We’re looking at more overused wrestling moves. Last time, it was the Burning Hammer which went from big match finisher to the realm of “Wow” spot and finishing move after perfect finishing move booking from All Japan early on. This time, we look at a move that came from the indies: The Spanish Fly.
A Move Everyone and Their Mama Does: The Spanish Fly
When the Spanish Fly was first being used, it was a tag team finisher from the original Spanish Announce Team of brothers Joel and Jose Maximo–also known as Los Maximos–during the early 2000s. Personally, this is my favorite version of the move. First off, it’s already pretty convoluted.
It requires a little too much setup if the opponent isn’t already on the top turnbuckle, all three wrestlers have to balance themselves perfectly on the turnbuckle/rope, and everyone has to be on the same page with the moonsault and the slam. However, the first few times you see it, the move is pretty awesome. It’s once the wheels start turning about the logic of the move that you’re like “Hold up…”
The Overuse
It didn’t take long for the move to get around. In the same way as U.S indy guys of that period were watching 80s and 90s puroresu tapes, elsewhere wrestlers were checking out that stuff and the U.S indies. The Spanish Fly popped big in lucha libre, particularly with wrestlers on the extreme lucha circuit—some of which would go on to Lucha Libre AAA.
A notable example of it getting picked up with the wrestler Xtreme Tiger or Tiger Uno who used the move as a finisher. Now, it’s not overused if it was a regular finisher to begin with and someone else uses it. It’s once several people start using the move.
The one interesting thing about the overuse of the Spanish Fly is seeing another generation of even more athletic wrestlers use the move in different positions. Some do it from the top in singles matches, a couple still do the original Spanish Fly, and some even do the move standing.
That said, this move was so unbelievable that if everyone started biting it, why be bothered? Is it overused? Obviously. However, the overuse hasn’t harmed the move at all. As a matter of fact, some of the versions are actually better than the original.
The Burning Hammer wasn’t afforded such niceties as the Spanish Fly. By this time, Los Maximos have probably been forgotten as the originators of the move. At least until a quick Google is done. Anyway, here’s the O.Gs hitting the move and in its Spanish Announce Team glory.
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