10 Wrestling Moves More Dangerous Than You Realise
8. Rear Naked Choke
No move genre is safer in pro wrestling than submissions. Unless applied by a grappler with extensive MMA experience, they rarely come across as legitimate holds.
Some wrestling submissions are real, however, primarily those that surround the neck. There are ways to kayfabe a heel hold or an armbar, but how do you make a Rear Naked Choke look legitimate while keeping it safe? There's a reason why heel holds and armbars can be applied for longer periods than a Rear Naked Choke - you're not risking strangulation.
The most profound user of the choke is Samoa Joe. His application of the Rear Naked Choke looks authentic. He doesn't rest his arms around an opponent's neck, opting instead to tightly tuck his right arm under their chin, and using his left to cinch it in tighter. When he ends a match via technical knockout, he could feasibly pass for a UFC fighter.
Have you ever thought about why there are so few instances of a wrestler physically submitting to the move? Because it has literally crowned new UFC champions; both Miesha Tate and Nate Diaz struck gold in the octagon with the move. In Samoa Joe's hands, it possesses the same danger.