5 WWE Superstars who need to start using submission moves

As pro wrestling fans, we have been lucky to witness some great submission moves over the years in WWE. We have also seen certain Superstars become immortalized by their submission moves too. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart's Sharpshooter will always be associated with him, the Figure 4 Leg Lock with 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, the Ankle Lock with the Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle and The Hell's Gate's submission with The Undertaker.

Adding a submission move to a wrestler's repertoire provides a good look for his overall abilities inside the ring. It also adds more intensity and variety to their matches, especially if the opponent has a submission move of their own which they can counter with.

AJ Styles, who is one of the biggest Superstars in WWE today, uses the Calf Crusher effectively to make his matches more interesting and occasionally get him the tap-out victory too. Daniel Bryan used the Yes Lock to force Batista to tap out at WrestleMania 30 and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

"The Man' Becky Lynch has used the Dis-Arm-Her as her submission finisher throughout her journey towards becoming the top star of the company. Similarly, other in the women's division like Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair use submission maneuvers as their finishers. In this article, we have a look at 5 WWE Superstars who need to add a submission move to their moveset for various reasons.

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#5 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is one of the biggest stars of the company and has been a mainstay on WWE TV ever since making his main roster debut as part of The Shield in 2012. Rollins is one of the few Superstars who can do well both as a heel or babyface as he does exceptionally well inside the ring and on the microphone as well.

The Monday Night Messiah has won every Championship in WWE (making him a Grand Slam Champion) as well the Men's Royal Rumble in 2019 and the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2014. Thus, it comes as a big surprise that a wrestler of such a pedigree hasn't got a signature submission up his sleeves.

On some rare occasions, Rollins does use the Sleeper Hold on his opponent, but it is never meant to be threatening. Rollins can be regarded as one of the best in-ring technicians in WWE today, which is why a submission move can add more quality and variety to his matches.

#4 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre became the first British wrestler to ever hold the WWE Championship when he defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania earlier this year, in quick time. 'The Chosen One' was finally able to fulfill Vince McMahon's prophecy from 2009 at the start of his first run with the company.

Since making his return to WWE in 2017 after being released by the company in 2014, McIntyre has become a force to reckon with and has improved both his character and in-ring prowess. He uses one of the most popular finishers in WWE today- The Claymore Kick- and his fan following has increased manifold.

Given his shredded physique and wrestling expertise, adding a submission move to his arsenal will do McIntyre wonders. Matches involving big guys often tend to become sluggish as time goes on. Adding a stellar submission will add more intrigue and technicality to his matches, something which will help him as his world title reign continues.

McIntyre used the Kimura Lock (typically used by Brock Lesnar) in his title defense match against Bobby Lashley at Backlash earlier this month. Was that an indication of him using a submission maneuver in the future? Only time will tell, but I wish the answer is yes.

#3 Sonya Deville

Over the last few months, Sonya Deville has gone from being overshadowed by Mandy Rose in their tag team Fire and Desire to being one of the best heels in WWE currently. Ever since turning on Mandy Rose, she has been finally been able to express herself as a performer and add some much-needed depth to her character.

During her days in WWE NXT, Deville was billed as the next big MMA based star. As a result, she used several MMA moves during that period, including the Kimura Lock and Triangle Hold Armbar submission moves. Strangely, since moving to WWE's main roster, we have rarely seen the Pride Fighter use those moves.

While Deville has also not found a permanent finisher yet, she needs to start using a devastating submission move as well, especially because of her MMA background. She is currently on a good run as a heel, and if she wants to maintain her momentum, The Pridefighter should start using a submission maneuver which will highlight her ruthlessness and let her take out years of frustration that have built inside her.

#2 Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman finally won his first world title in WWE when he pinned Goldberg at WrestleMania earlier to become the WWE Universal Champion, albeit in strange circumstances and no storyline. Roman Reigns pulling out of the Showcase Of Immortals due to concern over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic presented Strowman with the opportunity of a lifetime, and he grabbed it with both hands.

The Monster Among Men is currently engrossed in a deeply personal feud with his former stablemate Bray Wyatt/The Fiend. Speaking of The Wyatt Family, Strowman debuted on the main roster in 2015, and during his time as the Black Sheep of the stable, he used the Lifting Arm Triangle Choke (a variant of the Bear Hug Choke) to pass out opponents with his bare hands.

The mere sight of The Monster Among Men making the likes of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, and Titus O'Neil lifeless in his huge arms struck fear in the hearts of fans and immediately established him as the next big guy in WWE. Thus, it is so surprising that he ditched the choke completely when competing as a singles competitor, and even changed his finisher from the Yokosuka Cutter to the Running Powerslam.

Strowman is undoubtedly the strongest WWE Superstar on the roster and should add a submission move to his repertoire. It will add more depth to his moveset and freshen up his offensive arsenal, and also portray him as the dominant monster he once was. In my opinion, the Lifting Arm Triangle Choke into the Running Powerslam would be a great way to end his matches.

#1 Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is arguably the biggest star in WWE working a full-time schedule. The Big Dog is a Grand Slam Champion and a 4-time World Champion, but he achieved his most impressive victory outside the ring, beating leukemia twice and continuing wrestling.

While many wrestling purists and hardcore WWE fans do not consider his work inside the ring as the best, the mainstream attention he garners has ensured that he has remained 'The Guy' of the men's division. He main evented four WrestleManias from 2014 to 2018, even defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33.

Reigns moveset mainly consists of high impact moves like The Spear, Drive-by, Samoan Drop. What is missing is a legitimate submission maneuver. Adding a decent submission move, even if it a variant of the commonly used ones, will help Reigns add some much-needed variety and technicality to his matches.

A new submission move can also open up new directions for his storylines (an 'I Quit' match between two Superstars having submission maneuvers is always fun). It will also offer a good look for his in-ring work. Almost every top guy in WWE's history has had a submission move and I don't see why Reigns should be any different.

Edited by Alan John