CM Punk was allegedly fined for pulling out the piledriver from his repertoireWWE has tried to stay ahead of the game when it comes to wrestler safety. They have a WWE doctor on staff that goes wherever the WWE Superstars and Divas go.WWE has also introduced a Wellness Policy that all have to abide by. So safety in this world of pro-wrestling is said to be a top priority. As a result of this, WWE has to ban things from time to time that go a bit too far. Certain moves are simply too dangerous to be allowed, so as a result, WWE will see how dangerous they are and ban them if the move could cause harm to the person doing it or the person having it done on them.Some moves might be surprising while others make you wonder what kind of drugs they were on when they invented such crazy moves. We break down the top 10 banned moves in WWE history. Take a look.
#1 The Curb Stomp
The curb stomp is a simple move. You run up and smash your opponent’s face into the man with the force of your leg. It is a devastating move that can believably end a match with just about anyone.
The move was made famous in Japan, as most crazy moves are. WWE Superstar Seth Rollins, who is known for studying a variety of move-sets, added this move to his repertoire. It became big enough that Rollins ended matches with it as a member of The Shield and even in his singles run.
The move is a pretty sick one that can lead to head issues. While no one in WWE has been seriously hurt by this move, WWE banned it this year. The idea is that WWE feels the move is safe enough if taken correctly, but the recent concussion lawsuit WWE is facing is the main issue.
WWE does not want to give anyone a reason to say that the moves in WWE are not safe. Moves like the curb stomp are safe when done correctly, but can go awefully wrong. People like Brock Lesnar took it flush and bled from the ordeal.
So WWE banned it for now, but we very well could see it again in the future. However, it won’t be until after the lawsuit is over.
#2 Wings of Love/Implant Buster
Michelle McCool was known for using a move called The Wings of Love. It was basically a move that required picking a girl up and slamming her breast first into the mat.
The move was good in its premise. The girl would land on her chest or abdominal area and it would look pretty good. Kharma also used it on WWE and called it the Implant Buster. She also used it at Awesome Kong and Amazing Kong in other companies.
WWE banned the move from ever being used in WWE again(until Kharma) because it was simply too devastating for Divas to take on a regular basis. Keep in mind that most girls in WWE at the time did have breast implants. So landing this move on them could pop the implant or hurt a lot more than not.
WWE did allow Kharma to use it when she came in for a brief time. However, it was not usually done. She also was not around long enough for it to be banned for her. The move still remains banned as of now.
#3 Randy Orton\'s punt
Years ago, Randy Orton was a vicious heel that was willing to do whatever it took to either win a match or take someone out. So much so, he was willing to punt a man’s head off in order to do it.
He memorably did this to top names and even John Cena’s dad and the WWE Chairman himself, Vince McMahon.
The move was used off and on since then, but about a year or two ago Orton’s punt was banned. This was due to WWE’s new stance on concussions and head trauma. WWE felt that the move was one that could injure someone quit easily and very well could cause head traumas if done often.
Orton has teased the move numerous times since but has never hit it since the ban. Usually something always gets in the way. While WWE does allow some of the banned moved on this list to be used from time to time with the right people, Orton has never been allowed to use his punt since nor has anyone else been allowed to do so.
#4 Brainbuster
The brainbuster move is one that looked bad from the beginning. It is a suplex where a person literally drops you on your head.
If executed well, the drop will actually happen on your shoulders but many have screwed the move up. WWE let some use it for a time, but after a few botches the move was eventually banned from WWE for being too dangerous.
The move will most likely always remain banned in WWE until someone can prove they can hit it right. However, many believe WWE will always have the ban in place seeing as there is a host of other suplex variations that they DO allow.
#5 Shooting Star Press
The shooting star press was a move that WWE only let certain people use, to begin with.
Billy Kidman mastered it and used it as his finisher. WWE allowed him to keep it until he retired but actually banned it from everyone else after Brock Lesnar’s infamous both of the move at WrestleMania 19.
Lesnar ended up nearly breaking his neck from it and the move was not allowed afterwards. When Evan Bourne came in wanting to use the move, WWE was quite hesitant about it.
