
Backbreaker refers to a kind of
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
move which sees a wrestler dropping an opponent so that the opponent's
back
The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral c ...
impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
. The standard version of the move sees the wrestler scoop their opponent horizontally before dropping to one knee, slamming the opponent's back on their other knee.
Variations
Argentine backbreaker rack

This
submission hold, better known as a Torture Rack or simply a rack, sees the attacking wrestler carrying the opponent face-up across his own shoulders, before hooking the opponent's head with one hand and a leg with the other to then pull down on both ends to
hyperextend the opponent's back and force a
submission
Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
. Wrestler
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
was famous for using it as a
finisher. Former WWF Superstar
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
even used this move as a finisher, along with a Full Nelson Submission Hold.
A
backbreaker drop variation of this submission move sees the attacking wrestler first hold an opponent up for the Argentine backbreaker rack before dropping to the mat in a sitting or kneeling position, thus flexing the opponent's back with the impact of the drop. Another version sees the wrestler hold their opponent in the Argentine backbreaker rack before dropping into a sitting or kneeling position while simultaneously throwing the opponent off their shoulders, causing the opponent to roll in midair and fall to the mat in a face-down position.
Nikki Bella has used both variations as a finisher in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
.
A variation of the Argentine backbreaker rack, known as the ''La Reinera'', sees the opponent held across the wrestler's
upper back rather than his shoulders/neck. Often set up by a
tilt-a-whirl, the opponent ends up suspended with one arm hooked behind and both legs hooked by the wrestler's other arm.
Rolando Vera was credited with inventing the move.
Another Argentine backbreaker rack variation called the ''La Atlántida'', favored by Mexican ''
luchador''
Atlantis
Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
, sees the attacking wrestler holding the opponent across the shoulders and behind the head in a
side-lying position facing towards the rear, then pulling down on the head and one leg to laterally bending the opponent.
A variation of the ''La Atlántida'', sometimes known as the "Accordion Rack", sees the opponent held similarly in a side-lying position facing the rear across the attacking wrestler's shoulders, but with the opponent's
lower back curvature directly behind the wrestler's head, and instead of pulling downwards the wrestler will
chest fly forward to bend the opponent, sometimes to the point that the opponent's heel touches the head. However, this move is mainly limited to opponents with great
flexibility
Stiffness is the extent to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force.
The complementary concept is flexibility or pliability: the more flexible an object is, the less stiff it is.
Calculations
The stiffness, k, of a ...
. It was utilized by wrestlers like
Awesome Kong.
Backbreaker drop
A backbreaker move in which the wrestler lifts an opponent up into an
Argentine backbreaker or an
overhead gutwrench backbreaker rack, so the opponent's back is resting on the wrestler's shoulder, with the opponent's head pointing in the direction that the wrestler is facing. The attacking wrestler then drops to a kneeling or sitting position while maintaining the hold, thus jarring the back of the opponent by driving the opponent's spine into the attacking wrestler's shoulder. TNA wrestler
Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
Religion
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
* Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
used the Argentine version called the ''Shock Treatment''.
Belly-to-back backbreaker
The wrestler stands behind the opponent and puts their head under the opponent's arm, as in a
belly-to-back suplex, but raises a knee and brings the opponent back down, so that the opponent's back collides with the knee of the wrestler. The move was popularized by
Billy Robinson.
Tatsumi Fujinami calls this the ''Dragon Backbreaker''.
Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Alexander worked for ROH ...
uses a double knee version called the ''Lumbar Check''.
Canadian backbreaker rack

Also known technically as the overhead gutwrench backbreaker rack, this sees an attacking wrestler first lift an opponent up so the opponent's back is resting on the wrestler's shoulder, with the opponent's head pointing in the direction that the wrestler is facing. The wrestler then links their arms around the face-up opponent's torso and presses down, squeezing the opponent's spine against the wrestler's shoulder.
Hulk Hogan
Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
used this move as a finisher early into his WWF career. A common variant of this hold has the attacking wrestler also apply a
double underhook before or after lifting the opponent. This was used by
Colt Cabana as the ''Colt .45''. The double underhook variant is often seen when the hold is used to transition to another maneuver, such as a
backbreaker drop or
inverted powerbomb.
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with the WWE, World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Sammartin ...
famously used this move on his opponents.
Catapult backbreaker
The catapult throw typically starts with the attacking wrestler standing and facing the opponent, who is lying on their back. The wrestler hooks each of the opponent's legs in one of their arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes, etc. At this point the attacking wrestler will remain on the ground and raise their knees while still holding the opponent's legs. The rebounding opponent will instantly trip, falling backwards onto the raised knees of the wrestler. In another method, the wrestler performs a catapult and raises the knees prematurely so that the opponent is draped over the knees without an actual launch.
