Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible.

Stretches[link]

An element borrowed from professional wrestling's catch wrestling origins, stretches (or submission holds) are techniques in which a wrestler holds another in a position that puts stress on the opponent's body. Stretches are usually employed to weaken an opponent or to force him or her to submit, either vocally or by tapping out: slapping the mat, floor, or opponent with a free hand three times. Many of these holds, when applied vigorously, stretch the opponent's muscles or twist his or her joints uncomfortably, hence the name. Chokes, although not in general stress positions like the other stretches, are usually grouped with stretches as they serve the same tactical purposes. In public performance, for safety's sake, stretches are usually not performed to the point where the opponent must submit or risk injury. Likewise, chokes are usually not applied to the point where they cut off the oxygen supply to the opponent's brain.

Head, face, chin and shoulder[link]

Camel clutch[link]

Yoshihiro Tajiri applying a camel clutch to Rene Bonaparte.

The wrestler sits on the back of his opponent, who is face down on the mat, and places the arm or, more commonly, both arms of the opponent on his thighs.^[1] The wrestler then reaches around the opponent's head and applies a chinlock and then leans back and pulls the opponent's head and torso.^[1] A camel clutch can also refer simply to a rear chinlock while seated on the back of an opponent, without placing the arms on the thighs.^[2] The move was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico, where it was called la de a caballo (Horse-mounting choke).^[1]

Stepover armlock camel clutch[link]

The wrestler first stands over a kneeling or prone opponent with each leg beside the opponent's either side. The wrestler then grabs one of the opponent's arms in a stepover armlock, spinning 360° so the opponent's arm is bent with pressure on it, and results in the wrestler facing the same direction as he did before applying the hold. The wrestler, however, would not keeping holding the arm of the opponent, but rather sandwich it between his side of leg and opponent's side (body or waist), or the wrestler can simply trap it under his thigh and used leg. The wrestler then uses his "free" hands and holds the wrestler in a chinlock.

Chinlock[link]

Ivanov Sassi applying a chinlock.

Also known as a rear chinlock this hold sees an attacking wrestler lift his/her opponent, who is lying on the mat face up, to a sitting position. The wrestler then places his/her knee in the opponent's back, grasps the opponent's chin, and either pulls straight back on the chin or wrenches it to the side.

Reverse chinlock[link]

This move sees the attacker kneel behind a sitting opponent and wrap around one arm under the opponent's chin and lock his/her hands. As with a sleeper hold, this move can also be performed from a standing position. Another variation of this hold, referred to as a bridging reverse chinlock, sees the attacking wrestler kneel before the opponent and grasp his/her neck into a reverse chinlock. The wrestler then flips forward to plant his/her feet and bridge his/her back, adding additional pressure to the opponent's neck and upper back.

Clawhold[link]

The claw was a squeezing of the skull, applied by curling one's finger tips using primarily the last two knuckles of the finger, thereby applying five different points of pressure. The focal point is to use gripping power to almost attempt to press one's fingers into the opponent's head as opposed to just squeezing with the flat of ones fingers. Also a Clawhold STO version of this exists

Shoulder claw[link]

Similar to a clawhold, the attacking wrestler applies a nerve lock onto the opponent's shoulder(s) using his/her hands and fingers for a submission attempt, sometimes by the same effect as a sleeper hold. One variant may see the wrestler instead lock his/her hands on the opponent's neck. Another variation may see the wrestler mount an opponent on his/her back and apply the hold for either a pinfall or a submission.It also slows down blood pressure.

Stomach claw[link]

Just like the original clawhold, the attacker applies a painful nerve hold to his\her adversary's stomach, forcing them to submit or pass out.

Cobra clutch[link]

The wrestler stands behind the opponent and uses one arm to place the opponent in a half nelson. The wrestler then uses his free arm to pull the opponent's arm (the same arm to which the wrestler is applying the half nelson) across the face of the opponent. The wrestler then locks his hand to his wrist behind the opponent's neck to make the opponent submit or lose consciousness as the carotid artery is cut off.

Bridging cobra clutch[link]

With the opponent lying face down, the wrestler sits beside the opponent, facing the same way, locks on the cobra clutch, and then arches his legs and back, bending the opponent's torso and neck upwards.

Crossface[link]

Chris Benoit applying the Crippler Crossface on Montel Vontavious Porter.

This neck crank is also known as the Crippler Crossface after Chris Benoit. The wrestler starts by catching the opponent's right/left arm in a leg scissor, often either by dragging the arm down or switching into position via an Omoplata, before wrapping his/her hands around the opponent's face, pulling the opponent's head backwards applying pressure to the neck and shoulder.

Chickenwing over the shoulder crossface[link]

The wrestler goes to a fallen opponent and places one arm over the wrestler's nearest shoulder before applying the crossface where the attacking wrestler locks his hands around the opponent's chin (or lower face), then pulls back to stretching the opponent's neck and shoulder.

Front chancery[link]

The wrestler faces the opponent while both are in same position (prone or standing). The wrestler then places his/her forearm under the opponent's chin and his/her armpit on top of the chin. The wrestler may also underhook the opponent's arm with his/her free arm.

Front sleeper[link]

The wrestler places the opponent in a front chancery and rolls backwards. This pulls the opponent over the top of the wrestler and onto the opponent's back, with the wrestler ending up lying on the opponent. The wrestler then squeezes the opponent's torso with his/her legs, similar to a body scissors, and arches his spine backwards, pulling the opponent's head forward, and thus applying pressure on the neck and facial region.

Front facelock[link]

The wrestler faces his opponent, who is bent-over. The wrestler tucks the opponent's head in his armpit and wraps his arm around the head so that the forearm is pressed against the face. The wrestler then grabs the arm with his free hand to lock in the hold and compress the opponent's face.

Inverted facelock[link]

The wrestler stands behind his opponent and bends him backwards. The wrestler tucks the opponent's head face-up under his armpit, and wraps his arm around the head so that his forearm is pressed against the back of the opponent's neck. The wrestler then pulls the opponent's head backwards and up, wrenching the opponent's neck.

Bite of the Dragon[link]

This sees a wrestler stand behind an opponent, grabbing them in an inverted facelock on the opponent and having a wrestler trap his legs around the opponent's body for a body scissors. This move can also be used within the ring ropes which makes it an illegal move under most match rules, and the attacking wrestler has to release the hold before the referee reaches a five count or be disqualified

Stretch Plum[link]

The wrestler applies an inverted facelock to a seated opponent and places his far leg between the opponent's legs and pushes his near leg's knee against the opponent's back. The wrestler then pulls the opponent's head backwards with their arms and the opponent's far leg outwards with their leg.

Head and neck rake[link]

The attacker places his opponent in a standing headscissors, then jumps up and down, aggravating the neck area.

Mandible claw[link]

The mandible claw is a maneuver which, when applied correctly against an individual, is purported to cause intense, legitimate pain. The hold is applied when the aggressor places his middle and ring fingers into the opponent's mouth, sliding them under the tongue and jabbing into the soft tissue found at the bottom of the mouth. The thumb and/or palm of the same hand is placed under the jaw, and pressure is applied downward by the middle and ring fingers while the thumb/palm forces the jaw upwards.

Neck scissors[link]

Also referred to as a head scissors, this hold sees a wrestler approach a fallen opponent and sit next to them before turning onto their side towards the opponent and placing their legs on either side of the opponent's head, crossing the top leg after its gone around the opponent's chin. The wrestler then tightens the grip to choke an opponent by compressing their throat. Often, however, an opponent will simply place their hands under the knee of the attacking wrestler and push it up over their chin so they can escape. Another way to escape the hold will see the opponent raise themselves to their feet while still in the hold, forcing the attacking wrestler to a seated position. This in turn uncrosses their legs, allowing the opponent to simply lift their head out.

Nelson hold[link]

Chris Masters applies the Master Lock (wrenching full nelson) to René Duprée.

The nelson hold in professional wrestling usually takes the form of the full nelson, half nelson, or three-quarter nelson. In all three variations, from behind his opponent, the wrestler slips either one or both arms underneath the opponent's armpits and locks his hands behind his neck, pushing the opponent's head forward against his chest. There is also an inverted version where instead of performing the move from behind the opponent, the wrestler stands in front of the opponent and uses the move in the same way as the normal full nelson like Chris Masters "Masterlock" or as Cibernetico's Full Nelson with Bodyscissors

Side headlock[link]

Chris Masters applies a standing side headlock on Shawn Michaels

In this hold a wrestler who is facing away from an opponent would wrap his/her arm around the neck of an opponent. This is also called a reverse chancery. Though this is an often used rest hold, it is also sometimes the beginning of a standard bulldog move.

Standing headscissors[link]

The wrestler tucks his opponent's head in between his legs or thigh(s). This hold can be used as a submission hold, or mostly and noticeably transitioned into a powerbomb.

Three-quarter facelock[link]

The wrestler stands in front of the opponent while both people are facing the same direction, with some space in between the two. Then, the wrestler moves slightly to the left while still positioned in front of the opponent. The wrestler then uses the near hand to reach back and grab the opponent from behind the head, thus pulling the opponent's head above the wrestler's shoulder. Sometimes the free arm is placed at the top of the opponent's head.

STF[link]

Short for Stepover Toehold Facelock. This hold is performed on an opponent who is lying face down on the mat. A wrestler grabs one of the opponent's legs, and places the opponent's ankle between his/her thighs. The wrestler then lies on top of the opponent's back and locks his arms around the opponent's head. The wrestler then pulls back stretching the opponent's back, neck, and knee.

Cross-legged STF[link]

The wrestler takes the opponent's legs, bends them at the knees, and crosses them, placing one ankle in the other leg's knee-pit. The wrestler then grabs the free ankle and places its ankle between his thighs. He then lies on top of the opponent's back and locks his arms around the opponent's face. The wrestler then pulls back stretching the opponent's back, neck, and knees. An arm-trap variation of this move is often used by WWE Superstar William Regal and is currently known as the Regal Stretch.

Muta Lock[link]

The cross-legged, inverted STF, or simply known as the Muta Lock. The wrestler first takes the opponent's legs, bends them at the knees, and crosses them, placing one ankle in the other leg's knee-pit before then turning around so that they are facing away from the opponent and places one of their feet into the triangle created by the opponent's crossed legs. The wrestler then places the opponent's free ankle under their knee-pit and bridges backwards to reach over their head and locks his/her arms around the opponent's head. Former WWE diva Melina used this move as a signature move calling it the California Dream.

STS[link]

Short for Stepover Toehold Sleeper, this hold is a modified version of an STF in which the wrestler wraps his arm around the neck of the opponent in a sleeper hold instead of pulling back on the head of the opponent.

Armlocks[link]

Figure-four armlock[link]

Also known as a keylock. This armlock sees the wrestler grappling the opponent's wrist with his similar hand (for example, if he uses the right arm, he would grab the opponent's right wrist), and with the opponent's wrist still clutched, the wrestler bend the opponent's arm (of the grappled wrist) it towards or behind the opponent's head (both variations are possible). Then, the wrestler passes his other free arm through the "hole" formed by the opponent's bent arm under the biceps, and then catches the opponent's grappled wrist. This would result in the opponent's arm to be shaped into a "4". As the opponent's wrist is grabbed by both opponent's hands, along with the bent arm, this applies effective pressure into the opponent. The maneuver can be executed on a standing or a downed (facing upwards) opponent.

Rope-hung figure-four armlock[link]

The wrestler approaches an opponent lying groggy against any set of ropes, grabs one of the opponent's wrists with his similar arm. The wrestler then pins the arm with the grappled wrist against the second or top rope to the outside of the ring, and passes his other arm from under the opponent's biceps, and grapples the opponent's wrist. The whole maneuver would force the opponent's arm to be bent in the number "4" shape, applying more pressure as the arm is trapped between the second or top rope. The rope-hung figure-four armlock can be also grappled through the bottom rope, if the opponent is lying against it.

Stepover armlock[link]

Also known as a spinning armlock. This armlock variation sees the opponent lying on his stomach, facing downwards. The wrestler grabs on of the opponent's wrists or arms, slightly stretching it towards him or herself. The wrestler then keeps his further leg behind the stretched arm - and with the other leg, steps-over the stretched arm (so now it becomes in front of the arm). From this point, the wrestler would spin along with the stepped-over leg, and so simultaneously bending the arm of the opponent. At his point, the arm would be bent around the leg which was originally behind it before turning. The wrestler can over-rotate or turn to apply more pressure on the arm.

The stepover armlock can be imaged with the spinning toe hold, except that the wrist is held instead of the toe.

Armbar[link]

Hardcore Holly with an armbar locked on Mr. Kennedy.

The wrestler takes hold of the opponent's arm and twists it, putting pressure on the shoulder and elbow. This may sometimes be preceded by an arm wrench.

Cross armbar[link]

The wrestler sits on either side of an opponent who is lying either prone or supine on the mat, with the wrestler's legs scissoring one of the opponent's arms. The wrestler then grabs hold of the wrist of that arm and pulls it upwards, causing hyperextension of the shoulder and elbow.

Crucifix armbar[link]

The wrestler holds an opponent's arm with his arms, pulling the arm across his chest. He is situated perpendicular to and behind the opponent. The wrestler then holds the other arm with his legs, stretching the shoulders back in a crucifying position and hyperextending the arm.

Flying cross armbar[link]

Also known as Cross Armbreaker, this variation begins with the wrestler standing on either side of the bent-over opponent. The wrestler then steps over one of the opponent's arms while holding that arm's wrist and then rolls or twists his body in midair while holding the wrist, forcing the opponent down to his back and ending in a cross armbar. Current WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio uses this hold as a finisher.

