The Contentious Ten 9.7.09: The Top Ten Wrestling Knockout Holds

Since last weeks comments were mostly about which moves I should or shouldn’t have included in my Top Ten Submission Moves list I’m just going to focus in on a few comments concerning Chris Benoit. A few commenters attacked me and others defended me.

First, I couldn’t tell from the context if this comment from Daniel was taking a jab at me or not, but he seemed to be:

“Despite all of Chris Benoit’s technical prowess, he would routinely not tightly clutch the arm, making the move look very unconvincing.”
A fine example why HE shouldn’t be named anymore. I guess he clutched the arm correctly at least once, huh John?
“Shawn Michaels has used the hold, but never to the same level of effectiveness as Benoit.”
100% true.
Posted By: Daniel (Guest) on August 31, 2009 at 12:56 AM

I’m not exactly sure what he meant when he wrote “why he shouldn’t have been named anymore,” in reference to what I wrote, seeing as it had nothing to do with his murdering of his wife and child.

This commenter: He MURDERED his wife and CHILD, seemed to think I was praising Benoit.

Hey great list but you weren’t thorough enough on the cross face. You forgot to mention that its great for killing small children. Also the most famous instance is not Mania 20 but when he applied it to a 5 year old child and murdered him with it. How the f*ck are you going to talk about that piece of shit Benoit so glowingly AGAIN and not even mention what that piece of shit did to his wife and child? Seriously get your priorities straight. Its fine if people want to watch his matches but for god’s sake quit talking about him so reverentially.
Posted By: He MURDERED his wife and CHILD (Guest) on August 31, 2009 at 10:25 AM

This sucks, because before I started writing for 411 I would frequently leave comments like this when I felt people were praising Benoit and ignoring what he did. I guess the shoe is on the other foot now. This might get me hate mail in the opposite direction, but I am personally unable to forgive or forget the actions of Chris Benoit. To me, the man is a piece of shit. He’s a piece of shit for doing what he did to his wife and son, and he’s a piece of shit (albeit to a lesser degree) because of the ramification those actions have had on wrestling fans. If you are or were a Chris Benoit fan, his act of double-murder-suicide, aside from being a cowardly and monstrous act, is a metaphorical punch in your face because on top of those actions, he clearly did not give a fuck about his fans or how they would have to cope with having been a fan of a guy who decided killing his wife and son and then himself was the solution to his problems. I say this because I WAS a Chris Benoit fan, and that’s how I feel. I am not a fan now. I can’t watch his matches without thinking of his final actions, so I usually just don’t watch them. Additionally, every time I turn on an old WWE DVD and have to sit through that stupid “Don’t Try This at Home” segment my skin crawls when I hear Benoit’s “I fractured a disk that fragmented into my spinal column.” That’s how badly I despise him.

That is how I personally feel about Chris Benoit. I am also aware, from having read the comments of other columns that some people are able to compartmentalize Chris Benoit. They can separate his final actions from his wrestling career and can “appreciate” his matches for what they are. Although I do not share this ability I don’t begrudge anyone who does, and I believe that it is my job to discuss various aspects of pro wrestling as objectively as I can. Even though this is an opinion piece I still have to remain largely objective. For example, if I were making a Top Ten WrestleMania matches list, and I didn’t list any Shawn Michaels matches because I (hypothetically) don’t like him, that would be pretty ridiculous and overly biased.

