While professional wrestling gained its most notoriety in the late ‘90s with high-paced action thanks to stars like the Hardy Boys, Rey Mysterio and a host of others, great submission wrestling has always been loved by the fans as well. In this exclusive top 10 list, Review Fix EIC Patrick Hickey Jr. counts down his picks for the most effective submission moves in the business.
10: Figure Four Leg Lock- The signature move of the original nature boy, Buddy Rogers has spawned hundreds of users including Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, Great Muta and Buddy Landel.
9: Sharp Shooter- A move defined by Bret Hart and Sting, this criss-cross variation of the Boston Crab is one of the most devastating submission holds in the industry. Toned down over the years, the move, when done properly, with the user sitting on his opponents back, is extremely potent.
8: Texas Cloverleaf- Dean Malenko’s finisher of choice, this move helped him win both the United States Heavyweight title and the Cruiserweight title in WCW. Usually coming after a double-underhook powerbomb, many never saw it coming.
7: Regal Stretch- William Regal has been around forever and this move is one of the reasons why. A modified STF, this one isn’t fun to get stuck in.
6: The Anaconda Vice- CM Punk’s judo-esque choke essentially has you choked out by your own arm and a tight squeeze, usually followed by a urinage/sambo suplex.
5: Tazzmission- This modified rear naked choke has been used by everyone from Taz to Samoa Joe and is extremely sneaky.
4: Lion Tamer- Like the sharpshooter, this move, a variation of the Boston crab is best applied when the user sits as far down as possible. While it eventually became the finisher of Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit used it before, as well as Rick Martel.
3: Dragon Sleeper- Ultimo Dragon used this move in the seated position, while Al Snow modified it with leg scissors. Low-Ki has made it a trademark in his moveset over the last few years. It’s never caught on as much as it should, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great hold.
2: Cattle Mutilation- Bryan Danielson’s trademark move in Ring of Honor, this move needs to see the light of day in the WWE.
1: Crippler Crossface- A great move that will always be synonymous with a wrestler that tarnished the sport with an act that will never be fully explained. Regardless, it’s a fantastic move that gave him hundreds of victories and one that will give Daniel Bryan plenty more by the end of his career.
All Videos are property of their respective owners.
Leave a Reply