2 WWE moves that were banned and 3 that still are
WWE and pro wrestling in general have a wide variety of moves that can be dangerous. They can be basic moves or a wrestler’s finisher. These maneuverers have caused injuries or have ended careers in the past.
The list of moves banned and not banned changes periodically in WWE, so it should come as no surprise to see moves that were once banned being unbanned again.
So without further ado, let's take a look at three moves that are currently banned and two that are no longer banned in WWE.
#5. Banned: The Piledriver
Shawn Michaels with one of the Best Piledriver counters to Jerry Lawler! https://t.co/lhuIKM0meu
The Piledriver is the most basic wrestling move in all pro wrestling, aside from a simple body slam or a suplex. This move was mostly used by Jerry "The King" Lawler throughout his career.
The Piledriver was slowly phased out early in 1997 after “Stone Cold” Steve Austin suffered a broken neck at the hands of Owen Hart, who delivered a botched piledriver at Summer Slam.
The move was used years later during an episode of RAW when CM Punk executed a piledriver on John Cena which was completely unplanned.
However, besides Tombstone Piledriver, which is completely protected and executed in a way that an opponent’s head never touches the mat, the standard Piledriver remains one of the most dangerous banned moves in WWE today.
#4. No Longer Banned: The Canadian Destroyer
.@WWENXT A "holy shit" chant from the NXT Universe, after Jagger Reid pulls out a rear Canadian Destroyer 😳.
#WWE #WWENXT #TheDyad https://t.co/thdTmdo5Uy
Much like the standard Piledriver, “The Canadian Destroyer” was most famously used by Petey Williams during his run with TNA (IMPACT Wrestling). The move was used periodically throughout WWE and notably over on NXT.
The Canadian Destroyer was banned for years until 2019, when Vince McMahon himself felt it was necessary to unban the move after seeing a viral video on social media that made the former chairman wonder why didn’t WWE have more wrestlers executing the move in the first place.
#3. Banned: WWE's own "Apex Predator" Randy Orton’s Punt Kick
@fightz4dayz @kysccalamity @dwstan69 Man hit him with the Randy Orton Punt Kick https://t.co/V2mAFERz1R
Randy Orton used the “Punt Kick” as a secondary finisher to his R.K.O., most notably in the early 2010s. Orton got the move over during a storyline between him, Triple H and the McMahon family leading into WrestleMania 25, after he launched the move to take out Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon, respectively.
Orton kicked Vince McMahon so hard that he gave the former chairman a concussion. Since then, Punt Kick hasn’t been used much at all and is pretty much considered a banned move. Orton attempted the move on and off but never fully executed the kick.
The only time he executed the move in recent memory was during an angle that involved Shawn Michaels in an episode of Monday Night RAW in 2020.
#2. No Longer Banned: The Stomp (Curb Stomp)
SETH ROLLINS WINS IT WITH A STOMP FROM THE SECOND ROPE
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MATCH
#WWECastle https://t.co/UOpCF8rc6C
The Stomp (Curb Stomp) is Seth Rollins' current finisher. There was a point in time when the move was banned by WWE as athletes suffered concussions and things of that nature.
For good reason, the move was removed from use and Rollins resorted to using The Pedigree as his finishing move for a while.
The Curb Stomp was eventually reinstated as The Stomp, and The Visionary has been using his former finisher ever since.
#1. Banned: Vertebreaker
VERTEBREAKER! https://t.co/51hX2YdM6c
The Vertebreaker was most famously used by The Hurricane (Shane Helms) throughout his career. The move can be a little complex to pull off and requires precise timing to execute it successfully without injuring the opponent. When you think about it, the margin for error is razor thin.
So it comes as no surprise that WWE banned the move from being used in the first place. The dangers behind the move and the aftereffects it may have if executed poorly would result in a wrestler being severely injured or even paralyzed.