A hapless burglar got more than he bargained for when he broke into the home of a WWE wrestler.

Cesar Sosa, 22, bit off more than he could chew when he raided the Phoenix, Arizona home of former heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan.

The 33-year-old was returning home with his wife late on Thursday when he saw two suspects running out of a rear door.

The WWE superstar gave chase and was able to catch Sosa, putting him in a rear naked chokehold until the police arrived.

The second suspect managed to get away.

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Bryan said he was angry when he realized that someone had broken into the home he had moved into only 10 days earlier - and that he was worried for his two-year-old French bulldog, Josie.

He said he chased Sosa about 400 feet before grabbing him and shouting some "bad words."

"He was very, very tired and it literally took zero effort to take him down," Bryan told a news conference at police headquarters, seated next to his wife with the dog in her lap.

"He put up very little resistance."

He said he felt "borderline ashamed" for taking matters into his own hands, and was glad that nothing bad happened.

Sosa was booked into jail on suspicion of one count of burglary.

He also had an outstanding felony warrant for kidnapping and burglary.

Danielson, at 5 feet 10 inches and 210 pounds, has held several other titles in addition to the WWE heavyweight belt.