10 Traditional Wrestling Elements WWE Completely Ignore

2. Weakening Limbs For Submissions

Psychology is something the pro wrestling business in general has seemed to take steps away from in the past 20 years or so. As flashier, top-rope moves and dramatic ending sequences have become all the rage, slower-paced action can often be deemed boring. No doubt about it, people want way more bang for their buck nowadays. In a sense, this has made many submission moves a much harder sell to fans than they perhaps used to be. For example, when Chris Benoit locked on the Crippler Crossface, people reacted as though they were anticipating the end of the match. There's no secret there, Benoit worked his tail off to make the move noteworthy, and protected it throughout his career. It's pretty rare to see wrestlers choosing to soften up their opponent's limb in order to lock on their favourite submission hold. Traditionally, Benoit - for example - would target the arms and head of his rival, because those were the areas the Crossface put pressure on. It's even uncommon to hear WWE announcers draw attention to this if a wrestler does choose to do it, which is a shame.