I was wondering, besides Kurt Angle's victory at Unforgiven last year and the screwy ending to the Backlund/Hart title match at Survivor Series 1994 (and the Montreal screwjob, I guess), has the WWF Title ever changed hands by submission? I realize the WWF is not very submissions-oriented, but I'm surprised because I don't think it has.
Bret Hart won his first WWF title by submission when he defeated Ric Flair with the Sharpshooter. If you count Savage passing out to Flair's figure-four as a submission, then that would be another one. That's all I can remember at the moment.
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
You could also count Bret Hart losing to Shawn Michaels at Montreal a submission. That's how it went into the record books.
"Nobody loves the custodian. I come and I sweep and vacuum for you. When you're in the mood to go to the bathroom, I even disinfect it for you! This is the thanks I get?!? All who defy me shall be dis-infected!"
didn't Bret Hart beat Yokozuna with the Sharpshooter? And the title didn't change hands, but Rock beat Mankind in the finals of the title tournament at Survivor Series 98 with a Sharpshooter (with help from Vince's MASTER PLAN!).
Good one, eviljohn. I'm don't remember Bret beating Yoko for the title with the Sharpshooter, but Rock did get the "submission" win over Mankind one year after the Montreal screwjob.
That helped me remember that The Rock won his second title also against Mankind in an "I Quit" match, even though the words were piped in and Mankind never said "I quit" himself. Again, that falls under the "does that count?" column.
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
[in best Curly Howard voice] Hey Moe! (I've been waiting for months to do that....damn that sucked) IIRC, at WM 9, when Yoko beat Hart and then got beat by Hogan, Bret had Yoko in the Sharpshooter until Mr. Fuji blinded him with the ceremonial salt. So even though he never beat him with it, he did get to apply it.
It's amazing how much I've forgotten, then remember all of a sudden. Thanks Moe. There was something screwy in the Sheik/Backlund match. Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland (sp?) threw in the towel while Backlund was in the camel clutch. Sheik won the match and the title, but Backlund never gave up himself. That would turn out to be the foundation behind Backlund's maniacal heel turn 10 years later.
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
Are we just counting WWF here? If not then Sting has won the belt on a few occasions with the Deathlock. Same for Luger and the Rack. Ditto Bret Hart. And even Konnan with the Tequilla Sunrise. Damn if any belt counts WCW was the place for submissions, you have Dean winning the Cruiser, Beniot winning every damn title with the crossface. Including the IC title in the WWF. Even X-pac as Syxx won the cruiserwight with the buzzkiller. Taz won the tag team titles with the Tazmission. Once you go down from World Title contention you see more submisson wins with the mid-carders because it's ok for them to lose face. And giving up or tapping out in wrestling is the most humble way to lose.
Since I'm bored, I went through the WWF and WCW title histories on Hisa's site, and came up with the following. I think I got most of them, but I'm sure I missed some, ESPECIALLY with the NWA/WCW titles.
For simplicity's sake, if the referee ruled it a submission, it's a submission. Flair beating Savage in mid-'92 with the figure-four doesn't count - Savage's loss was not a submission. His shoulders were counted down for a three-count when he passed out.
WWF WORLD TITLE 05/17/63 - Bruno Sammartino forces Buddy Rogers to submit to an over-the-shoulder backbreaker. 12/26/83 - Iron Sheik beats Bob Backlund with the camel clutch when Arnold Skaaland throws in the towel. 10/12/92 - Bret Hart forces Ric Flair to submit to the Sharpshooter. 11/23/94 - Bob Backlund beats Bret Hart with the crossface chickenwing when Helen Hart throws in the towel. 11/09/97 - Shawn Michaels "beats" Bret Hart with the Sharpshooter. Montreal, nuff said. 11/15/98 - The Rock "beats" Mankind with the Sharpshooter. Montreal redux. 01/24/99 - The Rock "beats" Mankind in an I Quit match when Foley saying "I quit" is broadcast in the arena. 09/23/01 - Kurt Angle forces Steve Austin to submit to the anklelock.
WWF INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE 09/24/84 - Greg Valentine beats Tito Santana with the figure-four leglock. (1) 08/26/91 - Bret Hart forces Mr. Perfect to submit to the Sharpshooter. 01/19/92 - Roddy Piper forces The Mountie to submit to a sleeperhold. 10/12/98 - Ken Shamrock forces X-Pac to submit to the anklelock. (2) 05/08/00 - Chris Benoit "beats" Chris Jericho with the Crippler Crossface when special ref Triple H calls for the bell. 12/10/00 - Chris Benoit forces Billy Gunn to submit to the Crippler Crossface.
WWF EUROPEAN TITLE 10/16/00 - William Regal forces Al Snow to submit to the Regal Stretch. 12/04/00 - William Regal forces Crash Holly to submit to an STF.
WWF HARDCORE TITLE None that I know of.
