by Brad Maxwell 
Exclusive to OnlineOnslaught.com

Or at least, that is what a person just tuning into being a “smart” fan may believe. But how much truth is there to the new found smark concept that suplexes equals good wrestling?

If you have been around wrestling for a while, you are likely aware that the actual in-ring product has changed a lot over the years. Wrestling is no longer a shoot fight exhibition, it’s no longer shoot fights with a scripted outcome. But it’s also not what it was just 10 years ago. It wasn’t that long ago that Bret Hart was coming off his first title run (you know, the one ruined by Hogan thinking Bret wasn’t good enough) and Vince came up with the King Of The Ring tournament basically to showcase Bret. Well to showcase Bret AND to make some more of that sweet, sweet PPV money. So at the first King Of The Ring, Bret had 3 matches: Bret vs. Razor, Bret vs. Mr. Perfect, and Bret vs. Bam Bam. Bret vs. Razor featured one suplex (a super-plex reversed by Bret for the pin); Bret vs. Henning (R.I.P. Mr. Perfect) had a superplex, a Perfect-plex countered into a normal suplex, was a match more about psychology; Bret vs. Bam Bam featured a standard suplex, and that was all. So how the hell can Bret Hart be the man if he isn’t a suplex machine? Well really, with Bret, it was always about leading up to the finish. His awesome match against Austin from WrestleMania XIII (featuring the double turn and cementing Austin as an uber face) was all about leading up to Austin passing out while in the sharpshooter. It had nothing to do with suplexes and everything to do with psychology.

But wait one moment, you might say. Aren’t Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle easily the two best in-ring workers currently in North America? Why yes, they are in fact the two best “wrestlers” right now. And yes, both Benoit and Angle use suplexes about as often as The Undertaker uses punches. But if you think those two are having great matches because they use suplexes, you might be missing the point.

When Benoit hits the Hat Trick or when Angle pops up and gives an overhead suplex to his opponent off the top turnbuckle it is a thing of beauty. But if you take a look at Benoit vs. Angle from Unforgiven 2002 you can see that these two are more the suplexes. The match did feature a variety of suplexes in it. But what started the match off? Well, if you can remember that far back, it was a mat-wrestling sequence that would end up being the theme for the match as both Angle and Benoit tried repeatedly to get the other in a submission for the finish. The end came not after a Angle Slam, or some other form of one guy tossing the other over his own head, but rather with Benoit and Angle doing counter the cross face and ankle lock repeatedly until Benoit got Angle in a pinning predicament and used the ropes for the 3 count. This was one of the more entertaining matches of the year put on by the WWE. The suplexes were there. But it was the work done by Benoit and Angle to tell a story and set up that they wanted to make the other tap out that made this match something special.

While that match was awesome, Benoit and Angle are not the only good workers in the WWE. The No DQ match between Eddie Guerrero and Edge is another example of a great match the WWE has put on recently. This match was one of those rare instances when two guys steal the show and bring down the house. It’s one of those matches that you watch and realizes it’s two guys taking it to another level. Vertical Suplex by Eddie makes up your suplex count for this one. What made it a great match? Well two guys busting ass for one, as well as two guys pulling out every possible move you could think of to get the pin (how often do you see a guy break out a MURDERDEATHKILL power bomb?) and both guys bumping for some really interesting high spots. How anybody can take a backdrop into a propped up ladder in the corner like Eddie did and not get hurt is beyond me.

The thing is though, while Benoit vs. Angle was great because of killer ring psychology, Eddie vs. Edge rocked the house because of high spots and both guys willing to bump and sell. It’s the ECW “holy shit” factor that was brought to a new level with the TLC matches. And the holy shit factor doesn’t come across that much with suplexes. Yes Shane getting suplexed through the glass at King Of The Ring 2001 was one of the biggest HOLY SHIT moments ever, but in a standard match, the suplex has lost some luster. Remember when Double A would use a brain buster suplex as a finishing move? Remember the Perfect-plex? Hell, remember the Jackhammer from Goldberg? These moves have been taken down a notch in how the crowd re-acts to them.

