10 Most DANGEROUS Finishing Moves In WWE History

[@conatser]

The Samoan Spike scared the mess out of me as a kid. I thought Umaga was ending people.

[@jonathonholifield3166]

Seriously? That deadly thumb, huh

[@glassraven91]

@@jonathonholifield3166 Seriously? As a kid? Yeah, probably.

[@conatser]

Seeing that it had enough tape to look like a cast on occasions, I thought a someone’s windpipe was being caved in.

[@vleaky3430]

I mean it is dangerous

[@tracichanel8132]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@moopert86]

Man, the Steiner Screwdriver really was something to behold. That Scott never killed anyone with it is just a testament to the dude's strength to get dudes in the right position.

[@tonycervz89]

Scott was a fucking beast bro his physique was amazing no homo

[@AshVPW]

Slight correction: the suplex piledriver (Steiner Screwdriver), while popularized by Scott Steiner, was invented by Jyushin Thunder Liger.

[@ritebrayned5657]

Top 5, bro

[@dizzygunner]

If it got used in AEW Excalibur would probs and up calling It a liger driver or something .

[@AshVPW]

@@dizzygunner no

[@dizzygunner]

@@AshVPW he definitely would, he calls a sitout power bomb a liger bomb ffs.

[@AshVPW]

@@dizzygunner No, he calls the Liger Bomb a Liger Bomb. There's a distinction.

[@venomousnate7263]

Man when Harley Race says a move like the diving headbutt is super dangerous, that is saying something.

[@jaydub2971]

Saturn's Brainbuster always struck me as a move that could be terrifyingly messed up if both performers weren't on point.

[@Sunprism]

Fun Fact: The only reason Brock Lesner didn't break his neck and paralyze himself during that botched shooting star press was because his massive traps padded the fall.

[@HermanFalckHow]

I love this as an urban myth but the real truth is we don't really know how close he was to getting paralyzed. Like we've seen worse neck hits go better and we've seen less bad neck hits actually break a neck. It's all angles, force, weight and luck. It's impossible to say his traps definitely saved him.

[@leviathan_is_me]

@@HermanFalckHow very true. All I can see is the indie guy trying the double moonsault and landing on his face....upside down....and backwards....and he finished the match. He continued wrestling for years.

[@SPOO87]

I was at wrestlemania 19 and saw him botch that in person. My heart wemt to my throat.

[@TOE813]

He definitely got cte though. Man that was brutal. But he was landing it in ovw

[@lenn7272]

its actually because Kurt moved at the last second. If he would have actually hit Angle, he would not be wrestling at all. Angle caught that timing perfectly.

[@TheForeverRanger]

Helms has also noted that the finisher never would have worked for him in a place like WWE due to the fact that he could only use the Vertebreaker on the much smaller wrestlers.

[@grey1288]

When I saw Michelle McCool do her own version of Styles Clash back at the Rumble earlier this year, I thought it was the safest version of the move.

[@jokeroutlaw78jr45]

Whoa whoa I’m sorry, Scott Steiner invented the 450 splash?!

[@nicktaylor2657]

I always thought it was 2 Cold Scorpio

[@FraserSouris]

Apparently yes. Scott Steiner is the first known person to use the 450 Splash back in 1987

[@chihollywood9379]

@@FraserSouris i know he invented da Frankensteiner but da 450 2???🤯

[@PowerFromAbove]

@@chihollywood9379 yes he did. He innovated MANY moves

[@robertmyles9124]

If I remember correctly, the flying headbutt was banned after the Benoit tragedy after the move was determined to be a major contributing factor to the severe CTE he was found to be suffering from during the autopsy.

[@andu1854]

Harley Race said not to use the move and Dynamite Kid ended up in a wheel chair … the move is no bueno

[@Brodysseus]

Yes. Orton "punted" Ric Flair. Too bad we missed seeing it when the lights went out.

[@mycahjofficial]

*The Vertebreaker definitely comes to mind when it comes to deadliest finishing moves*

[@GageB10100]

So does Santino Marella’s Cobra

[@aleeking2602]

@@GageB10100 cobra doesnt look dangerous till the other guy drops like he got shot 😁

[@GageB10100]

@@aleeking2602 remember how JTG sold the cobra by shaking in place like he got tased 😂

[@aleeking2602]

@@GageB10100 🤣hilarous

[@jagenigma]

I remember how styles saved Ellsworths' neck

[@jimbo_1312]

After what happened with Adrian McCallum I'm not surprised he took extra steps, even though it wasn't his fault I imagine that would rattle you.