Because last week’s column was on submission holds I felt I had to include the Crippler Crossface, as it is, in the world of wrestling, a very effective submission hold. Unfortunately, Chris Benoit is the wrestler that used the hold the most frequently and with the most (kayfabe) success. Even if Benoit used the move to kill his son (I was not able to find a reliable source to confirm or deny this), that had nothing to do with the move in the context of what I was writing about it. Thus, in reference to the crossface I thought the best way to handle it was to write about the move (it was about the move not the wrestler) from a neutral standpoint. I’m not sure (in reference to the commenter’s post) how I was writing about him glowingly. I felt I was simply stating facts. The highest profile victory the crossface ever earned was at WrestleMania XX, and Benoit made a lot of wrestlers submit by using the hold. I also commented on Benoit’s technical prowess (maybe this was the glowing writing the commenter referred to), but only so I could point out how frequently he applied the move sloppily. If anyone thought I was praising Benoit, please reread what I wrote. I don’t think saying that he won matches is praise. Furthermore, I don’t think saying he was a good wrestler or had a good match denotes anything other than that. A historian can objectively say that Hitler was a good public speaker, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the historian likes, reveres Hitler, or supports his actions. Benoit is a part of wrestling history, I don’t blame WWE for largely erasing him from their archives, or never mentioning him on TV, but I will on occasion have to bring his name up in order for my lists to be as complete as they can be. Furthermore, when I have to discuss him I will continue to only discuss him in the context of what I am writing. Just because I don’t bring up the fact that he’s a piece of shit wife and child killer does not mean I like or respect him, or even that I get any enjoyment from watching any of his matches.

There are no Honorable Mentions this week, because I had a hard enough time coming up with ten moves. Putting these in order was pretty difficult too.

The Top Ten Knockout Holds

I really feel that this goes without saying, but I’m going to say this anyway because there might be a few impressionable minds reading the column:

WARNING!

Even though wrestling is staged, most of the holds described in this column are REAL holds that involve cutting off the blood supply to the brain, or the oxygen to the lungs. This can cause serious and permanent damage, and in some cases even death. DO NOT be an idiot and try these holds on ANYONE or even YOURSELF. I, and 411mania take absolutely no responsibility if you decide to try one of these moves and injure another person or yourself.

X

Koji Clutch

Used famously by: Koji Kanemoto, Christopher Daniels

The Koji Clutch gives the Mandible Claw a run for its money in regards to the most unusual hold on this list. Like most of the holds the focus of it is to cut off the blood supply to the victim’s brain. It is one of two entries on this list that is often setup by a high impact slam in this case, the STO. The STO is set up similarly to the Rock Bottom. The attacker is facing his opponent, gets his right shoulder under the right arm of his opponent and clasps the opponent’s left shoulder with his (the attacker’s) right hand. Once in position the attacker falls backwards, pulling the victim chest first toward the mat, jarring his neck and knocking the wind out of him. Once on the mat the entire hold can be applied almost instantly. The attacker keeps his right arm in the position it was in during the set up for the STO, and quickly swings his right leg onto the victim’s back, and swings his left leg over the victim’s face and hooks the victim’s forehead or face with the back of his (the attacker’s) knee (between the hamstring and calf). Almost at the same time, with his left hand, the attacker reaches over the back of the victim’s neck and his own (the attacker’s) left leg, and clasps his (the attacker’s) right hand. The reason for the attacker encircling his left leg with his arms is that it makes it much harder for the victim push the attacker’s left leg off of his face, or to simply slip under the leg. Once locked in the attacker pushes back the victim’s head with his left leg, and pulls the victim (at his neck) toward the mat with his hands. This action hyperextends the victim’s neck and the position of the attacker’s arms allows him to squeeze the victim’s neck, putting pressure on the victim’s left carotid artery. Additionally the weight of the attacker’s right leg makes it hard for the victim to simply rise out of the hold.

The Koji Clutch was invented by Japanese wrestler Koji Kanemoto. Like I’ve written before, I don’t really watch Japanese wrestling, but Kanemoto won several IWGP Titles while using the hold as his finisher. In American wrestling, Christopher Daniels has used the hold to measured success, winning several titles in independent and Japanese wrestling promotions, and winning three X Division and six Tag Team Titles in TNA. Because the move hasn’t resulted in many high profile victories in the United States the move comes in at number ten on my list.

