The clothesline is a very effective move in professional wrestling. It's very effective and was probably developed by the football players that got into professional wrestling, that didn’t know a lot of holds and grips.
The traditional clothesline is often chained to other traditional clotheslines. It’s a nice way to infuse rope movement into a formerly grapple-heavy match, and also allow counters from those lucky enough to duck under said clothesline.
So, what they would do, they’ll hook their arm, take into their opponent’s upper chest area, not on the throat, and catch them.
And just the opponent’s weight coming forward, along with his force coming this way, it’s the old theory of an immovable object meets a moving object, you know, there’s going to be a crash.
Off the ropes, Mike throws him in, cocks his arm, throws it at Tommy’s upper torso, okay, as hard as he can, and Tommy’s force taking him forward will automatically propel his feet up in the air, which will force him down to the canvas.
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Now we’re going to go through at a little bit faster pace.
The maestro of all clotheslines, however, are those able to sell them.
In a previous post, I alluded to the ‘little things’ in pro wrestling that make it fantastic.
To this fan, there is perhaps no better move in all of professional wrestling than the sacred clothesline. It’s no wonder this seemingly simple, forearm under the chin maneuver is the move of choice for hot tag guys and gals.
Big shout-out to the short-arm clothesline, the decapitation of choice for the big guys/gals near the ropes. If timed correctly by both athletes, the short-arm is akin to watching a forearm magnum unleash its force.
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The corner clothesline, of course, adds shame to those unfortunately stunned in said corner. The flying big man knows no shame.
Luke Harper arguably perfected the rebound clothesline. The Romantic Touch is a sneaky good practitioner of this, in tandem.
Flying clotheslines - while rare - are brilliant went done right.
The near-perfect ACH clothesline flip upon impact. Gary Jay’s reckless hurling of himself to the far end of the ring.
Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names.
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Professional wrestlers frequently give their finishers new names. Professional wrestling contains a variety of punches and kicks found in martial arts and other fighting sports; the moves listed below are more specific to wrestling itself.
Many of the moves below can also be performed from a raised platform (the top rope, the ring apron, etc.); these are called aerial variations.
Variations of the Clothesline
There are several variations of the clothesline, each with its unique execution and impact:
- Jumping Clothesline (Flying Clothesline): Also known as a jumping clothesline or a flying clothesline, this move involves the attacking wrestler running toward an opponent, then leaping into the air before connecting with a clothesline. This variant's use is commonly associated with The Undertaker, The Rock, and Roman Reigns. Another version sees an attacking wrestler leap up into the air and connecting with a clothesline onto an opponent leaning against the corner turnbuckle.
- Three-Point Stance Clothesline: In this attack a wrestler uses a three-point stance, then runs and clotheslines the opponent.
Here are some other wrestling strikes:
- Body Avalanche: A maneuver that involves a wrestler attacking with the core of the body. The wrestler takes a short charge into an opponent in the corner of the ring without leaving the feet as they open both arms just before reaching the opponent, resulting in hitting with the chest and abdominal area while throwing both arms inward as in a bearhug, crushing the opponent into the turnbuckle. A variation innovated by, popularized by, and named after Sting. It involves the wrestler trapping the opponent in a corner.
- Lou Thesz Press: This move, originally called a flying body scissors, was innovated by, popularized and subsequently named after Lou Thesz, sees the attacking wrestler jumping toward a standing opponent, knocking them over their back, sitting on their waist and pinning them in a body scissors.
- Vertical Splash Body Press: Also known as vertical splash body press, this variation is made by a charging wrestler (usually standing on the second or top rope) against a standing opponent, landing on their chest and shoulders while remaining upright.
- Kesa Gatame: A downward diagonal attack to the side of the opponent's neck or shoulder. The words kesa and giri in Japanese mean "monk's sash" and "cut" respectively, and it is based on a legitimate defensive cut in traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
- Mongolian Chop: The wrestler draws a hand back and hits the opponent vertically, atop the head. This move is primarily used by very tall wrestlers such as The Great Khali and Andre the Giant. It is also known as the tomahawk chop when used as part of a Native American gimmick, ostensibly due to it resembling a tomahawking motion.
- Thumb Strike: A simple maneuver derived from the thumb chokehold having a wrestler drawing back a hand and striking the windpipe with only the thumb, sometimes while holding the opponent by the nape. Performed by wrestlers like Ernie Ladd. Others include Umaga who dubbed the move the Samoan Spike; the move would later be used by his nephew Solo Sikoa. Bad Luck Fale uses a variation, what is preceded by a choke-lift, called Grenade[1] Terry Gordy used this as a move alongside the Thumb choke hold which he dubbed the Oriental Spike.
