Brainbuster

A Brainbuster, also known as an Avalanche Suplex, is a wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto his/her back so that the opponent lands on his/her head while remaining vertical.

The Western "Brainbuster" is known as the Vertical Brainbuster in Japan, where "Brainbuster" refers to a vertical suplex.

It is disputed whether a Brainbuster is a suplex variant or a high lifting spike DDT.

Belly to Back Brainbuster
See High angle belly to back suplex

Cradle brainbuster
Also known as a Cradle DDT or a Belly to belly brainbuster. The wrestler stands facing a standing opponent and then wraps both arms around the opponent's torso, lifting them off the ground. The wrestler then shifts their grip so they are holding the opponent by their legs, gripping the opponent behind the knee. The wrestler then removes one arm from the opponent’s leg and quickly applies a front facelock with that arm. The wrestler then falls backwards, driving the opponent’s head into the ground.

Double underhook brainbuster
This move, which was innovated by The Great Sasuke who called it the Michinoku Driver (not to be confused with a move that shares a similar name), sees a wrestler first face an opponent and apply a double underhook before then lifting the opponent upside down and falling backwards down to the mat onto his back, driving the opponent head first down to the mat.

Fisherman brainbuster
A Fisherman brainbuster, sometimes shortened to Fisherman buster and also known as a Leg hook brainbuster is a variation of the brainbuster in which the wrestler will hook the opponent’s near leg with their free arm to aid in lifting them off the ground. With the opponent elevated, the wrestler will then throw themselves backwards, landing on their back and driving the head of the opponent into the ground.

Cross-legged fisherman brainbuster
A Fisherman brainbuster variation in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock and uses his/her free arm to go under the opponent's near leg and hook the far one. After lifting him/her off the ground, the wrestler then jumps up and falls down on his/her back, slamming his/her opponent down to the mat headfirst.

Wrist-clutch fisherman brainbuster
This variation sees a wrestler apply a front facelock with the near arm of the opponent draped over their shoulder while the opponent's far arm is pulled through their legs so it is behind the knee of their near leg. Grabbing hold of the opponent's wrist, the wrestler uses this position to create a loop while hooking the near leg. They then lift the opponent up into the air before falling to their back, slamming the opponent to the ground on the back of their head/neck.

Cross-legged wrist-clutch fisherman brainbuster
This is a fusion of the Cross-legged fisherman brainbuster and the Wrist-clutch fisherman brainbuster. The wrestler applies a front facelock with the near arm draped over their shoulder while the wrestler hooks the furtherest leg and grabs the opponents free arm. Then the wrestler will lift him up into the air before falling to their back, driving the on their head/neck.

Inverted brainbuster
The wrestler begins behind and facing a standing opponent. The wrestler then pulls the head of the opponent back and applies an inverted facelock to the opponent with one arm. The wrestler then places his/her other arm under the lower back of the opponent, then uses that arm to elevate the opponent until they are vertical. The wrestler then jumps up and falls down on his/her back, driving the head of the opponent to the mat. Tyler Black innovated a version where he corkscrews his opponent as he does it and its called the Paroxysm.

Jumping brainbuster
Also known as a Brainbuster DDT or a Spike brainbuster. Instead of just falling down onto his/her own back, the attacking wrestler jumps up and uses his momentum to drive the opponent down onto the top of their head. This move was popularized by Shinya Hashimoto.

Scoop brainbuster
Known in Japan as the Northern Lights Bomb. This move sees the wrestler put the opponent in a front facelock, scoop one the opponents thighs with his free hand, lift him upside down, and then drop to his side or back, driving the opponent to the mat on his neck and shoulders, or on the top of his head. Innovated by Akira Hokuto. This move was also used by Al Snow and dubbed it as the Snow Plow.

Manami Toyota uses a variation, where she puts her opponent into a cut-throat position (she would hold the far arm of the opponent across the opponent's own throat, and maintain it by holding the opponent's wrist) and performs the brainbuster.She calls this variation Japanese Ocean Queen Bee Bomb.

Twisting brainbuster
Also known as a Revolution brainbuster in Japan, this brainbuster is performed when the wrestler delivering the maneuver twists his body while holding the opponent in the upwards position, usually dropping their opponent during the rotation. For some reason, many wrestlers do not seem to take this move as a head drop, opting to take it as a suplex bump. Three wrestlers who employ this move are Yoshinobu Kanemaru of Pro Wrestling NOAH, Masaaki Mochizuki of Dragon Gate and Yugi Nagata of New Japan Pro Wrestling, each calling it the Touch Out, the Twister Drop and the Thunder Death Driver respectively.