IX

Tongan Death Grip

Used famously by: Meng/Haku

Did you guys forget about this one? I almost did! The Tongan Death grip was such a deadly move that it has a wine named after it. In all seriousness, the Tongan Death Grip is, if applied correctly a potentially lethal maneuver. There is not much to the move, but there is a degree of technique. Usually the victim is slightly dazed before the attacker applies the move, so that its application catches the victim off guard. Because the move could easily slip into or be mistaken for a chokehold the attacker must prepare his grip accordingly prior to executing the move. Typically this involves the attacker bending his hand back at the wrist, pointing his thumb outward from his palm and bending his first two fingers at, not the first, but second knuckle. The ring and pinky fingers can be used, but aren’t necessary. After the grip is prepared the attacker applies the hold by striking or jabbing at his opponent’s neck (which is quite the stunning attack in its own right) and grabbing the fleshy part where the neck transitions into the jaw, seizing nerves and tendons on both sides of the trachea. Obviously the attacker’s grip has to be extremely strong otherwise the hold could be easily broken. As a result, the attacker usually drives his opponent onto his back. By applying such a high degree pressure on the victim’s nerves the attacker causes him a high level of pain. However, the deadly part of the Tongan Death Grip is that while grasping the victims neck the attacker, aside from causing him pain, is pinching off the carotid artery, slowing and in some cases stopping the blood flow to the victim’s brain, causing him to pass out. This can result in a sleeper-type victory, or if the opponent is on his back a pinfall.

The Tongan Death Grip is applied at 7:55

Tonga Fifita, started using the move as his primary finisher as Meng in WCW. Although he was pushed as a tough man, monster of a wrestler, and earned quick and decisive victories over jobbers and lower undercard wrestlers, his success was pretty limited when it came to high profile matches and feuds. In fact, the only major title he won after adopting the hold as his finisher was the WCW Hardcore Title. No one ever defeated him for the title, because shortly after winning it Meng jumped ship to the WWF. WCW decided not to revive the title. The stories of Meng/Haku/Tonga outside of the ring are almost legendary. Bad News Brown, Bobby Heenan, The Barbarian, and Goldberg have all said (in one way or another) that Tonga is/was the toughest man they know. Nevertheless, due to Tonga’s limited in-ring success, and the fact that I couldn’t find any other wrestlers who used the hold on a regular basis, the Tongan Death Grip, while badass, ends up being pretty low on the list.

VIII

Mandible Claw

Used famously by: Mick Foley (primarily as Mankind), and Sam Sheppard.

I really hemmed and hawed over putting this move on the list, because it’s on the boarder line of a submission move and a move that is designed to make it’s victim pass out. Anyway, I decided to include it because Mick Foley has won numerous matches using the hold, and most of the victories resulted from the victim passing out as opposed to giving up. Although it looks brutal and barbaric, the move, in its inception is quite technical. The aggressor applies the hold by sliding two fingers, usually the middle and ring fingers, into his opponent’s mouth and forcing them under the tongue, connecting with the spongy tissue. Then the attacker pushes his thumb into the soft area under the jaw, effectively clasping his hand around his opponent’s mandible. Once locked in the hold causes severe and sometimes (in kayfabe) paralyzing pain, causing the opponent to either submit or to be rendered incapacitated long enough to score a pin fall. According to Mankind the hold can cause blinding pain and cause the victim to pass out. While it would seem like an easy move to counter, by either biting the fingers or by kicking or punching the attacker, these counters can be explained away by the simple fact that if someone has another person by the jaw they can pretty much control him and drag him around. Mankind also claimed that hold paralyzed the jaw, preventing the biting.

The history behind the move is pretty interesting. Dr. Sam Sheppard was an osteopathic physician who was convicted for murdering his pregnant wife in an incredibly high-profile court case. Sheppard maintained that he was innocent and that another man attacked him and his wife. After serving nearly ten years he earned a retrial and was acquitted when new evidence was presented. The whole story supposedly inspired the creators of the series and film The Fugitive. Anyway, even though he was acquitted many people still thought he was guilty, so one of the things he did to make some money was professional wrestling. He called himself “The Killer,” and used the Mandibular Nerve Pinch as his finishing hold. Many years later Mick Foley was looking for a new finishing move that would be easier on his body than his dive from the ring apron on to the floor. Jim Cornette told Foley Sheppard’s story and he liked the idea, eventually incorporating the move into his Mankind character. As Mankind he earned a key victory over The Undertaker at the 1996 King of the Ring using the hold. He earned several other victories over him and the hold was a key part of his victory. As the Mankind character evolved the Mandible Claw’s initial power seemed to fade, but the hold remained and still is a significant part of his repertoire. Since adopting the hold Foley captured several WWF Tag Team Titles with various partners and three short reigns as WWF Champion. More recently in TNA Foley has found success, winning both the TNA World Title and the Legend’s Title.

