5 Current WWE Superstars That Had Their Finishing Moves Banned

Finishing moves are an integral part of wrestling, as its purpose is basically to signal the end of a match.

Planning match structure is the most important process in wrestling. As for the wrestlers in the ring to craft a match that uses the laws of kayfabe to seem real, the structure is vital.

Sometimes we see Superstars throw structure out of the way to have a chaotic clash that no one expected, however, whether bookers use structure or not, there is one constant in all of their matches that always top of a match. That constant is a match concluding when a wrestler hits their finishing move.

No match feels totally complete without these stars implementing the strongest move in their arsenal.

Imagine how weird it would be for fans to witness Stone Cold Steve Austin finish a match without the Stunner or Shawn Micheals get the pinfall without hitting the Superkick. These moves have become a signature aspect of these legends and many other stars.

However, not all of the wrestlers in WWE's long history have been able to bond with their finishing move, as WWE was forced to ban some of them.

While most of these superstars on this list received their finishers back at one point, WWE deemed others still too dangerous to perform, and here are a couple of them.

#1 Seth Rollins

It took a long time, but the Curb Stomp is back.

The most famous move on this list to be banned is definitely the Curb Stomp. Everyone loved the sight of Seth Rollins stomping his opponents head into the mat, but when WWE decided it was too dangerous for PG television, it was outlawed by Vince McMahon.

According to Seth Rollins, McMahon didn't like the violent nature of the Curb Stomp, as Vince exclaimed that he doesn't want his top champion to represent his company in that manner. Moreover, Vince didn't want kids to replicate the Curb Stomp, which would be terrible PR for the company.

Well, something helped McMahon to change his mind because Rollins shocked the world in 2018 when he stomped Finn Balor's head into the mat.

Since then the Curb Stomp has become a staple of Rollins ascension to the main event, as he dished out three stomps at Wrestlemania 35 to become the new Universal Champion.

#2 Kevin Owens

Many believe that Kevin Owens is one of the best wrestlers working today. Wrestling fans will tell you that Owens can work any programme, wrestle anyone and do any promo, as he is that freaking good.

Moreover, when Owens walked into the doors of NXT, he was treated like a big deal. As Owens first night in the promotion saw him destroy his former friend Sami Zayn, which showed that he isn't going to be your typical heel.

WWE backed the former Universal Champion, as he was given some good booking for the first few months of his career, but the company took one thing away from him at the same time. Owens finisher from his time on the indie scenes was outlawed in the WWE, as it is clearly too dangerous for the modern product.

Furthermore, if you witnessed the destruction this move causes to Owens' opponent, it becomes apparent that WWE made the right call.

The Package Piledriver is one of the most devasting moves that could be performed in a wrestling ring, as it involves hooking your opponent in a powerbomb position and driving their head into the mat.

Owens' replacement finisher isn't that bad in the grander scheme of things, as the Pop-up Powerbomb is one of the most recognisable finishers in wrestling today.

#3 Triple H

Even the former WWE Champion and current COO of the company is not safe from having a finisher from being banned, as 'The Game' was in hot water back in the day for using a version of The Pedigree that was more dangerous than it should have been.

This is a version of The Pedigree that saw Triple H lock his opponents' arms, thus leaving their face to take the full impact of the move.

This was something that didn't sit well with many people, as The Pedigree could cause legitimate damage if not modified.

Therefore, Triple H made the adjustment to his move, and the rest is history. We still see Triple H lock his opponents arms from time to time, but it's not as half as bad when he was planting people's faces in the mat back in the 90s.

#4 Samoa Joe

The one thing about Samoa Joe that I have covered in detail in another article was the fact that Joe can bend the thin reality of kayfabe to his advantage, as almost every match or promo involving him has some sense of believability in it.

But there was one thing in Joe's arsenal that was too real for WWE to ignore, and most of you know by now that is his finisher the Muscle Buster.

This is a move that has ended careers, as Joe hit the move on Tyson Kidd back in 2015, and it, unfortunately, ended the Hart Dungeon graduate's career.

This move has become so infamous within the realm of WWE, if Joe pulled it out of the bag at an unexpected time, the WWE Universe would go crazy.

Well, Joe did bring back the Muscle Buster at Backlash 2018, but since the show was a disappointment and everyone wanted to go home, it was wasted. Hopefully, WWE can change that if they allow Joe to bring back the move in the future, even if it's just as a teaser.

#5 Randy Orton

Randy Orton's RKO is possibly the most popular finishing move of all time, and that is not due to the attention it receives online from silly memes, but it's due to Orton performing the move with his god-like athletic ability.

However, while Orton's RKO might be his primary way of finishing off his opponents, but back in the day, Orton was busy punting his enemies heads.

You may remember Orton in his prime being the dirtiest SOB in the WWE, and WWE did a great job by making him hatable during that time.

The Punt Kick was a big part of Orton being a top-notch heel, but ever since Orton was botching the move by literally injuring his opponent, Vince McMahon decided to call it a day on the devasting finisher.

Edited by Alan John