![Matt Hardy Twist of Fate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Matt_Hardy_Twist_of_Fate.jpg)
In
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, a cutter is a
facelock 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 ...
maneuver. This move sees an attacking wrestler first apply a facelock (reaching back and grabbing the head of an opponent, thus pulling the opponent's jaw above the wrestler's shoulder) before falling backwards (sometimes after running forwards first) to force the opponent face-first to the mat below.
The cutter was innovated by
Johnny Ace
John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid 1950s. Alexander died of an accidental self-inflicted guns ...
, who called it the ''Ace Crusher''.
It was later popularized by
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. In the course of his wrestling career Page has wre ...
, who called it the ''Diamond Cutter'', which is where the move got its name. The cutter also formed the base for the later development of another professional wrestling move known as the
stunner.
Variations
Argentine cutter
The attacking wrestler gets the opponent in the Argentine backbreaker position as to execute the Argentine Backbreaker drop. The attacking wrestler then pushes the opponent's legs so that they flip horizontally 180 degrees. As the opponent's weight is being shifted to one side, the attacking wrestler applies the
facelock and drops the opponent.
Back suplex cutter
This variation sees the wrestler lift an opponent from behind as with a
belly to back suplex. Then, instead of falling backwards, the wrestler pushes the opponent's legs so that the opponent turns over in mid-air, so that they are now face-down and parallel to the ground. As the opponent falls, the wrestler reaches back and seizes the opponent's head in order to perform the cutter.
Crucifix cutter
In this version, the wrestler first lifts the opponent up in a crucifix hold before rotating them into the cutter. Another variation involves the opponent lifted in a reverse crucifix and dropped into the cutter. This particular version was innovated and popularized in America by
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) prom ...
, who called it the ''TommyHawk''.
Diving cutter
In this version, a wrestler dives from the top rope and nails a cutter to a standing opponent from the front. There is also a springboard version in which the wrestler dives from the ropes in a backflip position and delivers a cutter to the standing opponent.
Chris Bey
Chris Bey (born February 13, 1996) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with Impact Wrestling, where he is a former one-time X Division Champion. He is also known for his work on the independent scene. He has also made appearan ...
uses this move, calling it ''The Art of Finesse''.
Elevated cutter
![Desmond Wolfe's Tower of London](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Desmond_Wolfe%27s_Tower_of_London.jpg)
With an opponent placed on an elevated surface, a wrestler applies a
facelock and then draws the opponent away, leaving only the opponent's feet over the elevated surface. The wrestler then falls backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto the top of their head due to the angle at which they are dropped. The elevated cutter can also be performed as a double team maneuver, including several variations such as the
doomsday-style elevated cutter and the
3D. It is used by
Danny Burch
Martin Harris (born 31 December 1981) is an English professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand under the ring name Danny Burch. He is a former one time NXT Tag Team Champion with Oney Lorcan ...
and
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler.
He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
.
Fireman's carry cutter
Also known as the ''TKO'' (short for Total Knock Out), and innovated by
Marc Mero
Marc Mero (born July 9, 1960) is an American former amateur boxer and professional wrestler, as well as a motivational speaker. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under his real name and with ...
. It is another
elevated cutter
In professional wrestling, a cutter is a facelock neckbreaker maneuver. This move sees an attacking wrestler first apply a facelock (reaching back and grabbing the head of an opponent, thus pulling the opponent's jaw above the wrestler's sh ...
variation in which the opponent is first raised over the shoulders of a wrestler in the
fireman's carry
A firefighter's carry or firefighter's lift is a technique allowing one person to carry another person without assistance, by placing the carried person across the shoulders of the carrier. position. From here, the attacking wrestler twists the opposite way and quickly switches back, throwing the opponent's legs out backwards and drops down to the mat while taking hold of the opponent's head to force them to fall into a high impact cutter.
Nikki Bella
Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace (born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Bella, is an American professional wrestler and television personality. She is currently signed to WWE as an ambassador.
In 2007, Bella signed with WWE a ...
used this move, calling it ''Rack Attack 2.0''.
Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Andrews is also known for his appearances with Ring of ...
and
Sanada Sanada is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Asami Sanada (born 1977), Japanese voice actress
*, Japanese shogi player
* Juzo Sanada (1923–1994), Japanese baseball player
* Hiroki Sanada (born 1984), Japanese basebal ...
use this move, calling it ''TKO''.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
wrestler
Austin Theory
Austin White (born August 2, 1997) is an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Austin Theory and is the current WWE United States Champion in his ...
uses this move, calling it ''ATL'' while
Karl Anderson uses this move, naming it ''Swivel Gun Stun''. This move was also used by former FCW/NXT/WWE superstar
Alex Riley
Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and commentator best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Alex Riley. He was a participant in the second season of ''NXT''.
Professional wrestling ...
calling this move "You're Dismissed".
Forward somersault cutter
A standing variation of the
Diamond Dust
Diamond dust is a ground-level cloud composed of tiny ice crystals. This meteorological phenomenon is also referred to simply as '' ice crystals'' and is reported in the METAR code as IC. Diamond dust generally forms under otherwise clear or n ...
in which the attacking wrestler jumps forward into a somersault over a seated or kneeling opponent while applying an
inverted facelock, landing back-first with the opponent's face driven into the mat. A
stunner variation is also possible. This move was innovated by
Jason Kincaid
Jason Kincaid is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Evolve, Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) in Japan and Ring Of Honor. He is also known for competing on the United States independent scene and within the National Wrestl ...
, calling it ''Grave of the Fireflies''.
Jillian Hall
Jillian Faye Hall ( Fletcher; September 6, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE.
After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. She won numerous champ ...
used this move at one point.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
wrestler
Charlotte Flair
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive.
She is a second-genera ...
uses this move as her finisher, calling it ''Natural Selection''.
Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
during his tenure as "Stardust" used this move as a signature move.
Front facelock cutter
This cutter variation sees the wrestler first lock the opponent in a front facelock or an inverted front facelock. The wrestler then pivots 180° and catches the opponent in a
facelock with their free arm before falling down into the cutter. This move is commonly known as the ''Twist of Fate'', and is associated with
Jeff
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
and
or AND may refer to:
Logic, grammar, and computing
* Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses
* Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition
* Bitwise AND, a boolea ...
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
, as well as their former teammate,
Lita.
Handspring cutter
The wrestler performs a
handspring
Handspring may refer to:
*Handspring (company), a company that made personal digital assistants
*Handspring (gymnastics), a gymnastics move involving forward or backward rotation of the body
*Rising handspring or nip-up
A nip-up is an acrobatic ...
and, as they jump backwards, they grab their opponent in a
facelock and fall backwards, dropping the opponent face-first into the mat. It is used by
Penelope Ford
Olivia Hasler (born September 14, 1992), better known by the ring name Penelope Ford, is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling. She is also known for her work in Combat Zone Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career Comb ...
,
Fénix and
Jay Lethal
Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champio ...
.
Inverted suplex cutter
This variation sees the attacking wrestler execute an
inverted suplex lift on the opponent before bringing them down face first with the cutter. Also known as the ''Osaka Street Cutter''.
Jumping cutter
This cutter variation sees the wrestler jumping towards the opponent and grabbing the opponent's head in a
facelock while parallel to the ground, and then slamming the opponent's face to the mat in a cutter. This move is popularized by
Randy Orton as his finishing move called ''RKO.''
Karl Anderson and
Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Leone (born October 15, 1982) is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga (タマ・トンガ ''Tama Tonga''). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known a ...
use this variation, named the ''Gun Stun''.
Matt Riddle
Matthew Fredrick Riddle (born January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inactive due ...
has used the RKO since he started teaming with Randy Orton.
Over-the-shoulder cutter
Also known as a powerslam cutter, this variation sees the wrestler lifting the opponent onto their shoulders as in a
front powerslam. Then, as the opponent is on the shoulder, the wrestler holds the head of the opponent and jumps and slams the opponent face-first to the mat in a cutter. The
facebuster
A facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces their opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or facelock. A standard facebuster, als ...
variation also exists.
Over-the-shoulder flip cutter
Also known as an Yokosuka cutter. In this variation, the wrestler first lifts the opponent so that they are lying face up across one of the wrestler's shoulders, as in a
Canadian backbreaker rack
Backbreaker refers to a kind of professional wrestling move which sees a wrestler dropping an opponent so that the opponent's back impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee. The standard version of the ...
