The Spanish Fly is another move to have become immensely popular and commonplace among wrestlers over the past decade. As one can imagine from the name, it’s one commonly found in lucha libre, and it’s been delivered off the top ropes, standing in the middle of the ring, on the floor, off announcer’s desks, and anywhere two people can realistically stand and flip. 

It sees two opponents lock up with their arms across each collarbone, the one delivering the move flipping backwards while the other flips forwards into the flat-back landing and attempted cover attempt from the former. It’s cooperative to the core, and when not done quickly comes dangerously close to breaking all forms of immersion. It simply will not work without both working together. And the move has drawn much criticism for its extensive use owing to that fact. But it also shares that collusive trait with another, long-standing and rudimentary move used in effectively every wrestling match in modern history: the Irish Whip. 

The Irish Whip is so simple, just grab an opponent by the arm, pull, then push the opponent into the ropes or turnbuckle. The opponent either slams into buckles, goes over, or bounces off the ropes. But it’s also just not how momentum works, and requires more than just a little push to become the Irish Whip fans have come to know and accept. Wrestlers run with the Irish Whips all the time, as if guided by an invisible force, but they never have to. It’s a choice made for the sake of keeping the match together, and a plot hole that fans collectively choose to take for what it is. Such is the way of professional wrestling.