A stunner is a common term 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 ...
referring to the
¾ facelock jawbreaker maneuver. The innovator of the move has been disputed, as both
Mikey Whipwreck
John Michael Watson (born June 4, 1973), better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler working for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a trainer, and global ambassador. He is best known for his career w ...
(who called it the ''Whippersnapper'') and
Michael P.S. Hayes
Michael Seitz (born March 29, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." ("Purely Sexy") Hayes and for his role as an announ ...
(who called it the ''9-1-1'') have both claimed to be behind the origin of the move. The move was named for Stone Cold Steve Austin's ''Stone Cold Stunner''
finisher, a finisher suggested to him by Hayes. It involves an attacking wrestler applying a three-quarter facelock (reaching back and grabbing the head of an opponent, thus pulling the opponent's jaw above the wrestler's shoulder) before falling to a seated position and forcing the opponent's jaw (but predominantly the opponent's neck) to drop down on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. The free hand is sometimes used to hold the top of the head.
Types
Backpack stunner
Also known as a piggyback stunner, in this elevated stunner variation, the opponent is first raised up in a
piggy-back position. From here, the attacking wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock and drops down to a seated position while still holding the opponent's head to force them to fall into the stunner. Used by
Ryback
Ryback Allen Reeves (né Ryan; born November 10, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Ryback.
One of the eight finalists on WWE's '' Tough Enough 4'', Reeves l ...
and
Eddie Edwards.
Diving corkscrew stunner
Ember Moon
Adrienne Reese (born August 31, 1988) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Athena. She also appears in AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where she is the current ROH Wo ...
's version of the stunner is called the "Eclipse". It is when the wrestler launches themselves off the top rope and does a corkscrew rotation. After completing the corkscrew, whilst still in mid-air the attacking wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock to the opponent whilst falling down to a seated position to complete the stunner.
Elevated stunner
With an opponent placed on an elevated surface, a wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock and then draws the opponent away, leaving only the opponent's feet over the elevated surface. The wrestler then falls to a seated position so that the opponent is forced to dive forward across the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. This is believed to have more impact due to the angle of which the opponent is dropped
Falling stunner
This version of the stunner is used as a counter to an opponent attempting a move that involves lifting the wrestler with a
front facelock such as a
vertical suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs.
Professional wrestling featu ...
. The wrestler, prior to being lifted by the opponent, jumps on off the mat to gain the momentum needed to preform a front flip causing the opponent to turn 180 degrees or a corkscrew to keep them in place escaping the opponent's hold to catch them in a three-quarter facelock while airborne and falls into a seated position to perform the move.
Orange Cassidy
James Cipperly (born May 4, 1984), better known by his ring name Orange Cassidy, is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW All-Atlantic Champion ...
uses this move as a signature calling it the ''Stun Dog Millionaire''.
Fireman's carry stunner
Also known as the ''Total Knock Out'' or ''TKO'' for short, this is an elevated stunner 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 throws the legs of the opponent out backwards and drops down to the mat while taking hold of the opponent's head to force them to fall into the stunner. The name originally referred to the
cutter variation. The name has since been used to refer to both types.
Forward somersault stunner
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 first holds an opponent in an
inverted facelock before then jumping forwards to somersault over the opponent, landing in a seated position with the opponent's head driven into the wrestler's shoulder.
Front facelock stunner
In this variation, the wrestler first applies a front facelock, before pivoting 180 degrees to bring themselves into the three-quarter facelock position and dropping down to a sitting position, forcing the opponent's jaw to drop down on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler.
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
Rebecca Hardy use the variant, also called the ''Twist of Fate'', along with the better known
cutter variation.
Inverted suplex stunner
This variation sees the wrestler apply an
inverted facelock on an opponent before hooking their tights and lifting them straight up in the air so that they are upside down. The wrestler then lets the opponent's body fall backwards over their shoulder as in an
inverted suplex, and when the opponent's feet lands on the mat, the wrestler drops to a seated position to force the opponent's jaw to drop down on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. Innovated by
Super Delfin.
