles Ropes, p. 97

He joked around with me and had me laughing so hard that it was tough not to feel silly about being "kayfabed.

2013, Julie Hart, Hart Strings, →ISBN, page 54:

(professional wrestling) To maintain kayfabe, to deceive by staying in character.


jobber

My argument has ALWAYS been that 99.9% of all wrestlers are jobbers (and I'm 100% correct).

1998 December 30, Don Martin, “Get over it, Jericho would be nothing but a jobber in the WWF:”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

I agree, Superstars got a bit dull with the jobber matches at times but it furthered storylines so they didn't have to give away PPV matches on a regular TV show...

2001 February 9, GraDee, “Reminiscing the jobber matches era from "WWF Superstars"”, in alt.pro-wrestling.nostalgia (Usenet):

(professional wrestling slang) A performer whose primary role is to lose to established talent.


ring rat

(professional wrestling, slang) A promiscuous person, often a young female, who attends professional wrestling events primarily to seek sexual liaisons with wrestlers and other performers.


ham-and-egger

From boxing, where a poor boxer would only win enough money to pay for meals; ham and egg + -er.

(wrestling slang) A preliminary wrestler; a jobber.


electric chair

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(wrestling) A transitional hold in which an attacking wrestler hoists an opponent up onto his/her shoulders so that they are both facing in the same direction.


hipe

(wrestling) A throw in which the wrestler lifts his opponent from the ground, swings him to one side, knocks up his nearer thigh from the back with the knee, and throws him on his back.


hipe

hipe (third-person singular simple present hipes, present participle hiping, simple past and past participle hiped)

hipes (present singular third-person)
hiping (participle present)
hiped (participle past)
hiped (past)
hype (alternative)

(wrestling, ambitransitive) To throw (an opponent) using this technique.


toehold

toeholds (plural)
toe-hold (alternative)
toe hold (alternative)

(wrestling) A hold in which the aggressor bends back the opponent's foot.


blading

(professional wrestling) The act of cutting oneself open, usually on the forehead, to draw blood and make the fight more spectacular.


beatdown

en-noun

beatdown (countable and uncountable, plural beatdowns)

Deverbal from beat down; influenced by earlier throwdown.

(professional wrestling, slang) A prescribed situation, usually to advance an angle or establish character, where two or more wrestlers severely beat up another wrestler or performer.


going over

(professional wrestling slang) Of a wrestler or wrestlers: to be scheduled to win a match.


finisher

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Tie Up Fallaway Slam (Finisher)

1999, BradyGames, Secret Codes for Sega Dreamcast:

Shadow Kick (OO+O) is best used as a punishing move and a combo finisher.

2002, Ben Cureton, Paul Edwards, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance™ Official Strategy Guide:

(video games, informal, professional wrestling) A finishing move.


on the ropes

The champ had his opponent on the ropes at the end of the third round and knocked him out in the fourth.

(boxing, professional wrestling) Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

köysissä

leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse


PWA

Pro Wrestling America
w:Pro Wrestling America

(professional wrestling) Initialism of Pro Wrestling America.

Pro Wrestling Alliance
Pro Wrestling Alliance#English

(professional wrestling) Initialism of Pro Wrestling Alliance.

(professional wrestling, Canada) Initialism of Pure Wrestling Association.


cage match

(professional wrestling) An event in which wrestlers battle in an enclosed location, escaping over the top to win.


throwdown

throwdowns (plural)
throw-down (alternative)

Deverbal from throw down. Fight and music senses from earlier idiom throw down the gauntlet (“issue a challenge”).

(slang, wrestling) A fall, indicating defeat.


chicken wing

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(wrestling) A particular wrestling move.


DDP

Diamond Dallas Page
w:Diamond Dallas Page

(professional wrestling) Initialism of Diamond Dallas Page.


Death Valley driver

Death Valley driver (plural Death Valley drivers)

(wrestling) A move in which the wrestler throws the opponent off their shoulders and falls in the direction that the opponent's head is facing, driving the opponent's head or back into the mat.


pinfall

pinfall (countable and uncountable, plural pinfalls)

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Cohen is best known for the confidence he displays on the wrestling mat, . . . stringing one move after another until he hears the referee's hand slap the mat to signal a pinfall.

