
The sleeper hold is a classic wrestling move that has been used by many wrestlers over the years. While it may not be the flashiest finisher, it has certainly proven effective for many wrestlers, including WWE Hall of Famer 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, who used it as his finisher during the '80s wrestling boom. Gory Guerrero is credited with inventing the sleeper hold in Mexico, where it was known as la de a caballo or the horse-mounting choke. However, it was popularized in the USA by Ed Farhat, who wrestled as The Sheik. The Cobra Clutch is a well-known variation of the sleeper hold, popularized by Sgt. Slaughter, which involves trapping the opponent's arm in a half-nelson and using the free arm to pull the opponent's trapped arm across the face to force them into unconsciousness.
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What You'll Learn

Roddy Piper, Taz, and Ted DiBiase
Roddy Piper was a WWE Hall of Famer who adopted the sleeper hold as his primary finisher. Piper was so skilled in the sleeper hold that he created numerous variations to make it even better.
Taz, the most dominant ECW World Heavyweight Champion in history, used the sleeper hold to choke out Kurt Angle in his first WWE match at the Royal Rumble in 2000. Taz's sleeper hold, known as the Tazzmission, was considered one of the most lethal and successful.
Ted DiBiase, also known as The Million Dollar Man, was a master technician inside the squared circle. He applied the sleeper variation tighter and more aggressively than most, rendering most of his opponents unconscious. DiBiase would then stuff money into the mouths of his beaten foes, cementing his reputation as one of the most dastardly heels of the Golden Era.
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Adrian Street, Brutus Beefcake, and Sgt. Slaughter
Adrian Street was a Welsh professional wrestler and author known for his flamboyant, androgynous wrestling persona, which brought him prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Street often entered the ring with his long-time manager, Miss Linda, and the two primarily worked as heels.
Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake is the ring name of Edward Harrison Leslie, an American retired professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Beefcake started using the sleeper hold as his finishing move after helping Roddy Piper defeat Adrian Adonis. Before this, the sleeper hold was a specialty of both Piper and Adonis, who used it heavily in their WrestleMania III match. After defeating an opponent, Beefcake would strut around the ring, "snipping" his fingers like scissors to indicate he was about to cut his opponent's hair.
Sgt. Slaughter was a popular wrestler in the 1980s and 1990s, known for his tough and aggressive style. He was a multiple-time world champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. While I could not confirm if Sgt. Slaughter used the sleeper hold, it is possible that he did, given his wrestling style.
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Gory Guerrero, The Sheik, and Ed Farhat
Gory Guerrero, born Salvador Guerrero Quesada, was one of the premier Mexican-American professional wrestlers in the early days of Lucha Libre. He was born in 1921 in Ray, Arizona, and moved to Mexico with his family at age nine. He joined a gym with the intention to learn boxing but instead learned lucha libre and wrestled his first professional match in 1937. He made his debut for the Mexico City promotion Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre (EMLL) in 1943 and was named "Rookie of the Year". He went on to hold the Mexican National Welterweight Championship in 1945 and the Mexican National Middleweight Championship in 1946. He was also the patriarch of the Guerrero wrestling family, which includes his sons Chavo, Mando, Héctor, Eddie, grandson Chavo Guerrero Jr., and daughter Maria, who have all gone on to have successful wrestling careers.
The Sheik, whose real name was Edward George Farhat, was an American professional wrestler and one of the originators of hardcore wrestling. He debuted in 1947 and was known for his wild character of an Arab man from Syria, wearing a keffiyeh and performing Islamic prayers before each match. The Sheik was seen as one of professional wrestling's biggest box office attractions and was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also a promoter and trainer, most notably training boxer Muhammad Ali before his famous "boxer vs wrestler" match with Antonio Inoki in 1976. Farhat died of heart failure in 2003 and was survived by his wife, two sons, and several grandchildren, some of whom carried on his wrestling legacy.
Ed Farhat, also known as "Captain Ed George," was the son of The Sheik and a wrestler himself. However, during his career, he never publicly acknowledged his relationship to The Sheik, and his true identity remained largely unknown to wrestling fans. He wrestled for years, carrying on the family legacy, but unfortunately, there is not much additional information about his individual career available.
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Stan Hansen, Steve Austin, and Shibata
Stan Hansen was a popular wrestler in Japan, where he toured for 24 years. He was known for his beefy look and his ability to make his matches look ugly. While it is not clear if he used the sleeper hold as a finisher, one source mentions that he would occasionally "bust one out".
Steve Austin, or 'Stunning' Steve Austin as he was initially known, used the sleeper hold as a finisher before he became Stone Cold. This move was called the Million Dollar Dream and was a kind of Cobra Clutch.
Katsuyori Shibata, often referred to simply as Shibata, is a New Japan Pro Wrestler who uses the sleeper hold as part of his finisher. He puts his opponents in a sleeper hold before kicking them in the face and pinning them. In one match, Shibata entered the ring with an injured right arm, which is the arm he uses for striking and for setting up the sleeper hold. Despite this, he was able to defeat AJ Styles, a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
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Johnny Weaver, Mark Lewin, and Mr. Wrestling
Johnny Weaver (born Kenneth Eugene Weaver, November 17, 1935 – February 15, 2008) was an American professional wrestler and commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). His career spanned four decades and he held championships across the southeast United States. Weaver also worked as a deputy sheriff in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and in his 50s, he became one of the oldest people to take the basic law enforcement test. He died of natural causes at the age of 72.
Dusty Rhodes used the sleeper hold, calling it the "Weaver Lock", and chasing down Lex Luger and the NWA United States Title. During this angle, Weaver himself was placed in a Japanese version of the sleeper hold by Hiro Matsuda, causing him to bleed from the mouth.
Mark Lewin (born March 16, 1937) is an American retired professional wrestler. He worked for various promotions throughout his 35-year career, including Big Time Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, and the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He debuted in 1953 at the age of 16 and initially wrestled in a tag team with Don Curtis. In 1963, Mark first tried out the "Maniac"/"Mad" Mark Lewin persona, which he would alternate with his regular babyface persona.
Mr. Wrestling was the ring name of George Burrell Woodin (July 28, 1934 – November 30, 2002), an American professional wrestler. Woodin began his wrestling career at the age of 28 using the name "Tim Woods". He was given the name "Mr. Wrestling" by Nebraska promoter Joe Dusek and subsequently adopted a white wrestling mask and singlet to complete the character. Mr. Wrestling became a major superstar in the Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Mid-Atlantic territories. He retired from professional wrestling in 1983 and ran a heating and air conditioning business.
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Frequently asked questions
The sleeper hold was popularised by Ed Farhat, who wrestled as "The Sheik". Gory Guerrero is credited with creating the move in Mexico, where it was known as "la de a caballo" (Horse-mounting choke). Other wrestlers who have used the sleeper hold include: Adrian Street, Brutus Beefcake, Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase, Stan Hansen, Sgt. Slaughter, Dolph Ziggler, and Taz.
The sleeper hold is a standing rear naked choke. The forearm is held over the opponent’s throat, cutting off blood flow, while the other hand pushes their neck down. This technique can quickly knock someone out.
The sleeper hold cuts off oxygen to the brain, causing the victim to pass out. This can result in permanent harm.
The Cobra Clutch is a variation of the sleeper hold. The wrestler traps their opponent's arm in a half-nelson, then uses their free arm to pull the opponent's trapped arm across the face to force them into unconsciousness.
Sgt. Slaughter is one wrestler who popularised the Cobra Clutch.











