VII

Anaconda Vise

Used famously by: CM Punk

The Anaconda Vise has its roots in Brazilian Ju-jitsu, and like the Koji Clutch the move is frequently and easily set up by a high impact maneuver. The setup to the slam is very similar to the setup to the Rock Bottom. The attacker is facing his opponent, gets his right shoulder under the right arm of his opponent and clasps the opponent’s left shoulder with his (the attacker’s) right hand. Once in position the attacker uses his left hand to help him lift his opponent off his feet and drives the victim back first onto the mat. The attacker comes down with him and hangs on to the hold he applied during the set up to the slam. Now the opponent has had the wind knocked out of him, and is more susceptible to the hold. Having hung on to the victim, the attacker shifts his right arm around the neck of the victim and moves his legs out to the side. With his left arm the attacker bends the victims right arm into a keylock position and grabs the victim’s right wrist with his (the attacker’s) right hand. Then the attacker laces his left hand through the opening between the victim’s right upper and lower arm and grabs his own wrist. The hold is now locked in, and the attacker pulls the victims head toward him. This strains the victim’s right arm, but more importantly compresses the left side of the victim’s neck, squeezing the carotid artery, slowing the blood flow to the brain. Unlike most of the other sleeper like maneuvers on this list the Anaconda Vise really only compresses one side of the victim’s neck making the move less effective as a knockout hold. However, the move, once it has been properly applied is very difficult to escape. Even if the victim makes it to his feet the attacker can easily slam him back down to the mat.

CM Punk might just be the American wrestler who has found the most success with the Anaconda Vise (he was the only one I found that actually uses the hold). It was one of his primary finishing holds on the independent circuits and in Ring of Honor, and he used the hold during his first year in WWE’s ECW. Using it helped Punk win and retain numerous titles including the ROH World Title, and the ECW Title. Even though Punk is a three time World Heavyweight Champion and a former Intercontinental Champion he has limited his use of the move. Perhaps it will make an appearance at Breaking Point and may result in a knock out victory for him over the Undertaker.

VI

Sleeper Hold

Used famously by: Ed “The Strangler” Lewis, Vern Gagne, Nick Bockwinkel, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Brutus Beefcake, Adrian Adonis, and countless more.

There are numerous variations of the sleeper hold, many of which are discussed elsewhere in this column. The version of the sleeper I’m writing about here is the basic sleeper with very few modifications. Ed “The Strangler” Lewis is said to have invented the sleeper hold, but I imagine that that could be up for debate. The basic version of the sleeper is a pretty rudimentary hold, and usually begins with the attacker behind his (usually dazed) opponent, or as an attack off of a rope rebound. With his right arm, the attacker reaches around the victim’s neck, lodging it in the crook of his arm. Then he takes his left hand and slaps it on to the top of the victim’s head. The hold is fully locked in when the attackers right hand clasps on to his left bicep, making the hold harder to break. Once locked in the attacker pushes the victim’s head to the right, driving the right side of the victim’s neck into the attacker’s upper right arm. At the same time, the attacker squeezes the victim’s neck in the crook of his right arm driving the bone of the forearm into the left side of the victim’s neck. The hold is often augmented by the attacker leaping on to the back of the victim causing more pressure and making the hold harder to escape. Although the sleeper resembles a chokehold, it is not. By squeezing the victim’s neck with his right arm, the attacker, puts pressure on the victim’s carotid arteries, slowing the flow of blood to the victim’s brain, causing them to eventually pass out; the victim, however, can still breathe while in the hold. Because the arm is a fairly wide surface, the sleeper does not have the same level of precision that some other knockout holds do. Therefore it can take a few minutes for the victim to feel the full effects. Furthermore, it seems as though when the victim slumps down in the hold the amount of (kayfabe) leverage the attacker can apply is lessened. This may account for all of those wrestlers that are able to keep their arms from dropping a third time.