[@aleeking2602]

His chin woulda shattered lol

[@jagenigma]

@@aleeking2602 what chin?

[@aleeking2602]

@@jagenigma exactly lol

[@andu1854]

The flying headbutt, messed up everyone who did that stupid move (wow it’s always awesome when the guy doing the Move looks like it hurt him more that who got hit with the move)

[@ErrorMessage01]

Kinda related, but I love editing wrestlers move sets on WWE 2K and giving them abnormal moves. Like the Big Show doing 450splash or Stone Cold doing Sweet Chin Music! 😂

[@nestorrodriguez6704]

I remember Crash Holly doing the "Styles Clash" like around 2002.

[@Oliviacaptain]

Didn't he used to call his version the "Crash Landing"?!?

[@nobodywantsthethimble]

Glad the Vertebreaker made the list. One of the reasons Shane Helms was one of my favorite wrestlers in the dying WCW. It’s just scary looking. I hated watching him do it, but I couldn’t look away.

[@mposh]

it's got the perfect name too.

[@jvstice56]

Two things I take away from this video: the fact that Scott Steiner invented TWO of my all time favorite moves breaks my mind. Goes to show how athletic he was in the early 90s. As for everything on this list, I tend to view the diving headbutt as the most dangerous move on this list. Given how all four men had some form of head or neck related issues down the line, I say its ban is more than justified.

[@evrbody]

Not only that, but Scott also invented the moonsault powerslam.

[@Vancetes]

I'm surprised that Brian Kendrick was able to get away with using the Burning Hammer during the CWC. Even Kenta Kobashi (the inventor of the Burning Hammer) regretted inventing the move.

[@afd19850]

I think there is a safer version if they transition it to a DDT type move (like Gangrels finishe) ibut just as an inverted DVD its dangerous.

[@Vancetes]

@@afd19850 I would think transitioning to something like a cutter might make it safer but the person setting up the finisher would have to be quite strong.

[@Disxreet]

Scott Steiner is a fucking legend bruh. Even more so. I had no idea he invented the 450... aaannnd he invented the "suplex piledriver" as well...good lord

[@sadetwizelve]

He didn't,he did it on tv first but 2 cold scorpio used it earlier

[@Disxreet]

@@sadetwizelve thanks for the lesson

[@IronClawGaming]

Brian Cage actually does a modified version of the Steiner Screwdriver except instead of a sitout piledriver he drives his opponents down with a Michanoku Driver instead which is MUCH safer.

[@afd19850]

Drill Claw

[@Hinata0928]

The Punt Kick for me was the most dangerous finisher. Had Randy not controlled his speed and strength doing it, he would legitly break anybody's cranium, or neck.

[@MrAce-lm8es]

Bret Hart's original 1984 - 90 Run in the World Wrestling Federation, he used the Piledriver. Safest man to ever perform the move.

[@alexa5675]

I was born in 1986... You old 🤣

[@MB-yj8hm]

Before the video started and as I watched the countdown to #1, I kept thinking, "They better have the Steiner Screwdriver on this list." Bravo CW.

[@The1AndOnlyGoldenboy]

If you go outside of WWE, there's some really crazy shit like the Ganzo Bomb and the Burning Hammer. Shit that can legitimately cripple people if it isn't done perfectly.

[@ShinyMew76]

I have always wished that they’d bring back the piledriver, it’s my favorite move. They do it in AEW quite often and safely. If anything, the tornado ddt which is one of the most used moves in WWE is just as dangerous, and they used it out of the ring often too. They land in a similar way and flip over like a fish. If that’s allowed than why not a piledriver? Also did anyone notice Cody Rhodes going for a Kudo Driver at backlash? That looked dangerous

[@NephilimHunter1959]

To me it's a good thing certain moves aren't done often, a piledriver should only be done in certain situations like in big feuds because it makes the move feel that much more dangerous.

[@ShinyMew76]

@@NephilimHunter1959 I can understand that, it’s the fact that it’s never used in WWE. Not rarely used, never used.