Fujiwara armbar[link]

Fit Finlay with Harry Smith in a Fujiwara armbar

Also known as a short armbar. With the opponent lying on his belly, the wrestler lies on the opponent's back, at a 90° angle to him, putting some or all of his weight on the opponent to prevent him from moving. The opponent's arm is then hooked and pulled back into his body, stretching the forearms, biceps and pectoral muscles. Variations of this can include clasping the opponent's hand instead of hooking the upper arm, for extra leverage and bridging out, while performing the move to increase leverage and immobilize the opponent.

Hammerlock[link]

The wrestler grabs one or both wrists of an opponent and presses it against the back of a standing or lying opponent.

Headscissors armbar[link]

Also known as Iron Octopus. The wrestler wraps his legs around the opponent's head in a headscissors, facing towards the opponent. He then grabs one of the opponent's arms and wrenches in backwards, causing pressure on the shoulder and elbow of the opponent. This can often be performed on a standing wrestler when preceded by a tilt-a-whirl.

Scissored armbar[link]

The wrestler approaches a prone, face down opponent from the side. The wrestler then "scissors" (clasps) the near arm of the opponent with their legs and takes hold of the far arm of the opponent with both hands, forcing the opponent onto their side and placing stress on both shoulder joints, as well as making it harder for the opponent to breathe.

Short arm scissors[link]

The opponent is on their back with the attacker sitting besides him and grabbing the nearest arm. The attacker bends his opponent's arm and reaches through with one of his own. The attacker places one of their legs across the wrist of his opponent, grabbing his own ankle to lock the hold. The attacker pulls up with their arm while forcing the victim's wrist down with their leg, and applying pressure to the victim's arm/elbow. Known in combat sport as the "bicep slicer".^[3][4]

Tiger feint crucifix armbar[link]

The opponent begins supine, lying with their back on the bottom or second rope and facing into the ring. The wrestler runs towards the opponent and jumps through the second and top rope while holding on to the ropes, then swings around and grapevines the opponent's arms, applying a crucifix armbar.

Barely Legal[link]

From behind a seated opponent, the wrestler grabs one of the opponent's elbows and pulls it up and backward toward himself. He then bends the wrist and forces the open palm of the opponent's hand into his chest, putting pressure on the wrist.

Chickenwing[link]

The wrestler grabs his/her opponent's arm, pulling it around behind the opponent's back. This stretches the pectorals and shoulder joint, and immobilizes the arm. This is a legitimate controlling/debilitating hold, and is commonly used by police officers in the United States to subdue uncooperative persons for arrest.

Bridging chickenwing[link]

Can be also called a bridging wrist lock. The wrestler approaches a prone opponent facing down, lying down on his stomach. The wrestler grabs any of the opponent's arms, and pulls it to his back (this would result the arm to be bent behind the opponent's back). The wrestler then rolls or flips forward into a bridge, applying pressure on the wrist and elbow.

Crossface chickenwing[link]

A chickenwing variation where the wrestler applies the chickenwing to one of the opponent's arms. The wrestler then uses his free arm to wrap it around the neck of the opponent in a "single hand" sleeper hold.

Double chickenwing[link]

Bryan Danielson applying his Cattle Mutilation finishing hold, a bridging grounded double chickenwing

This hold sees the wrestler standing behind the opponent facing the same direction, and then hooking both the opponent's arms under his armpits. The move is noticeable for being used for the tiger suplex.

Bridging double chickenwing[link]

Also known as a bridging grounded double chickenwing. The wrestler approaches a prone opponent facing down, lying on his stomach. The wrestler then stands over his back, tucks the opponent's arms under his armpits. From this point, the wrestler then rolls or flips into a bridge, pulling the opponent's arms and applying pressure on them.

Elevated double chickenwing[link]

This variation of the double chickenwing sees the wrestler wrenching the wrestler up while still holding the opponent in the double chickenwing. The hold is usually transitioned into a chickenwing facebuster.

Wrist lock[link]

William Regal immobilizes Cody Rhodes with a standing wrist lock

Sometimes preceded by an arm wrench, the wrestler grasps the opponent's hand and twists backwards, placing pressure on the wrist. While this can inflict pain on its own, it is most often used as a transition hold, leading into either a hammer lock, an elbow to the held arm, or kicks to the opponent's abdominal area. Another form of wrist lock sometimes known as a figure four wristlock involves the wrestler (after applying the initial wrist lock with the left hand) threading their right arm through the gap the two arms provide, forming a '4', and providing leverage on the wristlock.

Chokes[link]

Arm-hook sleeper[link]

Also known as the Buffalo Sleeper. The wrestler is kneeling behind a seated opponent. He grabs hold of one of the opponent's arms, bends it backwards overhead, and locks its wrist into his armpit. The wrestler then wraps his free arm under the opponent's chin, like in a sleeper hold, puts his other arm through the arch created by the opponent's trapped arm, and locks his hands. He then squeezes the opponent's neck, causing pressure.

Anaconda vise[link]

CM Punk's anaconda vise

The anaconda vise (also spelled vice) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo compression choke.The wrestler wraps his arms around the head and one arm of the opponent and squeezes, choking the opponent. It is considered legal in professional wrestling, although it is a chokehold. This submission hold was innovated by Hiroyoshi Tenzan and is used as a finisher by current WWE Superstar CM Punk.

It is also called the arm-trap triangle choke. The vice is done from a position in which the wrestler and the opponent are seated on the mat facing each other. The wrestler sits on one side of the opponent and using his near arm encircles the opponent in a headlock position and grabs the opponent's near wrist, bending the arm upwards. Then, the wrestler maneuvers his/her other arm through the "hole" created by the opponent's bent wrist, locks his/her hand upon his/her own wrist, and then pulls the opponent forward, causing pressure on the opponent's arm and neck.

The move could also be performed in another version where the wrestler stands face to face with the opponent. The wrestler will wrap his arm across the opponents neck and hook the opponents leg slamming the wrestler into the mat the wrestler will then place their legs across the opponents throat and back of the head with their arms wrapped across the opponents head similar to a front headlock with the user on curled into a ball on one shoulder.

Arm triangle choke[link]

Or simply called the arm triangle, this choke sees the wrestler wrapping his arm from under the opponent's nearest arm(pit) and across the chest. The maneuver can be used as an uncommon submission maneuver, or a transitioning hold (usually to fall backwards into an arm triangle reverse STO).

Corner foot choke[link]

The wrestler pushes their standing or seated opponent into the turnbuckle and extends their leg, choking their opponent while using the top two ropes for support. This attack is illegal and results in a wrestler's disqualification, should the move not be broken by a count of five.

Double choke[link]

The wrestler grabs his opponent's throat with both hands and throttles him.

Dragon sleeper[link]

The wrestler stands behind the opponent who is either sitting or lying down, places the opponent in an inverted facelock, and hooks the opponent's near arm with his free arm. The wrestler then pulls backwards and up, wrenching the opponent's neck. If the opponent is sitting, the wrestler can place their knee under the opponent's back, adding more pressure.

Figure-four necklock[link]

This neck lock sees a wrestler sit above a fallen opponent and wrap his/her legs around the opponent in the form of the figure 4, with one leg crossing under the opponent's chin and under the wrestler's other leg the wrestler squeezes and chokes the opponent. In an illegal version of the hold, best described as a hanging figure four necklock, the wrestler stands on top of the turnbuckle, wraps his/her legs around the head of the opponent, who has their back turned against the turnbuckle, in the figure 4 and falls backwards, choking the opponent. In most matches the hold would have to be released before a five count.

Gogoplata[link]

The Undertaker uses the gogoplata on Edge.

Usually executed from a "rubber guard," where the legs are held very high, against the opponent's upper back. The fighter then slips one foot in front of the opponent's head and under his chin, locks his hands behind the opponent's head, and chokes the opponent by pressing his shin or instep against the opponent's trachea. Wrestlers use a modified version, where they only push the shin into the throat in exactly the same manner (instead of grabbing their toes and pulling towards themselves). This Move was popularized by the Undertaker as "Hells Gate"

Guillotine choke[link]

The wrestler applies a front sleeper he wraps his arms around the opponents neck just like a suplex variation and goes round his neck and tightens it just he jumps over the opponents gut and holds the gut and the spine with the help of his legs transioned into a sissor hold on the opponents gut an then bends the neck down and proceeds to take the opponent downward and applies a body scissors with the legs. This move is a favorite of many mixed martial arts fighters.

Koji Clutch[link]

The opponent lays face down on the mat. The wrestler lies face up and slightly to the side of the opponent. The wrestler then hooks their far leg across the neck of the opponent. The wrestler then hooks his hands behind the opponent's head, having one arm pass over their own leg and the other under. The wrestler then pulls backwards with his arms and pushes forward with his leg, causing pressure. The name comes from its innovator's name, Koji Kanemoto. This move is commonly transitioned from the Reverse STO.

Leg choke[link]

With the opponent hung over the second rope, facing the outside of the ring, the attacking wrestler hooks their left or right leg over the back of the opponent's neck. The attacking wrestler then pulls the second rope upwards, compressing the opponent's throat between the rope and attacking wrestler's leg, choking them. This move is illegal due to usage of the ring ropes, and results in a disqualification for the wrestler should they not release the hold before a count of five.

Pentagram choke[link]

In this variation of the triangle choke, the wrestler sits behind a seated opponent. The wrestler places one of their legs under the chin of the opponent and pushes up. The wrestler then takes hold of their ankle with their opposite arm and pulls their leg up. The wrestler then places their free leg on the instep of the leg which is already being used to choke the opponent. The wrestler finally takes their free arm, hooks the opponent's arm which is in the vise, and holds their opposite leg from the knee. The pressure is applied once the wrestler compresses their knees together. The pentagram choke creates a complete vise around the opponent's neck, and its name comes from using five sides, whereas the triangle choke only uses three.

Death Star[link]

A variation of the pentagram choke. What makes this version different is that usually the wrestler will use their free hand to hold on to their own knee before compressing their knees together to apply the pressure. However, in the Death Star, the wrestler uses their free hand to maneuver under the leg which is first utilized to create the choke and then take hold of the ankle of their other leg.

Rear naked choke[link]

A grounded version of a sleeper hold with an added body scissors that is derived from martial arts and more recently mixed martial arts.

Single arm choke[link]

The wrestler grabs his opponent's throat with one hand and squeezes tightly. A "goozle" is a single arm choke held briefly before performing a chokeslam.

Sleeper hold[link]

The wrestler applying the hold positions himself behind his opponent. The wrestler then wraps his/her arm around the opponent's neck, pressing the biceps against one side of the neck and the inner bone of the forearm against the other side. The neck is squeezed inside the arm very tightly. Additional pressure can be applied by grabbing the left shoulder with the right hand, or grabbing the biceps of the left arm near the elbow, then using the left hand to push the opponent's head towards the crook of the right elbow.

Straight jacket[link]

Jetta using her stranglehold (right) after performing the double knee backbreaker (left).

Also known as the Japanese stranglehold (Goku-Raku Gatame), criss-cross stranglehold, cut-throat, or a cross-armed choke. The wrestler sits on the back of an opponent who is lying face down on the mat. The wrestler then grabs hold of the opponent's wrists and crosses their arms under their chin. The wrestler then pulls back on the arms, causing pressure.

Three-quarter nelson choke[link]

The wrestler stands behind the opponent, facing the same direction, and reaches under their armpit with one arm and around the opponent's neck with the other arm before locking hands, completing the hold. The wrestler then pulls upwards, forcing their forearm into the opponent's throat and choking them.

Thumb choke hold[link]

The attacking wrestler stands behind an opponent and reaches around the opponent's neck with one arm. The wrestler then extends a thumb and thrusts it into the windpipe or carotid artery of the opponent, cutting off their air or blood supply. The former would not be acceptable in traditional professional wrestling, as all chokeholds that cut off the windpipe are not allowed in the sport.

Tongan death grip[link]

The wrestler darts his hand under an opponent's chin and grabs a hold of a pressure point above the throat, squeezing the nerve. This cuts off the air supply and the opponent fades out, yet this is not considered an air choke as it is not squeezing the windpipe. This hold is unique in that it can be used as a sleeper like submission or, should the "unconscious" opponent end up lying on his back, a pinfall.

Triangle choke[link]

The wrestler grabs hold of one his opponent's arms, wraps his legs around the opponent's throat and arm in a figure four and squeezes. Different promotions have different rules regarding the legality of this maneuver. The justification for its legality is that, like a head scissors, it uses the legs rather than the hands to perform the "choke".

Two-handed chokelift[link]

Also known as a Neck-Hanging Tree a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck with both hands then lifts them up and then slams them. This is a transition hold for moves such as the two-handed chokeslam and the chokebomb.

Body locks[link]

Bear hug[link]

Chris Masters applying a bear hug on Shawn Michaels.

A wrestler stands in front of an opponent and locks his hands around the opponent, squeezing him. Often he will shake his body from side to side, in order to generate more pain around the ribs and spine. Frequently used by powerhouse style wrestlers, this rather simple to apply hold was used by heels and faces alike.

Waist lock[link]

A wrestler stands behind the opponent and then wraps both of his/her arms around him/her in a reverse Bear hug, sometimes clutching his/her hands together by the wrist for added pressure. This usually sets up a German Suplex or a front mat slam.

Body scissors[link]

A wrestler approaches a sitting opponent from in front, behind, or either sides. The attacking wrestler then sits next to the opponent and wraps their legs around the opponent, crossing their ankles and then tightening their grip by squeezing together their thighs or straightening their legs to choke the wrestler by compressing their torso. This hold is often used in conjunction with a hold applied to the head or the arms in order to restrain the opponent and makes them want to tap out.

Back and torso stretches[link]

Abdominal stretch[link]

The Big Show locks John Cena in an abdominal stretch.

Also known as a Cobra Twist, this hold begins with a wrestler facing his opponent's side. The wrestler first straddles one of the opponent's legs, then reaches over the opponent's near arm with the arm close to the opponent's back and locks it. Squatting and twisting to the side, flexes the opponent's back and stretches their abdomen. This move can also be applied to a seated opponent.

