9 Best Submission Specialists in WWE History (Ranked)

At its very base, WWE is about wins and losses. The vast majority of the time, a match ends through pinfall after a competitor hits their finisher to safe the dramatic three-count, however a profitable pin can usually come out of nowhere and trigger upset victories, which is what makes the three-count so totally different to a submission.

To make your opponent faucet out is to make them willingly cease the match. There may be maybe no higher approach of profitable a contest, and subsequently being declared higher than your opponent, than getting a submission. It’s essentially the most decisive of all of the methods to finish a match, and being caught in a maintain can usually be as stunning as a flash pin try, simply with far far more ache. Typically, wrestlers don’t have any alternative however to confess defeat when trapped in a painful submission, and a few in WWE historical past had been feared for his or her capacity to make somebody stop. We have already checked out the very best ending strikes beforehand, so let GIVEMESPORT take you thru our tackle the 9 greatest submission specialists of all time.

9 Samoa Joe

Joe dominated NXT

When he arrived in WWE in 2015, Samoa Joe already carried with him a repute of being a grasp of creating individuals faucet out. Nevertheless, not like most of the later entries on this listing, the so-called Samoan Submission Machine wasn’t identified for his infinite arsenal of holds that might finish a match. As an alternative, it was primarily the Coquina Clutch that struck concern into an opponent.

His tackle the traditional Rear Bare Choke, the transfer was his major finisher in WWE, notably when the Muscle Buster was outlawed early into his run, and Joe put many high stars to sleep with the maintain by means of his major roster stint and two runs in NXT.

8 Tazz

Got here in with a repute for securing a faucet out

Tazz was a wrestler like no different. Utilising suplexes and submissions, you knew broadly what the New Yorker was going to do, however many opponents simply couldn’t do something to cease him. Plus, a lot of his holds and grapples had the identical identical (or very related) setups to 1 one other, so these standing throughout the ring from him with him may simply be caught off guard and be trapped in a brutal stretch.

Making his identify in ECW, some WWE followers might not have identified of Tazz’s submission excellence when he arrived within the firm, however WWE themselves instantly recognised Tazz’s capacity to lock in a harmful maintain and that was evident proper from his first look. Debuting the 2000 Royal Rumble occasion, the previous ECW World Heavyweight Champion took down Kurt Angle so emphatically that the previous Japan native to go away on a stretcher.

7 Asuka

A 3-time WWE Girls’s Champion

Relating to ladies’s wrestling in WWE, Asuka is probably the very best ever relating to getting submission finishes. Utilizing her iconic Asuka Lock (a Crossface Chickenwing), the Japan-native was an unstoppable pressure as quickly as she signed with NXT, and even accrued a profitable streak longer than the enduring run pieced collectively by Goldberg earlier than she herself tapped to Charlotte Aptitude in a controversial reserving transfer at WrestleMania 34.

As everybody does, has had her fair proportion of ups and downs since signing with WWE seven years in the past, however, every time the corporate select to current Asuka as a dominant fighter, it’s plausible that the 43-year-old may catch any opponent in her iconic submission maintain to finish a match.

6 Ken Shamrock

One of many first MMA crossover success tales

Bringing with him real MMA expertise, Ken Shamrock was to be taken significantly when he arrived in WWE in 1997. Instantly,many feared his Ankle Lock, and he turned one of many mHiss males on the roster. Shamrock might have even ranked greater on the listing. Nevertheless, his WWE run solely lasted round two years.

Nonetheless, in that point, he utilized the Ankle Lock to X-Pac to grow to be the Intercontinental Champion, and likewise had a stint with the World Tag Workforce Titles. In truth, his submission finisher was so ingrained into his type that he ended up dropping some contests through disqualification on account of his outright refusal to interrupt the maintain, additional emphasising how savage Shamrock was as a competitor.

5 Dean Malenko

Considered one of wrestling’s greatest technicians

Referred to as ‘The Man Of 1000 Holds’, it needs to be no shock to see Dean Malenko on this listing. Nevertheless, it should instantly be famous that the overwhelming majority of Malenko’s profession got here earlier than he joined WWE in 2000, a yr earlier than his retirement. Nonetheless, his capacity and elegance led him to mark his quick time within the firm with two reigns as Gentle Heavyweight Champion.

As is the case with many wrestlers over time, the dimensions of Malenko impacted him all through his profession, however he had technical capacity that few may match. Though his major finisher was the Texas Cloverleaf, The Shooter was a wrestling perfectionist who may catch any opponent in any maintain due ttotional in-ring work.

4 Chris Jericho

Continues to faucet individuals out in AEW right this moment

Chris Jericho had a myriad of various submission strikes to complete an opponent with. Whether or not or not it’s the enduring Partitions Of Jericho, Liontamer or another of his 1004 holds he claimed to have in an effort to upstage Dean Malenko, the power to make an opponent faucet out was an enormous a part of Y2J’s arsenal.

Jericho is somebody who at all times reinvents himself, however his submission finishers have been an absolute fixed throughout his whole profession, it doesn’t matter what promotion he finds himself in. The 53-year-old has secured victories through faucet out in opposition to a spread of various opponents throughout 4 totally different many years and exhibits no indicators of slowing down going ahead.

3 Bret Hart

The person with the ‘Sharpshooter’

Among the best wrestlers in historical past, Bret Hart was well-known for utilizing the Sharpshooter. Invented by Japanese legend Riki Choshu, the maintain was dropped at the WWE viewers by Hart, and lots of wrestlers will use the transfer right this moment as a nod to the legendary Hitman. Significantly in Canada, the maintain will obtain an enormous response on account of its affiliation with Hart and his household.

All through his profession, Hart used the maintain to pressure many to faucet out, and it introduced him a number of high championships throughout each WWE and WCW. The Excellence of Eitution was identified for making individuals submit, and he’s beloved as among the best technical wrestlers of all time.

2 Daniel Bryan

Defied all expectations

All through his whole profession, Daniel Bryan was identified for technical excellence, and, though its had many various names over time, his LeBell Lock is likely one of the most iconic submissions in WWE historical past. All through his rise to the highest, crowds would go wild when Bryan would start organising the transfer, realizing that it may safe the underdog a win. He even received the WWE World Heavyweight Championship when he made Batista faucet to the maintain at WrestleMania 30.

Then, a yr into his comeback from a career-threatening damage, Bryan put a significant concentrate on the heel hook, including one other submission to his repertoire and additional displaying his capacity to pressure rivals to faucet out. The 43-year-old’s capacity to lock in a maintain on anybody was really relentless in WWE.

1 Kurt Angle

A real submission skilled

Being a former Olympian within the sport of Free Wrestling, Kurt Angle is technically gifted on the mat. So, when he determined to make the transition to skilled wrestling, submissions, holds, and his real wrestlicould an enormous a part of his presentation, and his Ankle lock introduced him numerous victories over time.

Maybe the very best crossover athlete in WWE historical past, Angle is an absolute skilled relating to submissions and this translated completely to RAW and SmackDown. Kurt had the power to trigger critical injury to an opponent simply by means of the Ankle Lock, so followers knew {that a} match may finish at any time he was in a position to lock it in.