Suplex

A suplex is an offensive move used in both professional and sport wrestling. A suplex is a throw that involves lifting the opponent and bridging or rolling to slam the opponent on their back. Though there are many variations, the term suplex (without qualifiers) can also refer specifically to the vertical suplex.

Etymology

In Olympic and amateur wrestling there exists a move called a suplay, a Greco-Roman wrestling term. During his career, pro wrestling commentator Gordon Solie used the soo-PLAY pronunciation (as have the AWA's Rod Trongard and Terry Taylor), but almost all other pro wrestling talent pronounces it SUE-plex; this suggests the two names define the same kind of move. The origin of the word suplex is Latin sub "under" and plexus "an intricate network or web-like formation".

Suplex variants

Professional wrestling features many different varieties of suplexes. The following are among the most common, but many more exist, particularly as the signature techniques of individual wrestlers.

El Hijo de Cien Caras

Eustacio "Tacho" Jiménez Ibarra (March 21, 1976 – November 29, 2010) was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler better known by the ring name of El Hijo de Cien Caras. The name is Spanish for "the Son of Cien Caras." He was not, however, related to wrestler Cien Caras, but instead paid Cien Caras for the rights to use the ring name, a practice not uncommon in Lucha Libre. He also wrestled under the names Frankenstein and Suplex, named after the monster and the wrestling move. He was the brother of Adolfo Tapia, who wrestles as L.A. Park as well as the nephew of Super Parka and the cousin of Volador, Jr.

Professional wrestling career

Jiménez was born in a small village named Nuevo Padilla, located in the town of Tula, Tamaulipas, but while he was still a child, his family moved to Tampico, where he grew up. After Jiménez's brother Adolfo Tapia had become famous as La Parka, he decided to follow in his footsteps and become a professional wrestler. After being trained by his brother and El Salsero, Jiménez made his debut under a mask as "Frankenstein", working for El Salsero's promotion in Guadalupe, Nuevo León. In 2001 he began wrestling under the ring name "Suplex" and acknowledged publicly that he was the brother of Adolfo Tapia. He worked as Suplex on the Mexican Independent circuit for four years without much success, after which his brother decided that he needed a makeover in order to gain success.