Jumping stunner
Similar in execution to a
jumping cutter, this version sees an attacking wrestler crouch in front of the opponent, then jump up and grab the opponent in a three-quarter facelock and drop down into a stunner.
Rolling stunner
This version sees an attacking wrestler first place an opponent (who is in front of them) in an inverted facelock before rolling themselves under the opponent, turning both wrestlers over so that the opponent can be dropped into the stunner.
Frankie Kazarian
Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. In addition, Kazarian also performs for Impact Wrest ...
uses this move as a finisher, calling it "Ace of Spades".
Running stunner
Similar in execution to a
running cutter, the running stunner is where the attacking wrestler runs to an opponent who is distracted and grab the opponent in a three-quarter facelock and drop down into a stunner. Briefly used by
Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...
in 2007.
Springboard stunner
This variation sees the attacking wrestler jump onto the ropes, followed by the wrestler springboarding off the ropes back into the opponent and hitting the stunner. The move has been used by
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
. There is also a corkscrew variation that is used as a finisher by
Flip Gordon
Travis Gordon Lopes Jr. (born December 12, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling under the name Flip Gordon.
Professional wrestling career Early career
Gordon trained under Brian Fury and the New England Pro Wrestlin ...
, calling it the Star-Spangled Stunner.
Lio Rush
Lionel Gerard Green (born November 11, 1994), better known by the ring name Lio Rush, is an American professional wrestler and musician currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Chaos stable. He has also a ...
uses the bottom rope version for a shorter WWE superstar like him.
Stone Cold stunner
The true Stone Cold stunner as popularized and stated by
Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
, always involves a
boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is c ...
to the gut before the three-quarter facelock is applied.
Kevin Owens
Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens.
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in lat ...
has also used this variation as a finisher.
Suplex counter stunner
As its name suggests, this stunner is used as a counter to the vertical suplex. The variant starts off with the attacking wrestler being lifted up in a vertical suplex. Once the wrestler is lifted off of their feet, the attacking wrestler shifts their body around and applies the three-quarter facelock before dropping down to complete the stunner. 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
Orange Cassidy
James Cipperly (born May 4, 1984), better known by his ring name Orange Cassidy, is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW All-Atlantic Champion ...
as the ''Stun-Dog Millionaire.''
Tilt-a-whirl stunner
Often used as a counter to the
tilt-a-whirl backbreaker
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 ...
, this variant sees the attacking wrestler in the
Tilt-a-whirl position, but instead of being lifted and slammed onto a knee or into the mat, the attacker reaches back and applies a three-quarter facelock before falling to a seated position, with the opponent's jaw impacting with the shoulder of the wrestler. British independent wrestler Lana Austin uses this move as a finisher, calling it ''Kiss of Death''. Other variation sees the attacker tilt-a-whirl their opponent and then dropping them in the stunner.
Vertical suplex stunner
This elevated stunner first sees the attacking wrestler apply a front facelock, hook the opponent's near arm over their shoulder and lift them as for a standard vertical suplex. However, in mid-move, the attacking wrestler forces the opponent to turn 180 degrees and then apply the three-quarter facelock, forcing the opponent to drop down with their jaw across the attacking wrestler's shoulder as they fall to a seated position to hit the stunner. Innovated and popularized by
Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ex ...
as the Shotgun Stunner.
R-Truth
Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand under the ring name R-Truth.
Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now ...
uses this move too; he calls it the Truth or Consequences.
Wheelbarrow stunner
Often used as a counter to the
wheelbarrow facebuster, this variant sees the attacking wrestler in the
wheelbarrow position, but instead of being lifted and slammed into the mat, the attacker reaches back and applies a three-quarter facelock before falling to a seated position, with the opponent's jaw impacting with the shoulder of the wrestler.
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 ...
Notes
{{Stone Cold Steve Austin
Professional wrestling moves