Due to its global appeal and diverse roster, WWE has seen a mix of wrestlers from a myriad of different backgrounds walk through its doors over the years. As such, a real mix of styles has been showcased on WWE TV throughout its history, and its product has continued to evolve across many decades to result in what we see today. In particular, though, the type of wrestler that appears to capture the imagination of fans more than any other are those who are particularly adept at high-flying.
When a competitor leaps from the top turnbuckle or springboards from the ropes, fans can’t help but watch in awe as they soar through the air. Usually used by smaller wrestlers, those without the stature of their six-foot-tall counterparts use aerial expertise to take down opponents of any size, and the best high-flyers can transcend the industry to achieve icon status both in and out of the ring. We have already looked at the best submission specialists before, so let’s take a look at who excelled at using the ropes to their advantage, as GIVEMESPORT takes you through our take on the 11 best high-flyers in WWE history.
Ranking Factors
- Athleticism – We’ll look at which superstars could bounce around the ring effortlessly and fly off the turnbuckle almost like a walk in the park.
- Legendary status – A wrestler’s status is important, while not all of these superstars are in the WWE Hall of Fame at the time of writing, we think most of them will be eventually.
- Notable high-flying moves – Some wrestling moves have become household names as you’ll see in this list. These will be taken into account.
Rank | Wrestler | Notable High-Flying Moves |
|---|---|---|
11 | Ricochet | 630 Splash, Double Rotation Moonsault |
10 | Kofi Kingston | Boom Drop, Midnight Hour |
9 | AJ Styles | Phenomenal Forearm, 450 Splash, Spiral Tap |
8 | IYO SKY | Over The Moonsault, Running Shooting Star Press |
7 | Chris Jericho | Lionsault, Diving Crossbody |
6 | Randy Savage | Top Rope Elbow Drop, Jumping Double Axe Handle |
5 | Shawn Michaels | Top Rope Elbow Drop, Moonsault |
4 | Jeff Hardy | Swanton Bomb, Whisper In The Wind, 450 Splash |
3 | Rob Van Dam | Five-Star Frog Splash, Van Terminator, Split-Legged Moonsault |
2 | Eddie Guerrero | Frog Splash |
1 | Rey Mysterio | 619, West Coast Pop, Drop The Drime |
11 Ricochet
When he signed with WWE in 2018, Ricochet carried with him a reputation of being able to take fans’ breath away in the ring. His aerial ability spoke for itself, and anticipation was high when the company decided to debut the One And Only in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Although he didn’t win, the WWE Universe immediately knew what to expect from the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion.
Despite many wondering how he’d fare on the main roster, Ricochet became a United States Champion and the Intercontinental Champion. While the X-exclusive wasn’t to everyone’s taste, he was even given the platform to shine the spotlight on his fast-paced style on WWE Speed, becoming the show’s first champion earlier this year.
10 Kofi Kingston
A true veteran of WWE, Kofi Kingston has been wowing audiences for almost two decades, and he has made his name off the back of his unique agility which has seen him capture multiple Intercontinental and United States Championships. In particular, Kingston made a legacy out of showing off his athleticism and ability every year at the Royal Rumble, making a tradition out of narrowly avoiding elimination in the most agile way possible.
Kingston stood out from the crowd immediately upon making his debut, showing no fear and eventually garnering enough fan support to reach the mountaintop, reminding everyone how good he could be in what was a classic match with Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.
9 AJ Styles
AJ Styles created quite a buzz when he arrived in the 2016 Royal Rumble match and was by far one of the company’s most shocking entrants. The star had gone from strength to strength in WWE. Having arrived in the company at the age of 38, Styles had adjusted his moveset slightly by the time he was performing on RAW, but he was still able to dazzle audiences with his incredible skill and vast agility.
Using the Phenomenal Forearm, The Phenomenal One unusually decided to use a springboard move as a finisher in WWE, and it’s become as iconic as any other in the company. While the Styles Clash is a legendary move, when the former WWE Champion leaps onto the top rope to bring down the forearm, he can topple an opponent of any size and ascend to any height.
8 IYO SKY
One of the most gifted women to have stepped foot in WWE, IYO SKY is truly a master at soaring through the sky. She was known for her daring nature before signing with the company, and her top-rope finisher, the Over The Moonsault, is becoming more iconic with every opponent she overcomes.
