Chad Gable and His Signature Suplex Techniques

Dec 04, 2025 0

A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. Professional wrestling features many different varieties of suplexes. In these suplexes, the wrestlers begin by facing each other, the attacking wrestler then applies a front facelock to the opponent before executing a throw. In most cases, the opponent is suspended upside-down during part of the move.

Charles Edward "Chas" Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who is signed to WWE under the ring name Chad Gable. His career started in amateur wrestling, where he was the 2004 Minnesota high school state champion and managed to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he passed through the qualification round, but was eliminated pretty early.

At WrestleMania 38 in 2022, Steveson confronted 2012 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Chas Betts, known as Chad Gable in the WWE, and executed a suplex in the ring.

Chad Gable's Journey in WWE

He signed a developmental contract with WWE's NXT brand, making his debut in September 2014. At the beginning of the next year, he entered a storyline with a fellow wrestler Jason Jordan, trying to convince him to become a tag team. As the result, American Alpha was born, with the duo capturing the NXT Tag Team Championships before being drafted to SmackDown and winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.

In 2017, American Alpha disbanded after Jordan debuted on the Raw brand as the (kayfabe) son of Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, while Gable remained on SmackDown and teamed up with Shelton Benjamin, however, this partnership was less fruitful than Gable's previous one, with Gable being drafted to Raw the next year and forming yet another team with Bobby Roode, winning the Raw Tag Team Championship.

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During the 2019 Superstar Shake-up, Gable was drafted to Smackdown, ending his team with Roode, and entered a feud with Baron Corbin, who managed to convince the announcers to shorten his name to "Shorty Gable" and eventually "Shorty G". This name change lasted for about a year, until he declared he's had enough of being Shorty G and took the name "Chad Gable" back. A few weeks later he opened a wrestling training school "Alpha Academy", taking on Otis as his first trainee.

In 2021, Gable and Otis were drafted to Raw, where they managed to capture Raw Tag Team Championships in a match against RK-Bro, dropping them back after 8 weeks. In 2023, Otis managed to recruit Maxxine Dupri to Alpha Academy, with Akira Tozawa joining later that year. During this time, Gable entered a feud with the Intercontinental Champion Gunther and his stable the Imperium, facing off against the Ring General for the title several times, but without any success.

However, when his friend Sami Zayn earned a chance to face Gunther at WrestleMania XL for the title, he asked Gable to become his coach, with the result being Zayn winning the title. However, during an episode of Raw a week after WrestleMania in Montreal, Zayn and Gable would face each other for the title, with Zayn successfully retaining. After the match, however, after praising his opponent, Gable attacked Zayn in front of his family, turning heel in the process.

Chad Gable - German Suplex Compilation 2016

Variations of Suplexes

Here are some variations of the suplex, a move often associated with Chad Gable:

Fallaway Suplex: Also known as a reverse suplex or an alley-oop. The wrestler lifts their opponent so that they are seated on the wrestler's shoulders, facing away from them, as in a powerbomb. The wrestler then falls backwards while throwing the opponent the same way, dropping them down to the mat on their chest.
Fisherman Suplex: Also known as a fisherman's suplex or the leg hook suplex, this move has the opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over the attacker's shoulder; the wrestler hooks the opponent's near leg behind the opponent's knee with their free arm and falls backwards, flipping the opponent onto their back. In most cases, the attacking wrestler will keep the leg hooked and bridge to pin the opponent in a cradle-like position, as in the case of Mr. Perfect and Curtis Axel's Perfect-plex.
Hammerlock Suplex: In this variation of the suplex, the attacker applies a hammerlock on the opponent before applying a front facelock and positioning the opponent's free arm over the attacker's head. The attacker then lifts up the opponent and falls backwards, dropping the opponent down back first, landing with their trapped arm bent behind their back.
Vertical Suplex: This move is similar to most suplexes and starts with the attacker applying a front face lock to the opponent and draping the opponent's near arm over their shoulder, then lifting the opponent up and holding them in the vertical position. This is where the move differs from most of its counterparts, with the attacker not falling with the opponent, but rather shifting themselves slightly and throwing the opponent to the mat on their back.
Sitout Suplex: Also called a suplex driver or a Falcon Arrow, this sees an attacker apply a front facelock to the opponent and drape the opponent's near arm over their shoulder. The attacker then takes hold of the opponent's torso with their free arm and lifts the opponent to a vertical position. The facelock is loosened so the opponent can be twisted slightly, then the attacker falls to a sit-out position and the victim's back and shoulders are driven into the mat.

