10 Times A Wrestler Did A Move Better Than The Innovator

7. The Ankle Lock

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Ken Shamrock's ankle lock was a great finish.

It tapped into something few wrestling moves actually do. It's easy to infer that being dumped directly on your head isn't a pleasant experience, so it's not as if the Ganso Bomb doesn't register because it's not something you're likely to have experienced, but everybody has twisted their ankle at some point or other, and it is a horrendous feeling. It really hurts, and it f*cks up the rest of your week because it's hard to even put your shoes on.

Incidentally, more wrestlers should kick people in the shin. Everybody knows how much that sucks, and it would evoke a massive, visceral reaction.

Kurt Angle's Ankle Lock was better because he was slightly more of an intense maniac. Both versions were informed by the legitimate hard-man credentials of the practitioners, but...how to phrase this sensitively...Ken Shamrock's gurn was just a bit silly. He looked comical at times.

Angle meanwhile looked like a deranged killer, and he better grasped the torque aspect. His submission looked painful enough to begin with, but as a true master he knew how to twist the ligament with a disgusting, graduating intensity.

 
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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!