Boston crab[link]

This typically starts with the opponent on his back, and the wrestler standing and facing him. The wrestler hooks each of the opponent's legs in one of his arms, and then turns the opponent face-down, stepping over him in the process. The final position has the wrestler in a semi-sitting position and facing away from his opponent, with the opponent's back and legs bent back toward his face.

Bow and arrow hold[link]

The wrestler kneels on his opponent's back with both knees, hooking the head with one arm and the legs with the other. He then rolls back so that his opponent is suspended on his knees above him, facing up. The wrestler pulls down with both arms while pushing up with the knees to bend the opponent's back. It's often confused with the surfboard stretch.

Gory special[link]

The Gory special is a back-to-back backbreaker submission hold.^[5] It was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico.^[5] The wrestler, while behind the opponent, facing away from him in the opposing direction, hooks his arms under the opponent's. From this position, the wrestler lifts the opponent up, usually by bending. This move can be used as a submission hold or can be used for a neckbreaker slam, or a facebuster takedown.

Octopus hold[link]

The wrestler stands behind the opponent and hooks a leg over the opponent's opposite leg. The wrestler then forces the opponent to one side, traps one of the opponent's arms with their own arm, and drapes their free leg over the neck of the opponent, forcing it downward. This elevates the wrestler and places all the weight of the wrestler on the opponent. The wrestler has one arm free, which can be used for balance.

Surfboard[link]

Bryan Danielson performing a surfboard on Christian.

Also known as Romero Special. The surfboard hold first sees a wrestler stand behind a fallen opponent, who is lying stomach first to the floor. The wrestler places one foot down just above each of the opponent's knees and bends his legs up, hooking them around his own knees; at this point the wrestler grasps both of his opponent's wrists (usually slapping the opponent's back in an attempt to bring the arms in reach), and falls backwards while compressing the opponent's shoulder-blades and lifting him off the ground. This can see the wrestler fall to a seated position or go onto his back, lifting the opponent skyward, which will increase pressure on the opponent but put the wrestler in risk of pinning his or her own shoulders to the mat.

Another version of a surfboard which is most often applied by a standing wrestler against a prone opponent—but may also be applied by a seated wrestler or against a seated or kneeling opponent—sees the wrestler grasp both of his opponent's wrists, while placing his foot or knee on the opponent's upper back, pulling back on the arms to compress the opponent's shoulder blades.

Cross-armed surfboard[link]

This version of a surfboard sees a standing or kneeling wrestler take hold of both of a kneeling or seated opponent's wrists and cross their arms over, applying pressure to both the opponent's arms and shoulders. Sometimes the wrestler may place his foot or knee on the opponent's upper back in order to exert even more pressure.

Lotus Lock[link]

The wrestler grabs the opponent's arms and wraps his legs on the outside of them, so the wrestler's feet meet at the back of the neck of the opponent and exert a downward pressure, akin to applying a full nelson but by using the legs.

Leg locks[link]

Ankle lock[link]

Kurt Angle counters Shawn Michaels's Sweet Chin Music into an ankle lock.

In this toe hold maneuver a wrestler will grab the opponent's foot and lift their leg off the ground. With one hand the wrestler will grab either the toes or the outside of the foot, then with the other wrap the ankle to create a "hole" for the joint. A grapevine variation sees the wrestler applying the ankle lock hold and then falling to the mat and scissoring the leg of the opponent. This stops the opponent from rolling out of the move and makes it harder for him/her to crawl to the ropes but lessens the pressure that can be applied. The move can be executed from a kneeling position or a standing position. former wrestler Ken Shamrock innovated this submission maneuver and its currently used as a finishing submission move for wrestlers such as Jack Swagger and Kurt Angle.

Argentine leglock[link]

Technically known as an Over the shoulder single leg boston crab and commonly known as a Stretch Muffler. The wrestler stands over a face-down opponent lying on the ground. He lifts one leg of the opponent and drapes it over his neck. He then uses his arms to force the shin and thigh of the opponent down, thereby placing pressure on the opponent's knee.

Cloverleaf[link]

The Nighthawk performing a Texas cloverleaf in an NWA match.

Also popularly known as a Texas cloverleaf, the wrestler stands at the feet of his supine opponent, grabs the opponent's legs and lifts them up. The wrestler then bends one leg so that the shin is behind the knee of the straight leg and places the ankle of the straight leg in their armpit. With the same arm, they reach around the ankle and through the opening formed by the legs, and lock their hands together. The wrestler then steps over his opponent, turning the opponent over as in a sharpshooter and proceeds to squat and lean back. The hold compresses the legs, flexes the spine, and stretches the abdomen. This move has been used as a signature submission for Edge who called it the Educator.

Cloverleaf with armlock[link]

An armlock variation of the cloverleaf that is similar to a single leg Boston crab with armlock. This hold begins with a supine opponent lying face up on the mat. The attacking wrestler then seizes one of the arms and proceeds to walk over the opponent while continuing to hold the arm, forcing them to turn over onto their stomach. The wrestler then kneels down on the opponents back, locking the opponent's arm behind his knee in the process. The wrestler then reaches over and bends one leg so that the shin is behind the knee of the straight leg and places the ankle of the straight leg in their armpit. With the same arm, the wrestler reaches around the ankle and through the opening formed by the legs, and locks his hands together as in a cloverleaf. The wrestler then pulls back so as to stretch the legs, back and neck of the opponent while keeping the arm trapped.

Inverted cloverleaf[link]

In this variation of a cloverleaf instead of turning around when turning the opponent over, the wrestler faces the same direction as the opponent to squat and lean forward to apply more pressure to the legs, spine, and abdomen.

Leglock cloverleaf[link]

This variation of the cloverleaf sees the wrestler, after crossing one of the opponents legs over the other in a figure four shape, lock the over leg behind their near knee before placing the straight leg under their armpit and turning over. The wrestler proceeds to lean back pulling on the leg under the armpit. This keeps the over leg, now under, locked while putting pressure on the leg and stretching the legs and back.

Rivera cloverleaf[link]

This variation of the cloverleaf sees the wrestler hook the legs like a cloverleaf but weaves his hands through to clasp his other hand and also hooks the ankle sticking out with his leg (which ever one it is) into his kneepit. Invented by Chris Hero

Cross kneelock[link]

With the opponent lying face down on the mat, the wrestler grabs hold of shin of one of the opponent's legs and wraps his legs around the leg. The wrestler then twists the leg, hyperextending the knee. Very similar to the grapevine ankle lock, with the only difference that the wrestler wraps his arms around the shin, and not his hands around the ankle of the opponent. Commonly used as a counter to an attack from behind. The wrestler flips forward down on to his back, placing his legs around one of the legs of the opponent on the way down, and thus using his momentum to drop the opponent forward down to the mat. The move can be also applied by running towards the opponent and then performing the flip when next to him

Damascus head-leglock[link]

The wrestler forces the opponent to the ground and opens up the legs of the opponent, stepping in with both legs. The wrestler then wraps his legs around the head of the opponent and crosses the opponent's legs, applying pressure on them with his hands. The wrestler next turns 180 degrees and leans back, compressing the spine. This hold applies pressure on the temples, the calves, and compresses the spine.

Figure-four leglock[link]

The wrestler stands over the opponent who is lying on the mat face up and grasps a leg of the opponent. The wrestler then does a spinning toe hold and grasps the other leg, crossing them into a "4" (hence the name) as he does so and falls to the mat, applying pressure to the opponent's crossed legs with his own.

With enough strength and willpower, the wrestler on defense can flip himself (and also their opponent) over onto their belly, which is said to reverse the pressure to the one who initially had the hold locked in. If the referee is distracted, heel wrestlers may grab onto the ropes while executing the move to gain leverage and kayfabe inflict more pain.

An modified variation exists more recently used by Shawn Michaels where the wrestler takes one of the opponent's legs, turns 90 degrees, then grabs the other opponent's leg and crosses it with the other, puts one foot in between and the other on the other leg, and then bridges over. A wrestler may counter the figure four by rolling over on to their stomach, which applies the pressure on the original applier's legs. This counter to the figure four is often called a modified Indian deathlock or sometimes referred to as a sharpshooter variant. While the hold applies kayfabe pressure to the knee, it actually can be very painful to the shin of the victim.

Haas of Pain[link]

This modified inverted reverse figure-four leglock variation sees the wrestler cross one leg of an opponent over the other and stand on the crossed leg, then take hold of the free leg and lay down on his back, raising the opponent's legs up into the air and causing pain to their legs and lower back. The name is derived from Charlie and Russ, the Haas Brothers, who innovated this move.

Inverted figure-four ankle lock[link]

This submission hold involves a combination of the Figure-Four Leglock and the Ankle lock. However, instead of locking the opponents legs in a "4" shape, the attacking wrestler crosses one of the opponent's legs over to the other leg. Then the attacking wrestler grapevines the other leg and performs a key ankle lock submission hold.

Inverted figure-four leglock[link]

The wrestler stands over a prone opponent and takes hold of a leg of the opponent. The wrestler then does a spinning toe hold and grasps the other leg, crossing them into a "4" as they do so and falls back to the mat, applying pressure to the opponent's crossed legs with his own.

Inverted three-quarter figure-four leglock[link]

The opponent is lying face down on the ground. The wrestler kneels over the opponent's thighs with his left leg between the opponent's leg, then bends his opponent's left leg around his left thigh. After that he places the opponent's right leg over the opponent's left ankle and puts his own right leg under the opponent's left ankle. Finally, he puts both of his feet over the opponent's right foot and presses on it.

Kneeling figure-four leglock[link]

The opponent is down on their back with the wrestler standing over one of their legs. The wrestler applies a spinning toehold, crosses the opponent's legs and kneels on them.

Modified figure-four leglock[link]

This version is a variant which sees the opponent face up with the wrestler grabbing the opponent's legs, puts his own leg through it and twists them as if doing a sharpshooter, but instead puts his other leg on the foot of the opponent nearest to him, drops down to the mat and applies pressure.

Reverse figure-four leglock[link]

The wrestler using this move stands over the opponent with the opponent face up and grasps a leg of the opponent. The wrestler then turns 90 degrees and grasps the other leg, crossing them as he does so and falls to the mat, applying pressure to the opponent's crossed legs with his own.

Ringpost figure-four leglock[link]

The opponent is either downed or standing next to one of the ring corner posts. The wrestler exits the ring to the outside and drags the opponent by the legs towards the ringpost, so that the post is between the opponent's legs (similar to when somebody 'crotches' their opponent with the ringpost). The executor then stands next to the ring apron, on the outside of the turnbuckle/ropes and applies the figure four leglock with the ringpost between the opponent's legs. The performer of the hold then falls back while grabbing the opponent's legs/feet, hanging upside down from the ring apron. The ringpost assists the move, creating more damage and leverage to the opponent's knee.

Standing figure-four leglock[link]

The opponent is down on their back with the wrestler standing over one of their legs with one foot placed on either side of the leg. The wrestler plants his foot in the knee of the opponents other leg and then bends that leg at the knee over the top of the first leg forming the figure four. The wrestler then bridges back.

Indian deathlock[link]

The wrestler lifts up a leg of a face-up opponent and wraps one of their legs around the other leg before dropping to a kneeling position, thus locking the opponent's leg behind the wrestler's knee. The wrestler then reaches over and grabs the opponent's far leg and places it on top of the trapped foot of the opponent. The wrestler then performs a forward roll while maintaining the hold. This forces the opponent onto his or her chest while the wrestler ends in a sitting position facing the same direction as his or her opponent. From here the wrestler can reach forward and perform many upper body submissions as well.

A standing version can also be applied which sees a standing wrestler place one of his legs between the legs of a face-down opponent and then bends one leg behind the leg of the wrestler, placing it on top of the knee pit of the opponents other leg. The wrestler then picks up the straight leg of the opponent, bends it backwards to lock the other leg in the knee pit and places the foot in front of the shin of the standing leg in the knee pit, thus locking the leg.

Inverted Indian deathlock[link]

With the opponent on his back, the wrestler standing beside him, sits with his leg over and between the opponent's legs (often using a legdrop to the knee). Then places the opponents far leg in the knee-pit of the near leg, finishing the submission by putting the opponents ankle on top of his own ankle and rolling both onto their bellies and pushing back with the wrestlers ankle

Kneebar[link]

Also called a straight legbar, the basic kneebar is performed similarly to an armbar by holding the opponent's leg in between the legs and arms so the opponent's kneecap points towards the body. The wrestler pushing the hips forward, the opponent's leg is straightened, and further leveraging hyperextends the knee.

Sharpshooter[link]

The opponent starts supine. The wrestler steps between his opponent's legs with one leg and wraps the opponent's legs around that leg. Holding the opponent's legs in place, the wrestler then steps over the opponent, flipping him over into a prone position. Finally, the wrestler leans back to compress the legs and hurt the knee. The move was made famous by Bret "The Hitman" Hart, the rock, Sting.

Spinning toe hold[link]

The wrestler using this move stands over the opponent who is lying on the mat, face up and grasps a leg of the opponent. The wrestler then turns 360 degrees over the leg twisting it inward. A wrestler will repeatedly step over the leg and round again to twist the knee, and ankle joint even more.

Transition holds[link]

Some holds are meant neither to pin an opponent, nor weaken them or force them to submit, but are intended to set up the opponent for another attack.

Arm wrench[link]

The wrestler takes hold of the opponent's arm or wrist and turns around completely while twisting the arm over the wrestler's head, resulting in the opponent's arm being wrenched. This may lead to an armbar, a wrist lock, the wrestler pulling the opponent onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry, an Irish whip, or a short-arm maneuver, such as a clothesline.

