Kurt Angle's Pro Wrestling Moves

Olympic gold medalist and
pro wrestling champion

Kurt Angle performs an Ankel Lock

Signature pro wrestling moves of Kurt Angle

Bodyscissors
To perform this pro wrestling move Kurt Angle approaches a sitting opponent from any direction. Angle then slides next to the opponent and wraps his legs around him, crossing his ankles and tightening his grip by squeezing together his thighs or straightening his legs to squeeze the opponent by compressing his torso. Angle uses this hold in conjunction with a hold applied to the head or the arms in order to further restrain his opponent.

Double leg takedown (often transitioned into a pin or a suplex)
This is a tackle where the intent is to force the rival down on his back by tackling him at the waist or upper thighs. This usually involves grabbing the rival with both arms around the legs while keeping the chest close to the rival. Angle then uses the tackle to force his rival to the floor.

European uppercut
This is a forearm uppercut in which a wrestler does a quick grapple then brings his arm up inside to hit his opponent under the chin.

Frog splash
In this pro wrestling move Angle jumps from the top rope, stretches his body in a horizontal position, and brings his feet and hands inward and outward before landing. The original, and slightly different, version of the frog splash, as innovated by Art Barr and named by 2 Cold Scorpio, has the wrestler bring his hands between his legs and kick up with his feet before bringing both arms and legs back outwards. Art Barr's tag team partner, Eddie Guerrero, used the more common variation as a tribute to Barr after Barr's death in late 1994. After Guerrero died in 2005, many close friends and family started using frog splashes during matches as a tribute. Kurt Angle was one those who used this move as a tribute, as was Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero, Vickie Guerrero and Christian.

Headbutt
This move is as it sounds - an attack where a wrestler uses his head to strike a part of his rival’s body, usually the head or skull, to daze him. As a pro wrestling move, the impact is to the rival’s forehead. Angle is counting on the superior hardness of his head and the momentum delivered to hurt the recipient of the headbutt, but not Angle himself.

Rear naked choke
A grounded version of a sleeper hold with an added body scissors that is derived from martial arts and more recently mixed martial arts.

Triangle choke
During this wrestling move, Kurt Angle grabs hold of one his opponent's arms, wraps his legs around the opponent's throat and arm in a figure four and squeezes. Different promotions have different rules regarding the legality of this maneuver. The justification for its legality is that, like a head scissors, it uses the legs rather than the hands to perform the "choke". The justification for its illegality is that regardless of how its performed, it is still a dangerous choke.

Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, (also called a back flip splash) is a pro wrestling aerial technique. Angle generally performs a moonsault from the top rope. He faces away from his opponent and does a backflip landing on the opponent in a press position. Though this move is generally attempted from the top rope to an opponent lying face up in the mat, myriad variations exist, including moonsaults where Angle and others land on a standing opponent and forces him to the mat. The move is considered a higher-impact version of a splash, since the wrestler utilizes rotational speed.

Suplex (3 styles)
1. Bridging / Release belly to backAngle stands behind his rival and puts his head under the arm of that wrestler. He then lifts-up his rival using both of his arms wrapped around the torso. Angle then falls backwards and drops the rival flat on his back. Angle will manipulate this wrestling move into a bridging position by simultaneously arching this own back and legs to elevate himself, gaining leverage to pin the opponent. Like the piledriver, it is one of the most dangerous moves in pro wrestling due to the hard landing of the spinal area. Mitsuharu Misawa died after receiving a belly to back suplex.

2. Bridging / Release / Rolling German
Technically known as a belly to back waist lock suplex, Angle stands behind his challenger, grabs him around his waist, lifts him up, and falls backwards while bridging his back and legs, slamming his challenger down to the mat shoulder and upper back first. Angle keeps the waistlock and continues bridging with this back and legs, pinning his rival's shoulders down against the mat. The regular pinning variation can be referred to as the German suplex pin. Angle may also release the challenger in mid arch, which is referred to as a release German suplex. Sometimes, rather than bridging for a pin, Kurt Angle will roll himself into another position to perform the move again, this is a rolling German suplex.

3. Overhead belly to belly (sometimes from the top rope)
To perform this wrestling move Kurt Angle wraps his arms around his opponent in a waistlock or a bodylock position and flips him over by violently bridging his own body so the opponent lands on her back. This can be done either overhead or to the side. Because Angle is physically built he is able to do this move in a "snap" fashion, where he stomps down hard and suplexes his opponent stiffly, resulting in a quicker throw.

Angle Slam / Olympic slam
Appropriately called the Angle Slam! To perform this move Kurt Angle stands behind his rival and grabs hold of one of his rival's wrists, tucks his head under that arm's armpit, and wraps his free arm around the near leg of the rival. Angle then lifts the rival up on his shoulders sideways, and at the same time spins 90° and falls down on to his back, slamming the rival to mat back first. The move can also be initiated from the front of a rival. Following a knee to the stomach, Angle places his head under his rival's armpit, and performs the same series of motions.

Ankle lock
In this toe hold maneuver Angle will grab his opponent's foot and lift his leg off the ground. With one hand Angle is able to grab either the toes or the outside of the foot, then with the other wrap the ankle to create a "hole" for the joint. A grapevine variation is when Angle applies the ankle lock hold and then falls to the mat and scissors the leg of the opponent. This stops the opponent from rolling out of the move and makes it difficult for him to crawl to the ropes but lessens the pressure that can be applied. The move can be executed from a kneeling position or a standing position.

Crossface chickenwing
Also known as the Crippler Crossface after Chris Benoit. To perform this pro wrestling move Kurt Angle starts by catching his opponent's arm in a leg scissor and then wraps his hands around his opponent's face, pulling the opponent's head backwards.

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