If Submission Moves Were Real Part 3: Breaking Down the Cross-Face | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Michael Green
Published Mar 24, 2026
The muscles in your neck will never be stronger than someone else's upper body. Eventually, these muscles would tear if you were in the cross-face for an extended period of time.
The performer can pull the neck back farther than what is normally allowed by your own body.
If full pressure is applied, the opponent could experience herniated discs, broken vertebra, nerve damage and potentially death.
The vertebrae in the neck are the smallest on the spine. The nerves coming off these vertebrae control functions of our body that we cannot live without. Depending on which vertebra breaks determines where in the body the damage occurs.
Example: If the vertebra C-3 is broken, and the nerves running off of it are severed, you will lose control over your diaphragm. The broken vertebra can also cause the spinal cord to become severed. If this occurs, the body will be paralyzed.
Anytime injury to the neck is involved, careers and lives can be altered or ended. The cross-face is a move that can cause massive damage. It is important to know that this move should not be used for fun. This is one of the moves that WWE thinks about when they tell you, "Don't try this at home."
Next week the topic will be the bear hug.
Please leave comments below if you liked the slideshow format for future parts of this series.
Part one of this series, Breaking Down the Walls of Jericho, is available here.
Part two of this series, Breaking Down the Figure Four Leg Lock, is available here.
Other articles by Louie Babcock that may interest you:
15 of the worst injuries to happen in the ring, is available here.
4 wrestlers who had their career cut short due to injury, is available here.
Wade Barrett: Understanding Elbow Surgery and Recovery, is available here.
Louie Babcock has over five years experience working in emergency medicine and is studying biology and health science at the University of Minnesota.
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