Chokeslam backbreaker
The wrestler performing the move stands in front of and slightly to the side of the opponent receiving it. The wrestler then reaches out and grabs the opponent's throat and trunks, and lifts them in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a
chokeslam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat, the wrestler kneels, slamming the opponent's back onto their extended knee. This move is popularly known as a chokebreaker, which is a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of this move's technical name.
Baron Corbin uses this move calling it the ''Blood Moon''.
Cobra clutch backbreaker
This move involves an attacking wrestler first putting an opponent in a
cobra clutch hold before lifting the opponent up while maintaining the hold (turning them in mid-air so they are horizontal) and bringing them down while the wrestler drops to a knee, so that the opponent impacts back-first on the knee of the attacking wrestler, all while the wrestler maintains the hold. The attacking wrestler can continue the hold after impact for a cobra clutch submission attempt. It was used by
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
as finishing move on rare occasions.
Double knee backbreaker
Also known as a lung blower, this technique involves an attacking wrestler going behind an opponent and putting both of their hands around the opponent's head for a
rear chin lock or on both of the opponent's shoulders while jumping up to place both knees against the opponent's back. Both wrestlers then fall backward to the ground, forcing the wrestler's knees to push up into the back of the opponent. This move can be done from a variety of transition holds, including a
powerbomb transition and a vertical suplex transition.
First popularised by
Carlito as the ''Backstabber'', his brother
Primo and cousin
Epico would also use that move under the same name.
Sasha Banks
Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to:
People
* Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha
Musicians
* Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter
* Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
uses this move before delivering her ''Banks Statement'' submission move.
Roderick Strong uses a vertical suplex transition version called the ''End of Heartache''.
Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa () and ...
uses a powerbomb transition called ''Project Ciampa''.
Liv Morgan has used this move since 2022.
Somersault double knee backbreaker
This move sees the attacker running to a opponent whose hunched over facing them. The attacker then jumps up and in the process grabs onto the stomach of the opponent which forces the opponents back onto the knees of the attacker.
Dakota Kai uses this as her finisher and calls it the ''Kairopractor''.
Double foot backbreaker
Liv Morgan invented this variation of backbreaker in 2021. She performs it by standing behind her opponent by holding both her wrists and forcing both her feet on her opponent's back pushing her, mostly face-first on the top turnbuckle. Liv is the only user of this backbreaker variation till now.
Double underhook backbreaker
Made famous by
Tiger Mask as the ''Tiger Bomb''. An attacking wrestler stands facing a bent over opponent and
hooks each of the opponent's arms behind the opponent's back, then lifts the opponent as if executing a
Tiger Bomb. However, as the attacker drops the opponent back down, they raise a knee and bring the opponent back down horizontally, so their back collides with the knee of the attacking wrestler.
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
used this move, calling it the ''Welcome to Chicago Motherfucker''.
Io Shirai also uses this move.
Fireman's carry backbreaker
The attacker lifts the opponent on their shoulders in a fireman's carry, then flips them over so their back lands on the top of their knee. A variation to this move is performed similar to how an
Ushigoroshi is performed instead by driving a knee into the upper back.
Full nelson backbreaker
The attacking wrestler stands behind the opponent and locks them in a
full nelson before lifting the opponent, as if to perform a
full nelson slam, but as the wrestler drops down the opponent, they slam the opponent back-first against their exposed knee.
Half nelson backbreaker
The attacking wrestler stands behind the opponent and locks in a
half nelson before lifting the opponent, as if to perform a
half nelson slam, but as the wrestler brings the opponent down to the mat, they drop to one knee, slamming the opponent's back across their extended knee.
Hair-pull backbreaker (Head-pull backbreaker)
This move is performed behind the opponent. The wrestler grabs the opponent by the hair (or by the head if the opponent is bald or if the attacking wrestler is a clean performer) and pulls them back, so the opponent's back lands on the wrestler's knee. In a variation of this move, the wrestler faces the opponent, grabs them by the hair, twists around so the wrestler and opponent are back to back, and then the wrestler pulls the opponent's hair down, driving their back into the wrestler's knee.
Katie Lea Burchill used both variations as her finisher.
Michelle McCool used this move as a finisher called ''Final Exam''.
Alexa Bliss also uses this move.
Spinning inverted facelock lariat backbreaker

First the wrestler holds the opponent in an inverted facelock and then the wrestler spins around and delivers a lariat onto their knee. This was invented by
Hirooki Goto as the ''GTR'' (''Go To Revolution'').
