10 Crazy Swerves Wrestlers Pulled To Win Titles
When pure wrestling ability isn't quite enough - featuring FTR, The Rock, Kane, and more.
Professional wrestling is many things to many people, but at its core is the goal of becoming the best as signified by championship belts. For a wrestler to become a legend a lot of factors must be taken into account - in-ring ability, storytelling, character work, and more. Yet, one thing every icon has in common is a history with championship gold, regardless of how they won it.
The pursuit of championships fosters a "by any means necessary" attitude amongst the wrestlers, a key aspect of the product that keeps fans entertained and invested enough for them to tune in next week. However, in the wild world of pro-wrestling, achievement is never as simple as being the best athlete in a bout. In fact, wrestling's alignment system dictates that approximately half of the roster will attempt to seize a championship by nefarious means rather than with technical prowess. This, of course, ignores the haphazard overuse of a roll-up, which is begging to be retired as a match finish.
If we have learned anything from straining our throats to boo heels, it's that the best and successful methods for in-ring deception relies on the element of surprise - the art of the swerve...
10. FTR Become Las Super Ranas
Masks in professional wrestling are as much a part of the sport as suplexes and steel chairs. It is only fitting that heels would use this tradition to their own advantage. In a scheme reminiscent of iconic tag team Edge and Christian's appropriation of Los Conquistadores to by-pass a ban on challenging for the tag team titles, FTR temporarily took the mantle of Las Super Ranas.
While the duo looked more like sad Power Rangers on a budget than Super Frogs, under the guidance of Andrade El Idolo they snatched the AAA Tag Team Championships. It was obvious who was under the masks, though not to Hulk Hogan/Mr. America levels, but this didn't take any of the fun out of it. The intended swerve may have been played up for comedy; however, FTR winning the titles was a huge surprise.
They do not fit the typical AAA Lucha style and (albeit via cheating) overcame Pentagón Jr. and Fénix, two of the most respected and innovative luchadors on the professional wrestling main stage and one of the current greats in the art of tag team wrestling.