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For years, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) considered each other as business rivals, which they still are, to a certain extent.
However, with more and more fans accepting the WWE’s open approach toward Kayfabe, with the PG-era WWE head-honchos promoting pro-wrestling as more ‘entertainment’ than ‘sport’; the high-voltage tension between the world’s top pro-wrestling organisation and the premier MMA organisation, seems to have cooled off.
That said, although the WWE slams and submissions are executed in a safe manner, with the main focus being flashiness and scripted storylines; several WWE submission moves are derived from the arts of Catch-Wresting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other grappling arts.
Many of the signature submission moves utilised by various WWE Superstars such as ‘The Rock’, Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, Chris Jericho and many others are, in fact, legitimate grappling techniques with the only difference being the intensity with which the submission is applied in pro-wrestling and MMA.
Nevertheless, their application in the WWE and the UFC are undeniable. Let’s take a look at a few such highly effective and fight-ending, submission moves:
#5 Bulldog Choke/ Headlock
The Bulldog choke is an excellent but severely under-utilized choke-variation, in MMA. Much like the Guillotine choke, the fighter wraps one arm around his opponent’s neck, however, instead of facing his opponent from the guard, the bulldog choke is applied from the left or right side; with his back turned towards the opponent.
Similarly, pro-wrestling matches involve several variations of the headlock. The headlock is featured in several WWE matchups, being used in head-and-arm throws, or being turned into neck-crank submission manoeuvres.
Multiple time WWE champions such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and virtually every pro-wrestler in the world has utilised headlocks in their in-ring performances, with the simple headlock being used as a starting point for working towards more flashy slams and/or submissions.
Carlos ‘The Ronin’ Newton is a Canadian MMA legend and former UFC Welterweight champion who used the ‘Bulldog choke’ to submit fellow MMA legend and former UFC WW champ, Pat Miletich at UFC 31, in 2001.
Raquel ‘Rocky’ Pennington used a headlock to transition to the bulldog choke position and submit Ashley Evans-Smith in the final second of the first round of their UFC 181 bout, in 2014.
Now we all know the Kayfabe/Sporting competition difference between WWE and UFC moves, but the Bulldog choke often resulting from the headlock in pro-wrestling is a truly effective submission manoeuvre as evidenced by its successful application in the sport of MMA as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
#4 Ankle Lock/ Achilles Lock
The Ankle lock, also known as the Achilles lock, is a dangerous submission technique that puts pressure on the opponent’s ‘Achilles Tendon’. The fighter wraps one arm around the opponent’s ankle, placing it under his armpit whilst wrapping the other arm around the opponent’s shin.
The fighter uses his opponent’s legs as well as his own legs and hips to create leverage, applying pressure to the opponent’s calf and the Achilles Tendon, causing hyperextension of the ankle joint.
All the WWE fans out there would be more than familiar with the ankle lock, courtesy of pro-wrestling legend, Kurt Angle using it as his finishing move. Apart from Angle, MMA legend and yesteryear crossover pro-wrestling star, Ken Shamrock, also utilised this move during his stint with the WWE (then known as WWF).
Former UFC Heavyweight (HW) Champion Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski submitted fellow UFC HW champ Tim ‘Maine-iac’ Sylvia, via Achilles lock, at UFC 51 in 2005.
The Ankle Lock is a dangerous finisher not only in the WWE but also in the UFC. Keep your ankles safe folks!
#3 Abdominal Stretch/ Twister
The Abdominal stretch, known as the Twister submission, to all the UFC fans out there is a variation of a spinal crank. Spinal Locks are divided into spinal cranks and neck cranks. The twister falls under the spinal crank category, applying pressure on the thoracic and/or lumbar regions of the spinal cord.
Hyperextension and hyper rotation are the objectives of this painful manoeuvre that can be fatal if not released. In the WWE, the abdominal stretch has been used as a submission move by giants like the Big Show as well as top female Superstars such as Charlotte Flair.
In the UFC, ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung submitted Leonard Garcia in their 2011 rematch inside the Octagon, via the Twister. A notable difference between the WWE and UFC versions of this submission is the place of its application, with the WWE version taking place standing whilst the UFC version taking place on the ground.
The next time you laugh off the Abdominal Twister as a Kayfabe hold, beware! The hold is legitimately effective and potentially lethal.
#2 Armbar
The term ‘Armlock’ implies a single or double joint lock that hyper-extends, hyper-flexes or hyper-rotates the shoulder or elbow joint. The armlock that targets the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock and the armlock that targets the elbow joint is known as the ‘Armbar’.
Pro-wrestling fans would be familiar with this manoeuvre just as much as MMA fans, especially considering the fact that Alberto Del Rio (real name- Jose Alberto Rodriguez) used the armbar to defeat several top WWE Superstars, winning several WWE Championships in the process.
Besides, former UFC Women’s Bantamweight (BW) champion, Hollywood part-timer and pop icon, ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey made a career out of snatching people’s arms off of them. Both UFC and WWE fans are more than familiar with Rousey and I’d bet you didn’t know that the aforementioned Del Rio was a former MMA competitor, amassing a record of nine wins with 5 defeats.
The armbar is a frequently used manoeuvre in pro-wrestling as well as MMA, holding the distinction of being not only aesthetically impressive but also being extremely effective in unscripted combat.
The Armbar is a truly effective submission manoeuvre regardless of the sport it’s used in.
#1 Sleeper Hold/ Rear-Naked Choke
The term ‘Rear-Nake Choke’ implies a chokehold submission manoeuvre that is applied by the fighter on his opponent’s neck, whilst securing a dominant position on the opponent’s back. The two main variations of this move are defined by the different techniques of clasping hands, during the submission.
One variation involves wrapping one arm around the opponent and using the hand of said arm to grab the bicep of your other arm. The second variation involves wrapping one arm around the opponent’s neck whilst clasping both hands together and applying pressure, turning the submission into a mixed-blood choke and rear-naked choke variant.
In the WWE, popular Superstars such as Dolph Ziggler and Samoa Joe use the Rear-Naked Choke, also known as the ‘Sleeper Hold’, as a finishing move. Samoa Joe has incorporated the signature move into his arsenal in lieu of his bad-ass submission machine gimmick, formerly in TNA and now in the world’s premier pro-wrestling organisation the WWE.
In the UFC, this submission is widely referred to as the rear-naked choke, being utilised in several matchups. Notable examples of its usage in the UFC include Miesha Tate’s title-winning performance against Holly Holm and Nate Diaz’s submission victory over Conor McGregor, both at UFC 196 in March of 2016.
The Sleeper Hold/Rear-Naked Choke is a hugely popular submission move, used with great effectiveness in the UFC just as much as the WWE.
Popular WWE signature submission moves such as bulldog chokes, ankles locks, abdominal stretches, armbars and sleeper holds are legitimate martial arts techniques which, can and are, widely utilised not only in the UFC but in all of MMA.
Keep up with our combat tradition and write in to me about your choice WWE submission manoeuvres, which you feel would be effective inside the Octagon.
Till then, keep training your wrestling and your BJJ; and stay tuned in for more WWE/UFC knowledge.
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