Why The Piledriver Is Banned In WWE, Explained 

WWE is a place in which fans have seen men thrown off the top of cages, people driven into thumbtacks, implied murders, wrestlers getting burned alive, and much more, but sometimes even the choreographed nature of the sport can become a bit too dangerous. Even though WWE has hosted its fair share of crazy moments, with wrestlers performing moves which hold a high-risk, there is one which has not been permitted for quite some time. The piledriver is a move which can still be seen all around the world, with the likes of AEW and NJPW using it regularly, but in WWE it is banned. Fans may wonder as to why exactly this is the case.

Many Wrestlers Used To Use The Piledriver Both In And Out Of WWE

The Piledriver Is A Major Move In Pro Wrestling

• It was more frequent to see the piledriver in the 1980s and 1990s in WWE
• Jerry Lynn and Terry Funk did variations of the piledriver
• The Undertaker was known for his tombstone piledriver

Throughout wrestling history, and even in WWE, the piledriver has been used by a whole host of individuals, with different variations of the moves being made famous, with Paul Orndorff performing the spike piledriver, which involved a jump, Jerry Lynn using a cradle piledriver, and Terry Funk with a scary-looking running piledriver. Not to mention the iconic tombstone piledriver, performed by The Undertaker.

For the most part, all of these individuals and others who used the conventional sit-down piledriver did so without much issue, and it was a commonplace move in the wrestling world, much like a suplex, powerslam, DDT, clothesline, and more. However, even though several of those who performed the move did so with care, protection, and fluidity, there were some instances where this wasn’t the case, and it led to WWE banning this maneuver.

Steve Austin’s Neck Injury Showed How Dangerous The Piledriver Can Be

Steve Austin’s Career Was Permanently Altered In A Match With Owen Hart

• Steve Austin suffered a serious neck injury at SummerSlam 1997
• Steve Austin was paralyzed for a moment by Owen Hart
• Steve Austin’s injury caused a change in WWE’s piledriver policy

The most prominent example of an individual suffering an injury due to the piledriver was when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was on the receiving end of a wayward move from Owen Hart. Austin’s head was too low, and he was plunged into the mat, causing a bruised spinal column and temporary paralysis for one of WWE’s biggest ever babyfaces. In 1997, in a match at SummerSlam, both Hart and Austin knew instantly that something had gone wrong.

Pro Wrestling Stories detailed the reactions to the injury, with Austin explaining:

“As soon as my head hit that mat, I was thinking Christopher Reeve. Cause I thought I was never gonna walk again, ever. I couldn’t feel anything from my neck down.”

Austin would continue wrestling for the next five years, but it wasn’t without several absences, a lot of pain, and damage that would affect him during his retirement as well. For WWE, the risk of something like this happening again was simply not worth it. Additionally, WWE were pushing their “don’t try this at home” policy, especially after being a publicly traded company, so protecting both fans and its wrestlers was a high priority.

The Piledriver Has Been Seen In WWE Even After The Ban

WWE Has Made Exceptions To Their Own Rule About The Piledriver

• The Tombstone version of the piledriver was allowed in WWE
• Wrestlers have gotten in trouble for doing a piledriver
• The move has not been seen since The Undertaker retired

In 2000, WWE officially banned the piledriver, though it wasn’t long until some exceptions were made. Both The Undertaker and Kane were allowed to perform the tombstone variation. A big reason for this was due to this version being far safer, with the chance of their opponents’ head hitting the mat being much less, and due to the move being such a staple part of their respective characters. Aside from the pair, and those who used the move against The Undertaker specifically, the piledriver has not been used in WWE – apart from one unique occasion.

During a match between CM Punk and John Cena in 2013, often regarded as one of the best Raw matches in history, Punk hit Cena with the piledriver, which was a huge shock given the ban. The pair got into trouble for this, receiving heat backstage. Fans will have also noticed that in recent times, the Canadian Destroyer has been used on WWE programming, even though it bears a striking resemblance to the piledriver. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, McMahon saw the move in NXT and asked why they aren’t using moves like that on the main roster – even though it was he who banned them in the first place.

The conventional piledriver will likely never make a return though, and it is probably the correct decision given that it would provide pointless risks to safety. There are plenty of other moves that are effective without needing to pull out a move which has caused issues for wrestlers in the past. Some wrestlers disagree with this, such as Matt Hardy, who explained on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy his take on the ban. He said:

“Do I think it’s a good thing it’s banned? Not necessarily. I think if you have someone who knows what they’re doing and they’re strong I think it’s a fine move.” (h/t
Inside The Ropes
)

Although he may have a point, it still feels needless to risk it.