The Sharpshooter is one of the best submissions ever used in wrestling. It is effective and has been used as a submission finisher by many wrestlers because of that, whether it be the top main event talent or mid-card wrestlers.
It is a move that any wrestler can lock in and because of that, it has been frequently used. Sadly, with many wrestlers using it, that has meant the move has become slightly less effective in terms of winning matches.
However, that doesn't mean it's not great to see when it gets locked in. Over the years there have been some amazing Sharpshooters and some weaker ones and in this list, we will rank them.
10 The Rock
He might be the People's Champion, but he isn't the greatest when it comes to locking in the Sharpshooter. While he certainly elevated the move by busting it out in main events, but that doesn't mean it always looked great.
The Rock had a slightly different style of using the move, being more like Sting in the sense of standing to lock it in. However, that wasn't the real issue, as it just looked a little bit sloppy at times.
Thankfully, The Rock had two fantastic moves in the Rock Bottom and the People's Elbow, so he didn't have to rely on it too much.
9 Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Following in the family footsteps, Davey Boy Smith Jr. has also used the Sharpshooter from time to time. While he doesn't use it too much, as he is more of a power wrestler when it is used it always looks good.
Smith didn't use the move too much in WWE, mainly because his tag team partner was the man to do that. But since leaving the company he has started to use the move a little more frequently.
Doing it as a hat tip to his family history, it is expected to look good and it certainly does.
8 Shawn Michaels
It might seem ridiculous to put Shawn Michaels on this list, considering the Sharpshooter was Bret Hart's move, but he did use it from time to time. Mainly during his feud with Bret, he would lock it in and it would look great.
Obviously, it is Michaels' use of the Sharpshooter that controversially led to the Montreal Screwjob that everyone knows so well. But even that particular version looked fantastic until the incident.
Even though it wasn't strictly his move, HBK was just that good that he managed to make it look like it was.
7 Paige
Over the years there have been various different variations on the classic Sharpshooter submission, and someone who did just that was Paige.
The former Divas Champion would set up to do the Sharpshooter in a traditional way, only to include the arms of her opponent as well. Standing up and ragging them back with their arms, this version managed to look even more painful.
While it isn't a classic Sharpshooter, hence its lower ranking, that doesn't mean that it isn't a fantastic submission and a unique twist on it.
6 Sting
This might seem like quite a low ranking for a man that many fans associated this move with. However, Sting's version of the Sharpshooter, known as the Scorpion Deathlock was slightly different.
Sting was the first person to regularly use the move in North America, and it was very effective for him. The WCW icon would often slap on the submission to gain impressive victories, putting the move on the map.
His version sees him stood, rather than sitting in on the move, and while it is something he played a big part in, it just looks more painful the other way.
5 Edge
A lot of Canadian wrestlers make the decision to bring the Sharpshooter into their repertoire at some point in their careers. The Rated-R Superstar, Edge was no different in that regard.
While he always used the Spear as his main finisher, when it came to submissions he used the Sharpshooter. However, Edge put his own twist on the move.
Edge's variation would see him apply the hold normally, only to face the opposite direction and kneel on the opponent's legs. It was a cool twist on a classic move and it always looked good.
4 Tyson Kidd
After being trained in the Hart Dungeon, it wasn't a big surprise to see Tyson Kidd bust out the Sharpshooter during his WWE career. It is also not a surprise that he made the move look amazing.
Kidd was vastly underrated throughout his entire WWE career, never truly getting the credit he deserved. However, Kidd always put on amazing matches and technically, he was very sound.
When using the Sharpshooter, Kidd always locked it in tight and sat down deep, making the move look fantastic.
3 Natalya
As a member of the Hart family, Natalya decided to honor the tradition and she made the Sharpshooter her finisher. No woman has ever locked in the Sharpshooter and made it look better, as Nattie does a terrific job with the move.
She has helped make sure that the move is still taken seriously as a true finisher, and that is a real testament to her work.
The Sharpshooter always looks awesome when Natalya locks it in. She sits it in tight and really applies the pressure, making it look incredibly painful which is how the move should be done.
2 Cesaro
It might seem strange to rank Cesaro so highly with this move, as he doesn't use it to actually finish matches most of the time. However, after Tyson Kidd's injury, Cesaro started using the move frequently.
While he might not be picking up the victories with the Sharpshooter as frequently as others on this list, he does make it look amazing.
It should come as no surprise though, as Cesaro is one of the best wrestlers on the planet right now. There is nothing he does that doesn't look good, and the Sharpshooter is just part of that.
1 Bret Hart
When it comes to the ultimate Sharpshooter, you need to take a look to the Hitman, Bret Hart. He was known as 'The Excellence of Execution' for a reason and that's because technically, he was sound.
Everything Hart did was done to perfection, and he made sure it all looked tight in the process. At that time, the Sharpshooter was at its best, being used as a dominant finisher, and that is because of Hart.
Hart always locked it in tight and made it look incredibly painful, unlike some other wrestlers who used the move. You'll struggle to find a better Sharpshooter than this.