- Double Axe Handle: Also known as a double sledge or polish hammer after its most noted user, Ivan Putski. It sets an attacking wrestler clutching both hands together, swinging them downward hitting usually the opponent's back, face, or top of the head. The many names of this move come from the attack mimicking the motion seen when people swing a sledgehammer or axe. The Wrestler performs a discus before clutching the hands together and delivering the double axe handle.
- Falling Kesa Giri Chop: The wrestler either falls forward, or jumps up and drops down, hitting a lying opponent with a kesagiri chop on the way down, usually landing in a kneeling position.
- Elbow Drop: A move in which a wrestler jumps or falls down on an opponent driving their elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body. A common elbow drop sees a wrestler raise one elbow before falling to one side and striking it across an opponent. This variation sees the wrestler raise one elbow before falling and simultaneously twisting around as falls to one side, striking the opponent with the elbow anywhere on the body. This is any elbow drop which is performed after applying a headlock, the most widely known variation is the inverted facelock elbow drop, in which a wrestler puts the opponent into an inverted facelock, and then turns 180°, dropping the elbow across the opponent's chest, driving them down to the mat. Another variation of this move sees the executor use the whole arm as a lariat instead of just the elbow, a side headlock from a jumping position variant can also be executed and twisted around into a sitout lariat.
- Fist Drop: A wrestler performs a series of theatrics before jumping or falling down, driving a fist usually to the opponent's forehead. There is a snapping variation called karate fist drop that can be performed in a series, setting the wrestler besides a fallen opponent in a front stance known as Zenkutsu dachi.
- Head Drop: A move setting an attacking wrestler jumping or falling down on an opponent, driving their head usually at the opponent's face or midsection. The most common variation sets the attacking wrestler standing at the fallen opponent's feet, taking them by the ankles to spread their legs.
- Knee Drop: A move in which a wrestler jumps/falls down on an opponent, driving their knee into anywhere on the opponent's body. It is often sold as more powerful if the wrestler bounces off the ropes first. Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Samoa Joe are examples of wrestlers who use this move.
- Leg Drop: A whole number of attacks in which a wrestler will jump/fall and land the back of their leg across an opponent's chest, throat, or face.
- Back Elbow: The wrestler faces away from the opponent, spins around to face away from the opponent and strikes the opponent's face with a back elbow. The wrestler faces toward the opponent, and strikes the front or back of the head with a full swinging back elbow. The move can be performed on an opponent who is kneeling and facing away.
- Falling Headbutt: Having the opponent rising up after lying in the mat, the wrestler crawls on all fours, bashing their head against the opponent's forehead, shoulder, or mid-section (often repeatedly).
- Running Knee Smash: An attack where the wrestler stands behind or in front of the opponent and smashes their knee into the opponent's back or head. It is also referred to as the Running Knee Smash. It was used by Shinsuke Nakamura as the Bomaye and Kinshasa. Kota Ibushi uses the Bomaye as a tribute to Nakamura.
- Go to Sleep (GTS): Sometimes abbreviated to GTS, this move sees a wrestler place an opponent in a fireman's carry to drop the opponent in front of them. While the opponent is falling, the wrestler quickly lifts the left knee up toward the opponent's face. Kenta, the innovator of the maneuver, also uses an inverted variation in which he lifts his opponent into an Argentine backbreaker rack, throwing the opponent forward and striking his knee in the back of the opponent's head, called Ura Go 2 Sleep (Ura means inverted). CM Punk popularized the regular variant. As of 2022, the move was used by Logan Paul. Matt Riddle uses this move, calling it Bro to Sleep. Another version sees the wrestler kick the opponent's face as done by Dakota Kai, who occasionally uses this move, calling it GTK (Go to Kick). There is also a variant of this move in which a wrestler holds up their opponent in an Argentine Backbreaker Rack and then pop them up like an inverted fireman's carry takeover but then does a knee lift to their opponent.
- High Knee: An attack in which a wrestler charges toward the opponent, then jumps up and raises a knee to hit the opponent, usually into the side of the head. This move has been closely associated with Harley Race, often being referred to as a "Harley Race High-Knee".