Having a style that fans love to watch, IYO has found a lot of success in WWE from 2018 to the present day. Having long reigns as both the NXT and WWE Women’s Champion, the Japanese sensation has shown her skills on every level and is now commonplace on Monday Night RAW, currently lighting up the women’s tag team division.
7 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is one of the most versatile wrestlers in history, being technically brilliant while also being able to change his style to suit any match-up. When it calls for it, Jericho is no stranger to throwing caution to the wind, and he was famous for using a springboard moonsault, called the Lionsault, which was a regular feature of his matches in the early part of his career.
Outside this, Chris also isn’t scared to unleash a dive from the turnbuckle, often hitting a crossbody from the top rope and even leaping from the top of a steel cage on occasion. He is an absolute all-rounder.
6 Randy Savage
The Macho Man is an absolute icon of the industry, and, along with his intense personality, his in-ring style helped him develop a deep connection with the audience. While the elbow drop has been used by many over the years, the move is perhaps most associated with Randy Savage, and many current wrestlers (such as CM Punk) raise their arms before attempting it in homage to the legend.
Not just that, his arsenal also included a diving double axe handle which he used on countless occasions to wear opponents down. The way he wrestled was a direct contrast to other top babyfaces of the era, such as Hulk Hogan, and he rightfully found himself on top of the company as WWF Champion in both the 1980s and 1990s.
5 Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels was a trailblazer in the squared circle, and, as well as excellent grappling skill, he could soar through the air to take down an opponent. The Heartbreak Kid made a signature move out of the diving elbow drop and evolved to feature some daring stunts on the biggest stages.
In particular, fans may remember the iconic moment he hit a moonsault which sent The Undertaker through the announce table at WrestleMania, but he was no stranger to big dives throughout his illustrious career. The legend could do it all and his style was a major attraction over the years.
4 Jeff Hardy
When most people think of daredevil stunts in WWE, they usually think of Jeff Hardy. The Charismatic Enigma was the personification of throwing caution to the wind and was always willing to put his body on the line to get the win. He became famous for his utterly absurd dives during ladder matches,
His exciting style and intense personality made Hardy a childhood favourite for many, and his overwhelming popularity led him to the top of WWE. There isn’t a risk that the former World Heavyweight Champion isn’t willing to take to secure a victory and entertain the fans, making him beloved both in and out of the squared circle.
3 Rob Van Dam
When Rob Van Dam was booked to compete, fans knew anything could happen. Mr. Monday Night didn’t have an ounce of fear in his body, and many of his signature moves involved him putting himself in harm’s way, including the Van Terminator, which would see RVD leap onto the top rope and springboard into a Coast To Coast on an opponent seated in the corner on the opposite side of the ring.
In particular, though, Van Dam is known for using the Five-Star Frog Splash, and the impact of his version of the move is unlike any other. He’d often get up from hitting the move clutching his stomach due to how hard he had come down on his foe. Rob was only limited by his creativity as far as high-flying is concerned, and he was willing to take any leap he could to cause opponents damage.
2 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero is one of the most charismatic WWE superstars in history, and his superstardom was only enhanced when the bell rang for him to compete in the ring. First standing out for his ability in WCW’s Cruiserweight division, fans couldn’t take their eyes off the Latino Heat’s true athleticism at a time when few were doing what he was in the ring.
As previously mentioned, some high-flyers have truly broken the mold when it comes to smaller wrestlers in WWE, and Eddie Guerrero is certainly the epitome of that. Beloved as a babyface and excellent as a heel, Guerrero accompanied his obvious charm with captivating in-ring work all the way to the WWE Championship in what was one of the most emotional title victories in the gold’s history.
1 Rey Mysterio
As the so-called Biggest Little Man in WWE history, Rey Mysterio was a true innovator, who used his fast-paced offence to keep opponents down and become larger than life despite his size. Wrestling fans across the world have fallen in love with Mysterio for generations, and his 619 finishing move is one of the most well-known match-enders in industry history.
He is a true icon of wrestling, with his legendary mask being one of the most recognised symbols the world over, and, even today, the 49-year-old continues to put on a show on Monday Night RAW, playing a role in bringing up high-flyers like Dragon Lee in the LWO.