Is ‘Piledriver’ move banned in WWE?

Piledriver is one of the most controversial moves in pro wrestling

In the 11/08 episode of SmackDown chaos ensued as Kevin Owens landed ‘Piledriver’ on Randy Orton. The two were involved in a feud that involved multiple brawls but the 11/08 episode crossed all limits.

The November 08, 2024 episode of Friday Night SmackDown was aired live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, United States. During the programming, ‘The Viper’ Randy Orton appeared and called out Owens as he wanted to settle the dispute.

Owens and Orton’s grudge match at Crown Jewel PLE ended in a non-finish as the two started decimating each other before the match even started. Orton was on the bad end of the brawl as he received a beating at the hands of his former friend.

During their brawl on SmackDown, the WWE officials tried to separate the two and were successful in their attempt, but the attempts went in vain as Owens attacked the security and landed a piledriver on The Viper. The Viper was hospitalized due to the attack by his former friend.

The Piledriver was banned in the 2000s

The move involves the wrestler lifting their opponent, flipping them upside down, and then dropping into a sitting or kneeling position which drives the opponent’s head into the mat. This controversial technique is believed to have been pioneered by Wild Bill Longson.

The Piledriver is one of the most brutal moves for a wrestler to take, and it was banned in the 2000s due to the risk involved. The move was banned following WWE SummerSlam 1997, where Owen Hart executed a piledriver on Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Austin’s head was driven into the mat, resulting in temporary paralysis and damage to his spinal cord. While he was fortunate to survive the injury, his in-ring performance was forever impacted. Due to the lingering effects of his injuries, Austin was forced to significantly adjust his wrestling style.

The devastating effect of the move is if landed the wrong way, surprisingly the move is safer to receive as long as the opponent remembers to tuck their head before the landing. This makes sure that their head doesn’t connect with the ground resulting in serious injury.

"I can't breathe" – Randy Orton#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/unl1smo8zL

— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) November 9, 2024

The Viper had already taken a lot of damage during Crown Jewel PLE, the controversial move was the final nail in the coffin. The Viper was rushed to the hospital after the attack as he complained of having problems breathing.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was in the arena to check on his friend, accompanied by Nick Aldis and WWE officials as the WWE legend was loaded onto the ambulance.

The margin of error for this move is very thin which increases the risk of a wrestler being seriously injured as it involves direct contact to the head and neck.

In recent years, some variations of the piledriver have been permitted for use by experienced wrestlers, and it is not prohibited in certain wrestling promotions, such as All Elite Wrestling(AEW).

On the 11/15 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, General Manager Nick Aldis in his segment with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes stressed the fact that such a controversial move was banned by the promotion due to its dangerous nature.

“There’s a reason why this move is outlawed in this company…because we don’t want this generation to end up in wheelchairs in 20 years.”— Nick Aldis on the Piledriver #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/nUTKadkNxp

— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) November 16, 2024

“There’s a reason why this move is outlawed in this company…because we don’t want this generation to end up in wheelchairs in 20 years.” the GM said.

Aldis’ statement highlights the severity of the danger posed by the move, while also demonstrating the promotion’s commitment to keeping their athletes safe and preventing long-lasting damage.

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