2005 February 3, Jon Gallo, “Hammond's Cohen an Artist on the Mat”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2008-07-14:

(wrestling, countable) A victorious maneuver in which both of an opponent's shoulders are held against the mat for a prescribed period of time.


sonkyo

From Japanese 蹲踞 (sonkyo), from Middle Chinese 蹲踞 (MC dzwon kjoH).

(sumo) The calm, straight-backed squat, following the shiko exercises, in mental preparation for the tachiai


count out

en-verb

count out (third-person singular simple present counts out, present participle counting out, simple past and past participle counted out)

counts out (present singular third-person)
counting out (participle present)
counted out (participle past)
counted out (past)

The champ was knocked unconscious and counted out in the third round.

en:determine that (a competitor) has lost a match

(transitive, boxing, wrestling, professional wrestling) To determine that a competitor has lost a match, by a referee's enumeration aloud of the increments of time for which the competitor has been incapacitated.


piledriver

piledrivers (plural)
pile driver (alternative)

(professional wrestling) A move in which the wrestler applies a front waist lock, then drives the opponent's head into the mat by falling to his knees or backside.


chokehold

chokeholds (plural)
choke hold (alternative)
choke-hold (alternative)

/ˈt͡ʃəʊkˌhəʊld/

/ˈt͡ʃəʊkˌhəʊld/

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He put his opponent in a chokehold.

(martial arts, wrestling) A grappling hold around the neck that cuts off the flow of air to the brain.


cruiserweight

(wrestling) A wrestler weighing less than 210lb; heavier than a light heavyweight and lighter than a heavyweight.


GTS

w:Professional wrestling strikes#Go 2 Sleep

(professional wrestling) Initialism of Go 2 Sleep.


senton

Being an idiot, I just now realized that the highspot of choice for the cool chubby worker is the Senton (or Cannonball as Ouilette refers to it).

1996 November 17, Dean&Angie, “Togo, Astro, A, B: wrestlings best fat guys”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

I guess at Smackdown one of the Hardy Boys pulls off a Senton Splash off the Big Show's shoulders.

1999 December 1, Brett Tennant, “Hardy's Senton off big show”, in alt.pro=wrestling.wwf (Usenet):

Technically, it's a somersault senton. The plain ol' senton is executed by leaping forward, almost past the target, and leaning back when you hit, which is why many call it a "senton back splash."

2000 May 10, Phil, “Senton Bomb or Swanton Bomb?”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

(professional wrestling) A variation of a splash in which a wrestler jumps, sometimes from a raised platform such as the top turnbuckle, and lands back first on an opponent lying below.


superkick

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(professional wrestling) A high side thrust kick attack, which sees the wrestler use the sole of the foot to strike an opponent's head or chin.


superkick

superkick (third-person singular simple present superkicks, present participle superkicking, simple past and past participle superkicked)

superkicks (present singular third-person)
superkicking (participle present)
superkicked (participle past)
superkicked (past)

(professional wrestling) to perform a superkick


underhold

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From under- + hold. Compare German unterhalten (“to maintain”).

(wrestling) An unfair seizing of an opponent under the arms.


DTD

December to Dismember
w:December to Dismember

(sports, professional wrestling) Initialism of December to Dismember.


put over

put over (third-person singular simple present puts over, present participle putting over, simple past and past participle put over)

puts over (present singular third-person)
putting over (participle present)
put over (participle past)
put over (past)

(professional wrestling slang) To increase the popularity or prove the legitimacy of another wrestler, usually by losing to them.


crossbody

(wrestling) a move in which a wrestler jumps onto his opponent and lands horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat.


canned heat

(professional wrestling) Pre-recorded cheering or booing played during a match.


backfall

(wrestling) A fall or throw on the back.


inturn

From Middle English inturn, intorn, equivalent to in- + turn.

(wrestling) A move where the wrestler puts his thigh between the tights of his opponent, and lifts him up.


jabroni

jabronis (plural)
jabrone (alternative)
jabroney (alternative)

Hulk Hogan
Iron Sheik
Scott Hall
Steve Austin

Alteration of earlier gibone (also spelled jiboney, jaboney, etc.), possibly from dialectal Italian giambone (“ham”, also “self-important fool”). As a wrestling term, it was popularized by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who claimed to have borrowed it from the Iron Sheik. Prior to its popularization by Johnson, the term had also been used by Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and others.

Get out of this, uh, jabroni outfit.

