Pro Wrestling's 25 Most Breathtaking Flips, Dives and Other High Spots
The grappling greats of the past would not recognize the Evel Knievel-like wrestling of today.
Wrestlers have continued to push the limits of their bodies in the name of sports entertainment.
Dives are performed off the tops of steel cages. Moonsaults are delivered from ladders. Higher and higher heights are scaled.
These men will do anything to get the fans to howl in excitement, to chant their names or remember them forever.
We love the daring. We love the danger.
Here are the wrestlers who have leaped their way into the history books.
Special Mention: Lucha Libre
1 of 26No ladders, chairs or cages required.
The wrestlers of Mexican promotions CMLL and AAA consistently pull out impressive diving and flying moves.
The Lucha style of wrestling so regularly relies on the spectacular, selecting the best is a difficult task.
I've instead chosen to focus on the American and Japanese promotions for the purpose of the list and in this space, bow at the feet of the great Luchadors from around Mexico.
Aero Star, El Valiente and La Sombra do amazing things in a ring.
The Laredo Kid's Tornillo, a Springboard Double (or sometimes Triple) Corkscrew Plancha had to be mentioned here somewhere, regardless if there is a particular one that stood out.
Superfly Perched 15 Feet High
2 of 26Jimmy Snuka vs. Don Muraco
Cage Match for Intercontinental Championship, 1983
One of the most enduring images in wrestling history was born on an October night in Madison Square Garden.
After having lost the match, Jimmy Snuka looked to be preparing himself for his Superfly Spalsh finisher when he decided on a higher takeoff point.
That gorgeous flight from the cage to the mat changed WWE and wrestling forever.
High-flying and risk-taking would become a larger and larger part of the sport. Some 20 years later, Eddie Guerrero evoked the Superfly with a super-sized frog splash on JBL.
That’s It, He’s Dead!
3 of 26Mankind vs. Undertaker
Hell in a Cell, King of the Ring 1998
The most famous Hell in a Cell match famously featured two life-threatening bumps.
In Mick Foley's unending quest to please us, he's subjected himself to an insane amount of pain. Barbed wire, thumbtacks, C-4; if he thought it would get a pop from fans, he'd do it.
This match seemed to be over just a few minutes in when Undertaker threw Foley off the cell. That moment alone would have been the talk among wrestling fans for years to come, but the two men went on to do more.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler helped immortalize one of the most shocking scenes in WWE with their emotional calls.
Aaaaah!
4 of 26Yuko Miyamoto vs. Masashi Takeda
Scaffold Death Match, BJW Death Match for Heavyweight Title
In a brutal match where both men's blood stained the mat, Miyamoto hit a perfect moonsault off the scaffold to finish Takeda.
Light tube shards, blood and grime all over them, both wrestlers were drained at the end of this battle.
The graceful and beautiful moonsault brings to mind an Olympic diver in complete control of their body. The crash of bloody flesh on flesh at the end snaps one out of that image.
Look at Skipper!
5 of 26Latin American Exchange vs. Triple X
Ultimate X Match, Bound for Glory 2007
LAX and the team of Senshi and Elix Skipper fought for the right to be the No. 1 contender for the TNA Tag Team Championship.
In a match that exhilarated and exhausted fans, all four participants pulled off some gorgeous high-risk moves.
The most spectacular of these was Skipper soaring off the metal corner structure and delivering a crushing crossbody to Hernandez.
Just a few moments later, Skipper hit a neckbreaker on Homicide while both men hung on the ropes above the ring.
The spot happens at 9:00 in the video, but the whole match is certainly worth watching.
That Is Insane!
6 of 26Crazy J and Lotus vs. Jigsaw and Hallowicked
Big Ass Christmas Bash 2005
Only a handful of people saw this IWA match live. Despite Necro Butcher, Chris Sabin and Kevin Steen being on the card, this moment is likely all they talked about afterwards.
While his opponents are distracted, Crazy J snuck onto the top of a Budget rental truck.
He performed a Shooting Star Press off the top and onto the men below.
While it's not the crispest version of the move you'll ever see, it is one of the most daring.
I Don’t Believe What I Just Saw!
7 of 26Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk
TLC Match for World Heavyweight Championship, SummerSlam 2009
Jeff Hardy will appear on this list a number of times.
Call him a spot monkey if you must, but he has certainly made his mark on wrestling with some of the most jaw-dropping daredevil moves.
When Hardy collided with Punk and the announce table, his neck whipped forward and his body curled up in pain.
As violent as the impact was, this was not the end of the match.
Hardy ripped off a neck brace and fought on, but Punk ultimately unhooked the title for the win.
!!!!!!!!!
8 of 26Takashi Sasaki vs. Yuko Miyamoto
Construction Site Death Match, One Night Carnival BJW Death Match for Heavyweight Championship, 2007
From the match's name, it's clear that this was a bloody, brutal affair.
By the end of it, Miyamoto's pants were dyed with his and Sasaki's blood. Shards of light tubes lie on the mat.
