The sharpshooter is one of the most efficient submission holds in the professional women wrestling world. It is kind of like a cross between a figure 4 leglock and a boston crab. Since both of those holds are vicious and extremely efficient, you can imagine the sharpshooter is not a walk in the park either.

The victim is on the ring-floor, on her back, face up. The attacker holds her legs up and apart (the same way she does when she’s about to deliver a groin buster). She then steps through between her opponent’ legs and folds one of them under the other in a figure 4. When she has the fig 4 locked in, she turns around, turning the defender onto her stomach as well. Once there, she just leans back and pulls back on the victim’s locked legs. Cries of “uncle” are basically guaranteed, unless the victim manages to reach the ropes somehow.

For a video example of a sharpshooter submission, go to our media page, the WOW section and check out the Summer vs Phantom match, which ends in such a hold. What’s more, Phantom puts the same hold on Sandy who rushes to her teammate’s help, and submits her in the sharpshooter too.

Possible escape: try to prevent your opponent from locking your legs and turning you onto your stomach. Once the hold is locked in, you’ll still have your arms free and you’ll be able to attempt to crawl to the ropes for a rope-break, but if the ropes are far, you’re probably not going to last long enough under the pressure.

Rating: extremely efficient. Many a female wrestler has had her will broken in this hold. It is an extremely spectacular finisher as well that the crowd will probably love.