100 Best Wrestling Moves EVER
49. Tajiri | Tarantula Stretch
Yoshihiro Tajiri isn't the only pro wrestler to make use of the agony-inducing (but not really, of course!) Tarantula hold, but his exploits inside WWE and ECW rings made the move more famous in front of a casual audience. Technically, unless he was working a 'No DQ' match or something like that, William Regal's favourite couldn't win bouts with the submission. Referees had to start a five count because both he and an opponent were tangled up in the ropes.
That meant the Tarantula couldn't stay locked on for very long. In truth, this only added to its mystique. On the whole, commentators like Joey Styles, Jim Ross, Michael Cole and others did a damn fine job selling the idea that opponents wouldn't survive being held that way for longer than a few short seconds anyway. Without the ref's mercy, they'd be cooked.
Fundamentally, the Tarantula was a hanging Boston Crab-style move with some spicy extras. Tajiri heightened the painful-looking hold by mugging for the cameras with some tremendous facial expressions. Meanwhile, he cranked back on someone's legs and used his own pins to arch back their shoulders and back. It was a torturous visual, one made even better if the Cruiserweight star's mouth was drooling black mist.
Someone mainstream needs to bring this one back in a hurry. It pops up occasionally, but nowhere near enough. If producers are switched on, they'll switch to a camera angle showing the victim screaming their way through it too. That, combined with Tajiri's expertise, made this one a true winner.