Oddly enough, I've thought about starting this thread a few times, but never actually did for whatever reason.

The physics of wrestling are really some of the most hilarious, counter-intuitive things about this entire business.

The two that always come to mind for me are Irish Whips (the idea you can literally throw a guy to make them start running, and they'll bounce off the ropes and return) and Slingshots (dropping to my back with your feet in my armpits will generate enough momentum to make you fly away).

Am I alone in thinking about this? And if not, what are some of the other ridiculous wrestling physics you love.

When I clicked the thread without reading a single word of your post my first thought was irish whip. I'm sure the same for most people. The spot where someone can be slingshotted(?) from the apron to the inside of the ring by simply tugging on the ropes comes to mind.

"Hooking the leg." If somebody just explained hooking the leg, connecting your two hands will make it harder for your opponent to kick out, it would make some sense, but the way legs are hooked, often putting all the weight on the pinned shoulders, all the pinned wrestler would have to do is go with it and roll out of every pin. It's much easier to get off your back that way. Wrestling physics says the opposite.

Oct 23, 2018 22:51:54 GMT KJ said:

Oddly enough, I've thought about starting this thread a few times, but never actually did for whatever reason.

The physics of wrestling are really some of the most hilarious, counter-intuitive things about this entire business.

The two that always come to mind for me are Irish Whips (the idea you can literally throw a guy to make them start running, and they'll bounce off the ropes and return) and Slingshots (dropping to my back with your feet in my armpits will generate enough momentum to make you fly away).

Am I alone in thinking about this? And if not, what are some of the other ridiculous wrestling physics you love.

Oct 23, 2018 23:32:05 GMT @ness said:

When I clicked the thread without reading a single word of your post my first thought was irish whip. I'm sure the same for most people. The spot where someone can be slingshotted(?) from the apron to the inside of the ring by simply tugging on the ropes comes to mind.

Oct 23, 2018 23:41:37 GMT Kilgore said:

"Hooking the leg." If somebody just explained hooking the leg, connecting your two hands will make it harder for your opponent to kick out, it would make some sense, but the way legs are hooked, often putting all the weight on the pinned shoulders, all the pinned wrestler would have to do is go with it and roll out of every pin. It's much easier to get off your back that way. Wrestling physics says the opposite.

Oh my god... yes, yes, yes, and YES!!! To all of this. I hate so much about wrestling physics, but you guys are nailing the biggest of my pet peeves. Even in approximately the right order for my personal ranking of hatred.

What about how time slows down and gravity's pull becomes x times greater the higher up a ladder you climb? Fucking come on! Get creative to explain why you can climb the ladder at least roughly like a normal person but can't unclasp the belt or briefcase. If you've been beat to fuck first a la Jeff Hardy in some Undertaker murder job... sure, a lot more forgivable. But that's the rare instance exception.

And don't get me started on why it's so hard to get thrown out of the ring in Royal Rumbles, less so in Battle Royals, and not hard at all in every other match type.

The Irish whip kinda makes sense, you ever seen someone try to drag a nervous person on stage? Just add more wrestling logic to that and it’s not that bad, except when it’s against huge opponents and they don’t even pretend to struggle.

The international spot
(Headlock them to the ropes..let go,Drop Down, pancake, leap frog, hip toss)
with the Pancake, Paige is the only person I’ve ever seen use the move successfully. So why do so many people attempt it?

Leverage pins
Putting both your legs on the top rope for leverage to pin your opponent, it feels like you’re pressing less of your weight down on your opponent.

Though as far as pins go, wouldn’t you work the shoulders/arms OR the head almost every match to either knock them out or tire their shoulders out, unless you were trying to end the match in submission? (Which is a rare outcome)

I see wrestlers escaping arm wringers/wrist locks by twisting their bodies, rolling, doing cartwheels or flips.
Usually a string of several of the aforementioned. I never understood why. It's a wrestling match, not a gymnastics competition. How does flipping and rolling do anything to counter a wrist lock?

The Spanish Fly

SPOILER: Click to show

I don't believe it's possible to do this against a someone unless he is cooperating or much smaller than you. Seems impossible do a backflip and lift an entire human being with you, even if he's running at you.

Oct 26, 2018 1:27:12 GMT System said:

The international spot
(Headlock them to the ropes..let go,Drop Down, pancake, leap frog, hip toss)
with the Pancake, Paige is the only person I’ve ever seen use the move successfully. So why do so many people attempt it?

The way wrestlers execute the pancake (had no idea it was called that) doesn't make sense. If your goal is to lay on your front in an attempt to trip your running opponent, why lay as flat as possible? Surely it would make more sense to go on your hands and knees. Makes it a lot harder for them to hop over.

Also, why leapfrog at all? You're literally jumping in front of a running opponent, giving them a free attack. I love it when I see, say, Daniel Bryan counter a leapfrog by dropkicking them in the face. But really, every wrestler should be doing that (or the Samoa Joe counter of grabbing them out of midair with a reverse atomic drop). While we're at it, why isn't every pancake countered with an elbow drop or legdrop or senton?

Oct 26, 2018 1:27:12 GMT System said:

Leverage pins
Putting both your legs on the top rope for leverage to pin your opponent, it feels like you’re pressing less of your weight down on your opponent.

I never understood that one either. If the wrestler pushes their feet against the rope to add more force to the pin, that makes sense. But wrestling physics dictates that merely draping your feet on the middle or bottom rope makes the cover much harder to escape :lol:

To add on it I was thinking of moves that don’t look visually impressive but actually hurt like hell.

The Coup De Grace being the main offender, to me it just looks the guy jumps down and awkwardly slips over at the last second. It hurts like a bitch, there’s no room for error (see Miz at Survivor Series)
and there’s way more visually impressive top rope moves to use instead, like an elbow drop.

Low Ki did the top rope double stomp much better but I agree, it is one of the less impressive-looking top rope moves.

Coup De Grace is also a pretty bad move to use for wrestling. You want to use things that look like they hurt but don't really hurt. Not things that look like they don't hurt and actually really dangerous. And agreed Low Ki does it better where it looks like it actually hurts. Too bad the guy has an horrible ego problem.

And some table spots from the top robe. If they aren't traveling as far there is less momentum so it should hurt less. Though I sucked in Physics so who knows.