What It Means When Wrestlers Tap Themselves Before Elbow Drops

Professional wrestling loves its secret signals almost as much as it loves its elbow drops. So it makes sense the two would go hand in hand. Since the dawn of time, wrestlers, referees, and others have used everything from thigh slaps to hand signals to claps to squeezes to whatever you want to call it in the name of timing and safety. And along the way, they've also used elbow drops, either off the top rope, the apron, or even in the ring, turning the move into one of the most common moves in history. Some have done the move better than others, and some, such as "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, and Kairi Sane have become synonymous with the move, either because they used it so often or, in the case of Savage and Sane, because they were among the best to ever do it.

But what do wrestling's secret signals and the elbow drop actually have in common? Generally speaking, not a whole lot beyond the fact that they are used a whole lot. But naturally, when it comes to the elbow drop, there is a signal that goes along with that as well; when the wrestler taps themselves prior to doing the move. What does it mean? Who came up with the idea? And is it a practice still used today? To answer the first question, wrestlers tapping themselves before an elbow drop do so for the same reason Randy Orton claps his hands before doing a powerslam or Jake Roberts slapped someone in the back before doing a DDT. It's to let the opponent know that the move is coming, and to take the proper precautions in protecting themselves before the move. Or sometimes, it's just to signal that they're doing the move to the audience.

As for when and who developed the idea for tapping themselves before an elbow drop, the answer appears to be some time between the 1970s and early 1980s, though who exactly developed the practice is unclear. Some of the credit is given to "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who used the standing Bionic Elbow and a typical elbow, though it's not confirmed. One early example that was caught on tape was from a 1981 match between Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Bob Backlund. Just before going to the second rope, Valentine can be seen taping on his right elbow, signaling that an elbow drop was coming. In this instance, that was all Valentine was doing, as he would miss the move off the second rope, sending the match towards its finish sequence. 

The practice became popularized not long after thanks in large part to Savage, who began using the Flying Elbow Drop off the top rope as his finisher, eventually making the move iconic. It was likely from Savage that other wrestlers began adopting the practice as well. The aforementioned Kari Sane has also tapped her elbow before elbow drops. And though he didn't fly off the top rope, The Rock was noted as doing the same thing for his finishing move, The People's Elbow, a part of a lengthy routine that would see Rock slowly take off his elbow pad and throw it into the crowd before swinging his arms wildly and hitting the ropes. In a way, one could argue that Rock took the signal and turned it into its own new thing.