1999, Matthew Moore, Lords of the Lockerroom, spoken by Mark Wolff (Mark Wolff), Can-Am Productions:

A jobber—also known as jabroni, extra, and enhancement talent—is playing the part of getting beat all the time.

2004, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Steve Anderson, Chair Shots and Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches, →ISBN, page 148:

(professional wrestling slang) A performer whose primary role is to lose to established talent.


resthold

(wrestling) a light hold used to regain energy during a match


piledrive

piledrive (third-person singular simple present piledrives, present participle piledriving, simple past piledrove, past participle piledriven)

piledrives (present singular third-person)
piledriving (participle present)
piledrove (past)
piledriven (participle past)

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"Any wrestler who will piledrive Lawler and injure him like he did me gets five thousand dollars from me!"

2002, Jerry Lawler, Doug Asheville, It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes, page 199:

Anyway, back in the ring, Jericho works on the cut, but Shawn fights off both guys and tries to piledrive Jericho on the grating. Jericho reverses as the match kind of drifts along without a purpose.

2004, Scott Keith, Wrestling's One Ring Circus, page 114:

As a tribute to the burgeoning popularity of hardcore wrestling, Jerry agreed to piledrive someone through a wooden table to the concrete below.

2006, Brian Fritz, Christopher Murray, Between the Ropes: Wrestling's Greatest Triumphs and Failures, page 70:


pinhold

...into a take-down hold and possibly a pinhold— that pins his shoulders to the mat

1936, The Youth's Companion Combined with American Boy, page 23:

Then he was to lock his arms around his opponent's two arms and, using them as a lever, fall backward to the mat, then roll over. If it all worked, Jess would come up on top with a double armlock and body-press pinhold.

1971 January, Sam Barnes, “Standup to Victory”, in Boys' Life, volume 61, number 1:

Legs may serve to harass the opponent, as with the cokkbur; to anchor the lower part of the body, as when applying a stretcher, to deter action by the opponent, as used when applying a double wristlock; for control, as in a cross-body ride or guillotine, in lieu of arms, as in the figure-four head scissors; to trip, as in one variation of the double-leg takedown; to overcome the strength of an arm, as in a near-arm grapevine far-side half nelson; or to turn the opponent, as with the inverted cross-body pinhold.

1975, Warren J. Boring, Science and Skills of Wrestling, page 66:

(wrestling, professional wrestling) A hold in which the opponent is pinned to the mat.


hiper

A tall wrestler who is an expert hiper is always a terror to a man of smaller stature. Edward Norman, of Carlisle, who stands close on six feet, is at present the best hiper in England.

1890, Walter Armstrong, Wrestling, page 14:

(wrestling) A wrestler who uses the hipe technique.


victory roll

(professional wrestling) A wrestling pin in which the attacking wrestler jumps onto the opponent's shoulders from behind and rolls forward. As the attacker flips over, they hook the opponent's shoulders with their legs, flipping the opponent over onto their shoulders. The attacker hooks both of the opponent's legs to hold them in place for the pin.


save by the bell

save by the bell (third-person singular simple present saves by the bell, present participle saving by the bell, simple past and past participle saved by the bell)

saves by the bell (present singular third-person)
saving by the bell (participle present)
saved by the bell (participle past)
saved by the bell (past)

With 35 seconds left in the fight, the Siberian Rocky landed a lethal right hook that staggered Bradley and forced him to take a knee following a few more hard blows, thus saving Bradley by the bell.

2013 December 30, “Behind The Gloves 2013 Picks!”, in behindthegloves.com, retrieved 2014-01-22:

(transitive, boxing, wrestling) In a boxing or wrestling match or similar competition, to ring the bell which concludes the round and thereby to prevent a competitor who has been knocked down from being counted out by the referee.


saved by the bell

Forrest floored Mosley again at the end of the round and almost finished him, but Mosley was saved by the bell.

2002 July 19, Damon Hack, “Boxing: Despite Not Having the Title, Mosley Garners Attention”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-01-06:

(boxing, wrestling, of a competitor) In a boxing or wrestling match or similar competition, spared from being counted out by the referee by the ringing of the bell which concludes the round.


forearm smash

(wrestling) A charge at the opponent followed by a strike in the chest or face with a forearm to force them back and down to the mat.


sumotori

sumotoris (plural)
sumotori (plural)
sumōtori (alternative)

His past was evident in his small office, crowded with his wrestling trophies and certificates, but most intriguing to Hiroshi were the photos of sumotori that lined the wall—their bulky, imposing bodies filling the space around them.