Spinning inverted facelock lariat double knee backbreaker
Similar to the spinning inverted facelock lariat backbreaker, this move starts with an inverted facelock then sees the attacker fall onto their back while performing a lariat so the opponent is pushed onto the attackers knees.
This move was popularized by
Angelina Love who used it as her finisher in
Impact Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
and called it ''break a bitch''.
Inverted headlock backbreaker

Used by
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
. This move sees the attacking wrestler stand behind the opponent and place one arm around the opponent's neck. The attacker then turns 180° so they are back to back and bends forward, pulling the opponent across their own back, before dropping down to their knees and jarring the opponent's back.
Inverted three-quarter facelock backbreaker
Can be also known as an inverted three-quarter facelock neckbreaker, or more commonly known as neckbreaker (slam) backbreaker. The wrestler stands beside the opponent facing either side, catches the opponent's neck from behind with both hands (as seen primarily before falling into a
neckbreaker slam), and then forces the opponent's neck down, simultaneously extending a knee so they lands the opponent's back into the knee.
Mat backbreaker
The attacking wrestler stands behind an opponent, grabbing them by their head or hair to seemingly perform a standard
mat slam. However, as the wrestler pulls the opponent backwards down to the mat, the wrestler kneels down, driving the opponent's back into the wrestler's exposed knee. If the wrestler uses the opponent's hair to pull them back onto the wrestler's exposed knee it is known as a
hair pull backbreaker.
Pendulum backbreaker
This basic backbreaker involves a wrestler standing side-to-side and slightly behind the opponent, with the opponent facing in the same direction, then reaching around the opponent's torso with one arm across the opponent's chest and under both arms and placing the other arm under the opponent's legs, as if they were performing a
sidewalk slam. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up, bringing their legs off the ground, and dropping them back-first against the wrestler's knee. The pendulum backbreaker can also be done by spinning around and then dropping the opponent onto the knee. The move was most famously used by
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and trainer.
Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AW ...
and
Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
, the latter of which used it as one of his "
Five Moves of Doom".
Backbreaker submission
This basic backbreaker submission involves the wrestler laying the opponent's back across one knee, then, while placing one hand on the opponent's chin and the other on their knee, the wrestler pushes down to bend the opponent around their knee. This move is usually performed at the end of a
pendulum backbreaker, a move which sees a wrestler drop an opponent down on the wrestler's knee, thus weakening the back before the hold is applied, as well as setting the opponent in a proper position. An Argentine backbreaker rack variation of the move is used by
Ezekiel Jackson known as the ''Torture Rack'' and
Gunner during his TNA tenure known as the ''Gunner Rack''.
Russian legsweep backbreaker
This backbreaker variation sees the wrestler standing beside the opponent, slightly behind them. Then, the wrestler wraps one arm around the opponent's back/neck, catches the opponent's neck, and forces the opponent down in a Russian legsweep style and simultaneously extends a knee. The maneuver results in the opponent's neck or back being slammed against the wrestler's knee.
Side slam backbreaker
The wrestler first stands side-to-side and slightly behind the opponent, facing in the opposite direction, before reaching around the opponent's torso with one arm across the opponent's chest and under both arms, lifting them in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a
side slam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat, the attacking wrestler kneels, slamming the opponent's back across their extended knee. This type of variation is used by
Sheamus, who dubbed it the ''Irish Curse''.
A
swinging side slam variation sees the attacking wrestler first scoop the opponent horizontally across their chest before swinging them to their side and dropping the opponent back first on their knee.
STO backbreaker
The attacking wrestler stands facing the opponent, then puts one of their arms across the opponent's chest holding their shoulder. The attacking wrestler then sweeps the legs of the opponent in the fashion of an
STO, but brings their knee forward so the opponent falls back-first onto it. There is also an arm trap version that sees an attacking wrestler take hold of one of the opponent's arms and then move to a slightly front to back position, so that the opponent's arm hooks across and round the opponent's own head. At this point, the attacking wrestler kneels forward to the ground, forcing the opponent's own arm to drag them to the attacker's exposed knee.
Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker
The attacking wrestler stands facing the opponent, who is often charging at the attacker, before bending the opponent down so they are bent in front of the attacking wrestler as they stands over them. Then the wrestler reaches around the opponent's body and lifts them up,
spinning the opponent in front of the wrestler's body. As the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat, the wrestler kneels, slamming the opponent's back across the extended knee. In
Lucha libre
''Lucha libre'' (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has develope ...
, it is known as the ''Quebradora Con Giro''.
See also
*
Professional wrestling holds
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a Submission wrestling, submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ri ...
*
Professional wrestling throws
Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes also called "power" maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrest ...
References
{{Wrestling Moves
Professional wrestling moves