They made him hit the move about 30 to 40 times in a row in front of them to prove he could do it. He did just that and was allowed to use it as a finisher. Since Bourne’s departure, WWE had not seen a shooting star press until Shane McMahon shockingly pulled it off, unsuccessfully though, at WrestleMania 33!
#6 Canadian Destroyer
A move made famous by former TNA standout Petey Williams, the Canadian Destroyer is a move that is very dangerous if executed incorrectly.
The idea is for the user to start in a powerbomb position, flip over with the person coming with them until a DDT of sorts is hit. The move is nuts in theory. You have to not only flip over the person but your opponent has to basically do a backflip and then land right on their head.
The move is hard to do for anyone outside a certain weight class, but because it requires perfect timing in every way…..it is tough to look at as a move that is safe enough to use often. WWE banned it because the danger in the move was simply too severe.
Although the move is fun to see, it is not worth the danger.
#7 Original Pedigree
You might be wondering how it is possible that the famous pedigree is on the list when WWE is allowing it to be used today.
The move we see today is actually a variation of the move it used to be. The idea of the move is to grab someone’s arms, put their head between your legs and then drive their face and head into the mat without them using their arms for protection.
Usually the person will be in between the legs to avoid hitting, however many ended up hitting anyway. Triple H eventually had to stop using the move like this. Now as the person goes to the ground, their arms are released so that they can take the fall using their arms to hit well.
The move still has some danger to it, but it is not nearly as dangerous as it used to be as Triple H and now Seth Rollins usually release the head from between their legs as well as the arms and sort of plant their opponent into the ground in an effort to make it look bad but still safe.
#8 Original Piledriver
The original piledriver is one that most companies have banned for multiple reasons.
WWE banned it for many people to use because top names like Stone Cold Steve Austin were seriously hurt from it. The piledriver in concept seems like a bad idea. The idea of the move is literally turning someone upside down and jamming their head into the mat to win a match.
That alone is terrifying, but usually it can be done safely if executed correctly. However, there have been numerous occasions of it going wrong. WWE has only allowed certain superstars to even use a variation of the piledriver since, and it is usually due to high veteran status and trust.
Jerry Lawler, Kane, and The Undertaker are the only two who WWE let use it on a regular basis, and two of them are using a safer version called The Tombstone. CM Punk once used it in a match with John Cena, but most feel that WWE did not know about the idea of it. No young WWE talent and even many of the vets are allowed to use the move without permission.
WWE usually never gives it if asked anyway.
#9 Burning Hammer
Leave it to Japan to take moves to a new crazy level.
The burning hammer move is so dangerous that few in Japan even want to do the move. The move was invented by Kenta Kobashi. The move is done by having a person on your shoulders similar to a torture rack.
You then run with them caught in your hold and slam their head into the mat as you jump sideways. Basically, you have to be caught in a move where you cannot escape and then be thrown in the mat and rely on your opponent to execute it well enough to not kill you.
The move ended up hurting people, and WWE ended up adding it to the ban list when they saw how dangerous it truly was.
#10 Kawada Driver (Ganso Bomb)
Japan leads the list in crazy moves.
The Kawada Driver might be the only move ever hit on accident in its first attempt. So the story goes that the creator of the move, Toshiaki Kawada was in a match with Mitsuharu Misawa when craziness went to a new level.
Misawa had been blocking moves that Kawada was doing and as Kawada was trying to go for a powerbomb, Misawa tried to counter the move with a normal Huricanrana. This caused Kawada to tighten his grip but he ended up staggering with it.
He then took a few steps forward and dropped Misawa right on his head. The move looked pretty sick, and it was an extreme botch that could have seriously hurt Misawa. But this is Japan, so clearly the fans would love to see it again and Kawada being the crazy Japanese man that he is decided to do the move a few more times.
Usually, the move was only done in what they call, “break the glass instead of emergency” situations. This means that if the crowd was not into the match and you needed something to get them back into it or if you needed the move to basically get a good finish, it would be executed.
Kawada only did the move on people willing to take it, but the move being so unprotected meant that if you were willing to take it, you were also willing to take the consequences of it as well.