Butterfly[link]

Technically known as a double underhook. The wrestler and the opponent begin facing one another, with the opponent bent over. The wrestler approaches the opponent and reaches under the opponent's shoulders, then threads their arms up and around the opponent's torso, with their hands meeting in the middle of the opponent's back or neck (essentially an inverted full nelson hold), and tucking the opponents head in their armpit. The hold in itself is not popularly used as a submission move, and is more commonly a set-up for various throws, drops or slams, but it can be applied from various positions that cause it to become one.

Crucifix[link]

The wrestler stands in front of and facing a bent over opponent and places them in a gutwrench waistlock or a standing headscissors. The wrestler then flips the opponent up and over so the opponent is lying face up on the back of the wrestler. The wrestler then moves his hands to the upper arm or wrists of the opponent, holding them in position, and spreading the arms of the opponent (as though they were being crucified), hence the name. This is mainly often a set-up for a crucifix powerbomb or a spinning crucifix toss.

Reverse crucifix[link]

The wrestler stands in front of and with their back to a standing opponent. The wrestler then leans backwards and seizes the opponent around the waist, pulling them forward and upwards so they are lying across the shoulder of the opponent, facing downwards. The wrestler then takes hold of the upper arms or wrists of the opponent and spreads them, holding the opponent in place.

Electric chair[link]

A transitional hold in which an attacking wrestler hoists an opponent up onto his shoulders so that they are both facing in the same direction. It is often used to set up various drops and slams in singles competition. However it is more often used in a double team maneuver, known as a Doomsday Device, another wrestler uses flying attacks to knock opponents off the shoulders of the wrestler. Like many transition holds, the defensive wrestler often uses the position to perform a variety of counter moves, most notably the victory roll. Another counter of the electric chair position is the wrestler twisting over the opponent's shoulders so now they are facing the opposite direction, and from that position, the wrestler would backflip to hit a hurricanrana.

Fireman's carry[link]

Mr. Kennedy holds Hardcore Holly in a fireman's carry, prior to executing a rolling fireman's carry slam, otherwise known as the Green Bay Plunge

The wrestler bends over with the opponent standing to the side of the wrestler. The wrestler then pulls the opponent's arm over his/her farthest shoulder and distributes the wrestler's body over his/her shoulders while having the other hand between and holding onto one of the opponent's legs and stands up. The opponent is draped face-down across the wrestler's shoulders, with the wrestler's arms wrapped around from behind. It is a key component of several throws, drops and slams.

There is also a variation, in which the opponent is held diagonally across the wrestlers back with their legs across one shoulder and head under the opposite shoulder (usually held in place with a facelock). There is a third variation in which a wrestler lift his opponent across his shoulders and then proceeds to slam his opponent to the mat.

Gorilla press[link]

A transition lift many throws, drops and slams can be performed. It became a popular technique for larger and stronger wrestlers as the lift is seen to emphasize their height and power.

Gutwrench[link]

A set-up for many throws and slams, this sees the attacking wrestler put a bent at the waist opponent to one side of him, reach the near hand around and lock his hands around the waist. A common move out of this transition can be a powerbomb or a suplex.

Lady of the Lake[link]

The move used to trick an unsuspecting opponent. The wrestler sits down, crosses his or her legs, tucks their head into their chest and wraps one arm around their ankle (so they are effectively rolled into a ball). The wrestler then extends their remaining arm between their legs and then waits. The opponent, ostensibly confused, normally takes the offered hand, at which point the wrestler rolls forward and into an arm lock.

Mounted[link]

The wrestler sits on top of the opponent's torso, facing their head, with his legs on either side. When the opponent is facing down the position is referred to as back mount. Various strikes to the opponent's head are often performed from this position.

Pumphandle[link]

The wrestler stands behind his opponent and bends him forward. One of the opponent's arms is pulled back between his legs and held, while the other arm is hooked, then the wrestler lifts the opponent up over his shoulder. From here many throws, drops and slams can be performed. A double pumphandle exists, where the second arm isn't hooked, it is also pulled under and between the opponent's legs.

Rope-hung[link]

A rope-hung move sees the opponent trapped either over the top rope or between the top and second rope. From that position, the wrestler could execute many moves while the opponent is hung over/between the rope(s), like for example a DDT or a neckbreaker.

Scoop[link]

Facing his opponent, the wrestler reaches between his opponent's legs with one arm and reaches around their back from the same side with his other arm. The wrestler lifts his opponent up so they are horizontal across the wrestlers body. From here many throws, drops and slams can be performed.

Short-arm[link]

This transitioning move sees the wrestler first grabbing one of the opponent's arms, and Irish whipping him. As the grabbed arm is fully extended, the wrestler could then go for any attack, hold or sweep. This hold is usually used to go for a clothesline.

Stepover toehold[link]

The wrestler approaches the opponent who is lying stomach-first, facing down. The wrestler traps one of the opponent's ankles between his or her thighs (as seen primarily before applying an STF). From that point, the wrestler can apply other holds to the opponent, for example a fujiwara armbar or a three-quarter facelock.

The Matrix[link]

This is an evasion performed by bending over backwards into a bridging position to counter any clothesline, punch etc. This is performed similar such as when Neo does a similar move near the end of the first Matrix movie to avoid a clothesline or any other attack.

Tilt-a-whirl[link]

The wrestler stands facing the opponent. The wrestler bends the opponent down so they are bent facing in front on the wrestler's body. The wrestler reaches around the opponent's body with their arms and lifts them up, spinning the opponent in front of the wrestler's body, often to deliver a slam or most commonly a Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker or a Pendulum backbreaker. Usually performed on a charging opponent, this can also be a transition hold for counterattacks that sees the wrestler hit many throws and drops like a DDT or headscissors takedown.

Wheelbarrow[link]

This move is achieved when a wrestler wraps a forward-facing opponent's legs around his waist (either by standing behind an opponent who is lying face-first on the mat or by catching a charging opponent), then the wrestler would apply a gutwrench hold and lift the opponent up off the ground into the air, then either continue lifting and fall backwards to wheelbarrow suplex, or forcing the opponent back down to the mat to hit a wheelbarrow facebuster. This can also can be a transition hold for counterattacks that sees the wrestler (who is being wheelbarrowed) hit many throws and drops like a DDT or a bulldog and rolling pin combinations.

Miscellaneous[link]

Armpit claw[link]

The armpit claw was a squeezing of the muscle in the front of the armpit with the four fingers dug into the armpit and the thumb pressing into the front of the shoulder. The opponent's arm would bend at the wrist and elbow, and his fingers would curl into a claw. The hold caused great pain, causing the opponent to submit or to lose all control of his arm and hand, at which point the referee would call for the bell.

Collar-and-elbow tie-up[link]

The collar-and-elbow tie-up is one of the mainstays of professional wrestling, and many matches are begun with this move. It is a neutral move, but it easily transitions for either wrestler to a position of dominance. It is performed by approaching the opponent and putting one hand on the back of the opponent's neck while holding the elbow of the opponent's arm that is holding his own neck.

Giant swing[link]

The wrestler takes hold of a supine opponent's legs and pivots rapidly, elevating the opponent and swinging the opponent in a circle. The wrestler may release the hold in mid-air or simply slow until the back of the opponent returns to the ground.

Skin the cat[link]

This defensive maneuver is used when a wrestler is thrown over the top rope. While being thrown over the wrestler grabs the top rope with both hands and holds on so that he ends up dangling from the top rope but not landing on the apron or on the floor. The wrestler then proceeds to lift his legs over his head and rotates his body back towards the ring to go back over the top rope and into the ring, landing in the ring on his feet. The wrestler can also perform a head scissor hold or a type of kick to strike an opponent on the inside to throw him over. This is a tactic that can be deployed Royal Rumble or Battle Royal matches to save themselves from being eliminated.

Sunset flip[link]

Eamon O'Neill performs a sunset flip out of the corner on Phil Powers

AJ Lee in the sitting pin position that results from a sunset flip

This move commonly sees an attacking wrestler dive over an opponent who is facing him/her, usually bent over forwards, catching the opponent in a waistlock from behind and landing back-first behind the opponent. From that position the wrestler rolls forward into a sitting position, pulling the opponent over backwards and down to the mat so that he lands on his back into a sitout pin position. While being held on the shoulders of an attacking wrestler in a position where this second wrestler is straddling the head of the attacking wrestler while facing in the other direction; as if they were riding off into the sunset.

Tree of Woe[link]

This involves a wrestler suspending an opponent upside down on a turnbuckle, with the opponent's back being up against it. To do this the opponent's legs are then hooked under the top ropes, leaving the opponent facing the attacking wrestler, upside down. Often an attacking wrestler will choke, kick, or stomp the opponent until the referee uses up his five count. The technique is also used to trap an opponent while the attacking wrestler runs at them and delivers some form of offensive maneuver, such as a running knee attack or a baseball slide.

References[link]

External links[link]

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A grappling hold (commonly referred to simply as a hold; in Japanese referred to as katame-waza, 固め技, "grappling technique") is a grappling, wrestling, judo or other martial arts term for a specific grip that is applied to an opponent. Holds are principally used to control the opponent, and to advance in points or positioning. Holds may be categorized by their function such as clinching, pinning, pain compliance or submission, while others can be classified by their anatomical effect: chokehold, joint-lock or compression lock.

Clinch hold[link]

A clinch hold (also known as a clinching hold) is a grappling hold which is used in clinch fighting with the purpose of controlling the opponent. In wrestling it is referred to as the Tie-up. The use of a clinch hold results in the clinch. Clinch holds can be used to close in on the opponent, as a precursor to a takedown or throw, or to prevent the opponent from moving away or striking effectively. Typical clinch holds include:

• Bear hug
• Collar tie
• Overhook
• Pinch grip tie
• Underhook

An aikidoka demonstrates a wristlock as a pain compliance technique.

Pain compliance hold[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

A pain compliance hold (also referred to as a pain compliance technique or sometimes a pain hold) is a grappling hold which uses painful joint lock, compression lock or pressure point technique to control a person or opponent. The mechanism of the techniques is the same of submission holds. However, pain compliance techniques are generally used by law enforcement^{[citation needed]}, and often taught as a self-defense technique in martial arts and combatives.

Frequently used by police and corrections personnel in accordance with an "escalation of force" policy^{[citation needed]}, such techniques presume a rational adversary. Some altered states such as those caused by mental illness, extreme flexibility, phencyclidine and amphetamine use^{[citation needed]}, or extreme adrenaline may alter the subject's perception of pain or willingness to submit.

Like other forms of non-lethal force, pain compliance strategies are not perfect and may be abused as a form of torture with plausible deniability. For this reason the use of pain compliance holds is often subject to explicit rules of engagement designed to prevent abuse and avoid conflict escalation.^{[citation needed]}

The north-south position is a type of pinning hold.

Pinning hold[link]

A pinning hold (also known as a hold down and in Japanese as osaekomi-waza, 押さえ込み技, "pinning technique") is a general grappling hold used in ground fighting which is aimed to subdue by exerting superior control over an opponent and pinning the opponent to the ground. Pinning holds where both the opponent's shoulders touch the ground are considered winning conditions in several combat sports.

An effective pinning hold is a winning condition in many styles of wrestling, and is known as simply a "pin". Pinning holds maintained for 25 seconds are also a winning condition in Judo. Pinning holds are also used in submission wrestling and mixed martial arts, even though the pinning hold itself is not a winning condition. The holds can be used to rest while the opponent tries to escape or to control the opponent while striking, a tactic known as ground and pound or to control an opponent from striking by pinning them to the ground also known as lay and pray.

Submission hold[link]

A submission hold (colloquially referred to as a "submission") is a combat sports term for a grappling hold which is applied with the purpose of forcing an opponent to submit out of either extreme pain or fear of injury. Submission holds are used primarily in ground fighting and can be separated into constriptions (chokeholds, compression locks, suffocation locks) and manipulations (joint locks, leverages, pain compliance holds). When used as a form of self-defense, these techniques may cause dislocation, torn ligaments, bone fractures, unconsciousness or even death.

Common combat sports featuring submission holds are:

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Catch wrestling
• Judo
• Jujutsu
• Luta Livre
• Mixed martial arts
• Sambo
• Shoot wrestling
• Puroresu

List of grappling holds[link]

The same hold may be called by different names in different arts or countries. Some of the more common names for grappling holds in contemporary English include:

Joint locks[link]

Lock: Any stabilization of one or more joints at their normal extreme range of motion.

• Can opener: A type of neck crank.
• Crucifix: A type of neck crank.
• Neck crank: Applies pressure to the neck by pulling or twisting the head.
• Nelson: (quarter, half, three-quarter and full): The arm is circled under the opponent's arm, and secured at the neck.
• Twister: A type of body bend and neck crank.
• Wristlock: A general term for joint locks on the wrist or radioulnar joint. Wristlocks form the trademark offense of Aikido, and are used in combination with Keylocks in catch wrestling.
• Small joint manipulation: Joint locks on the fingers or toes.
• Spine crank: Applies pressure to the spine by twisting or bending the body.

Armlocks[link]

Armlock: A general term for joint locks at the elbow or shoulder.

• Americana: BJJ term for a lateral keylock.
• Armbar: An armlock which hyperextends the elbow.
• Chicken wing: Term for various hammer/keylocks, especially among Shoot wrestling and Jeet Kune Do practitioners.
• Flying armbar: A type of armbar that is performed from a stand-up position.
• Hammerlock: Pins the opponent's arm behind the back, with wrist toward their own shoulder.
• Juji-Gatame: A type of armbar where the arm is held in between the legs.
• Keylock: A shoulderlock where the arm is turned like a key.
• Kimura: BJJ term for a medial keylock.
• Omoplata: BJJ term for a shoulder lock using the legs.

Leglocks[link]

Leglock: A general term for joint locks at the hip, knee or ankle.

• Ankle lock: A leglock which hyper extends the ankle.
• Heel hook: A leglock which rotates the ankle.
• Kneebar: A leglock which hyperextends the knee.
• Toe hold: A type of leglock which hyper extends the ankle.