WWF TAG TEAM TITLE 10/27/87 - Strike Force beats the Hart Foundation when Rick Martel forces Jim Neidhart to submit to the Boston Crab. 10/13/92 - Money Inc. beats the Natural Disasters when Ted DiBiase makes Earthquake pass out in the Million Dollar Dream. 12/14/98 - Ken Shamrock & Big Boss Man beat The New Age Outlaws when Shamrock beats Billy Gunn with the anklelock. (4)
NWA/WCW WORLD TITLE 02/06/77 - Harley Race forces Terry Funk to submit to an Indian deathlock. 08/04/97 - Lex Luger forces Hulk Hogan to submit to the Torture Rack. 12/28/97 - Sting forces Hulk Hogan to submit to the Scorpion deathlock. 09/12/99 - Sting beats Hulk Hogan with the Scorpion deathlock. (4) 11/21/99 - Bret Hart forces Chris Benoit to submit to the Sharpshooter. 01/16/00 - Chris Benoit forces Sid Vicious to submit to the Crippler Crossface. (3) 01/24/00 - Sid Vicious forces Kevin Nash to submit to a Crossface. 11/26/00 - Scott Steiner makes Booker T pass out in the Steiner Recliner.
NWA/WCW UNITED STATES TITLE 07/11/87 - Lex Luger makes Nikita Koloff pass out in the Torture Rack. 06/09/97 - Jeff Jarrett makes Dean Malenko submit to the figure-four leglock. 07/20/98 - Bret Hart makes Diamond Dallas Page submit to the Sharpshooter. 11/30/98 - Bret Hart makes Diamond Dallas Page submit to the Sharpshooter. 04/16/00 - Scott Steiner beats Sting with the Steiner Recliner. (4) 09/23/00 - Lance Storm forces Mike Awesome to submit to the Canadian Mapleleaf. 11/10/00 - Lance Storm beats General Rection with the Canadian Mapleleaf when Major Gunns throws in the towel. 10/22/01 - Kurt Angle makes Rhyno submit to the anklelock.
NWA/WCW TELEVISION TITLE 05/18/97 - Steven Regal forces Ultimo Dragon to submit to the Regal Stretch. 07/22/97 - Ultimo Dragon forces Steven Regal to submit to the Dragon Sleeper. 11/03/97 - Perry Saturn forces Disco Inferno to submit to the Rings of Saturn. 02/16/98 - Rick Martel forces Booker T to submit to the Quebec Crab. 08/10/98 - Chris Jericho forces Stevie Ray to submit to the Liontamer. 12/28/98 - Scott Steiner forces Konnan to submit to the Steiner Recliner.
WCW CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE 05/02/96 - Dean Malenko forces Shinjiro Ohtani to submit to the Texas Cloverleaf. 01/21/97 - Dean Malenko forces Ultimo Dragon to submit to the Texas Cloverleaf. 12/29/97 - Ultimo Dragon forces Eddy Guerrero to submit to the Dragon Sleeper. 01/24/98 - Chris Jericho forces Rey Misterio Jr. to submit to the Liontamer. 05/17/98 - Dean Malenko forces Chris Jericho to submit to the Texas Cloverleaf. 07/31/00 - Lance Storm forces Lt. Loco to submit to the Canadian Mapleleaf.
NWA/WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE 12/07/99 - Bret Hart & Goldberg beat Creative Control when Bret makes one of them submit to the Sharpshooter.
WCW HARDCORE TITLE 07/24/00 - Lance Storm forces Big Vito to submit to the Canadian Mapleleaf.
(1) I haven't seen this, but I recall reading that Tito submitted to the figure-four. I could be wrong. (2) X-Pac either submitted or passed out. I can't remember. It's a submission either way. (3) Dispute it if you want, the WWF now recognizes it, and since they own WCW, it's good enough for me. (4) The champs were already unconscious when the holds were applied, but it counted as a submission.
Sweetster, you forgot one for the WCW title. In September of 99 at Fall Brawl, Sting won his 9th world title by putting Hogan in the deathlock, Hogan's arm went down 3 times, and Sting won the title.
"It is a strange fate that we suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing." -Boromir
How about The Rock beating Mankind at the '99 Royal Rumble for the 2nd WWF title? Even though Mankind's "I quit, I quit, I quit" was taped from an earlier interview, the ref ruled it as a submission. Good enough for me. :)
"Say 'what' again. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you, I double dare you, motherf--ker! Say 'what' one more goddamn time!" -- Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994)
Also, Shamrock/Bossman picked up their tag title reign by "submission". If I recall correctly, Shawn Michaels waffled Billy Gunn with the nightstick, and Shamrock applied the ankle lock. Gunn was unconcsious, but as in the Steiner/Sting case it counted as a submission.
It was during the Angle-RVD-Austin feud triangle. Angle beat RVD for the title (I'll update later) with the anklelock. Up on the entrance, Austin jumped Angle and tossed him off the entranceway to the floor, then tossed RVD after him. RVD landed on top of Angle and got a pin to regain the title.
He wouldn't mind working for them if the schedule and money were right and they'll never be right. He's never going to work the schedule they'd demand and that's the only way they'd pay him the money he wants.