Mat wrestling or grappling is one of the most brutal forms of wrestling in existence. In that style, competitors are constantly looking for an opening to apply a debilitating lock or hold. That style of wrestling is more true to the traditional Olympic style of wrestling. However, in pro wrestling, that slow-paced style isn't always ideal for entertainment purposes.
Despite that, some of the best performers ever have been accomplished grapplers and technical wrestlers. Of those performers, an elite bunch managed to master various submission holds and gone on to be viewed as submission specialists by fans and their peers.
10 William Regal
William Regal has made quite the career out of being underrated and overlooked. Currently, Regal is one of the driving forces behind WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Regal is great in that role but sometimes doesn't get the credit he deserves. That's nothing new though, Regal didn't get the respect he deserved as a wrestler either.
Regal was an extremely gifted grappler who could pull off any role asked of him. He could be a cowardly heel as well as a vicious one. When it came time to be vicious, Regal had an arsenal of submission moves to apply on his opponents. His preferred move was an STF that was later coined the "Regal Stretch" during his WWE days.
9 Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund lived two very different pro wrestling lives. First, during the 70s and early 80s, Backlund was a white meat babyface and the "All-American" WWE Champion. Backlund would, unfortunately, be pushed aside by Vince McMahon when Hulk Hogan came into the picture though.
In the early 90s, Backlund returned from retirement and went back to WWE. At first, he reverted to his old "All-American" good guy character. Eventually, though, Backlund would lose his mind and become a delusional heel. As a heel, Backlund, who was an accomplished grappler, started using the Crossface Chicken Wing submission more often. On occasion, he would snap and refuse to break the hold, making the move look even more devastating.
8 Chris Benoit
Today, Chris Benoit's legacy is a sore spot for many wrestling fans. It's understandable why some fans might not want to glorify the career of a man who did the things Benoit did at the end of his life. On the other hand, some fans feel that Benoit's career should stand alone and be celebrated rather than erased.
Regardless, the fact remains that Chris Benoit was one of the greatest grapplers and submission specialists ever. When Benoit would lock on his Crippler Crossface it often meant the end of the match. The move helped him win the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XX.
7 Zack Saber Jr.
International pro wrestling has been a niche for many years. Over the last decade though, a lot more attention has been paid to the overseas product by fans and promoters. One of the biggest standouts on the international scene over the last 10 years has been Zack Saber Jr.
The British-born grappler has amassed quite a following by being a breath of fresh air in today's wrestling landscape. During a time when many performers like to be flashy with high spots, Saber Jr. is content to methodically break his opponents down with devastating submission hold after devastating submission hold before eventually finishing the job.
6 Owen Hart
Unfortunately, the pro wrestling world has lost far too many talented performers at a young age. Perhaps the biggest loss to the business came in 1999 when Owen Hart tragically passed away after falling from the rafters while performing a stunt entrance.
Before his untimely death, Owen was viewed by many as one of the best wrestlers in the business. Hart was a talented grappler and after coming up through his father's infamous Hart Dungeon, he was a submission expert. There's no telling how much more Owen could've accomplished had he not tragically passed away.
5 Dean Malenko
Size or the lack thereof has derailed way too many pro wrestling careers throughout the years. In the case of Dean Malenko, his lack of size certainly didn't derail his career, but it was a contributing factor to him failing to ascend to main event status.
As "The Man Of 1000 Holds," Malenko had just about every tool necessary for success in the wrestling business. He used his Texas Cloverleaf submission to dominate his competition in WCW all the way to the number one spot in PWI's Top 500 Wrestlers of 1997. Had Melanko been just a bit taller, he would've faired better when he arrived in WWE in 2000.
4 Ken Shamrock
The term "ahead of his time" gets thrown around a lot in pro wrestling. In the case of Ken Shamrock though, perhaps truer words have never been spoken. In 1997, Shamrock did what many of Mixed Martial Arts' top stars are attempting to do today, cross over into pro wrestling. When Shamrock arrived in WWE, he immediately slid into the upper mid-card.
From there, Shamrock steadily plowed through most of his competition with an assortment of locks and holds. Shamrock's preferred move was the Ankle Lock though. The move looked even more devastating when Shamrock would snap and refuse to break it. Although he did cost himself a few victories by refusing to break it.
3 Bryan Danielson
From strictly an appearance standpoint, Bryan Danielson's success in the wrestling business might surprise some people. After all, Danielson isn't much bigger than some other talented performers who were deemed "too small" for the main event scene. Despite his lack of size, Danielson is one of the most talented grapplers and submissions specialists ever.
In the independent scene, Danielson stood out with his propensity to use submission holds and his intensity in the ring. On the big stage of WWE, Danielson still managed to incorporate his submission expertise while also adapting to WWE's style. Now, in AEW, Danielson is back displaying his devastating submission style.
2 Bret Hart
The Hart Family is arguably the most important in pro wrestling history. The family's patriarch, Stu, trained some of the best wrestlers ever, including his sons, inside the infamous Hart Family Dungeon. Stu was a submission hold specialist and was said to be able to make a grown man scream and beg for mercy with a simple wrist lock.
Stu's greatest student was one of his sons, the legendary Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Bret was able to absorb everything his father taught him and use it to become perhaps the greatest technical wrestler ever. Hart used his Sharpshooter submission hold to reach the top of WWE and win countless matches.
1 Kurt Angle
Despite what many skeptics think, pro wrestling isn't easy. In fact, it's one of the most difficult and grueling sports an athlete can choose to do. In the past, some mainstream athletes have tried to cross over into pro wrestling with mixed results. The most successful crossover athlete was undoubtedly Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle.
Almost immediately after joining WWE, Angle showed that he was a special type of athlete. He acclimated to pro wrestling extremely quickly and was soon one of WWE's top performers. Angle's grappling style fit his persona perfectly. When he adopted the Ankle Lock as his submission finisher it took his character to the next level. It didn't take fans much to believe that the Olympic Gold Medalist could actually snap an ankle