Neckbreaker

In professional wrestling a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponent’s neck.

One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee, head or shoulder. Many uses of the word "breaker" apply to this sort of action, including: Facebreaker, Backbreaker, etc.

The other type of neckbreaker is a slam technique in which the wrestler throws an opponent to the ground by twisting the opponent’s neck. This also refers to a back head slam where a wrestler drops to the mat while holding an opponent by their neck, without having to twist it.

Argentine neckbreaker
The wrestler lifts the opponent up so that he or she is laying across the wrestler's shoulders and hooks the opponent’s neck and leg. The wrestler releases the opponent’s legs and pushes the opponent’s body so that it swings out straight behind the wrestler's body. As the opponent’s body is moving out, the wrestler keeps hold to the opponent’s neck and falls down, executing a falling neckbreaker.

Arm trap neckbreaker
This version of a shoulder neckbreaker occurs when an attacking wrestler takes hold of an arm of an opponent, then moves to a back-to-back position, so that the opponent's arm hooks across and round the opponent's own head. At this point the attacking wrestler falls backwards to the ground, forcing the opponent's own arm to drag them to the mat.

In a straight jacket version of this move, often known as a Cross-arm neckbreaker, a wrestler can hold both arms across on opposite sides of the opponent's neck before dropping down, often in a seated position, to drag the opponent to the mat. The tag team Gymini have been known to use the double team version of a Cross-arm neckbreaker where they both trap one of the opponent's arms (crossing them over) calling it the Cross-Trainer.

Elevated neckbreaker
An elevated neckbreaker refers to any neckbreaker performed on an opponent who is held on an elevated position. Normally a wrestler places the opponent on the turnbuckle so that they face away from the ring. The wrestler takes hold of the opponent by their neck, and from this position performs many variations of the neckbreaker, like falling to a sitting or kneeling position, or just running forward and pulling the opponent away from the corner, and dropping them in a standard neckbreaker.

There are double team variations.

Elevated cradle neckbreaker
In this variation of a Muscle Buster, which focuses more of the attack on the neck, a wrestler holds his or her opponent upside-down, with both legs hooked and with the back of the opponent’s neck against the wrestler's shoulder, then drops to a kneeling or sitting position so that the opponent’s neck hits against the shoulder. It is usually performed against an opponent who is sitting on the top turnbuckle and facing the wrestler.

Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
A move in which the attacking wrestler performs a gutwrench and lifts the opponent so that their back rests across one of the wrestler's shoulders. The wrestler then reaches forward with both hands and grabs the opponent under the chin. At this point, the wrestler would drop down to the mat backwards, causing the opponent to drop from an elevated height and land on the back of their neck.

Flying neckbreaker
See flying neckbreaker.

Inverted facelock neckbreaker
Also known as a Inverted Facelock Backbreaker or Gator Buster, this is a move in which a wrestler places the opponent in an inverted facelock. The wrestler then drops to one knee while maintaining the hold, bending their other knee in the process, and driving the back of the opponent’s neck and upper spine down on to the bent knee. In USA, Shane McMahon uses a variation of the move.

Front flip neckbreaker
This kind of neckbreaker slam sees the attacking wrestler take hold of an opponent's head before while performing a somersault, using the momentum of the front flip to twist the opponent's head/neck to force them to be thrown over back-first onto the mat.

Inverted neckbreaker
See Cutter (professional wrestling)

Neckbreaker drop
See lariat takedown.

Neckbreaker slam
Also known as a Falling neckbreaker. This move sees the attacking wrestler stands back to back with their opponent, then reaches over their shoulder and seizes the opponent by the back of their neck or head. The wrestler then falls to their back while maintaining the hold, dragging the opponent down with them to drive their back into the ground. This move is often used by a wrestler who ducks under an attempted attack by the opponent, e.g. a clothesline, and is thus back to back with their opponent.

A slight (but common) variation of this, also known as a Jumping neckbreaker, sees the attacking wrestler jump up after seizing the opponent's head so that they fall to the mat from a greater elevation and with more force.

Reverse Twist of Fate
Another variation on the standard neckbreaker slam sees the wrestler begin by applying an inverted facelock, then pivoting 180 degrees to pull down on the opponent's neck forcing both wrestlers to the ground. It was popularized by Lita and Jeff Hardy, sometime under the name Extreme Twist of Fate or Reverse of Fate as Lita called it on Heat, and was later passed on from Lita to Christy Hemme.