Despite Miyamoto's best efforts, Sasaki launches his finisher, the D-Geist from the scaffold, and Miyamoto's head smashes through a table.
Amazingly, Miyamoto kicked out.
Shawn Michaels from High Above…
9 of 26Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels
Ladder Match for Intercontinental Championship, WrestleMania X
In the match that made the Ladder Match famous, Michaels and Razor pulled off some incredible moves.
With no remorse, they stole the show right from under the main event.
This spot is not as impressive today as it was back in '94, but Michaels diving onto a prone Razor was the grandfather of all the TLC and Hell in a Cell moments that came after it.
The image of Michaels taking flight is an iconic one.
It was an unexpected moment that stunned the audience and still excites today.
Benoit, Human Battering Ram
10 of 26Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
Cage Match, Raw 2001
With a rabid Stone Cold waiting for him, steel chair in hand, Benoit had two options: climb out of the steel cage and get clobbered by Austin or climb back inside and continue the match.
Benoit thought of a third option.
The diving headbutt he used throughout his career became even more astonishing done from the top of the cage.
He collided with Angle, the ring shaking, the fans ballistic.
Benoit also created a WrestleMania moment when he performed the same move off a ladder.
He’s Going Higher!
11 of 26Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
Raw 2008
Before Orton's feud with John Cena of that year, he had a brief and intense one with Jeff Hardy.
Battling at the entrance ramp, the two pounded on each other until Hardy backdropped Orton off the stage.
As he lay there stunned, Hardy climbed up on the lighting structure and kept climbing and climbing.
He then dove from an unbelievable height, turning his body into a gravity-assisted weapon. Even the nearby refs had to cringe at the impact.
Oh My Gawd!
12 of 26Sabu vs. Rey Mysterio
Extreme Rules Match for World Heavyweight Championship, One Night Stand 2006
While it's not hard to make Joey Styles scream, Sabu earned it here.
He spent the majority of his career delivering innovative and dangerous high-flying moves. Moonsaults and the Air Sabu have made him an ECW legend.
Here he catapults himself off a chair, over the top rope and DDTs a stunned Mysterio through a table.
The move (at least in the storyline) injured both men, causing the match to end in a no-contest.
Sabu's incredible move is worth watching a few times in a row.
Suicide from the Top of the Cage!
13 of 26Suicide vs. Jay Lethal vs. Consequences Creed vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Kiyoshi
Xscape Match for TNA X Division Championship, Lockdown 2009
The aptly named Suicide (whether played by Chris Daniels or Kazarian) has built a resume loaded with mind-blowing stunts and high spots.
While he could have simply climbed down the side of the cage for the win, where's the fun and spectacle in that?
Suicide glided onto several men and popped right back up.
There’s No Briefcase out There
14 of 26Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Money in the Bank 2011
Evan Bourne has made a living, in large part, on his stunning version of the Shooting Star Press.
No one turns it into art like Bourne.
Bourne flies off the ladder, taking out nearly every competitor in the Money in the Bank match.
Hard to choose a favorite between that one and the majestic Air Bourne he pulled off during the WrestleMania 26 Money in the Bank Ladder match.
Kasai!
15 of 26Jun Kasai vs. Ryuji Ito
Razor Board Alpha Deathmatch, 2009
One look at Jun Kasai's demented mug and it's clear he's not right in the head.
He's built a career on taking and delivering massive bumps. He has ripped open his flesh and now wears scars all over his body and forehead.
After strapping Ito down to a table with duct tape, Kasai strolled up to the balcony.
He slipped a bit at first, shook it off and dove fearlessly onto his opponent.
In a match with exploding light tubes, razor boards and a cactus wrapped in barbed wire, this leap was still the highlight.
These are the kinds of spots that earn you the nickname, "Crazy Monkey."
Skip to 21:30 to see the Kasai dive.
You’re a Long Way from the Ring, Shelton!
16 of 26Money in the Bank Ladder Match, WrestleMania 25
A thrilling opening match kicked off an excellent WrestleMania. The Money in the Bank match saw a number of impressive dives.
Shelton Benjamin's flip stands out as the most impressive and the most destructive on himself.
He leaps from an unbelievable height, but even though a number of opponents wait for him below, he unfortunately catches too much of the ground.
Benjamin has long been a bruised star in these matches, like in the WrestleMania 24 version where he took a nasty spill and crumpled lifelessly on a ladder.
Win the Damn Match, Jeff!
17 of 26Money in the Bank Ladder Match, WrestleMania 23
The Money in the Bank match many consider to be the best of the bunch had some compelling moments, like Edge going on a spear rampage mid-match, but nothing can compare to what Hardy and Edge did.
Jeff Hardy made a name for himself by being willing to dive from precarious heights, so it wasn’t exactly shocking to see him climb to the top of that ladder.
Seeing the violent collision when he and Edge hit and that ladder breaks is equal parts sickening and thrilling.
No Way!
