Shooting star press
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A shooting star press is a professional wrestling aerial technique invented by Japanese professional wrestler Jushin Liger after seeing a similar move performed in the manga Fist of the North Star.
In a standard shooting star press, the wrestler jumps forward from an elevated position, executes a backflip in mid-air, and lands on the opponent in the splash/press position. In kayfabe, the move is considered a more impactful version of a splash, since the wrestler utilizes rotational speed, as if he were a circular saw.
The shooting star press is considered a very dangerous maneuver both to execute and to receive. If the wrestler is unable to completely rotate, or if he lands incorrectly on the opponent, then there can be a serious injury. For example, Billy Kidman (who called the move the Seven Year Itch in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and just the shooting star press in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) caused an injury to Chavo Guerrero, Jr. on WWE SmackDown! when Kidman's knee impacted Guerrero's head, forcing it hard against the mat. Guerrero lost consciousness for several minutes.
Brock Lesnar is another wrestler who was involved in a memorable incident that involved the shooting star press. Lesnar used this move as a finisher when in WWE's training camp, Ohio Valley Wrestling. His first usage of the move in the main event scene was during WrestleMania XIX. His opponent, Kurt Angle, lay across the ring, and so Lesnar climbed the turnbuckle and attempted the maneuver. Lesnar underestimated the distance, and failed to complete the rotation, resulting in his landing on his head instead of on Angle (Lesnar was not seriously hurt, though Kurt Angle had to improvise a new finish to ensure Brock won the match as planned.) The slang term 'to Brock' originates from this incident, and refers to botching the biggest move of the biggest match.
As a result of injuries like these, promotions sometimes ban the use of the maneuver. When WWE discouraged the use of the move, it left long-time user Paul London notably upset and without a finisher.
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[edit] Variations
[edit] Corkscrew shooting star press
Also known as a corkscrew shooting star splash, this is a move in which a wrestler, from a raised platform, jumps and executes a backflip in mid-air while turning 360° to land on the opponent in the splash position.
[edit] Springboard shooting star press
A move in which a wrestler first springboards (bounces) off of the top ring rope and executes a backflip in mid-air to land on the opponent. This can see the attacking wrestler stand on the ring ropes and springboard into the ring, or stand in the ring and springboard to the outside. The outside version is sometimes referred to as a shooting star plancha.
[edit] Standing shooting star press
This move sees a wrestler stand next to an opponent laying on the mat placing one foot close to the opponent while drawing back both his/her other leg and the arm on that side of his/her body, extending both these limbs full while bending the leg closest to the opponent at the knee. From here the wrestler throws their extended arm and leg forward in a swinging motion while kicking off (jumping up) with the bent leg, using the momentum of the swing to execute a backflip in mid-air and land on the opponent in the splash position.
[edit] Standing corkscrew shooting star press
This move sees a wrestler stand next to an opponent laying on the mat placing one foot close to the opponent while drawing back both his/her other leg and the arm on that side of his/her body, extending both these limbs full, while bending the leg closest to the opponent at the knee. From here the wrestler throws their extended arm and leg forward in a swinging motion while kicking off (jumping up) with the bent leg, using the momentum of the swing to execute a backflip in mid-air while turning 360° to land on the opponent in the splash position.
