10 WWE moves that can be countered but usually aren't
Pro-wrestling is never shy of having its wrestlers adopt striking personas in order to attract spectators. Often such characters are rooted in the ethos of the region where the promotion is based or, as in recent times, are diversified in order to bring colour to a cosmopolitan audience. When fans get behind a gimmick that they can connect with, every feature of a wrestler becomes essential to its success, be it costume, ring work, theatrics or adroitness with their opponent.
WWE has had its fair share of bad storylines and embarrassing gimmicks, but leaving all opinions aside, one cannot ignore the stops that wrestlers have had to pull in order to reach out to the Universe. Dramatisation of wrestling moves becomes necessary because they are built into the essence of their characters. Reversals come as exciting surprises which only augment the tension of a match.
Yet they are seldom used in standard matches because the move performed is a part of the wrestler’s gimmick. It wouldn’t make any sense if a monstrous heel’s powerbomb were reversed into a hurricanrana by a comparatively smaller wrestler, even if that were physically possible. In the absence of a counter, the opponent takes charge and reacts to the attack in a dramatic manner very suggestive of pain and damage.
This is called ‘selling’ in pro-wrestling parlance and is indispensable to its entertainment value. Good selling can pull a match through as much as awful technique can drag it down. Therefore, theatricality becomes an inevitable facet of a wrestling match, especially when it is broadcast to millions of people across the world.
The following is a list of wrestling moves which can be countered, but usually aren’t :