18 of 26America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X
Six Sides of Steel Cage Match, Turning Point 2004
This main-event match had plenty on the line. The losing team would be forced to disband.
A blood-soaked, emotional match had a number of memorable spots, but none bigger than Elix Skipper's tightrope walk.
Skipper struggled to get to his feet on the top of the cage, but he pressed on.
He skittered down the steel before electrifying the crowd with a headscissors takedown back into the ring.
It's easy to forgive how sloppy the takedown was with the moment still being so breathtaking.
Is There Anything Left of Shane?
19 of 26Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman
Hardcore Match for Hardcore Championship, SummerSlam 2000
Trying to escape the wrath of Steve Blackman, Shane O'Mac got conked with a kendo stick and fell, and fell, and fell.
His attempt to look like he got knocked out isn't going to win him an Oscar, but it doesn't take away too much from this jaw-dropping moment.
It looks like it came more from an action movie scene than a wrestling match.
Blackman finished the job with a leg drop from about half as high as Shane fell.
That’s Insane, Man
20 of 26Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson
Cage Match, Lockdown 2010
A personal battle and bitter feud came to end in this cage match.
Mr. Anderson deserved a good beating after cutting open Angle with his own dog tags and then spitting on him.
Fans got to see Anderson pounded and bloodied in a powerful match.
Angle put an exclamation point on it by doing a moonsault off the top of the cage.
His body turns gracefully in the air, evoking a bird, a dancer, a looping jet.
Even though he doesn't connect as fully as he'd like, Angle still gets the crowd on their feet.
Nooooo!
21 of 26Jeff Hardy vs. Edge
Ladder Match for World Heavyweight Championship, Extreme Rules 2009
These men made a name for themselves at the WrestleMania TLC matches and long after that decided that fans hadn't seen enough daredevil acts from the two of them.
Many fans will remember this match for CM Punk cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and winning the world title, but neither Edge nor Hardy will soon forget the unforgiving nature of the steel ladder.
Edge got the worst of it, his hip thumping into the ladder and breaking it.
Sabu at the Top Rope!
22 of 26Sabu vs. John Cena
A post-match attack, not an official match, Raw 2006
Sabu's run with WWE in 2006 began with him facing some big names. After challenging Rey Mysterio at One Night Stand, he went on to feud with John Cena.
What a way to get an opponent's attention.
Sabu attacked Cena with a TV monitor and springboarded to the top rope for a booming leg drop that demolished the announce table.
The Houdini of Hardcore has broken his jaw, his neck and various other bones during his long career. It's a wonder he didn't snap something in his or Cena's body with this move.
A Double Moonsault!
23 of 269-Man TLC Match
IWA-MS We’re No Joke 2009
Ricochet is quickly making a name for himself, largely on the strength of his stunning agility.
One of his finishers, the double rotation moonsault, helped him earn the Best Flying Wrestler Award in 2011 from Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Here the move is aided by the height of a ladder in the ring.
Ricochet sparks a raucous chant after he flips right into a pile of opponents. With more moves like this, the major promotions will have to consider giving him a call.
Jeff Hardy May Be Broken Smack Dab in Half
24 of 26Edge and Christian vs. Jeff and Matt Hardy vs. Bubba and Devon Dudley
TLC Match for Tag Team Championship, WrestleMania 17
The first TLC match between the Hardys, the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian was shockingly topped in terms of excitement and dangerous bumps by TLC II.
The moment from that match that resides permanently in every wrestling fan's brain is Edge spearing a lame duck Jeff Hardy in the air and the two men crashing down to the mat.
Even as it was happening, as Edge lie in wait like a predator, it didn't seem possible. But as high as they were, both Hardy and Edge were willing to risk everything to mark their place in wrestling history.
And now that image of Edge spearing him, Hardy curling up like a crash-test dummy getting smashed, will live on in highlight reels and the annals of WWE.
Oh My God! Oh My God!
25 of 26Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon
WrestleMania 22 No Holds Barred Match
Leave it to Michaels to be able to pull off the best match of the night despite going against a 60 year old man who isn't even a wrestler.
Mr. WrestleMania told a story in the ring of frustration and rage and nothing embodied that more than this incredible move.
With Mr. McMahon stuffed into a garbage can and lying on a table, Michaels performed his beautiful version of the elbow drop, captivating us all.
Don’t Do It Shane!
26 of 26Shane McMahon vs. Big Show
Backlash 2001 Last Man Standing
During Vince and Shane McMahon's feud over WCW, Shane was booked to face a goliath. What seemed like an odd pairing produced a solid match accentuated by one of the most exciting dives in wrestling history.
As limited as his in-ring abilities are, Shane has always managed to put on surprisingly good matches and has to be admired for his fearlessness.
His willingness to perform dives like this one has endeared him to fans.
He could have jumped from half as high as he did and we would have been thrilled. Shane went all the way and in the process as Jim Ross said, "put his body and soul on the line."
Test pumps his fist just after it happened. That unhindered enthusiasm is how moves like these makes us all feel.
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