2007, Gail Tsukiyama, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms: A Novel, page 47:


sagari

(sumo) The stiffened silk fronds inserted in the front of a mawashi.


bladejob

(professional wrestling) An act of blading, or intentionally cutting to provoke bleeding.


hip lock

(wrestling) A lock in which a close grip is obtained and a fall attempted by a heave over the hip.


cross-buttock

(wrestling) A throw in which the wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, places his left leg across both legs of his opponent, and pulls him forward over his hip.


heelish

en-adj

heelish (comparative more heelish, superlative most heelish)

more heelish (comparative)
most heelish (superlative)

The heelish pair plotted to make everyone believe that their partnership was on its way out.

2002, Robert Picarello, Monsters of the Mat:

Grant argues that many takers are good at hiding their unpleasant side from potential benefactors... But that isn’t the entire story. It turns out that undisguised heelish behavior can often help you get ahead.

2015 June 4, “Why It Pays to Be a Jerk”, in The Atlantic:

(professional wrestling) Exhibiting the characteristics of a heel.


body press

(wrestling) A splash; a move where the wrestler jumps forward from a raised platform such as the top turnbuckle, landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below.


kisbet

From Turkish kispet, from Arabic كِسْوَة (kiswa).

(fashion, wrestling) A pair of loose-fitting leather trousers worn by wrestlers in Turkish oil wrestling competitions.


powerslam

(wrestling) A bodyslam move in which the wrestler falls face-down on top of the opponent.


powerslam

en-verb

powerslam (third-person singular simple present powerslams, present participle powerslamming, simple past and past participle powerslammed)

powerslams (present singular third-person)
powerslamming (participle present)
powerslammed (participle past)
powerslammed (past)

(wrestling, transitive) To perform such a move upon.


dogfall

dogfalls (plural)
dog-fall (alternative)

Lucky Ned Pepper said, “What is your intention? Do you think one on four is a dogfall?”

(wrestling) A fall in which both wrestlers touch the ground at the same time; hence, in extended use, any tie or stalemate.


kayfabed

While some respectable sporting journals, most significantly Ring Magazine, continued to offer balanced (but kayfabed) coverage of wrestling, the ballyhoo-filled wrestling magazines came to be the main source of printed information for devotees.

2006, Scott M. Beekman, Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America, Westport, Conn., London: Praeger Publishers, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 97:

He also lived in the bizarre, hazy world of half-truth, half-kayfabed fiction that wrestling in 2007 had become. Lest we forget just how far the line between reality and storyline was blurred, WWE refused to acknowledge the death of Sherri Martel because it would undermine the Vince is dead angle.

2008, Scott Keith, “Conclusion”, in Dungeon of Death: Chris Benoit and the Hart Family Curse, New York, N.Y.: Citadel Press Books, Kensington Publishing, →ISBN, page 193:

[King Kong] Bundy and I stood our ground and yelled shit at each other, acting like we were about to go to blows. Then I scuffed my feet, rubbed my hands together, and went for the slam. I picked him up about halfway before I felt him deadweight me, and I had to let go of him. I grabbed my back in kayfabed pain.

2011, Joe “Animal” Laurinaitis, Andrew William Wright, “Destroy Everything that Moves”, in The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and the Rush of Wrestling, [St. Charles, Ill.]: Medallion Press, →ISBN, page 82:

(professional wrestling) Of events within the industry: portrayed as real, and not scripted or staged.


crucifix position

en-noun

crucifix position (plural crucifix positions)

He shines in the gym, floors his opponents in Greco-Roman wrestling and effortlessly holds a crucifix position on the rings.

2007, Philippe Grimbert, Secret, page 26:

(gymnastics, wrestling) A posture of the body wherein the legs are kept straight together and the arms are extended horizontally.


schoolgirl pin

This story involves a fight that leads to one girl face-sitting and dominating the other. If you aren't interested in reading about schoolgirl pins, face-sitting, smothering then please don't read this.

1997, cactus...@mailmasher.com, “REPOST: My Friend Tanya (ff,nc,smothering,face-sitting,schoolgirl pins)”, in alt.sex.fetish.wrestling (Usenet):

Kaitlyn hits a snap suplex and follows up with a schoolgirl pin for a two count. Kaitlyn goes for a backslide pin, but Tamina rolls through at one. Tamina rolls to the outside to catch a breather, but Kaitlyn catches her with a baseball slide.

