Stunner (professional wrestling)
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A Stunner is a common sequence in professional wrestling referring to the sitout three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver. It involves an attacking wrestler applying a three-quarter facelock (reaching behind 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 defender's jaw to drop down on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler.
The original move was used by Mikey Whipwreck, who called it the Whipper-snapper, in Extreme Championship Wrestling where he would even jump off a top turnbuckle to initiate the move. However, it was most popularly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin who called it the Stone Cold Stunner from where the term "stunner" is derived. Austin would often precede his stunner by giving an opponent the finger before kicking them in the gut and locking in the three-quarter facelock.
The stunner was innovated by Whipwreck as a variation of another professional wrestling move known as the cutter, this three-quarter facelock move sees an attacking wrestler cinch up the facelock but instead of falling to a seated position this wrestler would drop onto his/her back forcing the opponent to fall face-first onto the mat below. Nearly, if not, all the Stunner variations can be modified for this bulldog move.
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[edit] Variations
[edit] Elevated stunner
With an opponent placed on an elevated surface, a wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock and then draws the opponent away from the ropes/turnbuckle leaving the opponent's feet over the ropes making them the only thing, other than the wrestler, keeping the opponent off the ground. The wrestler next 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.
The elevated stunner can also be performed as a double team move.
[edit] TKO
Another elevated stunner 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 would throw the legs of the opponent out backwards and drop down to the mat while taking hold of the opponent's head to force them to fall into the stunner.
This move, like many of stunner variations, can also see the wrestler drop the opponent down into a cutter, instead of a stunner. The name, Total Knock Out (TKO), is in fact a reference to the elevated cutter. The name has since been used to refer to both types.
[edit] Piggyback stunner
In this elevated stunner variation the opponent is first raised up in a piggy-back position, from here the attacking wrestler would apply a three-quarter facelock and drop down to a sitting position while still holding the opponent's head to force them to fall into the stunner. This move is also known by the name Backpack Stunner.
[edit] Vertical suplex stunner
This elevated stunner first sees the attacking wrestler applies a front facelock, hook the opponent's near arm over their shoulder and lift them as for a standard vertical suplex. However, mid-move the attacking wrestler would force the opponent to turn 180° and then apply the three-quarter facelock, forcing the opponent to drop down with their jaw across the attacking wrestler's shoulder as he/she falls to a seated position to hit the stunner.
[edit] Osaka street cutter
This stunner 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 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 and named by Super Delfin, the name cutter is usually referred to when talking about the three-quarter facelock bulldog, even though this move is a three-quarter facelock jawbreaker.
[edit] Twist of Fate
In this variation of a stunner, 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 seated position to force the opponent's jaw to drop down on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler. This variation was innovated by Jeff Hardy during his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
This move, like many of stunner variations, can also see the wrestler drop the opponent down into a cutter, instead of a stunner. The name, "Twist of Fate", is in fact a reference to the cutter version which was used by all the members of Team Xtreme (Matt, Jeff, and Lita). The name has since been used to refer to both types.
[edit] Rolling stunner
This versions sees an attacking wrestler first place an opponent (who is in front of him/her) in an inverted facelock before rolling him/herself under the opponent turning both wrestlers over so that the opponent can be dropped in to the stunner (three-quarter facelock jawbreaker). This has been widely referred to as the (Rolling) Whipper-snapper due to its use, on occasion, by Mikey Whipwreck.
