A move that is normally accompanied with a wrist clutch, the Exploder Suplex is one of the many suplex varieties in wrestling. It sees the opponent thrown over the wrestler’s head, so that they land back first off the canvas.
The move is similar to the popular Belly-to-Belly Suplex, except it’s just a little more technical. Wrestlers such as Shelton Benjamin, Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer and Mark Briscoe have used the move multiple times in the past, but arguably the greatest wrestler to pull this off is the move’s inventor. Puroresu wrestler Jun Akiyama debuted the move in 1998, and has paved the way for multiple variations. Here, he pulls off the suplex variant to Naomichi Marufuji, who sells the manoeuvre greatly.
To start the move off, the wrestler and opponent will be standing facing one another. From here, the wrestler will drape their arm over the opponent’s neck, trapping their arm as they do.
With the opponent’s upper-half trapped, the wrestler will then either hook the opponent’s leg or grab the inside of their leg. This will mean that the opponent is in full grasp, ready to be suplexed.
Once the wrestler has grabbed the opponent correctly, they will then lift the opponent upwards in the air. The wrestler will then fall backwards, causing the opponent to flip in the air whilst in the grasp before landing back first down onto the canvas.
Statistics
- Also known as: T-Bone Suplex/ Hooked Belly-to-Belly Suplex/ Exploder ’98
- Famous users: Jun Akiyama, Samoa Joe, Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, BJ Whitmer, Homicide
- Finished off: Naomichi Marufuji, Jimmy Rave, Kenta Kobashi, Mitsaharu Misawa
- H&B Rating: 6
Watch more variations:
Jun Akiyama’s Wrist-clutch Exploder– Akiyama introduced this variation after realising that the original Exploder was not as effective as first hoped. This move can be extremely dangerous, with opponent’s frequently landing head first on the canvas.
Homicide’s Briding Exploder Suplex– In homage to a Fisherman’s Suplex, Homicide hooks the leg tight as he hits the move, allowing him to bridge into a pin fall attempt.
Michael Tarver’s Exploder Suplex– This Exploder Suplex is quite different, in that the opponent is hooked almost pumphandle style before being driven into the mat. Scott Steiner also pulls off this variation.
El Generico’s Corner Exploder Suplex– Here, El Generico uses the turnbuckles for maximum impact, hitting an Exploder Suplex on Pac which sends his back ricocheting off the buckles.
Headlocks & Backdrops 