Cutter (professional wrestling) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

, a cutter is a common term that refers to the three-quarter facelock bulldog maneuver. The move is also described as an inverted neckbreaker

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...

, though it is not one, it only bears an inverted style to it. This move sees an attacking wrestler first apply 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 backwards (sometimes after running forwards first) to force the opponent face-first to the mat below.

The cutter was originally used by Johnny Ace

John Laurinaitis

John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...

, who called it the Ace Crusher, and by Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter, from where the term "cutter" is now derived. The Diamond Cutter was also used by former basketball player Karl Malone

Karl Malone

Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...

during his time at WCW

World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

.

The cutter also formed the base for the later development of another professional wrestling move known as the stunner

Stunner (professional wrestling)

A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...

. This variant sees an attacking wrestler apply the facelock but, instead of falling to their back, this wrestler drops to a seated position, dropping an opponent's jaw across the shoulder of the wrestler.

Argentine backbreaker cutter

The attacking wrestler gets his opponent in the Argentine backbreaker position as to execute the Argentine Backbreaker drop. The attacking wrestler then pushes his opponents legs so that he flips horizontally 180 degrees. As his opponents weight is being shifted to one side, the attacking wrestler applies the three-quarter facelock and drops his opponent. This move is also performed fairly quickly but can be delayed if the attacking wrestler is executing the move on a cruiserweight/lightweight opponent.

Elevated cutter

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 backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto the top of their head due to the angle of which they are dropped. The elevated cutter can also be performed as a double team maneuver including several variations including the doomsday-style elevated cutter or the 3D.

Fireman's carry cutter

It is also known as the TKO, short for Total Knock Out is another elevated cutter variation in which the opponent is first raised over the shoulders of a wrestler in the fireman's carry position. From here, the attacking wrestler twists the opposite way and quickly switches back throwing the legs of the opponent out backwards and drops down to the mat while taking hold of the opponent's head to force him to fall into a high impact cutter. It was innovated by Marc Mero

Marc Mero

Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...

Forward somersault cutter

A standing variation of the Diamond Dust in which the attacking wrestler first holds an opponent in an inverted facelock before then jumping forwards to somersault over the opponent, landing back-first with the opponent's head driven into the wrestler's shoulder.

Inverted suplex cutter

The wrestler applies an inverted facelock before hooking the opponents thighs and lifts them up so the opponents facing upside down then grabs the three-quarter faclock and pulls them down with their face on the floor.

Jumping cutter

This cutter variation sees the wrestler jumping towards the opponent and grabbing the opponent head in a three-quarter facelock while parallel to the ground, and then slamming the opponent's face to the mat in a cutter. Randy Orton

Randy Orton

Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...

uses this move as a finishing move under the name RKO.

Rolling cutter

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 him or her into the cutter position. This move has two major variants. In the first, the attacking wrestler rolls under their opponent. A modified version which involves hoisting the opponent off their feet before beginning the spin. The second major variation sees the wrestler spin and twist the opponent in the opposite direction into the cutter.

Somersault cutter

This variation is precceded by the wrestler standing behind a kneeling opponent. The wrestler applies an inverted facelock, and then performs a forward somersault into a cutter.

Springboard cutter

This variation of the cutter occurs when the wrestler puts his opponent in the three-quarter 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 three-quarter facelock bulldog.

Another variation of this cutter exists, called the springboard backflip three-quarter facelock diving bulldog. In this cutter the opponent and the attacker are in the corner, the attacker puts the opponent in the three-quarter facelock then runs up the turnbuckle, becoming vertical, then turns in mid-air to land the cutter. The move is similar to the Shiranui.

Twist of Fate

This cutter variation sees the wrestler first lock his opponent in a front facelock. The wrestler then pivots 180° and catches the opponent in a three quarter facelock with their free arm before jumping and then falling down into the cutter.

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, before flipping the opponent over into the cutter. It is common for the wrestler to not properly apply the three-quarter facelock and the move to end up more in a facebuster

Facebuster

A facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces his/her opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or facelock...

position.