Clothesline vs. Lariat
For decades pro wrestling purists, smart marks, and jabronies have engaged in one of pro wrestling’s longest-running debates: is there a difference between a clothesline and a lariat?
Now don’t get me wrong; clotheslines and lariats share similarities that can make it easy for a casual wrestling viewer or even long-time fan of the art of pro wrestling to not be able to differentiate between the two.
But there is a difference between clotheslines and lariats, and that difference lies in the follow-through. Allow me to explain.
A clothesline is a move in which one wrestler runs towards another, extending their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground. The attacker’s arm then connects with their opponent in the neck or chest, knocking them over.
A lariat, on the other hand, is performed when an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent and wraps an arm around the opponent's upper chest or neck, forcing them to the ground.
The lariat is quite similar to the clothesline, is it not? The difference, however, is that when executing a clothesline the wrestler's arm is kept straight to their side during the move. When executing a lariat the attacking wrestler strikes their opponent with their arm often in a swinging motion and sometimes dropping face-first besides the opponent.
In short, a clothesline is akin to pushing someone over with an outstretched arm and momentum. A lariat is like throwing your whole arm at an opponent with all of your might like a haymaker punch!
Still not convinced there’s a difference between clotheslines and lariats? See? Similar but different!
Clotheslines are in many respects basic additions to any pro wrestler’s repertoire, a great staple move that can add to an opponent’s accumulated damage and even stop an opponent’s momentum. But a lariat? A lariat is a match-ender.
It’s a perfect finishing maneuver for a strong style (the shoot-based striking, grappling, and mixed martial arts-influence wrestling style most often associated with Puroresu, the homegrown predominant style of Japanese professional wrestling) or brawler-type wrestler.
Stan Hansen was a stiff brutal competitor in the ring. He was a brawler, lambasting his opponents with heavy strikes and slams. The man was also damn near blind. He had horrible eyesight, which is why he developed a physical close-quarters brawling style.
It’s because of his iffy eyesight that Hansen developed his Western Lariat. The Western Lariat is recognized as the original version of the Lariat maneuver, although not much is known about the accuracy of that statement.
I mean it makes sense: if your eyesight is a hot mess and you can’t always gauge that objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are then a maneuver that basically allows you to use your left arm to swing for the fences is not a bad way to go as far as match-ending maneuvers are concerned.
Stan Hansen threw his Western Lariat like someone throwing a haymaker punch with bad intentions in a boxing match. And the truth is if you watched the compilation of Western Lariats above, you can see they clearly landed like vicious haymaker punches across his opponents’ chins, necks, and sternums.
The Western Lariat is really the basis for practically every lariat you see in pro wrestling, from JBL to Satoshi Kojima to Tomohiro Ishii and everyone in between. And, as I said earlier, it’s all in the follow-through.
Notable Lariat Variations and Users
As with many pro wrestling maneuvers, there are quite a few variations of the lariat that have garnered great praise and have been staples of many wrestler’s repertoires over the years.
Ring technicians like Nigel McGuinness, brawlers like Hulk Hogan (when he wrestled in Japan earlier in his career), and hybrid athletes like Samoa Joe have utilized variations that brought them all great success.
Like Stan Hansen, both of the aforementioned gentlemen found a way to make a vicious move even more vicious by adding their unique twists that made the moves legitimate match-enders.
Here's a table summarizing the key differences between a clothesline and a lariat:
| Feature | Clothesline | Lariat |
|---|---|---|
| Arm Movement | Straight, extended from the side | Swinging, wrapping around the opponent |
| Impact | Pushing over with momentum | Throwing the arm like a haymaker punch |
| Usage | Staple move, adds accumulated damage | Match-ender, finishing maneuver |
Move name: Lariat
Created/innovated by: Unknown, but often attributed to Stan Hansen
Notable users of move: Kenta Kobashi, JBL, Satoshi Kojima, Tomohiro Ishii, Riki Choshu
Notable variations of the move:
- Kazuchika Okada - Rainmaker (Wrist Clutch Recoil Lariat)
- Nigel McGuinness - Rebound Lariat (Lariat delivered after rebounding off the middle rope)
- Hulk Hogan - Axe Bomber (Crooked Arm Lariat)
- Kenta Kobashi - Burning Lariat (standing strong lariat)
Stan Hansen, a notable user of the Lariat
Understanding the nuances of wrestling techniques like the clothesline and lariat enhances appreciation for the sport's complexity and the performers' skill.