2013, Trijcomm, “Kaitlyn defeats Tamina Snuka with a spear.”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

(wrestling) A pin in which the wrestler kneels over a fallen opponent's face so as to restrain the arms above the head.


moonsault

(professional wrestling) An attack where the wrestler faces away from the supine opponent and executes a backflip landing on the opponent in a splash/press position but facing towards the elevated position.


buttocker

It is a chip, however, always fraught with peril, as the slack hold of the buttocker, if he misses his aim, enables his opponent to gain a firmer grip, which he is certain to make the best use of in the commanding position in which he finds himself.

1889, Walter Armstrong, Wrestling, page 199:

(wrestling) One who uses the cross-buttock throw.


superplex

(professional wrestling) A suplex performed by an attacker standing on the second or third rope against an opponent sitting on the top rope or top turnbuckle.


superplex

en-verb

superplex (third-person singular simple present superplexes, present participle superplexing, simple past and past participle superplexed)

superplexes (present singular third-person)
superplexing (participle present)
superplexed (participle past)
superplexed (past)

(professional wrestling) To attack with a superplex.


facelock

He raised his right arm and clamped a facelock on his opponent.

1995, Gordon D. Shirreffs, The Ghost Dancers, →ISBN, page 146:

I stepped to the side like the world's worst matador and grabbed him in a front facelock. It was the only shoot hold I knew, one that harkened back to my days bouncing at Malarkey's in Calgary.

2011, Chris Jericho, Undisputed: How to Become World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, →ISBN:

Eventually, someone said, “OK, move the furniture, and let's wrestle.” The deal this night was Les challenging my dad, saying, “Bet you can't hold me in a front facelock.” My dad put the hold on, and Les struggled to free himself, but ended up passing out after a few minutes.

2012, Terry Funk, Scott E. Williams, Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore, →ISBN:

(wrestling) A type of headlock in which the opponent's head is clamped around the face.


headscissors

While he was distracted, the Puma ran the length of the ring, leapt into the air and locked both legs around Diablo's neck, taking him down to the mat with a spectacular flying headscissors.

2002, Greg F. Gifune, Night Work, →ISBN:

(professional wrestling) A hold in which a wrestler wraps his or her legs around either side of the opponent's head, crossing them under the opponent's chin, and squeezing.


pusher-thruster

(sumo) A rikishi who uses his weight to push and pummel his opponent, rather than holding the opponent's mawashi and attempting to throw him


ringpost

(professional wrestling) Any of the posts that surround the ring.


face turn

face turns (plural)
heel/face turn (alternative)
heel-face turn (alternative)

From professional wrestling, in which the wrestler playing a villain role is called the "heel" and a wrestler playing the heroic role is called the "face".

In order to retain viewers, both promotions did their best to load their respective shows with as much action and as many dramatic twists as possible, including pay-per-view quality matches, title changes, heal/face turns, and shocking debuts on a weekly basis.

2000, Brian Solomon, Pro Wrestling FAQ, →ISBN:

Here are five superstars who would benefit tremendously from a character change, whether that be a heel/face turn or an entirely new gimmick.

2017 November 12, Blake Oestriecher, “5 WWE Stars who Badly Need a Character Change”, in Forbes:

WWE has been known to do heel/face turn experiments at live events.

2018 July 29, Corey Jacobs, “Bray Wyatt wrestled as a full-blown babyface on Saturday night”, in Wrestling News:

(professional wrestling) A situation in which a wrestler previously identified as a villain changes to being considered a hero.


underhook

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(wrestling, martial arts) A clinch hold performed by putting an arm under the opponent's arm, and holding the opponent's midsection or upper body.


underhook

underhook (third-person singular simple present underhooks, present participle underhooking, simple past and past participle underhooked)

underhooks (present singular third-person)
underhooking (participle present)
underhooked (participle past)
underhooked (past)

(wrestling, martial arts, transitive) To use such a hold upon.


heel turn

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-heel turn.wav

From heel (“rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg”) + turn; sense 2 (“act of turning around abruptly”) is derived from turn heel or turn on one’s heel.
Sense 4 ("A situation in which a wrestler previously identified as a hero changes to being considered a villain") is a pun on the word heel, which also means “a headlining wrestler whose ring persona embodies villainous or reprehensible traits”.

compound

As a result of the heel turn, [Riki] Choshu was instantly elevated as a headliner and feuded with [Tatsumi] Fujinami in main events for two years over the WWF [World Wrestling Federation] International Heavyweight strap.

