Until Paige pulled a Houdini earlier this month, no one had escaped the clutches of AJ Lees Black Widow (at least not when the Divas title was on the line). Visually, this is an impressive submission hold, although lets face it: Every submission hold looks more visually appealing when applied by a diva. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJM1OhnWMU But seriously, AJ has slapped this move on in a variety of ways: from a standing position, from a headscissors and as a counter to several power moves. Its unique in a WWE ring and its the kind of submission hold that can wear down any competitor, regardless of size. Those are the criteria for a successful submission finisher. When AJ spins into the Black Widow, fans know the match is almost over. Establishing that as a solid finisher is part of what made Paiges win such a big moment.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