Chokeholds and strangles[link]

• Anaconda choke: A type of arm triangle choke.
• Arm triangle choke: A chokehold similar to the triangle choke except using the arms.
• Crosschoke: Athlete crosses own arms in "X" shape and holds onto opponent's gi or clothing.
• Gi Choke: or Okuri eri jime as it is known in Judo is a single lapel strangle.
• Ezequiel: Reverse of the rear naked choke, using the inside of the sleeves for grip.
• Guillotine choke: a facing headlock or choke, usually applied to an opponent from above.
• Gearlock: a modified sleeper hold that puts an incredible amount of force on the opponents windpipe, choking them out almost instantly if applied properly.
• Gogoplata: Performed by putting ones shin on the wind pipe of an opponent and pulling the head down. Typically set up from the rubber guard.
• Locoplata: A variation of the Gogo-plata that uses the other foot to push the shin into the windpipe and uses the arm to wrap around the back of the head to grab the foot to secure the choke.
• Rear naked choke: A chokehold from the rear.
• Triangle choke: A chokehold which forms a triangle around the opponent's head using the legs.

Clinch holds[link]

• Bear hug: A clinching hold encircling the opponent's torso with both arms, pulling toward oneself.
• Collar tie: facing the opponent with one or both hands on the back of their head/neck.
• Muay Thai clinch: Holding the opponent with both arms around the neck while standing.
• Overhook: Holding over the opponents arm while standing.
• Pinch grip tie: Term for a particular harness hold, common in Greco-Roman wrestling circles.
• Underhook: Holding under the opponent's arm while standing.
• Tie: A transitional hold used to stabilize the opponent in preparation for striking or throwing.

Compression locks[link]

• Achilles lock: A compression lock on the achilles tendon.
• Biceps slicer: A compression lock on the elbow joint and biceps.
• Leg slicer: A compression lock on the calf and thigh.
• Figure four: (also referred to as arm triangle, leg triangle) Term for arranging one's own arm or legs to resemble shape of numeral "4" when holding opponent.

Pain compliance[link]

• Chin lock: An arm hold on the chin that hurts the chin.

Pinning hold[link]

• Cradle: Compress opponent in a sit-up position to pin shoulders from side mount.
• Staple: Using the opponent's clothing to help pin them against a surface.

Other[link]

• Grapevine: twisting limbs around limbs in a manner similar to a plant vine.
• Harness: A hold which encircles the torso of an opponent, sometimes diagonally.
• Headlock: Circling the opponent's head with an arm, especially from the side. Also called a rear Chancery.
• Hooks: Wrapping the arm or leg around an opponent's limb(s) for greater control.
• Leg scissors: Causes compressive asphyxia by pressing the chest or abdomen.
• Scissor: places the opponent between the athlete's legs (like paper to be cut by scissors).
• Stack: Compress opponent in vertical sit-up position (feet up) to pin their shoulders to mat.

See also[link]

• Chokehold
• Clinch fighting
• Compression lock
• Grappling
• Ground fighting
• Joint lock
• Judo techniques
• Professional wrestling holds

References[link]

External links[link]

• Free Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling Videos
• The Subtle Science of the Muay Thai Clinch By Roberto Pedreira Includes pictures of common Muay Thai clinching holds.
• Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture, a scan of the 1912 correspondence course from Martin 'Farmer' Burns.
• List of Submissions for MMA Grappling holds and submissions used in MMA. Each submission links to videos and step by step instruction.
• categorized judo techniques on video - Tournaments, champions, Olympics etc.
• Mixed Martial Arts Search Engine A search engine covering all things exclusive to MMA.
• MMA Training Free MMA Training help and advice.

Professional wrestling
A professional wrestling match. Two wrestlers grapple in a wrestling ring while a referee (in white, right) looks on.
Ancestor arts	Carnival, Catch wrestling, commedia dell'arte, vaudeville, music hall
Descendant arts	Shoot style wrestling, roller derby
Originating culture	United States /  England /  France
Originating era	19th-century

Professional wrestling (often shortened pro wrestling, or simply wrestling) is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.^[1] It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport. The unique form of sport portrayed is fundamentally based on classical and "catch" wrestling, with modern additions of striking attacks, strength-based holds and throws, and acrobatic maneuvers; much of these derive from the influence of various international martial arts. An additional aspect of combat with improvised weaponry is sometimes included to varying degrees.

The matches have predetermined outcomes in order to heighten entertainment value, and all combative maneuvers are worked in order to lessen the chance of actual injury.^[2] These facts were once kept highly secretive but are now a widely accepted open secret. By and large, the true nature of the performance is not discussed by the performing company in order to sustain and promote the willing suspension of disbelief for the audience by maintaining an aura of verisimilitude.

Originating as a sideshow exhibition in North American traveling carnivals and vaudeville halls, professional wrestling grew into a standalone genre of entertainment with many diverse variations in cultures around the globe, and is now considered a multi-million dollar entertainment industry. In North America, it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century and a half of existence. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, and wrestling (along with boxing) was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery.

Scope and influence[link]

A wrestler (Christopher Daniels) leaps off the top rope

Professional wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in Central and North America.^[3] In Brazil, there was a very popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries.

Although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, branded merchandise and home video. Pro wrestling was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania and formerly Starrcade are among the highest-selling pay-per-view programming each year. In modern day, internet programming has been utilized by a number of companies to air web shows, internet pay per views (IPPVs) or on-demand content, helping to generate internet-related revenue earnings from the evolving World Wide Web.

Home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week.^[4]

Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, wrestling constitutes a recurring topic in both academia and the media. Several documentaries have been produced looking at professional wrestling, most notably, Beyond the Mat directed by Barry W. Blaustein, and Wrestling with Shadows featuring wrestler Bret Hart and directed by Paul Jay. There have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling; the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke.

Currently, the largest professional wrestling company worldwide is the United States-based World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which bought over many smaller regional companies in the late twentieth century, as well as its primary competitors in early 2001, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The other prominent professional wrestling company worldwide is Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). There is also a rising independent promotion called Ring Of Honor. In Mexico, the top promotions are Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. In Japan, it is New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Genre conventions[link]

When talking about professional wrestling, there are two levels: the "in-show" happenings that are presented through the shows, and happenings which are outside the scope of performance (in other words, are real life) but have implications on the performance, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, the lines are often blurred and become confused.

Special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name (such as Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert (character)).

It should be noted that some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. One notable example is CM Punk, who is straight edge both inside and outside the ring, and uses different aspects of the lifestyle to draw the desired crowd reaction depending on his character's alignment.

Kayfabe[link]

Historians are unsure at what point wrestling changed from competitive catch wrestling into worked entertainment. Those who participated felt that maintenance of a constant and complete illusion for all who were not involved was necessary to keep audience interest. For decades, wrestlers lived their public lives as though they were their characters.

The practice of keeping the illusion, and the various methods used to do so, came to be known as "kayfabe" within wrestling circles, or "working the marks". An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders' knowledge of what was being said.

Occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events. This is known as a shoot. Sometimes shoot-like elements are included in wrestling stories to blur the line between performance and reality. These are known as "worked shoots". However, the vast majority of events in professional wrestling are entirely preplanned or improvised within accepted boundaries.

Gradually, the nature of professional wrestling became an open secret, although American promotions' events were still often regulated by state athletic commissions through the 1980s, until World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon publicly admitted that wrestling was entertainment, not competition. This action garnered mixed reactions from the wrestling community, where some consider it ruins the experience to the spectators as does exposure in illusionism.

Aspects of performing art[link]

Professional wrestling shows can be considered a form of theater in the round, with the ring, ringside area, and entryway comprising a thrust stage. However, there is a much more limited concept of a fourth wall than in most theatric performances. The audience is recognized and acknowledged by the performers as spectators to the sporting event being portrayed, and are encouraged to interact as such. This leads to a high level of audience participation; in fact, their reactions can dictate how the performance unfolds.^[5] Often, individual matches will be part of a longer storyline conflict between Babyfaces (often shortened to just Face) and Heels. Faces are those whose actions are intended to encourage the audience to cheer (the "Good Guys"), while Heels act to draw the ire of the spectators (the "Bad Guys").

Rules[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

There is no governing authority for professional wrestling rules, although there is a general standard which has developed. Each promotion has their own variation, but all are similar enough to avoid confusion most of the time. Any rule described here is simply a standard, and may or may not correspond exactly with any given promotion's ruleset.

General structure[link]

Matches are held between two or more sides ("corners"). Each corner may consist of one wrestler, or a team of two or more. Most team matches are governed by tag team rules (see below). Other matches are free-for-alls, with multiple combatants but no teams. In all variants, there can be only one winning team or wrestler.

The standard method of scoring is the "fall", which is accomplished by:

• Pinning the opponent's shoulders to the mat, typically for three seconds (though other times have been used)
• Forcing the opponent to submit
• A forfeit via a disqualified opponent
• The opponent remaining outside the ring for too long (countout)
• Knocking out or otherwise incapacitating the opponent

These are each explained in greater detail below. Typically, pinfalls and submissions must occur within the ring area, however there are times where it may be stipulated otherwise.

Most wrestling matches last for a set number of falls, with the first side to achieve the majority number of pinfalls, submissions, or countouts being the winner. Historically, matches were wrestled to 3 falls ("best 2 out of 3") or 5 falls ("best 3 out of 5"). The standard for modern matches is one fall. However, even though it is now standard, many announcers will explicitly state this (e.g. "The following contest is set for one fall with a 20-minute time limit.") These matches are given a time limit; if not enough falls are scored by the end of the time limit, the match is declared a draw. Modern matches are generally given a 10- to 30-minute time limit for standard matches; title matches can go for up to one hour.

An alternative is a match set for a prescribed length of time, with a running tally of falls. The entrant with the most falls at the end of the time limit is declared the winner. This is usually for 20, 30 or 60 minutes, and is commonly called an Iron Man match. This type of match can be modified so that fewer types of falls are allowed.

In matches with multiple competitors, an elimination system may be used. Any wrestler who has a fall scored against them is forced out of the match, and the match continues until only one remains. However, it is much more common when more than two wrestlers are involved to simply go one fall, with the one scoring the fall, regardless of who they scored it against, being the winner. In championship matches, this means that, unlike one-on-one matches (where the champion can simply disqualify himself or get himself counted out to retain the title via the Champion's Advantage), the champion does not have to be pinned or involved in the decision to lose the championship. However, heel champions often find advantages, not in Champion's Advantage, but in the use of weapons and outside interference, as these poly-sided matches tend to involve no holds barred rules.

WWE Money in the bank ladder match, 2009

Many modern specialty matches have been devised, with unique winning conditions. The most common of these is the ladder match. In the basic ladder match, the wrestlers or teams of wrestlers must climb a ladder to obtain a prize that is hoisted above the ring. The key to winning this match is that the wrestler or team of wrestlers must try to incapacitate each other long enough for one wrestler to climb the ladder and secure that prize for their team. As a result, the ladder can be used as a weapon. The prizes include but are not limited to any given championship belt (the traditional prize), a document granting the winner the right to a future title shot, or any document that matters to the wrestlers involved in the match. Another common speciality match is known as the battle royal. In a battle royal, all the wrestlers enter the ring to the point that there are 20-30 wrestlers in the ring at one time. When the match begins, the simple objective is to throw the opponent over the top rope and out of the ring with both feet on the floor in order to eliminate that opponent. The last wrestler standing is declared the winner. A variant on this type of match is the WWE's Royal Rumble where two wrestlers enter the ring to start the match and other wrestlers follow in 90 second intervals (previously 2 minutes) until 30-40 wrestlers have entered the ring. All other rules stay the same. For more match types, see Professional wrestling match types.

Every match must be assigned a rule keeper known as a referee, who is the final arbitrator (In multi-man lucha libre matches, two referees are used, one inside the ring and one outside). Due to the legitimate role that referees play in wrestling of serving as liaison between the bookers backstage and the wrestlers in the ring (the role of being a final arbitrator is merely kayfabe), the referee is present, even in matches that do not at first glance appear to require a referee (such as a ladder match, as it is no holds barred, and the criteria for victory could theoretically be assessed from afar). Although their actions are also frequently scripted for dramatic effect, referees are subject to certain general rules and requirements in order to maintain the theatrical appearance of unbiased authority. The most basic rule is that an action must be seen by a referee to be declared for a fall or disqualification. This allows for heel characters to gain a scripted advantage by distracting or disabling the referee in order to perform some ostensibly illegal maneuver on their opponent. Most referees are unnamed and essentially anonymous, though the WWE has let their officials reveal their names.

Special guest referees may be used from time to time; by virtue of their celebrity status, they are often scripted to dispense with the appearance of neutrality and use their influence to unfairly influence the outcome of the match for added dramatic impact. Face special referees will often fight back against hostile heel wrestlers, particularly if the special referee is either a wrestler himself or a famous martial artist (such as Tito Ortiz at the main event at TNA Hard Justice 2005).

For heel special referees, common ways of assisting the heel wrestler to obtain victory include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Counting fast whenever the face wrestler is being pinned, while counting slow, or even refusing to count at all, when the heel wrestler is being pinned.
• Allowing heel wrestlers to use blatantly illegal tactics that most normal referees would instantly disqualify for, while not extending these relaxed rules to face wrestlers.
• Feigning unconsciousness far longer than they would normally otherwise be out, allowing for greater opportunities for run-ins, while instantly waking up the moment the heel wrestler seems to have an advantage.
• Actually assisting in attacking the face wrestler.

Matches are held within a wrestling ring, an elevated square canvas mat with posts on each corner. A cloth apron hangs over the edges of the ring. Three horizontal ropes or cables surround the ring, suspended with turnbuckles which are connected to the posts. For safety, the ropes are padded at the turnbuckles and cushioned mats surround the floor outside the ring. Guardrails or a similar barrier enclose this area from the audience. Wrestlers are generally expected to stay within the confines of the ring, though matches sometimes end up outside the ring, and even in the audience, to add excitement.

