A new powerhouse has arrived in WWE NXT. Reina Volcan (formerly known as Nikki Blackheart) made an instant impression with a finisher that reminded fans of Lex Luger’s most famous submission.
Volcan won her first televised WWE NXT match on the July 21 episode by defeating Skylar Raye with a submission move that looked a lot like Luger’s legendary Torture Rack. WWE calls the move the Natural Disaster, but longtime wrestling fans quickly noticed its resemblance.
Reina Volcan’s The Natural Disaster brings back memories of Lex Luger
Before the match, Reina Volcan appeared in a short promo video before making her entrance. Her opponent was WWE LFG Season 2 winner Raye, who had already faced Volcan at an NXT live event earlier this month.
The match started with a lock-up, but Volcan’s strength was obvious right away. She shoved Raye to the mat, hit a scoop slam, and followed it with a powerful shoulder tackle.
Volcan stayed in control by ducking under an attack and hitting a quick scoop powerslam for a near fall. Raye tried to fight back. She finally created an opening by escaping a surfboard submission and landing a tilt-a-whirl facebuster. It looked like she might turn things around, but Volcan wasn’t done.
Soon after, Volcan caught Raye, lifted her into an Argentine backbreaker rack, and locked in the Natural Disaster. Raye couldn’t escape and was forced to give up.
The win gave Volcan her first televised WWE victory.
Even though WWE has given the move a new name, it brings back memories of Lex Luger’s famous finisher.
The Torture Rack was Luger’s signature move for years and is still remembered as one of wrestling’s greatest power finishers. The move involves lifting an opponent across the shoulders and pulling on their head and leg to apply pressure on their back.
It stood out because Luger could use it on wrestlers of all sizes, including giants like The Giant (later Big Show) and Road Block. One of the most memorable moments came when Luger made Hulk Hogan tap out with the Torture Rack to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in August 1997.
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