1. Sharpshooter
The Sharpshooter, or Scorpion Deathlock (although a wrestling purist recognizes the Sharpshooter as the better-applied version) is by far the widest-used and most successful submission in pro wrestling in the 1990's. Whether used with a "Whooo!" before being slapped on by Sting or cleverly twisted on with a finger pointing skyward by Owen Hart, the Sharpshooter was responsible for more championship victories, main event challenges, title bout drama and climatic finishes than any other submission move of the 90's.
But the true master of the Sharpshooter, "The Excellence of Execution" Bret Hart, was the wrestler who brought the submission hold (and submission wrestling in general) from obscure rarity to common practice in the early to mid-90's, as well as transcending it into a household-known move. Legend has it Hart was in search of a new submission and had heard of this new leglock. The only person in the locker room in 1991 who knew how to apply the move happened to be Konnan. So, there on the floors of the men's changing room, Bret Hart would learn the technique of the leglace that would bring him fame and gold. Hart was notorious for inventing new ways to apply the maneuver, whether he rolled through on a sunset-flip, horizontally tying up an opponent's leg, or reversing his own move applied to himself, Bret was a true master of telling a story in the ring, and his ability to mold the Sharpshooter as his signature submission gave the medium-sized Hart an air of legitimacy in a time of hulking giants. "The Hitman" was also a prototype for a harder hitting, MMA-style his leglock and wrestling finesse would fit in well with. The Sharpshooter would also bring Hart WWF and WCW World Heavyweight crowns, each bookending Hart's illustrious decade of championships, leaving countless limping victims in his wake, excellently executed with his paralyzing finishing submission hold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku2HtEMkaG4 While imitators may try and fail, (we're looking at you, Rock) the masters of the Scorpion Death Lock of the nineties were the true pioneers and made the Sharpshooter the #1 Submission move of the 1990's!