One of the most universally panned submissions in wrestling history is John Cena’s STF, once the STFU. Needing to add a submission to his arsenal to supplement the FU/Attitude Adjustment, Cena would settle on the STF as his best option.
It’s not a complicated move, you lock up one of your opponents legs with your own and apply a chokehold. This applies pressure to both ends of the opponent, and can be very effective. Cena would win many matches and even championships with this move, but it almost always looked weak, like Cena was barely cradling his opponents head while yelling loudly.
However, at one point he got this hold in a bit too snug, something which helped him decide to do this move safer. In 2006, there was no better rivalry in WWE then Edge & John Cena. They’d trade the WWE Championship back and forth, and have some of the best matches of the year. At Unforgiven 2006, they would meet in a match Edge helped innovate, the TLC match.
Often cited as one of the best matches of John Cena’s career, this was a brutal affair which showed how far these two were willing to go to be WWE Champion. Inside this match, a scary moment came for Edge.
John Cena Once Legitimately Choked Edge Out With The STF
Edge would recall this moment during an episode of WWE Untold focused on the dominance of Cena. “At one point, John would put me in the STF while I was trapped in a ladder. Because the ladder added an extra
distance from his arm, he’d actually choke me out. You can watch me pass out.”
Edge would try to tap out, but a TLC match couldn’t end via submission. Due to the awkward setup of the move, there was no way for him to signal to Cena what was happening, and his lights would go out.
“I just remember hearing an alarm, and thinking I was late for an Air Canada flight, and hearing this weird BZZT.When I came too, it was me making the noise, and I was looking up at the Air Canada center logo. I’ve never been choked out before, and then it was just… get to the next thing.”
Edge finished the match, losing to Cena in his hometown in the match he helped create, and Cena made sure to do the STF much safer going forward. Do you remember this TLC match? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
