Anatomy of a Wrestling Hold: The Most Theatrical Signature Strikes

They’re as identifiable as the performers who use them. They’re the moves that kids do in their backyard…right before an ambulance and / or clergy is called. They’re the tools of a show biz trade, that can nonetheless legitimately injure. In the proper hands of professionals, they’re dynamic staples of the wrestling industry. Otherwise, they’re lawsuits waiting to happen. Guy takes a look at these wrestling holds, how they work and how they developed… into things kids shouldn’t try at home.

The Hold: The Most Theatrical Signature Strikes (The People’s Elbow, The Five Knuckle Shuffle, The Worm, Ballin’! etc.)

Used By:  The Rock, John Cena, Scotty 2 Hotty, MVP

Technical Name: Various names including the elbow drop, fist drop and throat chop

Move Type:  Crowd pleaser

Anatomy Affected:  Usually the chest or head

The Mechanics of the Hold

This is a class of moves that involves a big build up that plays to the crowd with some overly dramatic hype by the wrestler before delivering a rather mundane strike, like an elbow drop or fist or chop usually to a prone opponent.  They include The Rock’s People’s Elbow, John Cena’s Five Knuckle Shuffle, Scotty’s Worm and MVP’s Ballin’! among others:

The People’s Elbow:

The Rock

The Rock employed this frequently as a finisher and set it up by a spinebuster (and he had a great spinebuster — one of the best ever).  He’d then stand at the head of his prone opponent, and then with a kick to the opponent’s arm to move it out of the way, he’d remove his right elbow pad as the signal that he was ready to proceed.  Waving both arms in front of himself and then taking off toward the left of his opponent, he’d bounce off the ropes, run full speed to the other side of the ring, (hopping the opponent’s head in the process), bounce off of the right side ropes, come to a skidding halt, stand directly over the opponent and hit a violent… elbow drop.  Pinfalls usually ensued.

The Worm:

Scotty 2 Hotty

In probably the most idiotic signature strike ever devised, Scotty 2 Hotty would basically stand over a prone opponent near some ropes.

He’d hold his arms wide, dance in place like a looney…

He’d hold his arms wide, dance in place like a looney, then hop on one foot in a semi-circle to the other end of the ring and then do a worm (the breakdancing move) back across the ring, stand back up, do some kind of double crowd “woo-woo” chant with his arms slashing the air and then… drop a harmless looking karate chop to a guy’s throat.  Crowds ate it up.

Ballin’!:
This is sort of a hybrid between the People’s Elbow and the Worm.  The set up is similar to the Worm.  MVP would stand by a prone opponent splayed near the ropes.  He’d hold his hands out and then run to the opposing ropes.  He’d come back and dance to a stop, then pantomime a basketball jump shot and, with the crowd, scream: “Ballin’!”…then drop an elbow.

Five Knuckle Shuffle:

John Cena

John Cena’s signature strike is part of a sequence of moves that hasn’t been changed since he hit big several years ago.  Basically, it’s shoulder block, shoulder block, shoulder block, counter from a wild punch into a spinning layout backdrop…  Then a dip down to the opponent, the “U Can’t C Me” hand wave, a bounce off the ropes, a dust off of the shoulder, and then a dropping roundhouse punch to the head.  This usually then set up an Attitude Adjuster (formerly FU) attempt.

Selling The Hold

These moves are all about the selling, mostly from the user, and to a lesser extent by the recipient.  They are usually set up moves pulled later in the match after the typical back and forth between the wrestlers and are exclusive to the wrestlers who use them.  Although in the case of the People’s Elbow and the Worm, they were also finishing moves.

Countering the Hold

The moves aren’t usually countered as they’re key match highlights that pull in crowd reaction.  But occasionally, they can be countered by the recipient moving out of the way at the last second before the drop of the strike.

Avoiding Injury with the Hold

These aren’t exactly high-danger moves.

History of the Hold

MVP

The Rock started using his People’s Elbow not long after developing the Rock persona from the previously-hated Rocky Maivia one.  He referred to it in conjunction with himself as the “People’s Champ.”  John Cena’s Five Knuckle Shuffle goes back to the early days of his “Doctor of Thugonomics” persona, when he was a heel, wore throwback jerseys and a chain, and could be seen rapping.  Scotty 2 Hotty developed the worm around the time that he was at the height of his popularity with Grandmaster Sexay in Too Cool.  And MVP added the Ballin’! after he turned face about three or four years ago after spending the majority of the early part of his WWE stint as a heel.

The Replay