, before flipping the opponent over into the cutter. It is common for the wrestler to not properly apply the
facelock and the move to end up more in a
DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
position. The move was innovated by
Susumu Yokosuka
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Dragon Gate. He is not related to fellow Dragon Gate wrestler and long term ally/rival Masaaki Mochizuki, who debuted much earlier for WAR.
Professiona ...
and has since been used by several other wrestlers like
Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
and
Buddy Murphy
Matthew Adams (born 26 September 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Buddy Matthews as a member of the stable House of Black. He is best known for his time with WWE w ...
. This was also the finisher of former WCW and WWE Wrestler
Chuck Palumbo
Charles Palumbo (born June 15, 1971) is an Italian-American television personality, motorcycle and automotive designer/fabricator, home designer/builder, and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with professional w ...
as "Full Throttle".
Pop-Up cutter
The wrestler first pops the opponent up and then applies the
facelock and drops them into the cutter. It is used by
Sanada Sanada is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Asami Sanada (born 1977), Japanese voice actress
*, Japanese shogi player
* Juzo Sanada (1923–1994), Japanese baseball player
* Hiroki Sanada (born 1984), Japanese basebal ...
which is also called ''TKO''.
Rolling cutter
![Cross rhodes on gabriel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Cross_rhodes_on_gabriel.jpg)
This version of a cutter sees the wrestler place an opponent in an
inverted facelock, then spinning under the opponent while holding the facelock, twisting them into the cutter position. This move has two major variants. The first is an inward rolling cutter, in which the attacking wrestler rolls under the opponent while using their free arm to grab the opponent's nearest free arm or strikes their back in an upward motion to power the move, is widely referred to as the ''Roll of the Dice'' and was popularized in North America by
Reno
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
and
Christopher Daniels, the latter of whom calls it the ''Last Rites''.
Chris Hero also popularized the move as his finisher, called the ''Hero's Welcome''.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
wrestler
Cody
Cody may refer to:
People
*Cody (given name)
*Cody (surname)
* Cody (wrestler), a ring name of Cody Runnels
Places Canada
* Cody, British Columbia
United States
* Cody, Florida
* Cody (Duluth), Minnesota
* Cody, Missouri
* Cody, Nebraska
*Cody, ...
also uses this variation as a finisher, calling it ''Cross Rhodes''.
Damian Priest
Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judg ...
uses this move as his finisher, calling it ''The Reckoning''. A modified version which involves hoisting the opponent off their feet before beginning the spin has also been used by other wrestlers.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
wrestler
Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Bo Dallas. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bla ...
used this move, calling it ''Rollin' the Dice''.
The second major variation, which is known as an outward rolling cutter and referred to as a ''Whirling Dervish'' in Japan, sees the wrestler spin in the opposite direction while holding onto the opponent's free arm while twisting for leverage. This is used by
Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Leone (born October 15, 1982) is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga (タマ・トンガ ''Tama Tonga''). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known a ...
as the ''Tongan Twist''.
Running cutter
This variation occurs when the wrestler runs up to the distracted/stunned opponent, applies a
facelock while parallel to the ground, and then slams the opponent's face to the mat in a cutter.
Springboard cutter
This variation of the cutter occurs when the wrestler puts the opponent in the
facelock, then usually runs towards the ropes, then jumps onto the second or third rope to bounce off it, turning in the air to land the cutter. This move was popularized by
Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
, originally calling it the ''Acid Drop'', and later ''Dudley Dog'' in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
.
David Finlay uses this move as the ''Acid Drop.''
Another variation of this cutter, called ''Sliced Bread Number 2'', was popularized by
Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrest ...
. In this cutter the opponent and the attacker are in the corner, the attacker puts the opponent in the
facelock then runs up the turnbuckle, becoming vertical, then turns in mid-air to land the cutter. The move is similar to the
shiranui.
There is a variation where both wrestlers faces the ropes or turnbuckle. The attacking wrestler runs and jumps on the ropes and bounces back. As they fall, they catch the opponent into a facelock and drop them in the cutter. This variation is popularized by
Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
and is called the ''OsCutter''.
There also exists another variation where the attacking wrestler runs towards the ropes, then jumps onto the second or third rope to bounce off it, before applying the facelock to land the cutter. This variation is used by
Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
, who calls it the ''Cody Cutter''.
See also
*
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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutter (Professional Wrestling)
Professional wrestling moves