The sleeper hold has earned wrestlers very few victories in recent years. However at one time it was one of the most feared holds in wrestling. Ed Lewis, the innovator of the hold won the World Championship five times. Vern Gagne and Nick Bockwinkel were multiple time AWA Champions and they feuded over who had the better sleeper hold. Brutus Beefcake found great success using the hold, as did Adrian Adonis. Roddy Piper preferred also to use the hold as his finisher and he even forced Hulk Hogan to pass out to it in a non-title match at the 1996 Starcade. Hundreds of wrestlers throughout the years have used the sleeper to finish off their opponents, making it an essential part of this list, but the hold is hurt due to all of the (arguably) superior versions of it and because it rarely scores a victory anymore.

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V

Rear Naked Choke

Used famously by: Samoa Joe

In many ways differentiating this hold from the sleeper seems kind of silly, as it is applied in almost exactly the same way. The main difference is that the rear naked choke is more of a choke than a move that slows the blood flow to the brain. As I wrote, the application of the hold is identical to the sleeper in every way but two. The attacker stands behind the victim and wraps his right arm around the victim’s neck. The attacker then takes his left arm, maneuvers it behind the victims head and grabs his (the attacker’s) right shoulder, or places his hand on the back of the victim’s head. The hold is fully locked in when the attackers right hand grips on to his left arm, making the hold harder to break. The main difference between the choke and the sleeper is, in the sleeper hold the right bicep and forearm of the attacker squeeze the carotid arteries; in the choke the forearm simply compresses the victim’s trachea, and literally chokes him out. There maybe some pressure on the carotids, but most of the pressure is directly on the windpipe, meaning the hold deprives the victim of air, not of blood to the brain. After the hold is applied the attacker usually falls backwards and augments the move with a body scissors which makes the hold harder to escape and restricts the breathing of the victim. If the victim does not tap out in time, his breathing will be compromised enough that he will pass out. I’m still not sure how the move is legal in pro-wrestling. Let’s ask the expert him self…

I guess he told me. Now who am I to argue with Samoa Joe? I’m not a wrestler, but what Joe described sounds like a sleeper hold to me, not a Coquina Clutch to me. Nevertheless, Joe rarely applies the Rear Naked choke the way he illustrated in that video here’s his version of the Rear Naked Choke…

The forearm is clearly over the throat in that video, making it an air choke, not a blood choke. Again, what the hell do I know, Samoa Joe is a wrestler I’m not. Nevertheless, the minor differences in the application of the hold make me comfortable enough to refer to it as a different hold than the sleeper hold. Samoa Joe has earned a significant number of victories “choking bitches out.” The move has helped him win the ROH World Title, the TNA X Division Title, and the TNA World Title.

IV

Tazmission

Used famously by: Taz, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian

The Tazmission is really a Judo hold called Kataha Jime, and was introduced to the wrestling world by Taz near the end of 1995. The introduction of the hold brought the concept of “tapping out” as opposed to responding to the referee’s questions to wrestling. The move is set up with the attacker standing behind a standing opponent. The first part of the move consists of the attacker reaching under the victim’s left arm with his (the attacker’s) left arm and locking in a half-nelson. Then, with his right arm, the attacker reaches over his victim’s neck. Because Judo is about leverage, the original hold consists of the attacker’s right hand grabbing the left lapel of the victim’s judogi to assist in the choke. Because wrestlers rarely ware any sort of top, the applier of the Tazmission has to slightly modify the hold. Instead of grabbing the neck, or simply choking out the victim with a forearm, the Tazmission uses the back of the attacker’s right wrist or hand to put pressure on the victim’s trachea and carotid artery. This angle allows for a surprising amount of highly concentrated leverage. Once both of the attacker’s arms are in place, it is simply a matter of squeezing the victim’s neck, which cuts of the blood supply to the brain, and restricts breathing. The hold is often accompanied with a body scissors, which brings the victim to the mat, makes the hold harder to escape, and further restricts breathing. The hold is very difficult to escape due to the victim’s inability to effectively use his left arm, and because of the body scissors, leaving him little choice but to tap out, or pass out.