Tag rules[link]

A tag team match in progress - Jeff Hardy kicks Umaga, while their respective partners, Triple H and Randy Orton, encourage them and reach for the tags.

In some team matches, only one entrant from each team may be designated as the "legal" or "active" wrestler at any given moment. Two wrestlers must make physical contact (typically palm-to-palm) in order to transfer this legal status. This is known as a tag, with the participants tagging out and tagging in. Typically the wrestler who is tagging out has a 5-second count to leave the ring, whereas the one tagging in can enter the ring at any time, resulting in heels legally double-teaming a face.

The non-legal wrestlers must remain outside the ring or other legal area at all times (and avoid purposeful contact with the opposing wrestlers) or face reprimand from the referee. In most promotions, the wrestler to be tagged in must be touching the turnbuckle on his corner, or a cloth strap attached to the turnbuckle.

Some multi-wrestler matches allow for a set number of legal wrestlers, and a legal wrestler may tag out to any other wrestler, regardless of team. In these matches, the tag need not be a mutual effort, and this results in active wrestlers being tagged out against their will, or non-legal wrestlers forced to enter the battle.

In a Texas Tornado Tag Team match, all the competitors are legal in the match, and tagging in and out is not necessary. All matches fought under hardcore rules (such as no disqualification, no holds barred, ladder match, etc.) are all contested under de facto Texas Tornado rules, since the lack of ability of a referee to issue a disqualification renders any tagging requirements moot.

Regardless of rules of tagging, you can not pin your own tag team partner, even if it is technically possible from the rules of the match (e.g. Texas Tornado rules, or a three-way tag team match). This is called the Outlaw Rule because the first team to attempt to use that (in an attempt to unfairly retain their tag team titles) was the New Age Outlaws.

Techniques[link]

A wrestler may not punch an opponent with a closed fist nor kick an opponent with the toe of their boot. Biting is not allowed, nor is spitting in the eyes. When wrestlers do this, however, they usually get away with it with just an admonishment from the referee.

Wrestlers may lift an opponent and throw them, drop them, or otherwise force them to the mat. Such techniques which land an opponent on the head or neck, such as the piledriver, may be disallowed by some promotions.

A wrestler may jump onto an opponent, whether standing or lying down, in any manner, including with a clenched fist (à la Jerry Lawler's diving fist) or the toe of a boot (à la Randy Orton's punt attack).

Any legal wrestler is open to attack from any direction at any time, including when they are downed, as long as they are within the ring area enclosed by the ring ropes. They may also be subject to attack if they are completely outside the ring, as long as no part of their body is touching, or directly underneath, a ring rope. If any part of either wrestler is in contact with the ropes or has otherwise broken the plane of ropes all grappling contact between the wrestlers must be broken within a five count or else the attacking wrestler may be subject to disqualification. This rule is often used strategically in order to escape from a submission hold, and a wrestler can break the plane of the ropes by placing his foot or other body part on (or under) the ropes to avoid losing by pinfall. This is commonly referred to as a rope break.

Decisions[link]

Pinfall[link]

An example of pinfall

In order to score by pinfall, a wrestler must pin both his opponent's shoulders against the mat while the referee slaps the mat three times (referred to as a "three count"). This is the most common form of defeat. If a wrestler's shoulders are down (both shoulders touching the mat) and any part of the opponent's body is lying over the wrestler, it is completely legal to start a three count. This often results in pins that can easily be kicked out of, if the defensive wrestler is even slightly conscious. For example, an attacking wrestler who is half-conscious may simply drape an arm over a prone opponent, or a cocky wrestler may simply place his foot gently on a prone opponent's body, prompting a three-count from the referee.

Illegal pinning methods include using the ropes for leverage and hooking the opponent's clothing, which are therefore popular cheating methods for heels, unless certain stipulations make such an advantage legal. Such pins as these are rarely seen by the referee and are subsequently often used by heels and on occasion by cheating faces to win matches.

Occasionally, there are instances where a pinfall is made where both wrestlers' shoulders were on the mat for the three count. This situation will most likely lead to a draw, and in some cases a continuation of the match or a future match to determine the winner.

While serving as a color commentator for WWE Smackdown, John Layfield pointed out that a wrestler sometimes will make pin attempts early in the match, despite knowing that he has not damaged his opponent enough to win, because sometimes the point is not to get a pin, but rather to force the opponent to expend energy for later in the match. He most often pointed this out in Finlay's matches, where Finlay could often be seen placing his knee over his opponent's face, forcing his opponent to also scrape his face in order to stay in the match.

Because a pinfall only requires a three-count from the referee, as opposed to a ten-count from a boxing referee to score a technical knockout, this rule gave birth to the saying "It only takes three seconds to beat your opponent." Indeed, many seemingly invincible juggernauts have been instantly defeated with a single school boy pin.

Submission, knock out and incapacitating the opponent[link]

To score by submission, the wrestler must make his opponent give up, usually, but not necessarily, by putting him in a submission hold (e.g. figure four leg-lock, arm-lock, sleeper-hold).

Passing out in a submission hold constitutes a loss by knockout. To determine if a wrestler has passed out in WWE, the referee usually picks up and drops his hand. If it drops three consecutive times without the wrestler having the strength to stop it from falling, the wrestler is considered to have passed out. At one point this was largely ignored. However, the rule is now much more commonly observed for safety reasons. If the wrestler has passed out, the opponent then scores by submission.

Also, a wrestler can win by knockout if he does not resort to submission holds, but stills pummels his opponent to the point that he is completely out cold. To check for a knockout in this manner, a referee will wave his hand in front of the wrestlers' face; if the wrestler does not react in any way, the referee will award the victory to the other wrestler. This method of winning is usually awarded to wrestlers with "psycho" gimmicks, such as Umaga and Lord Tensai, who cares nothing for pinfalls and victories, and desire only to inflict pain onto others.

It should be noted that, despite the "champion's advantage", which states that a championship can only change hands by pinfall or submission, a knockout victory will also award them the championship, as it is still considered a decisive victory.

John Cena performs his submission hold STF against Mark Henry

A wrestler may voluntarily submit by verbally informing the referee (usually used in moves such as the Mexican Surfboard, where all four limbs are incapacitated, making tapping impossible). Also, a wrestler can indicate a voluntary submission by "tapping out",^[6] that is, tapping a free hand against the mat or against an opponent. Occasionally, a wrestler will reach for a rope (see rope breaks below), only to put his hand back on the mat so he can crawl towards the rope some more; this is NOT a submission, and the referee decides what his intent is. Submission was initially a large factor in professional wrestling, but following the decline of the submission-oriented catch-as-catch-can style from mainstream professional wrestling, the submission largely faded. Despite this, some wrestlers, such as Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Ken Shamrock, The Undertaker, Dean Malenko, and Chris Benoit, became famous for winning matches via submission. A wrestler with a signature submission technique is portrayed as better at applying the hold, making it more painful or more difficult to get out of than others who use it. More recently John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio are among the modern stars who are bringing back the use of submission in the WWE, with their STF, Crossface and Rolling Cross Armbar respectively.

Since all contact between the wrestlers must cease if any part of the body is touching, or underneath, the ropes, many wrestlers will attempt to break submission holds by deliberately grabbing the bottom ropes. This is called a rope break, and it is one of the most common ways to break a submission hold. Most holds leave an arm or leg free, so that the person can tap out if he wants. Instead, he uses these free limbs to either grab one of the ring ropes (the bottom one is the most common, as it is nearest the wrestlers) or drape his foot across, or underneath one. Once this has been accomplished, and the accomplishment is witnessed by the referee, the referee will demand that the offending wrestler break the hold, and start counting to five if the wrestler does not. If the referee reaches the count of five, and the wrestler still does not break the hold, he is disqualified.

If a manager decides that his client wrestler should tap out, but cannot convince the wrestler himself to do so, he may throw in the towel (literally taking a gym towel and hurling it into the referee's line of sight); this is the same as a submission, as the manager is, in kayfabe, considered the wrestlers agent, and therefore, authorized to make formal decisions (such as forfeiting a match) on the client's behalf. One of the most infamous examples of this happened in 1983 when the Iron Sheik had Bob Backlund in a camel clutch, and Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel to save Backlund's career.

Countout[link]

A countout (alternatively "count-out" or "count out") happens when a wrestler is out of the ring long enough for the referee to count to ten and thus disqualified. The count is broken and re-started when a wrestler in the ring exits the ring. Playing into this, some wrestlers will "milk" the count by sliding in the ring, and immediately sliding back out. As he was technically inside the ring for a split second before exiting again, it is sufficient to restart the count. Heels often use this tactic in order to buy themselves more time to catch their breath, or to attempt to frustrate their babyface opponents.

If all the active wrestlers in a match are down inside the ring at the same time, the referee will begin a count (usually ten seconds, twenty in Japan). If nobody rises to their feet by the end of the count, the match is ruled a draw. Any participant who stands up in time will end the count for everyone else.

If a wrestler has secured a rope break from a submission hold, and the offending wrestler does not break the hold on the count of five, causing the offending wrestler to loose automatically, it is still considered a disqualification (which is kept distinct from countouts in most major promotions), even though the automatic loss was procured through counting.

In some promotions (and most major modern ones), Championships cannot change hands via a countout, unless the on-screen authority declares it for at least one match, although in others, championships may change hands via countout.

Disqualification[link]

Disqualification (sometimes abbreviated as "DQ") occurs when a wrestler violates the match's rules, thus losing automatically. Although a countout can technically be considered a disqualification (as it is, for all intents and purposes, an automatic loss suffered as a result of violating a match rule), the two concepts are often distinct in wrestling. A no disqualification match can still end by countout (although this is rare); typically, a match must be declared a "no holds barred" match, a "street fight" or some other term, in order for both DQs and countouts to be waived.

Disqualification from a match is called for a number of reasons:

• Performing any illegal holds or maneuvers, such as refusing to break a hold when an opponent is in the ropes, hair-pulling, choking or biting an opponent, or repeatedly punching with a closed fist. These violations are usually subject to a referee-administered five count and will result in disqualification if not released before.
• Attacking an opponent's eye, such as raking it, poking it, gouging it, punching it or other severe attacks to the eye.
• Any outside interference involving a person not involved in the match striking or holding a wrestler. Sometimes (depending on the promotion and uniqueness of the situation), if a heel attempts to interfere but is ejected from the ring by a wrestler or referee before this occurs, there may not be a disqualification. In this disqualification method, the wrestler being attacked by the foreign member is awarded the win. Sometimes, however, this can work in heels' favor. In February 2009, Shawn Michaels, who was under the kayfabe employment of John "Bradshaw" Layfield, interfered in a match and super kicked JBL in front of the referee in order to get his employer the win via "outside interference".
• Striking an opponent with a foreign object (unless the rules of the match specifically allow this; see hardcore wrestling).
• A direct low blow to the groin (unless the rules of the match specifically allow this).
• Intentionally laying hands on the referee or to an extreme case, often in special referee matches, touching the referee with any body parts.
• Pulling an opponent's wrestling trunks for a pinfall during a match (although this usually only results in nullification of the pinfall).
• Pulling an opponent's mask off during a match (this is illegal in Mexico, and sometimes in Japan).
• In a Royal Rumble, it is illegal to enter the ring before your due entrance.

In practice, the rules of the fight are often violated without disqualification due to the referee being distracted and not seeing the offense, or the referee seeing the offense but allowing the match to continue. Usually, the only offenses that the referee will see and immediately disqualify the match on (as opposed to having multiple offenses) are low blows, weapon usage, interference, or assaulting the referee. In WWE, a referee must see the violation with his own eyes to rule that the match end in a disqualification (simply watching the video tape is not usually enough) and the referee's ruling is almost always final, although dusty finishes (named after, and made famous by, Dusty Rhodes) will often result in the referee's decision being overturned. It is not uncommon for the referees themselves to get knocked out during a match, which is commonly referred to by the term "ref bump". While the referee remains "unconscious", rules are often violated at will. In some cases, a referee might disqualify a person under the presumption that it was that wrestler who knocked him out; most referee knockouts are arranged to allow a wrestler, usually a heel, to gain an advantage. For example, a wrestler may get whipped into a referee at a slower speed, knocking the ref down for short amount of time; during that interim period, one wrestler may pin his opponent for a three-count and would have won the match but for the referee being down (sometimes, another referee will sprint to the ring from backstage to attempt to make the count, but by then, the other wrestler has had enough time to kick out on his own accord).

If all participants in a match continue to breach the referee's instructions, the match may end in a double disqualification, where both wrestlers or teams (in a tag team match) have been disqualified. The match is essentially nullified, and called a draw or in some cases a restart or the same match being held at a pay-per-view or next night's show.

In most wrestling promotions, a championship cannot change hands as a result of a disqualification, unless the on-screen authority figure declares that the championship via disqualification which is good for only at least one match, often referred to as the "champion's advantage". Playing into this, some heel wrestlers will attempt to "get themselves disqualified" to "protect" their championships, although whenever a "rematch clause" is put in play, the said advantage is often ruled out by the general manager to give the challenger a fair shot.

Sometimes, a title bout will promote that "the disqualification rule has been waived", meaning that the champion may lose the title to his opponent if he gets disqualified. A few promotions have invoked this waiver on a regular basis.

A relatively recent trend in wrestling has been the development of the no-disqualification (or Hardcore) match. This type of match became increasingly prominent during the 1990s, and was a particular feature of the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion. When WWE (then WWF) unveiled its new "Attitude" era in 1997, the no-disqualification match was used as a centerpiece for this new design of wrestling, and a Hardcore Title was offered between 1998 and 2002. Completely new matches developed from the Hardcore/no-DQ match, including:

• Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (a ladder match where all three items may be used as a weapon against an opponent).
• Hardcore match (a no-disqualification match where falls count anywhere, even out of the venue).
• 24/7 On the Line title, where the hardcore title is always available wherever and whenever a referee is available to judge a fall.

