Tiffany Stratton may now be known for one of the most impressive moonsaults in WWE, but that was not originally supposed to be her finishing move.
During her appearance on Brandi Rhodes’ Shot of Brandi, Stratton revealed that her first WWE finisher was a twisting Vader Bomb called the “Tiffy Twist.” While the move matched her athletic style, she eventually began to worry that the landing could end badly if she failed to complete the rotation. When Brandi asked how Stratton decided on her current moonsault finish, Tiffany explained that she started her television run with a very different move in mind.
“So I actually, originally, when I first got on TV it was a Vader bomb, but it had like a full twist and I called it the Tiffy twist. So it wasn’t originally like my plan to have that as my finish.”
The move ultimately became a concern for Stratton because she was not always landing cleanly. She explained that the combination of speed, twisting and coming down toward the mat made her think seriously about the possibility of injuring herself.
“And then like I started landing the Tiffy twist kind of like awkwardly on my side or I wasn’t completing the twist every time and it just like scared me ’cause like you’re coming into the ground so fast and you’re twisting at the same time.”
That fear led Stratton to retire the Tiffy Twist as her regular finishing move and move forward with the moonsault that has become closely tied to her WWE career.
“So I’m like, I don’t wanna break my nose on accident. So I decided to do the moonsault and the reason why I do the jumping one is because I was a trampoline gymnast and like—”
Stratton said the springboard variation of her moonsault reflects her background as a trampoline gymnast, while also giving her something unique that not many competitors are capable of performing.
“You know, like jumping off of the ropes like kind of directly reflects my background I feel like. And like it just adds like a little bit of pizazz, if you will, with the jumping and I feel like not a lot of people can do that.”
Brandi then asked whether Stratton had ever experienced a frightening moment while attempting the moonsault. Tiffany recalled one match against Fallon Henley where she was not attempting to land the move on her opponent, but instead planned to land on her feet after Henley moved out of the way.
According to Stratton, the spot became scary when her boot slipped off the rope during the attempt.
“I was wrestling, I think it was Fallon Henley and I do it, but it wasn’t me hitting the move it was like a, I faded it like I landed on my feet and she rolled in.”
“But my boot slipped off of the rope and I was— Yeah, that was scary.”
Stratton did not say that the slip resulted in an injury, but her comments show just how much risk is involved in a move that fans may see her deliver in only a matter of seconds. The moonsault may be connected to her gymnastics background, but even someone with Stratton’s athletic ability still has to deal with the danger that comes with leaving the ropes and rotating through the air.
What do you think of Tiffany Stratton abandoning the Tiffy Twist after fearing she could break her nose, and do you believe her moonsault is one of the best finishers in WWE today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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