A big example of suplexes not pumping the crowd is Scott Steiner. If you were lucky enough to see Scott when he was still wearing the neon tights and wasn’t Big Poppa Pump, then you know that he was tossing guys around with overhead suplexes long before Kurt Angle was an Olympic Hero. When you watch Steiner now, his suplexes still send the opponent into the air, and still look powerful. So Scott Steiner is a good worker right? Well, not on this or any other planet. Steiner has lost more then just a step, and is slow and prodding. To make matters worse, there is no flow and reason to his matches. He is not the guy who was trying to wear a guy down for the Frankensteiner; hell he isn’t even the guy trying to set up the Steiner-recliner. He is just some guy who has freakish looking arms. He has lost any glimpse of psychology, and is relying on his look and ability to suplex to keep the crowd interested. And it isn’t working. As funny as it is to some to suggest that fans are smart, people see guys like Eddie, Benoit, Angle, and Jericho use a variety of moves. We know that guys can do more. We expect it. So when we see a move as common as a suplex from a guy like Benoit, we pop because he does it so well, but we don’t pop as loudly as we do when Angle and Benoit do a counter sequence. But what does the crowd do when a guy like Rikishi or Steiner does a lesser version of the suplex? A whole lot of nothing caused from a wrestler using a suplex not as a “big move” or anything special, but as a crutch.

And at times, that crutch can be dangerous. How often did you hear of a wrestler going in for neck surgery before 2000? Hell, Rick Rude is the only person who instantly comes to mind. But recently, the WWE has seen Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Lita, Rhyno, Edge, and Kurt Angle leave for neck surgery, or in the case of Angle are getting ready for neck surgery. Now I know Austin and Lita’s injuries were from other mishaps, but what about the others. Angle’s neck was broken before, but by all accounts, it was healthy enough for a pro-wrestler, and it would have been very unlikely for him to need follow up surgery so soon under normal circumstances. But yet heading into WrestleMania XIX, Kurt is hurting to the point there are whispers that he might not wrestle full time ever again. As for Benoit, yes he does the swan dive head but, and that no doubt makes matters worse. But there is no way a guy can repeatedly give multiple German suplexes to men weighing close to 300 lbs and not put stress on his neck. The same is true with Rhyno and Edge. Yes they do the spear and that puts pressure on the neck and shoulder. But at the same time, you have to imagine that going out and having matches that require you to take suplex after suplex is going to have it’s toll on you. Sadly, there is an even more serious case to highlight the dangers of the suplex. While attempting to superplex Hardcore Holly, DDP landed wrong and ended his career. When you consider that a superplex is in essence a standard suplex from an elevated position, the degree of danger from a more complex move should be something to worry about.

And while injuries are a major concern, there is no doubt that often a move or spot that may injure a wrestler is an element can help make a match good.

So perhaps the biggest argument to dispute the concept that suplexes are the end all and be all, that a guy who uses suplexes a lot is a good worker, is the overall entertainment value of a match. A good worker isn’t just a guy who knows the difference between a wristlock and a wristwatch. A good wrestler isn’t just some guy who can do a sequence of counters that reverses among 5 different submissions. A good worker is a guy who can go out and entertain a crowd through his ring work. Look at the internet’s whipping boy, Triple H. Back when he was reaching near god status with a lot of smart fans, he was putting on great matches with guys like Foley, Rock, and Austin. Sure he great matches with the in-ring gods Benoit and Angle...but it was the matches like the 2 out of 3 falls match from No Way Out 2001 that gave Hunter the mystique of one of the best ever. Why? Because when healthy Hunter is really good and keeping a good pace in the match. It always seemed that the matches were the perfect length, with big spots and near falls right when the match needed them. He didn’t have 1001 holds, and he wasn’t a highflier like a Rey Mysterio. But he knew what to do and when to do it. He knew (and to a great degree still knows) how to play to the crowd at the right times to get them back into the match. He knew how to entertain.

I’m not suggesting a suplex can’t be entertaining. I’d much rather see a suplex then a headlock. But at the same time saying that a guy can entertain by just going out there and doing a suplex is like suggesting you can make anybody the next big face by giving him a cool entrance and a edgy catchphrase.

And I know not everybody is suplex crazy.

But the fact of the matter is, a suplex is no more or less a sign of a good worker then a side headlock is a sign of a bad worker. A suplex is a move that when done right can look good, but it is only a move. If it is not used by a worker with a good level of ability, and not used properly in the confines of the match, then it is just a prop, just another move. And as impressive as it can be, a move is only as good as people make it out to be. Hell, the two biggest pop getting finishers from last years WrestleMania were a leg drop of doom and a silly looking elbow drop.

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Brad goes by the handle "bigfatgoalie" in the OO Forums, and usually makes (shorter-than-this) appearances in Crashing the Boards.

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