2002, John F. Molinaro, edited by Jeff Marek and Dave Meltzer, Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time, Toronto, Ont.: Winding Stair Press, →ISBN, page 78, column 1:

The early 1999 destruction of [Ric] Flair in storyline fashion, even as Flair and Hulk Hogan were drawing the last of the company's great buy rates (although Flair's heel turn after drawing the last big buy rate for a SuperBrawl in San Francisco was Flair's own doing) was not a bunch of angles that were bad ideas, such as the period he was confined to a nut house (and somehow even made that drivel entertaining).

2004, Dave Meltzer, editor, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Campbell, Calif.: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, page 1, column 2:

(professional wrestling) A situation in which a wrestler previously identified as a hero changes to being considered a villain

More than any other episode to date, “The Last Of The Starks” heralds Daenerys’ heel turn. She’s been poised for it for some time, though the timing varies depending on the character perspective—Varys has always been ready to fly to another camp if he felt something was amiss or he just found a more viable candidate, while Tyrion [Lannister] and Jon [Snow] still want to serve her.

2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2021-01-28:

(by extension) A situation in which someone changes from being a hero into a villain.


chinlock

(wrestling) A position in which one wrestler grabs the other's chin, particularly with the attacker's knees on the opponent's upper back.


sleeper hold

(martial arts, wrestling) A chokehold from behind that restricts blood flow to the brain and can cause the recipient to become unconscious.


sitout

sitouts (plural)
sit out (alternative)
sit-out (alternative)

. From this position, start a sitout by extending your left leg. Drop your opponent, but keep a firm hold on his arm.

I throw my best moves from here. I walk out on him — "crawl" out, actually, charging on my hands and knees, like a giant little kid escaping from his playpen; then I explode into a sitout and reverse for two points.

2015, Terry Davis, Vision Quest, page 9:

Her husband, Dick Jr., was a longtime assistant coach at Norwalk, and Janella proudly claimed that she knew a sitout when she saw one.

2003, Nolan Zavoral, A Season on the Mat:

(wrestling) A wrestling move that is often used to escape from a hold in which one straightens one's legs to get into a sitting position where one can use them for leverage.


screwjob

I will throw out Giant taking title from Flair on RAW. Desperately attempted screwjob did not come off, I can still her Woman's screams, or was that every match of those days:) And I loved it that the Giant didn't sell.

1997 March 26, John0714, “Most Significant Non-Screwjob Matches of All Time?”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet), message-ID <19970326010000.UAA22561@ladder01.news.aol.com>:

What is a screwjob finish and does the finish of last night's Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H match count as one?

2003 December 30, Dont Trust Anybody, “What Is A Screwjob Finish And Does Last Night's Count As One?”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet), message-ID <5dcc46b096e7859a0d6c2914242d6283@news.teranews.com>:

(professional wrestling) An incident where management disadvantages a wrestler without their prior knowledge.


midcard

(professional wrestling) The part of a wrestling show in the middle of the card (programme or schedule). It is less prestigious than the uppercard and more so than the lowcard


midcarder

(professional wrestling) A wrestler who performs in the midcard


uppercard

(professional wrestling) The part of a wrestling show towards the end of the card (programme or schedule). It is the most prestigious part of the show compared to the midcard and lowcard


lowcard

(professional wrestling) The part of a wrestling show at the beginning of the card (programme or schedule). It is the least prestigious part compared to the uppercard and midcard


uppercarder

(professional wrestling) A wrestler who performs in the uppercard


lowcarder

lowcarders (plural)
low-carder (alternative)

(professional wrestling) A wrestler who performs in the lowcard


niramiai

(sumo) The staredown between sumo wrestlers before a match.


ebanzuke

(sumo) A banzuke illustrated with pictures of the wrestlers


fudadome

(sumo) sold out said of spectators' seats


hanamichi

(sumo) Either of the East or West paths that lead to the dohyo


harite

(sumo) A slap (strike with an open hand)


hazuoshi

(sumo) The act of pushing the opponent with hands beneath his armpits


hiwaza

(sumo) Any of passive several ways of winning because the opponent makes a mistake


itamiwake

(sumo) A draw due to the injury of one of the wrestlers


kadoban

(sumo) An ozeki who is in danger of demotion


kuisagaru

(sumo) A technique in which a wrestler lowers his centre of gravity and pushes his opponent out of the ring


maemitsu

(sumo) A grip on the front of the mawashi


makikae

(sumo) A quick change from an overarm to an underarm grip on the opponent's mawashi


nekodamashi

(sumo) The act of clapping the hands in order to distract one's opponent.


nodowa

From Japanese 喉輪 (literally “throat ring”).

