If there's one thing guaranteed to get a wrestling crowd going, someone pulling off a high-flying move is it. Sure, some may have become commonplace, like splashes, moonsaults and others, but it was daring when they were tried for the first time. Some moves are specific for a performer like Rey Mysterio's 619 in WWE, or RVD and Shane McMahon going Coast to Coast. That leaves so many high-flying moves used by scores of workers trying to top each other.
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Thus, it's harder to figure out who did a certain move the best. Even the guys who made such maneuvers popular weren't always the actual best doing them, while workers somewhat forgotten pulled it off better. There can also be debates as some fans will enjoy a guy's move better than others. But here is a look at who pulled off a certain high-flying maneuver the best in wrestling and why these moves get so much attention.
10 Flying Bodypress: Ricky Steamboat
Let's start with the classic, the flying bodypress off the top rope. It was the first-ever high-flying move in the business and can still get a crowd going, especially if it's by someone bigger than a cruiserweight. Ricky Steamboat was likely the best at it, using it as his regular finisher for most of his career and it was amazing.
What stood out was how it was as if Steamboat turned himself about in midair to make it a true cross-body block, a trick few others have mastered. When The Dragon took off the top, fans knew they were in for a treat.
9 Flying Headbutt: Dynamite Kid
The flying headbutt isn't used as much today due to the obvious dangers of it. So it's more effective when it is seen and impressive for someone to take off the top rope for a nasty headbutt on his opponent.
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In which case, the best user was the guy who popularized the move, the Dynamite Kid. Thanks to his small size, the Kid could literally hit a guy lying halfway across the ring, a stunning sight for the crowds. It was imitated a lot yet no one duplicated the move quite like Dynamite did.
8 Suicide Dive: AJ Styles
When it comes to the suicide dive, WWE has scores of guys who can do it, like Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and more. The same goes for AEW and the indies, so narrowing it down is tough. But look up AJ Styles' run in TNA and his dives were mind-blowing.
The key was rather than holding out his hands to break the fall like others, Styles would have his arms at his sides to enhance the blow. There was also how insanely high he'd get flying over or through the ropes and always got the crowd going. It's among the reasons the Phenomenal One became a legend long before coming to WWE.
7 Hurricanrana: Scott Steiner
When Scott Steiner began using what was known as the Frankensteiner in 1989, U.S. fans were stunned. Back then, the move wasn't well known outside of Japan and Steiner popularized it. Maybe guys have made it look smoother, but Steiner made it look far more devastating.
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That was mostly due to how instead of the back or shoulders, a guy could be dropped right on his head, making this a knockout move. So while many make the rana look good, Steiner's the one who made it a fantastic finisher.
6 Swanton Bomb: Jeff Hardy
The swanton bomb may have existed before Jeff Hardy but it's hard to remember that. Whatever his other issues, Jeff is still capable of hitting a Swanton better than anyone in the business. It's the way he bends his body in the air with arms outstretched, selling poetry in motion and making it a great impact.
It fits Jeff's daredevil style, especially when he hit it on a guy lying on a table off a ladder. Others have tried it, but, as with so much else about him, Jeff's Swanton Bomb is one of a kind.
5 Frog Splash: Art Barr
Rob Van Dam and Christian are close, but the frog splash was never better than when Art Barr did it. He's often credited with pioneering the move and it lived up to his name as Barr managed the feat of cradling his legs inward while in flight, so he really did look like a frog. It got him attention in AAA and could have pushed him to stardom had Barr not died in 1994 at the far too young age of 28.
His partner and best friend Eddie Guerrero would take the move in his honor and did a fine job too. But even Eddie acknowledged Barr did it better as no one else made it look so frog-like as he did.
4 Moonsault: Iyo Sky
There have been so many people using the moonsault that it's hard to figure out the best one. It's impressive to see a big guy like Vader utilize it, but still better when a smaller person does. There are so many options, yet somehow Iyo Sky may be the tops.
When she takes off in that backflip, it's sensational as she can spread her hands to look like she's truly in flight. She's pulled off some stunning ones, including off the top of steel cages or ladders and stunning to see it hit. Thus, the Women's Champion may rank as the one whose moonsault is a bar others can't quite clear.
3 Elbow Drop: Randy Savage
Who else could it be? Yes, there are some impressive flying elbows today from Kari Sane and Bayley but when it comes to the best, Randy Savage is it. The Macho Man made this a fantastic move, standing on the top rope, taking his time as if sucking up his strength and then leaping off with an incredible height.
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When he hit it, the fans felt it, almost always ending in a win. When Hogan kicked out of it at WrestleMania 5, it was a huge deal as the first time it failed. Even as he slowed down over the years, Savage's elbow drop had power and added to his mystique as one of the greatest stars ever.
2 Shooting Star: Jushin Liger
When it comes to the shooting star press, the original remains the best. Jushin Liger is credited with inventing the move and bringing it to the masses in Japan. When he started doing it in WCW in the early 1990s, it was utterly astounding.
Liger would lift off for this backflip in midair before hitting his opponent and while it's been replicated scores of times, Liger made it look more beautiful and powerful than anyone else. He truly brought the Thunder to make this a classic maneuver.
1 450 Splash: 2 Cold Scorpio
A lot of guys have done this amazing move, yet somehow, 2 Cold Scorpio still is the master. While he didn't invent it, Scorpio popularized the move in WCW and especially in ECW.
Even his time in WWE as Flash Funk let him show it off and it was amazing how he seemed to hang in midair while doing these somersaults and then hit the guy with this splash. Ricochet comes close, yet Scorpio revolutionized this move and his insane flips made this one of the best high-flying moves ever.