Obviously you can’t write about the Tazmission with out writing about Taz. Taz’s ECW career skyrocketed after adopting the hold as his finishing move. Taz won the ECW TV Title on two occasions, and when he was unable to get a shot at Shane Douglas’s ECW Title he created his own, FTW ECW World Title, and eventually unified that title with the ECW Title. Eventually Taz made his way to the WWF, and handed Kurt Angle his first loss via Tazmission. Tazz would win the ECW Title a second time when he defeated WCW’s Mike Awesome for the title. Tazz’s in ring career in the WWF was less than stellar, but he managed to earn a number of victories using the hold. Samoa Joe started using a variation of the move recently. I ranked this above the Rear Naked Choke, because I maintain that the choke is choke (and should be illegal), the Tazmission is a compression hold.

III

Cobra Clutch/Million Dollar Dream

Used famously by: Sgt. Slaughter, Ted DiBiase, Steve Austin, Corporal Kirschner, Steve Corino.

Although the moves are identical it always seemed like Sgt. Slaughter’s version of the hold was more of a submission hold, and DiBiase’s version of the hold was more of a sleeper, but Slaughter explains that in the video. The Cobra Clutch starts with the attacker lurking behind his victim. With his right arm, the attacker reaches over the victim’s right shoulder, grabs the victim’s left arm at the wrist and pulls it up to the right side of the victim’s neck. Once the attacker has a good grip he laces his left arm up through the space between the victim’s body and the victim’s left arm and places his (the attacker’s) left hand on the back of the victim’s neck, essentially applying a half-nelson. If the attacker wants to really lock in the hold he can grip his right forearm or bicep with his left hand. Either way, the attacker then pulls the victim’s left arm into the right side of his neck. This act of pulling also forces the attacker’s left forearm into the left side of the victim’s neck, the attacker can add to this by simply driving his forearm into the neck. Once applied the hold squeezes the carotid artery and slows the flow of blood to the victim’s brain. Although, more pressure is applied to the left side of the victims neck than the right, both arteries get compressed, thus if the victim doesn’t tap-out, he will pass out. While the standard sleeper may distribute the pressure on the neck more evenly, the Cobra Clutch gives the applier more control over the victim thanks to both the half-nelson and the arm clutch.

Sgt. Slaughter built a pretty successful career for himself, winning several regional championships, and used the Cobra Clutch as his finishing hold of choice throughout most of it. Interestingly enough he abandoned the hold in favor of the Camel Clutch during his Iraqi sympathizer phase, and his reign as WWF Champion. Although Ted DiBiase didn’t win much in the way of titles he was one of the WWF’s biggest villains of the 1980s and early 90s and used the Million Dollar Dream to stay near the top of the card. In the mid 1990s DiBiase brought in Steve Austin as his handpicked Million Dollar Champion, and had him use the Million Dollar Dream for his finisher. For the remainder of his career Austin would occasionally pull the Dream out of his bag of tricks, but doing so once cost him a match against Bret Hart, who managed to flip the move into a pin.

