5 unsafe moves that are banned in WWE

WWE has made it clear that they make the safety of their Superstars their number one priority.

WWE has already banned chair shots to the head, for example, and continue to ban any moves that might also cause injury to the head. Even though the WWE superstars are highly trained professionals, risks and botches are a continuous part of what these wrestlers do. Accidents happen.

WWE is a far more dangerous sport than it portrays itself to be. The wrestlers are in constant need of surgery and physical therapy, and the injury rate for wrestlers has only gone up. The anticipation that surrounds each match makes the superstars climb that extra length to entertain the audience.

While WWE is promoted as a "scripted" program where all the moves are executed safely, there can be downsides sometimes. WWE has found itself in concussion lawsuits and has been questioned on their medical policies many times in the past.

In their attempt to avoid serious injuries to their talents, WWE has banned many moves that can be executed inside the ring. These moves include those that were once used regularly in the past

Let's take a look at a handful of them.

#5 Punt Kick

Randy Orton might be known for his finisher, the RKO -the three most destructive letters in the sports entertainment industry. Orton, however, once had another deadly and destructive finisher in his arsenal many years ago: The Punt.

Orton has often used this finisher in many previous matches, but as of late, the finisher has been banned for its potential threat to the wrestlers. The execution and the simplicity of it being mimicked by the younger audience have made WWE ban its use inside the ring.

Randy Orton punting Vince McMahon remains to be one of the most controversial segments surrounding the finisher, and while there haven't been any legitimate injuries surrounding it, Randy Orton has stopped using the punt kick in his matches.

#4 The Burning Hammer

A reverse Attitude Adjustment, the Burning Hammer is more was dangerous to execute than its counterpart, even by experienced professional wrestlers. The Hammer was made incredibly popular by Kenta Kobashi, who himself used the finisher a handful of times.

The move is famous in Japan with its "strong style" approach. A very effective finisher, WWE banned the move to avoid any injuries that could potentially harm the wrestlers because of its poor execution. While the move was very dangerous, some also speculate that the finisher was also banned because of its similarities with John Cena's finisher.

#3 The Poisoned Frankensteiner

The Poisoned Frankensteiner (Bayley vs Sasha Banks)

This move, by its very definition, is extremely dangerous to execute. While it does put the audience into a state of shock and surprise, the finisher is banned by WWE.

Originally innovated by Scott Steiner, WWE wrestlers are often seen executing a safer version of the same move. The Frankensteiner is used fairly frequently in WWE but not in its original form. The backward off the top rope opens up a large window of error, and this is what was seen when Bayley injured Sasha Banks as she used the move during NXT Takeover Brooklyn.

#2 Flying Headbutt

It is fairly obvious why WWE has banned the use of a very impactful finisher. Ever since the Chris Benoit incident, WWE has kept itself away from moves that may cause head injuries to its talents. Lars Sullivan and Daniel Bryan have sparingly used this move but have since stopped due to the risks involved. Head injuries are very common in WWE and, considering the risks and heights WWE wrestlers go to entertain the audience, WWE has ensured safer moves for its talents and has banned any move that might cause a concussion.

#1 The Vertebreaker

The Vertebreaker is a move originally used by Hurricane Helms, and while he never injured any opponents with the move, WWE decided to ban the movie because of the risks that surrounded its perfect execution. Seth Rollins used the move against AJ Styles but has since then stopped using the move. Ever since Hurricane left WWE, The Vertebreaker hasn't been used by other wrestlers.

Are there any other moves that WWE have banned that you're aware of? Are there any they should? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or drop us a line on our Twitter account by following us at @SKProWrestling!