WRESTLING NEWS
The Most Dangerous Wrestling Moves Of
All Time
By ROBERT CORNAL
Piledriver
A piledriver involves hoisting an opponent upside down and spiking them on the mat, carrying the risk of compressing the opponent's spine by dropping them on their head. Owen Hart’s piledriver on Steve Austin in 1997 led to Austin’s early retirement in 2003, and the move is banned in several territories globally because of its risky nature.
Curb Stomp
A curb stomp involves running towards a staggered opponent and putting the foot on their neck to drive them into the ground. In 2015, the move was banned because children imitating the move at home could spark lawsuits and there was the liability for head trauma, but the ban was lifted in 2018.
Moonsault
A moonsault features facing away from the opponent and doing a backflip onto them, and it’s this move that led to the end of Hayabusa’s career after he botched a moonsault on Mammoth Sasaki. Chris Jericho, who popularized the move in the US as the Lionsault, nearly met the same fate but was saved by Curt Hennig.
Punt Kick
Popularized by Randy Orton, the punt kick was used as a storytelling device on wrestlers and innocent bystanders to give them kayfabe concussions, with Shawn Michaels being written off the TV after being hit in the head with it. Orton concussed Vince McMahon with it in 2009, and the move was banned in 2012 due to legitimate head trauma concerns.
Diving Headbutt
This move was taken up by several users like Dynamite Kid, Chris Benoit, and Bryan Danielson, after Harley Race accidentally created it. Each user of the move suffered head and spinal trauma, with Kid being left wheelchair-dependent by 40, Danielson having to temporarily retire in 2016, and Benoit having to sit out most of 2001.