Neck snap
Popularized by Curt Hennig the attacking wrestler stands behind and facing a sitting opponent before then running toward them and performing a somersault over them. As the wrestler falls, they reach grabs the opponent by the back of the head or neck, jerking the opponent's neck forwards and downwards as they drop to the mat.

John Cena performs a variation of the move, which he calls the Throwback in which the opponent is bent forwards (presumably from a kick or just getting up) and Cena flips them, jerking the head and delivering an inverted neckbreaker.

Overdrive
This is a version of a swinging neckbreaker where the attacking wrestler would use a leg rather than hands to perform the twist. With the opponent bent forwards (presumably from a kick or just getting up), the wrestler would hook his or her inside leg over the opponent's head, grabbing the nearer of the opponent's arms. The wrestler leans back before falling to hands and knees as the opponent is spun around, neck landing on the inside of the wrestler's knee.

Inverted overdrive
A move described as a Reverse Overdrive is another version of a swinging neckbreaker, in which the attacking wrestler would use a leg (in this case a knee) rather than hands to perform the twist. In this move a wrestler would first place one knee (the one closest to an opponent) against the base of the opponent's neck, who is leaning forward, while underhooking one of the opponent's arms (the furthest one) before falling backwards down to the mat as the opponent is spun over, landing neck-first on the attacking wrestler's knee.

Shoulder neckbreaker
Also known as a Hangman's neckbreaker. From a back-to-back position, the attacking wrestler reaches back and pulls the opponent's head over their shoulder, then drops to a sitting/kneeling position, causing the back of the opponent's neck to impact on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler.

This move is similar to the neckbreaker slam which sees both wrestlers fall to their backs with the opponent's neck being forced down to the mat instead of onto the attacking wrestler's shoulder.

Gory neckbreaker
This elevated shoulder neckbreaker, also known as a Gory driver, first sees the attacking wrestler lift an opponent into a position where the opponent and the wrestler are back to back with the opponent's head pulled across the shoulder of the attacking wrestler and their legs hooked over the wrestler's legs (the Gory special). From this position the attacking wrestler drops to a sitting or kneeling position, driving the back of the opponent's neck into the shoulder of the attacking wrestler and the knees of the opponent into the mat, this move is so devastating that is usually knocks the opponent out momentarily allowing the wrestler to get the 3 count. This move can also see the opponent's neck placed over the attacking wrestler's head instead of their shoulder. In WWE this move has been made famous by Victoria and has used it on many other WWE divas including Mickie James, Torrie Wilson, Ashley Massaro, Trish Stratus and more.

Swinging neckbreaker
The attacking wrestler applies a front facelock while he places their heads side by side under each other shoulder and uses their free hand to grab hold of the opponent's far hand before then swinging over the opponent and down to the ground, in a semi-circular motion, so that both the wrestler and the opponent fall to the ground back-first causing the back of the opponent's neck to impact on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler.

One variation, known as a neckbomb, sees the attacking wrestler fall to a seated position slaming the opponent's neck into the mat between their legs.

Another version that sees the attacking wrestler swing inward, throwing the opponent over and to the ground, is often referred to as a (standing) Whiplash.

Whiplash
The standard (elevated) whiplash first sees the attacking wrestler raise an opponent off the ground, often using a suplex lift, to place the opponent's leg on the top ring rope so that they are face-down while the wrestler holds them in a front facelock, keeping their heads side by side under each other shoulder, making the wrestler the only other thing than the ring ropes keeping the opponent off the ground. At this point the attacking wrestler swings inward as they dive to the ground, twisting on the opponent's neck and in the process lifting the opponent's entire body off the rope, driving their neck and shoulders into the ground.

The standing whiplash version of this move is in a style similar to that of a swinging neckbreaker which sees an attacking wrestler perform the move even though the opponent is not elevated. Users of the elevated version will often utilize the standing one as well.

There is also a double team version of this move.

Another slight variation of the (standing) whiplash move sees the attacking wrestler hook both the opponent’s legs while keeping both their heads side by side under each other shoulder before then performing the whiplash. This double fisherman (standing) whiplash is often known as the Muscle Twister.