Chokeslam

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A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera. The chokeslam is typically used as a finisher by large wrestlers, further enhancing its perception as a powerful maneuver. This maneuver can be more damaging if the victim is slammed into an object, such as a table, steel chair, or garbage can.

The most common variety of chokeslam is performed with a single-handed choke. The wrestler places their free hand behind the opponent's back or hooks the trunks to help turn them horizontally for the throw. Although a chokeslam begins with a "choke", it is not usually considered to be an illegal move. The single arm choke that normally precedes a chokeslam is known as a goozle.

The invention of the chokeslam is often incorrectly credited to Paul Heyman for use by the wrestler 911,^[1] although it was already in use by Sid Vicious at least as early as 1991 ^[2] as well as AJPW wrestler Akira Taue since 1992 under the name nodowa otoshi ("choke drop/slam").^[3] Furthermore, one of the earliest accounts of the move dates back to a 19th-century recounting that describes Abraham Lincoln (himself a wrestler in his youth) using a technique vaguely similar in description, but without any specific mention of the "slam" component.^[4] It is often used by large, powerful wrestlers such as The Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, Abyss, The Great Khali, Vader and Braun Strowman. This is because a larger, taller wrestler will be able to deliver a much higher, more impressive chokeslam than most smaller wrestlers. Their height and/or larger frames can also give them extra time to correct a botch if something goes wrong. However, some smaller wrestlers and even female performers have used the chokeslam, including Lacey Von Erich and The Hurricane, among others.