Cutter (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling a Cutter is a common term which refers to the three-quarter facelock bulldog maneuver. The move is also described as an inverted neckbreaker. This move sees an attacking wrestler first apply a three-quarter facelock (reaching behind the head of an opponent, thus pulling the opponent's jaw above the wrestler's shoulder) before (running forwards and) falling backwards to force the opponent face first to the mat below. However, due to the face lock the opponent's face often never reaches the mat, instead it lands on the shoulder of the attacking wrestler.

The cutter was originally used by Johnny Ace, who called it the Ace Crusher. However, it was most popularly used by Diamond Dallas Page, who called it the Diamond Cutter; this is where the term "cutter" is now derived. Page once boasted that he could apply the Diamond Cutter from more than 52 different positions, making it one of the most versatile finishers in wrestling history.

Another notable user of the move is Randy Orton who uses a slight variation of this move in which he jumps up from a low angle on an opponent to catch them in the face lock while raising off the ground. Orton calls it the RKO, after his initials.

The cutter would also form the base for the later development of another professional wrestling move known as the stunner, this three-quarter facelock move sees an attacking wrestler sinch up the facelock but, instead of falling to his/her back, this wrestler would drop to a seated position dropping an opponent's jaw across the shoulder of the wrestler. All versions of a cutter can be modified for this jawbreaker move.

Variations

Elevated cutter

With an opponent placed on an elevated surface, an 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 backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto the top of his/her head due to the angle of which they are dropped.

A slight variation on this sees the wrestler run forward while still applying the three-quarters face lock, pulling the opponent off the ropes before dropping backwards down to the mat to force the opponent down for a cutter from a raised height.

The elevated cutter can also be performed as a double team move.

Back suplex into cutter

Another elevated cutter variation where the wrestler first lifts an opponent from behind as with a belly to back suplex, but, instead of falling backwards, the wrestler would push the opponent's legs so that the opponent turns over in mid air so that they are now face down and parallel to the ground. As the opponent falls, the wrestler reaches back and seizes opponent's head in a three-quarter facelock, driving the face of the opponent into the mat from a greater height.

TKO

The Total Knock Out (TKO), as named by frequent user Marc Mero, is another elevated cutter 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 cutter.

This move, like many of cutter variations, can also see the wrestler drop the opponent down into a stunner, instead of a cutter.

Yokosuka cutter

Named by Susumu Yokosuka, this is another elevated cutter variation in which the wrestler first lifts the opponent, so that they are laying face up across one of the wrestler's shoulders as in a Canadian backbreaker rack, before flipping the opponent over into the cutter.

There is also a crucifix variant, in which the wrestler first lifts the opponent up in a crucifix hold before performing the cutter.

Twist of Fate

In this variation of a cutter the wrestler first applies a front facelock, before pivoting 180 degrees to bring themselves into the three-quarter facelock position and dropping down to the mat to hit the cutter.

This was most famously used by the members of Team Xtreme (Matt, Jeff, and Lita), This version is now solely used by Matt Hardy.

This move, like many of the other cutter variations, can also see the attacking wrestler drop the opponent down into the stunner move.

Rolling cutter

This version of a cutter sees an attacking wrestler first place an opponent (who is in front of him/her) in an Inverted facelock before rolling him/herself as well as the opponent into the cutter.

This move has two major variants: The first, in which the attacking wrestler rolls under his/her opponent, is widely referred to as the Roll of the Dice due to its use by Reno in World Championship Wrestling; a modified version which involves hoisting the opponent off their feet before beginning the spin is often known by the name Exclamation Point. The second variation sees the wrestler spin in the opposite direction. This variation became a popular finisher used by numerous wrestlers within WWE.

Forward somersault cutter

This is a variation of the rolling cutter where the attacking wrestler first holds an opponent in an inverted facelock before then jumping forwards to somersault over the opponent, landing back-first with the opponent's head driven into the wrestler's shoulder.

It is a standing version of the Diamond Dust which sees the attacking wrestler perform the move from an aerial platform. These moves commonly see the attacking wrestler somersault into the stunner move as well.

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