II

Gogoplata

Used famously by: The Undertaker

In early 2008 the Undertaker, who is reportedly a big MMA fan, started using a potentially lethal submission hold to finish off some of his opponents, as opposed to his Tombstone Piledriver. Announcers seemed to have no idea what to call the hold and eventually settled on the gimmicky name “Hells Gate.” In reality the move is known as the Gogoplata, and has its roots in Judo. Like many of the other Judo to wrestling moves on this list, some modifications have been made. The move doesn’t have to start this way, it can be applied defensively, but when applied as an offensive maneuver the move usually starts with the victim on his back and the attacker standing on the victim’s right hand side. The attacker grabs the victim’s left arm and straddles it while facing away from him. With his right hand the attacker controls the victim’s left arm, bends over and grabs the victim’s right arm with his (the attacker’s) left hand. The attacker drops down on his left knee and rolls onto his back taking the victim with him. The attacker then maneuvers his right leg over the victim’s left arm (that is still controlled) and jockeys his leg under the victim’s chin. The attacker then releases his grip on the victim’s arms (the left arm is now trapped under the attacker’s right leg) and wraps his hands around the head of the victim pulling it down. At the same time the attacker pushes his right leg up into the throat of the victim, choking him. Finally the attacker places his left leg on top of victim’s shoulder. This helps the attacker push the victim down and hooks around the attacker’s left foot, preventing the hold from slipping. Once applied the hold deprives the victim of air and causes the victim to either submit or pass out due to lack of oxygen. There is one glaring problem with the hold in regards to its use in a wrestling match, and that is that the applier’s shoulders are frequently on the mat when the hold is locked in. There really is no reason why the referee shouldn’t count the applier’s shoulders down, but for whatever reason they usually don’t.

Although the move has been a part of pro wrestling for only a few years it has had a tremendous impact. When the Undertaker first started using the hold as his submission hold of choice, his opponents sold his application of it to the extent that they would spit blood. Only three months after its introduction the Undertaker used the hold to finish off Edge in the main event of WrestleMania XXIV and win the World Heavyweight Championship. A few weeks later, then General Manager of SmackDown, Vicky Guerrero banned the move, calling it an illegal choke hold, and stripped the Undertaker of the World Title because he used the hold to win it. However, after his sabbatical the Undertaker returned and continued to use the hold incurring no penalties. Since that time the Undertaker has racked up more than a few wins using the hold. The only reason the hold is at number two instead of one is because the attacker should be counted down half the time, and because chokes are illegal in wrestling, I’m not sure why this one isn’t.

I

Dragon Sleeper

Used famously by: Ultimo Dragon, Tatsumi Fujinami, Jamie Nobel, The Undertaker, Low-Ki

Visually the Dragon Sleeper looks to be one of the more painful maneuvers on this list, making it potentially both a submission hold and a knockout hold. The move usually starts with the attacker standing behind and slightly to the right of the victim who is sitting (the victim can be standing). With his left arm the attacker reaches over the right shoulder of the victim and wraps his arm around the victim’s neck, locking him in an inverted facelock. Then, the attacker threads his right arm between the victim’s body and right arm, and reaches around to the victim’s back, where he links his two hands together. By hooking his opponent’s right arm in that fashion the attacker renders it useless in the victim’s struggle to free himself. Now the hold is locked in and the attacker simultaneously wrenches back on the victim’s head and drives his left knee into the victims back. This action hyper extends the neck and spine causing a significant amount of pain, and may result in the victim’s submission. If the pain doesn’t get him the sleeper will, because as the attacker is pulling back he is also squeezing the victim’s neck between his left arm and his body, compressing the victim’s carotid arteries, slowing the blood flow to the brain. If that wasn’t enough, the bent-backwards position of the victim’s body makes it difficult for him to breathe.

Part of what makes this move so effective is it can be applied very quickly and is very hard to escape. Because it’s so visually impressive I have to wonder why it isn’t used more in American wrestling. Without a doubt Ultimo Dragon is the wrestler who has used the move to the greatest success in American wrestling promotions, and perhaps the most successful wrestler world-wide to use the hold as his finishing maneuver. During his heyday Dragon simultaneously held the J-Crown (eight junior/light heavyweight titles), the WCW Cruiserweight Title, the NWA Middleweight Title, and one third of the WAR Six-Man Titles, making him the only wrestler to have ever held eleven different titles at the same time. He also won the WCW Television Title twice. For a while, during his biker phase the Undertaker used the Dragon Sleeper as his submission hold of choice. The reason this move is number one is because it has all of the attributes of a great hold: it’s quick and easy to apply; it requires very little effort on the part of the attacker, yet is very difficult to escape; it’s painful for the victim, and it can make him pass out.