(sumo) A thrust at the opponent's throat.


okamisan

From Japanese 女将さん (okami-san, literally “miss proprietress”).

bor

(sumo) The wife of a stablemaster who oversees all activities except coaching


sewanin

(sumo) A retired wrestler who assists at a stable.


shimenawa

(sumo) A length of straw that lines the ring (used as ritual purification in shinto)


shingitai

(sumo) The qualities of head, technique and body held to be essential for a successful wrestler


shonichi

(sumo) The first day of a basho, or the first win after a string of defeats


tegatana

From Japanese 手刀 (tegatana, “knife hand”).

(sumo) The ceremonial gesture made by a winning wrestler after receiving his prize money.


wakaimonogashira

(sumo) A retired wrestler who works with new recruits


zanbara

(sumo) hair that is loose and dishevelled and too short to be arranged into a chonmage


nearfall

(wrestling) Alternative spelling of near-fall.


near-fall

(wrestling) A wrestling maneuver where shoulders are pinned to the mat for between one and two seconds. Alternatively a two second approach of shoulders to within two inches of the mat also counts for scoring.


future endeavor

en-verb

future endeavor (third-person singular simple present future endeavors, present participle future endeavoring, simple past and past participle future endeavored)

future endeavors (present singular third-person)
future endeavoring (participle present)
future endeavored (participle past)
future endeavored (past)

From the fact that wrestling promotion WWE, when announcing a wrestler’s release, will “wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

Creative couldn’t find anything for him to do, so they ended up future endeavoring him.

(professional wrestling, slang) To release a wrestler from their contract.


mule kick

(professional wrestling) A move by which the wrestler, facing away from a charging opponent, bends down and pushes out one foot, striking the opponent with the sole.


overhook

He used overhooks to block the punches, but he didn't seem to know any submissions off the overhooks.

2005, Eddie Bravo, Jiu-jitsu Unleashed, page 12:

(wrestling, martial arts) A clinch hold performed by putting an arm over the opponent's arm, and encircling the opponent's arm or upper body.


overhook

overhook (third-person singular simple present overhooks, present participle overhooking, simple past and past participle overhooked)

overhooks (present singular third-person)
overhooking (participle present)
overhooked (participle past)
overhooked (past)

Overhook one of his arms just above the elbow (here the right arm overhooks the opponent's left arm).

2004, Mark Hatmaker, No Holds Barred Fighting: Savage Strikes, page 128:

(wrestling, martial arts, transitive) To use such a hold upon.


enzuigiri

(wrestling) An attack that strikes the back of the opponent's head.


Granby roll

Named for Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, where it was popularized by coach Billy Martin, Sr.

(wrestling) A reversal performed from an inferior position, usually when the top wrestler has a hold upon the lower wrestler's waist from the side or when moving to "take the back". The bottom wrestler rises slightly and cross-steps under his own body, using it to post as they kick high with the other leg and perform a shoulder roll to the inside shoulder, achieving either an escape or a reversal with possible back points on the other wrestler.


fisherman buster

en-noun

fisherman buster (plural fisherman busters)

(wrestling) A variation of the brainbuster in which the wrestler hooks the opponent's leg to lift them off the ground, and then performs a fisherman's suplex.


riding time

riding time (countable and uncountable, plural riding times)

(wrestling) The elapsed time that counts in favor of a wrestler gaining control of an opponent on the mat.


double shoulder lock

double shoulder lock (plural double shoulder locks)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-double shoulder lock.wav


Texas deathmatch

Texas deathmatch (plural Texas deathmatches)

Texas deathmatches (plural)
Texas Deathmatch (alternative)

(professional wrestling) A match where the loser is the wrestler who is pinned and cannot get up within ten seconds.