Draw[link]

A professional wrestling match can end in a draw. A draw occurs if both opponents are simultaneously disqualified (as via countout), neither opponent is able to answer a ten-count, or both opponents simultaneously win the match. The latter can occur if, for example, one opponent's shoulders touch the mat while maintaining a submission hold against another opponent. If the opponent in the hold begins to tap out at the same time a referee counts to three for pinning the opponent delivering the hold, both opponents have legally achieved scoring conditions simultaneously. Traditionally, a championship may not change hands in the event of a draw, though some promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling have endorsed rules where the champion may lose a title by disqualification. A variant of the draw is the time-limit draw, where the match does not have a winner by a specified time period (a one-hour draw, which was once common, is known in wrestling circles as a "Broadway").

Also if two wrestlers have been given DQ by either the referee or the chairman this is a no contest. if there is a belt on the line the champion keeps the title.

No contest[link]

A wrestling match may be declared a no contest if the winning conditions are unable to occur. This can be due to excessive interference, loss of referee's control over the match, one or more participants sustaining debilitating injury not caused by the opponent, or the inability of a scheduled match to even begin. A no contest is a state separate and distinct from a draw — a draw indicates winning conditions were met. Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in practice, this usage is technically incorrect.

Dramatic elements[link]

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While each wrestling match is ostensibly a competition of athletics and strategy, the goal of each match from a business standpoint is to excite and entertain the audience. Although the competition is staged, dramatic emphasis can be utilized to draw out the most intense reaction from the audience. Heightened interest results in higher attendance rates, increased ticket sales, higher ratings on television broadcasts (which result in greater ad revenue), higher pay-per-view buyrates, and sales of branded merchandise and recorded video footage. All of these contribute to the profit of the promotion company.

Character/gimmick[link]

Blue Demon, Jr. wrestles El Hijo Del Santo.

In Latin America and English-speaking countries, most wrestlers (and other on-stage performers) portray character roles, sometimes with personalities wildly different from their own. These personalities are a gimmick intended to heighten interest in a wrestler without regard to athletic ability. Some can be unrealistic and cartoon-like (such as Doink the Clown), while others carry more verisimilitude (such as Chris Jericho, The Rock, John Cena Stone Cold Steve Austin, and CM Punk). In lucha libre, many characters wear masks, adopting a secret identity akin to a superhero, a near-sacred tradition.

An individual wrestler may keep one ring name for his entire career (cases in point include Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Randy Orton John Cena and Ricky Steamboat), or may change from time to time to better suit the demands of the audience or company. Sometimes a character is owned and trademarked by the company, forcing the wrestler to find a new one when he leaves (although a simple typeset change, such as changing Rhyno to Rhino, can usually get around this), and sometimes a character is owned by the wrestler. Sometimes, a wrestler may change his legal name in order to obtain ownership of his ring name (examples include Andrew Martin and Warrior). Many wrestlers (such as The Rock and The Undertaker) are strongly identified with their character, even responding to the name in public or between friends. It's actually considered proper decorum for fellow wrestlers to refer to each other by their stage names/characters rather than their birth/legal names, unless otherwise introduced.^[7] A professional wrestling character's popularity can grow to the point that it makes appearances in other media (see Hulk Hogan and El Santo) or even give the performer enough visibility to enter politics (Antonio Inoki and Jesse Ventura, among others).

Typically, matches are staged between a protagonist (historically an audience favorite, known as a babyface, or "the good guy") and an antagonist (historically a villain with arrogance, a tendency to break rules, or other unlikable qualities, called a heel). In recent years, however, antiheroes have also become prominent in professional wrestling. There is also a less common role of a "tweener", who is neither fully face nor fully heel yet able to play either role effectively (case in point, Samoa Joe during his first run in TNA Wrestling from June 2005 to November 2006).

At times a character may "turn", altering their face/heel alignment. This may be an abrupt, surprising event, or it may slowly build up over time. It almost always is accomplished with a markable change in behavior on the part of the character. Some turns become defining points in a wrestler's career, as was the case when Hulk Hogan turned heel after being a top face for over a decade. Others may have no noticeable effect on the character's status. If a character repeatedly switches between being a face and heel, this lessens the effect of such turns, and may result in apathy from the audience. Vince McMahon is a good example of having more heel and face turns than anyone in WWE history.

As with personas in general, a character's face or heel alignment may change with time, or remain constant over its lifetime (the most famous example of the latter is Ricky Steamboat, a WWE Hall of Famer who remained a babyface throughout his entire career). Sometimes a Character's heel turn will become so popular that eventually the audience response will alter the character's heel-face cycle to the point where the heel persona will, in practice, become a face persona, and what was previously the face persona, will turn into the heel persona. A good example of this was when Dwayne Johnson first began using "The Rock" persona as a heel character, as opposed to his original "Rocky Maivia" babyface persona.

Story[link]

John Cena making his entrance at the 2010 WWE Tribute to the Troops

While true exhibition matches are not uncommon, most matches tell a story analogous to a scene in a play or film, or an episode of a serial drama: The face will sometimes win (triumph) or sometimes lose (tragedy). Longer story arcs can result from multiple matches over the course of time. Since most promotions have a championship title, competition for the championship is a common impetus for stories. Also, anything from a character's own hair to his job with the promotion can be wagered in a match.

Some matches are designed to further a story of only one participant. It could be intended to portray him or her as a strong unstoppable force, a lucky underdog, a sore loser, or any other characterization. Sometimes non-wrestling vignettes are shown in order to enhance a character's image without the need for matches.

Other stories result from a natural rivalry between two or more characters. Outside of performance, these are referred to as feuds. A feud can exist between any number of participants and can last for a few days up to multiple decades. The feud between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat lasted from the late 1970s into early 1990s and allegedly spanned over two thousand matches (although most of those matches were mere dark matches). The career-spanning history between characters Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka is another example of a long-running feud, as is the case of Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon, one of the most lucrative feuds in the World Wrestling Federation during 1998 and 1999.

In theory, the longer a feud is built up, the more audience interest (aka heat) will exist. The main event of a wrestling show is generally the one with the most heat behind it. Commonly, a heel will hold the upper hand over a face until a final showdown, heightening dramatic tension as the face's fans desire to see him win.

Since the advent of television, many other elements have been utilized to tell story within a professional wrestling setting: pre- and post-match interviews, "backstage" skits, positions of authority, division rankings (typically the #1-contendership spot), contracts, lotteries, and even news stories on promotion websites.

Also, anything that can be used as an element of drama can exist in professional wrestling stories: romantic relationships (including love triangles and marriage), racism, classism, nepotism, favoritism, corporate corruption, family bonds, personal histories, grudges, theft, cheating, assault, betrayal, bribery, seduction, stalking, confidence tricks, extortion, blackmail, substance abuse, self-doubt, self-sacrifice; even kidnapping, sexual fetishism, necrophilia, misogyny, rape and death have been portrayed in wrestling. Some promotions have included supernatural elements such as magic, curses, the undead and Satanic imagery (most notably the Undertaker and his Ministry of Darkness, a stable that regularly performed evil rituals and human sacrifice in Satanic-like worship of a hidden power figure). Celebrities would also be involved in storylines.

Commentators have become important in communicating the relevance of the characters' actions to the story at hand, filling in past details and pointing out subtle actions that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Promos[link]

A main part of the story-telling part of wrestling is a promo, or promotional interview. Promos are performed, or "cut", in wrestling jargon, for a variety of reasons, including to heighten interest in a wrestler, or to hype an upcoming match.

Since the crowd is often too loud for promos to be heard, naturally, wrestlers will use microphones, unless they are in the back. These microphones are not hidden in the wrestlers' clothing, like with most Hollywood acting, but are held in the wrestlers' hands, and physically held up against their mouth, like a field reporter.

Championships[link]

Professional wrestling mimics the structure of title match combat sports. Participants compete for a championship, and must defend it after winning it. These titles are represented physically by a belt that can be worn by the champion. In the case of team wrestling, there is a belt for each member of the team.

Almost all professional wrestling promotions have one major title, and some have more. Championships are designated by divisions of weight, height, gender, wrestling style and other qualifications.

Typically, each promotion only recognizes the "legitimacy" of their own titles, although cross-promotion does happen. When one promotion absorbs or purchases another, the titles from the defunct promotion may continue to be defended in the new promotion or be decommissioned.

Behind the scenes, the bookers in a company will place the title on the most accomplished performer, or those the bookers believe will generate fan interest in terms of event attendance and television viewership. Lower ranked titles may also be used on the performers who show potential, thus allowing them greater exposure to the audience. However other circumstances may also determine the use of a championship. A combination of a championship's lineage, the caliber of performers as champion, and the frequency and manner of title changes, dictates the audience's perception of the title's quality, significance and reputation.

A wrestler's championship accomplishments can be central to their career, becoming a measure of their performance ability and drawing power. In general, a wrestler with multiple title reigns or an extended title reign is indicative of a wrestler's ability to maintain audience interest and/or a wrestler's ability to perform in the ring. As such, the most accomplished or decorated wrestlers tend to be revered as legends despite the predetermined nature of title reigns. American wrestler Ric Flair has had multiple world heavyweight championship reigns spanning over three decades. Japanese wrestler Último Dragón once held and defended a record 10 titles simultaneously.

Non-standard matches[link]

Often a match will take place under additional rules, usually serving as a special attraction or a climactic point in a feud or storyline. Sometimes this will be the culmination of an entire feud, ending it for the immediate future (known as a blowoff match).

Perhaps the most well-known non-standard match is the cage match, in which the ring is surrounded by a fence or similar metal structure, with the express intention of preventing escape or outside interference—and with the added bonus of the cage being a potentially brutal weapon or platform for launching attacks. The WWE has another provision where a standard cage match can end with one wrestler or wrestling team escaping the cage through the door or over the top.

Another example is the WWE's Royal Rumble match, which involves thirty participants in a random and unknown order. The Rumble match is itself a spectacle in that it is a once-yearly event with multiple participants, including individuals who might not interact otherwise. It also serves as a catalyst for the company's ongoing feuds, as well as a springboard for new storylines.

Ring entrance[link]

Triple H performing his iconic ring entrance pose, mounting the second rope and displaying his muscularity with the arena darkened and strobing colored lights

While the wrestling matches themselves are the primary focus of professional wrestling, a key dramatic element of the business can be entrances of the wrestlers to the arena and ring. It is typical for a wrestler to get their biggest crowd reaction (or "pop") for their ring entrance, rather than for anything they do in the wrestling match itself.

All notable wrestlers now enter the ring accompanied by music, and regularly add other elements to their entrance. The music played during the ring entrance will usually mirror the wrestler's personality. Many wrestlers, particularly in America, have music and lyrics specially written for their ring entrance. While invented long before, the practice of including music with the entrance gained rapid popularity during the 1980s, largely as a result of the huge success of Hulk Hogan and the WWF, and their Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. With the introduction of the Titantron entrance screen in 1997, WWF/WWE wrestlers also had entrance videos made that would play along with the their entrance music.

Other dramatic elements of a ring entrance can include:

• pyrotechnics
• a distinct sound or opening note in the music (used to elicit a Pavlovian response from the crowd). For example, the glass shattering in Steve Austin's entrance theme, The Undertaker's signature bell toll, or the sound of Bells with a sound of a cow's moo in JBL's Theme
• darkening of the arena, often accompanied by mood lighting or strobe lighting, such as in The Undertaker's, Triple H's, or Sting's entrances
• entering in a manner in keeping with their character traits, such as a fast, highly energetic entrance, or a slow, stoic entrance. For example, The Ultimate Warrior would run at high speed down the entrance ramp and into the ring while Randy Orton would slowly and darkly walk to the ring. The Undertaker has adopted one of the most notable entrances, taking around 4 to 5 minutes, darkening the whole arena, and performing a slow, intimidating walk.
• driving a motor vehicle into the arena. For example, Eddie Guerrero would arrive into the arena in a lowrider, The Undertaker (in his "American Bad Ass" biker gimmick), Chuck Palumbo, Tara, and the Disciples of Apocalypse on motorcycles, The Mexicools on riding lawn mowers, JBL in his limousine, Alberto Del Rio arriving into the arena in various luxury cars.
• acting out a trademark behavior, such as posing to display their muscularity, mounting the ring ropes, or sitting in the corner.
• talking to the crowd using a distinctive patter
• Many heels with narcissistic gimmicks (Lex Luger, Shawn Michaels, Cody Rhodes, Paul Orndorff, etc.) would admire themselves with a mirror on their way to the ring.
• coming through the audience, such as The Sandman's beer drinking and can smashing entrance, or Diamond Dallas Page's exit through the crowd.
• accompaniment by a ringside crew or personal security, such as by Goldberg
• entering the arena by a lift in the stage, such as Kurt Angle, Gangrel and Rey Mysterio

Another method of entry involves descending from the ceiling with a Zip-line or rappel line and stunt harness. This has been done by Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII, by Sting many times in WCW and TNA, and has gained major controversy over its role in the death of wrestler Owen Hart at Over the Edge.

Some of the bigger stars in the industry, such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Undertaker, and The Sandman, can perform ring entrances lasting up to three minutes or more. It is not uncommon for ring entrances to sometimes last longer than the match itself, especially in obvious mismatches.

Special ring entrances are also developed for big occasions, most notably the WrestleMania event. For example, WrestleMania III and VI both saw all wrestlers enter the arena on motorized miniature wrestling rings. Live bands are sometimes hired to perform live entrance music at special events.

