Black widow

The spider's bite: AJ Lee on her excruciating 'Black Widow' submission move

Chiseled goliaths like Brock Lesnar and Ryback might have a few pounds on her, but make no mistake: AJ Lee is one of the most ruthless competitors — male or female — on the WWE roster today.

Having become a master in the art of psychological torment over the last year, AJ proved this past Monday night that she hasn’t lost her affinity for physical torture in the slightest, making Natalya tap out to a torso-twisting submission maneuver she calls the “Black Widow.” If you thought it was painful to watch, you weren’t alone.

“I’ve had it in my back pocket for a while,” AJ told WWE.com of the Black Widow, a variant of the Octopus Hold she honed and utilized to great success in WWE developmental territory FCW. “I’m not the strongest person, so anything that lets me trap myself on an opponent, like a spider in a web, is effective. The abdomen gets stretched, the neck is in an uncomfortable position and my opponent’s arms are extended where they shouldn’t be. So it’s everything all at once, using all 115 pounds of my pure muscle and ‘badassery’ to the fullest extent.”

Watch the “Black Widow” in action | Explore Superstar secret weapons

The “Black Widow” association is all too appropriate for a woman that has entangled and preyed upon everyone close to her, not unlike the venomous hourglass-bellied spider that devours her mates. From Daniel Bryan to CM Punk to John Cena, few have gotten close to AJ Lee without feeling her wrath in one form or another.

“Somehow along the way, every time I’ve fallen in love with someone, I’ve maybe put them through a table or pushed them off a ladder or hurt their career,” AJ said of the behavior that has earned her the Black Widow nickname, muttered in hushed tones within the Divas locker room. “Instead of that being something people try to shame me for, I’m proud of that. And it’s something people should be wary of.”

But who, exactly?