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TheBoston crab is aprofessional wrestling hold that typically starts with one wrestler lying in asupine position on the mat, with the other wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type ofspinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the opponent’s legs in one of their arms and then turns the opponent face-down, stepping over them in the process. The final position has the wrestler in a semi-sitting position and facing away from the opponent, with the opponent’s back and legs bent back toward their head.[1] The original name for the maneuver was theBackbreaker, before that term became known forits current usage. In modern wrestling, the Boston crab is not treated as a lethal submission maneuver, even though it was considered a match-ending hold in the past.
In submission grappling, the Boston crab (generally the half Boston crab) can be used to set up astraight ankle lock.[2] On September 30, 2017,Jonno Mears became the first fighter inmixed martial arts history to win a fight with the Boston crab.[3][4]
Similar to a normal Boston crab, this move sees the attacking wrestler use a single knee to add additional pressure by pressing it into the opponent's back. Anelevated variation, best known asChris Jericho'sWalls of Jericho (formerly known as theLiontamer), also exists.[1]
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Similar to a normal Boston crab, this move sees the attacking wrestler stand farther back. The step-back allows additional pressure to be placed on the opponent's back from the higher angle, hence the name. This move is best known asChris Jericho'sWalls of Jericho.[1]
The wrestler grabs the legs of an opponent lying supine while standing over the opponent, steps in front of the opponent's arms, and either remains standing or falls backwards, stretching the legs back. A single leg variation, also known as aStump Puller, involves only one of the opponent's legs being stretched. Afigure-four leglock variation exists as well. This move can be used as apin as well as a submission maneuver.[5]
This Boston crab variation sees the wrestler lock the opponent in a standard version of the hold before lifting them off the ground by their arms (while still in the hold), and rocking them back and forth, putting additional pressure on their back.E.Z. Money andEvan Golden employ this move, both calling it thePendulum of Pain.[6]
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Also known as a half Boston crab or a half crab, a move that typically starts with the opponent on their back, and the attacking wrestler standing and facing them. The attacking wrestler hooks one of the opponent's legs under one of their arms, and then turns the opponent face-down, stepping over them in the process. The final position has the dominant wrestler in a semi-sitting position and facing away from the opponent who is lying face-down and their own leg bent backwards toward their head. A variation with the attacking wrestler kneeling side-ways while having the leg hooked can be performed.Lance Storm used this maneuver as a counter to an oncoming opponent by grabbing one of the opponent's legs in asingle leg takedown and using the momentum to roll backwards into the hold.[7]
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This move, also known as theTarantula in reference toYoshihiro Tajiri's naming of the move, involves a wrestler hooking each of an opponent's legs in one of their arms and draping the opponent over the top rope. At this point the wrestler hooks the arms of the opponent with their legs, securing the hold. As this move involves the use of the ropes, and allows the opponent to touch the ropes (which forces a wrestler to break a submission hold), this hold must usually be broken before the referee completes a five-count. Otherwise, the wrestler will bedisqualified. This is the reason why it is best used duringno disqualification matches or"I Quit" matches.[8]
WWE.com describes the Stretch Muffler as a modified version of the Boston Crab in which a wrestler places their opponent's leg over their neck and begins to crank down.[9] This variant of the move is considered to apply pressure primarily to the knee of the opponent rather than the other versions of the Boston Crab which focus on the lower spine. The Stretch Muffler is also known as the "Brock Lock", as it was briefly used byBrock Lesnar in the early 2000s under that name.[9]