Wrestlers[link]

Independent wrestlers[link]

Unlike most sports, the essence of professional wrestling's roots can still be seen all over the United States. Independent circuits can be found in almost any community in the United States, with some cities having numerous leagues using many of the same wrestlers as other nearby leagues. Many promotions have events at National Guard Armories, Recreation Centers, secondary schools, flea markets, churches, bars, and shopping center parking lots. Production values are almost always low, promotion is done by word of mouth, flyers, Public-access television, and the internet. Wrestlers on the independent wrestling scene take a role more closely defined as independent contractors, working for multiple wrestling promotions and are generally paid per appearance. The majority of mainstream wrestlers begin on the independent circuit.

Men's wrestling[link]

The vast majority of professional wrestlers are men, especially in the North American WWE & TNA, where they are usually large in size, often to extremes. Notable examples include André the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Paul "Big Show" Wight, The Undertaker, Yokozuna, Giant Gonzales, The Great Khali and Kane. Usually, competitions or divisions are set up for men of similar wrestling styles, such as technical, brawling, high flying, lucha, submission or hardcore. However, matches involving different weight divisions are often created and are never referred to as unusual or against any rules, despite large differences in height, weight or strength. On very rare occasions, men and women will wrestle each other.

Women's wrestling[link]

The women’s division of professional wrestling has maintained a recognized world champion since 1937, when Mildred Burke won the original World Women's title. She then formed the World Women's Wrestling Association in the early 1950s and recognized herself as the first champion, although the championship would be vacated upon her retirement in 1956. The NWA however, ceased to acknowledge Burke as their Women's World champion in 1954, and instead acknowledged June Byers as champion after a controversial finish to a high-profile match between Burke and Byers that year. Upon Byers' retirement in 1964, The Fabulous Moolah, who won a junior heavyweight version of the NWA World Women's Championship (the predecessor to the WWE Women's Championship) in a tournament back in 1958, was recognized by most NWA promoters as champion by default.

Intergender wrestling[link]

For most of its history, women and men would rarely compete against each other in professional wrestling, as it was deemed to be unfair and unchivalrous. Andy Kaufman used this to gain notoriety when he created an Intergender Championship and declared it open to any female challenger. This led to a long feud with [Silas Harlow].

In the 1980s, mixed tag team matches began to take place, with a male and female on each team and a rule that stated only the males and females could attack each other. If a tag was made, the other team had to automatically switch their legal wrestler as well. Despite these restrictions, many mixed tag matches do feature some physical interaction between participants of different genders. For example, a heel may take a cheapshot at the female wrestler of the opposing team to draw a negative crowd reaction.

Intergender singles bouts were first fought on a national level in the 1990s. This began with Luna Vachon, who faced men in ECW and WWF. Later, Chyna became the first female to hold a belt that was not exclusive to women when she won the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

Midget wrestling[link]

Midget wrestling can be traced to professional wrestling's carnival and vaudeville origins. In recent years, the popularity and prevalence of midgets in wrestling has greatly decreased due to wrestling companies depriving midget divisions of storyline and/or feud. However, WWE's has made a few attempts to enter this market with their "mini's" in the 1990s and the "junior's league" as recent as 2006. It is still a popular form of entertainment in Mexican wrestling, mostly as a "sideshow".

Some wrestlers may have their own specific "mini me", like Mascarita Sagrada, Alebrije has Quije, etc. There are also cases in which midgets can become valets for a wrestler, and even get physically involved in matches, like Alushe, who often accompanies Tinieblas, or Kemonito, who is portrayed as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's mascot and is also a valet for Mistico. Dave Finlay was often aided in his matches by a midget known mainly as Hornswoggle while in WWE, who hid under the ring and gave a shillelagh to Finlay to use on his opponent. Finlay also occasionally threw him at his opponent(s). Hornswoggle has also been given a run with the Cruiserweight Championship and feuded with D-X in 2009.

Styles and characteristics in different countries[link]

A match of All Japan Pro Wrestling in Taiwan, 2009

The U.S., Japan and Mexico are three countries where there is a huge market and high popularity for professional wrestling. But the styles of professional wrestling are different, given their independent development for a long period.

Professional wrestling in the U.S. tends to have a heavy focus on story building and the establishment of characters (and their personalities). There is a story for each match, and even a longer story for successive matches. The stories usually contain characters like faces and heels, and less often antiheroes and tweeners. It is a "triumph" if the face wins, while it is a "tragedy" if the heel wins. The characters usually have strong and sharp personalities, with examples like Doink the Clown, whose personality is melodramatic, slapstick and fantastical. The opposition between faces and heels is very intense in the story, and the heels may even attack the faces during TV interviews. The relationship between different characters can also be very complex.

Although professional wrestling in Mexico (Lucha libre) also has stories and characters, they are less emphasized. Wrestlers in Mexico are traditionally more agile and perform more aerial maneuvers than professional wrestlers in the U.S. who, more often, rely on power moves and strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles is due to the independent evolution of the sport in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact that wrestlers in the cruiserweight division (peso semicompleto) are often the most popular wrestlers in Mexican lucha libre. Wrestlers often execute high flying moves characteristic of lucha libre by utilizing the wrestling ring's ropes to catapult themselves towards their opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying complex submission holds.^[8] Lucha libre is also known for its tag team wrestling matches, in which the teams are often made up of three members, instead of two as is common in the U.S.^[9]

The style of Japanese professional wrestling (Puroresu) is again different. With its origins in traditional American style of wrestling and still being under the same genre, it has become an entity in itself.^[10] Despite the similarity to its American counterpart in that the outcome of the matches remains predetermined, the phenomena are different in the form of the psychology and presentation of the sport; it is treated as a full contact combat sport as it mixes hard hitting martial arts strikes with shoot style submission holds,^[11] while in the U.S. it is rather more regarded as an entertainment show. Wrestlers incorporate kicks and strikes from martial arts disciplines, and a strong emphasis is placed on submission wrestling,and unlike the use of involved storylines in the U.S., they are not as intricate in Japan, more emphasis is placed on the concept of Fighting Spirit, meaning the Wrestlers display of physical and mental stamina are valued a lot more than theatrics. Many of Japan's wrestlers including top stars such as Shinya Hashimoto, Riki Choshu and Keiji Mutoh came from a legitimate martial arts background and many Japanese Pro Wrestlers in the 90's began to pursue careers in Mixed Martial Arts Organizations such as Pancrase and Shooto which at the time retained the original look of Puroresu but did not have predetermined outcomes to the matches.

Culture[link]

Frank Gotch, 1900s professional wrestler

Professional wrestling has developed its own cultures, both internal and external.

Those involved in producing professional wrestling have developed a kind of global fraternity, with familial bonds, shared language and passed-down traditions. New performers are expected to "pay their dues" for a few years by working in lower-profile promotions and working as ring crew before working their way upward.^[12][13] The permanent rosters of most promotions develop a backstage pecking order, with veterans mediating conflicts and mentoring younger wrestlers.^[14] For many decades (and still to a lesser extent today) performers were expected to keep the illusions of wrestling's legitimacy alive even while not performing, essentially acting in character any time they were in public.^[15] Some veterans speak of a "sickness" among wrestling performers, an inexplicable pull to remain active in the wrestling world despite the devastating effects the job can have on one's life and health.^[16]

Fans of professional wrestling have their own subculture, comparable to those of science fiction, video games, or comic books. Those who are interested in the backstage occurrences, future storylines and reasonings behind company decisions read newsletters written by journalists with inside ties to the wrestling industry.^[15][17] These "rags" or "dirt sheets" have expanded into the internet, where their information can be dispensed on an up-to-the-minute basis. Some have expanded into radio shows.

Some fans enjoy a pastime of collecting tapes of wrestling shows from specific companies, of certain wrestlers, or of specific genres. The internet has given fans exposure to worldwide variations of wrestling they would be unable to see otherwise.^[18] Since the 1990s, many companies have been founded which deal primarily in wrestling footage. When the WWE purchased both WCW and ECW in 2001, they also obtained the entire past video libraries of both productions and have released many past matches online and on home video.

Like some other sports, fantasy leagues have developed around professional wrestling. Some take this concept further by creating E-feds (electronic federations), where a user can create their own fictional wrestling character, and roleplaying storylines with other users, leading to scheduled "shows" where match results are determined by the organizers, usually based on a combination of the characters' statistics and the players' roleplaying aptitude, sometimes with audience voting.

Every year, there are growing numbers of regional, national and international wrestling fan conventions, where fans can meet and converse with wrestlers and each other. These often coincide with a wrestling show featuring an all-star card filled with legends.

Professional wrestling in mainstream culture[link]

From the first established world championship, the top professional wrestlers have garnered fame within mainstream society. Each successive generation has produced a number of wrestlers who extend their careers into the realms of music, acting, writing, business, politics or public speaking, and are known to those who are unfamiliar with wrestling in general.

Conversely, celebrities from other sports or general pop culture also become involved with wrestling for brief periods of time. A prime example of this is The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection of the 1980s, which combined wrestling with MTV.

Professional wrestling is often portrayed within other works using parody, and its general elements have become familiar tropes and memes in American culture.

Some terminology originating in professional wrestling has found its way into the common vernacular. Concepts such as "calling someone out", "body slam", "sleeper hold" and "tag team" are used even by those who do not watch professional wrestling. The term "smackdown", which was first used as a catchphrase by The Rock during the 90s, is now listed in Webster's Dictionary as of 2007.

Many television shows and films have been produced which portray in-character professional wrestlers as protagonists, such as Ready to Rumble, ¡Mucha Lucha!, Nacho Libre, and the Santo film series. At least two stage plays set in the world of pro wrestling have been produced: The Baron is a comedy that retells the life of an actual performer known as Baron von Raschke. From Parts Unknown... is an award-nominated Canadian drama about the rise and fall of a fictional wrestler. In 2009 a South Park episode played on the soap operatic elements of professional wrestling. The 2008 film The Wrestler, about a washed-up professional wrestler, garnered several Oscar nominations.

Study and analysis of professional wrestling[link]

With its growing popularity, professional wrestling has attracted attention as a subject of serious academic study and journalistic criticism. Many courses, theses, essays and dissertations have analyzed wrestling's conventions, content, and its role in modern society. It is often included as part of studies on theatre, sociology, performance, and media.^[19][20] The Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a course of study on the cultural significance of professional wrestling.^[21]

But this was not always the case; in the early 20th century, once it became apparent that the "sport" was worked, pro wrestling was looked down on as a cheap entertainment for the uneducated working class^[15]—an attitude that still exists to varying degrees today.^[17] The French theorist Roland Barthes was among the first to propose that wrestling was worthy of deeper analysis, in his essay "The World of Wrestling" from his book Mythologies, first published in 1957.^[5][15] Barthes argued that it should be looked at not as a scamming of the ignorant, but as spectacle; a mode of theatric performance for a willing, if bloodthirsty, audience. Wrestling is described as performed art which demands an immediate reading of the juxtaposed meanings. The logical conclusion is given least importance over the theatrical performers of the wrestlers and the referee. According to Barthes the function of a wrestler is not to win: it is to go exactly through the motions which are expected of him and to give the audience a theatrical spectacle. This work is considered a foundation of all later study.^[22]

While pro wrestling is often described simplistically as a "soap opera for males", it has also been cited as filling the role of past forms of literature and theatre; a synthesis of classical heroics,^[23] commedia dell'arte,^[24] revenge tragedies,^[25] morality plays,^[25] and burlesque.^[26] The characters and storylines portrayed by a successful promotion are seen to reflect the current mood, attitudes, and concerns of that promotion's society^[17][18] (and can, in turn, influence those same things).^[27] Wrestling's high levels of violence and masculinity make it a vicarious outlet for aggression during peacetime.^[28]

Documentary filmmakers have studied the lives of wrestlers and the effects the profession has on them and their families. The 1999 theatrical documentary Beyond the Mat focused on Terry Funk, a wrestler nearing retirement; Mick Foley, a wrestler within his prime; Jake Roberts, a former star fallen from grace; and a school of wrestling student trying to break into the business. The 2005 release Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling chronicled the development of women's wrestling throughout the twentieth century. Pro wrestling has been featured several times on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. MTV's documentary series True Life featured two episodes titled "I'm a Professional Wrestler" and "I Want to Be a Professional Wrestler". Other documentaries have been produced by The Learning Channel (The Secret World of Professional Wrestling) and A&E Network (Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows). Bloodstained Memoirs explored the careers of several pro wrestlers, including Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam and Roddy Piper.

Injury and fatality[link]

Although professional wrestling is worked, there is a high chance of injury, and even death.^[29] Strikes are often stiff especially in Japan and in independent wrestling promotions such as Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla. The ring is often made out of 2 by 8 timber planks. There have been many brutal accidents, hits and injuries.^{[citation needed]} Many of the injuries that occur in pro wrestling are shoulders, knee, back, neck, and rib injuries.

See also[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• History of professional wrestling
• Professional wrestling promotion
• Semiotics of wrestling characters

Terminology[link]

• Foreign objects (e.g. folding chair)
• Professional wrestling aerial techniques (e.g. Shooting star press, Moonsault)
• Professional wrestling attacks (e.g. Leg drop, Superkick)
• Professional wrestling throws (e.g. Backbreaker, Brainbuster, Chokeslam, Cutter, DDT, Facebuster, Neckbreaker, Piledriver, Powerbomb, Powerslam, Stunner, Suplex)
• Professional wrestling holds (e.g. Boston crab, Mandible claw, Pinfall, Sharpshooter, Camel clutch)
• Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers (e.g. Doomsday Device)
• Professional wrestling match types
• Professional wrestling tag team match types
• Professional wrestling tournament
• List of professional wrestling terms

Professional wrestling worldwide[link]

• Professional wrestling in Australia
• Professional wrestling in Japan
• Professional wrestling in Mexico
• Professional wrestling in New Zealand
• Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom
• Professional wrestling in the United States

Lists of wrestlers[link]

• List of professional wrestlers
• List of family relations in professional wrestling