More Suplex Variations

Front Facelock Suplex: Also called a front drop suplex or a gourdbuster, this move sees the attacker apply a front face lock to the opponent and drape the opponent's near arm over their shoulder. The attacker then lifts the opponent into a vertical position, then falls or kneels forward, driving the opponent's face into the ground.
Superplex: A superplex (a portmanteau of "super" and "suplex") refers to any suplex performed by an attacker standing on the second or third rope against an opponent sitting on the top rope or top turnbuckle. The most common suplex used for this top rope move is the standard vertical suplex variation (known as the suicide-plex), in which the attackers apply a front face lock to the opponent, draping the opponent's near arm over their respective shoulders, at this point the wrestler falls backwards and flips the opponent over them so they both land on their backs.
Snap Suplex: In a set-up similar to a snap suplex, the attacking wrestler applies a front face lock to the opponent, draping the opponent's near arm over their shoulder, when the opponent is in position they are lifted to an upside-down position before the attacking wrestler falls backwards slamming the opponent's back into the mat.
Delayed Suplex: The delayed variation of a vertical suplex, also known as the hanging suplex, standing suplex or stalling suplex, sees the attacking wrestler holds an opponent in the upside-down position at the peak of the arc for several seconds before completing the maneuver, thereby (in kayfabe) causing blood to pool into the head of the opponent. This move is a staple of larger and powerful wrestlers as it gives an aura of dominance over their opponents who can do nothing but wait to drop in the suplex.
Release Suplex: This variation of a vertical suplex sees the attacking wrestler lift the opponent as in a normal vertical suplex, but then simply drop them flat to the mat instead of falling backwards with them.
Rolling Suplex: Also known as triple rolling verticals, or triple rolling vertical suplexes, this variation of a vertical suplex sees the attacking wrestler perform a single vertical or snap suplex to the opponent, but the attacking wrestler does not release the hold, instead rolling their legs and body into a standing position to execute a second suplex, then repeats the process for a third suplex. This was popularized by WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, who used this move, calling it the Three Amigos.
Stiff Suplex: This move sees the attacker apply a front face lock to their opponent, draping the opponent's near arm over their shoulder. The attacker stomps down hard and suplexes the opponent stiffly, resulting in a quicker throw.
Side Suplex: This variation of a vertical suplex sees a wrestler holding their opponent in a front facelock with the near arm draped over their shoulder, lifts the opponent then roll over to one side, flipping the opponent over onto their back. This move is also somewhat similar to a Whiplash Neckbreaker but without the usage of the ring ropes.
Half-Hatch Suplex: Also known as a half-hatch suplex. It is performed in similar fashion to a snap suplex. The wrestler applies a front facelock with one arm, but instead of draping the arm over their shoulders as seen in most suplexes, the attacker underhooks one of the opponent's arms with their other, placing their hand palm-down on the back of the opponent. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up while bridging backwards, bringing the opponent overhead and onto their back.

Belly-to-Back Suplex Variations

In these variants, the attacker stands behind their opponent and applies a hold before falling backwards, dropping the opponent on their upper back.

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Back Suplex: For the belly-to-back suplex, the wrestler stands behind their opponent and puts their head under the arm of the opponent. The wrestler then lifts the opponent up grabbing the waist and thigh of the opponent, so the opponent is on the attacker's shoulder. The attacker finally falls backwards, dropping the opponent flat on their back.
Backdrop Driver/Suplex: Also known as a backdrop driver/suplex, the attacking wrestler stands behind their opponent and puts their head under the arm of the opponent. They then lift the opponent up using both of their arms wrapped around the torso of the opponent. The attacker finally falls backwards to drive the opponent to the mat on their neck and shoulders.
Leg Lift Back Suplex: Sometimes referred to as a leg lift back suplex or leg lift backdrop, it is applied just as a back suplex would be, except that the wrestler wraps only the near arm or no arm around the torso of their opponent. With the free arm(s), the wrestler then hoists their opponent's knees or thighs and throws them backwards in that manner.
Full Nelson Suplex: Invented by Tatsumi Fujinami, this belly-to-back suplex variation sees the wrestler apply a full nelson and then bridge their back, lifting the opponent over him and onto their shoulders down to the mat. The wrestler keeps their back arched and the hold applied, pinning the opponent's shoulders down to the mat. Also known as an electric chair slam.
German Suplex: Formally known as a reverse gutwrench suplex or waist-lock belly-to-back suplex, and abbreviated as a German, this move sees the wrestler stand behind the opponent, grab them around their waist, lift them up, and fall backwards while bridging their back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and upper back first. The wrestler keeps the waistlock and continues bridging with their back and legs, pinning the opponent's shoulders down against the mat.

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