[@thatoneguycisco5412]

No much hate to the wwe in this regard. Last time it was used their top star (we all know who) got their career ended early with a botched piledriver

[@whitemamba24xe98]

The banzai drop should be here! If done incorrectly, that move could shatter your chest and rib cage! Just image a 400+pound Samoan dropping their butt and all that weight on top of you??? Very scary

[@stevegallo8483]

Yokozuna was bigger than 400 pounds. He was more than 500 pounds.

[@Bradphil87]

To be fair to HHH he’s pretty safe using the pedigree. The angle one was a freak accident because the table broke while they were setting it up and the other one was a guy taking it wrong. Towards the later stages he wouldn’t even keep their arms hooked anymore and would let go of them right when he jumped making it even safer

[@citizenstrife]

Kidman's version was always potentially hazardous. I'm not sure if it was always like this, but he's lean to the left during the move, and I even saw the Chavo one. Kidman's knee just went bam into Chavo's poor face. Evan Bourne/Matt Sydal always seemed to go straight, which is probably why he never seemed to hurt anyone that often, if at all.

[@COYBIG1967]

I totally see the point to this list and I like how it’s mentioned over and over that they done this safely over and over so that we aren’t just laying into the wrestlers but if you take a step back and think of it , for example with triple h , the amount of safe pedigrees he’s given , it’s Gould be impossible to do that and not hurt someone , it shows you how amazing these wrestlers are , I know we are so use to super high flying stuff now so I think we sometimes lose sight of how amazing and impressive these moves are and to be done safely are so impressed. Sadly like most of the older pros have said many times the fact the matches are now basically a high spot fest is doing the wrestlers no good cos things that should be absolutely applauded and looked amazing are now been seen as totally normal or boring . I personally in the last 6 months think I’ve seen wwe return to better story line driven matches with not quite so much high spot fests for no reason and I like that , I think Cody Rhodes is going to really help this changes along with of course ppl like aj edge orton and more imagine al those ppl really telling a story , really could be a special period in wwe coming up, I hope.

[@eliptkarnage27]

an honorable mention i feel would be the sea ton bomb. cause that move constantly would cause wrestlers to have the wind knocked out of them not quite as dangerous, but the sea ton bomb has knocked the wind out of more people than have been injured by each of these moves, wrestlers were against taking it

[@IlGreven]

Orton's punt of Flair was augmented by the lights going out just as he was doing it, too (thanks to the burgeoning Retribution angle)...which means all they really had to do was hit something else really hard...

[@billdenny9599]

don't forget the dreaded "HEART PUNCH!!!!!" LOL

[@BmanTheChamp]

11:52 I assume you added Kurt Angle into the mix when making that calculation?

[@VillaFanDan92]

It's interesting how a lot of these moves rely on the person taking the move to not be dangerous.

[@nixtrostrike]

10:09 Does anyone know who Jerry Lawler is holding here?

[@ajdynamo6866]

Looks like Aldo Montoya

[@sadetwizelve]

5:23 scorpio did it earlier,scott just did it first on tv

[@horrorsage1346]

"Joe didn't have a reputation for recklessness" Except us RoH fans called his final run the "Joe hurts everyone tour" because he kept roughing up the talent. Honestly he was sloppy as hell till HHH got a hold of him

[@cliffjumper1984]

My backyard wrestler "Flying Colors" Delayed Northern Lights Suplex......The Starplex....But when you are 16 years old...6ft, and old 155lbs....no one goes straight up...thats why it was dangerous LOL

[@terrythomas316]

G'day Adam what about the roll up that's taken down a few people 😂 good luck for hell in a smell keep up with great work

[@veryananduren8513]

"Scott Steiner invented the 450° splash" is a fact that dealt me psychic damages O_o

[@sadetwizelve]

Scorpio did,steiner did it on tv first

[@everett-tnredsfan]

Brian Cages drill claw looks almost identical to The Big Poppas screwdriver.

[@derrickhaggard]

That's because it is only Brian switched out the Piledriver part for the Michinoku Driver to make it safer.

[@thelegendseanm]

How about a list of managers based on the success of their charges. You may have a manager with very few memorable charges (Arnold Skaaland - Bruno Sammartino) or Harley Race (Vader, Lex Lugar) and some with much larger stables. It would be interesting to see how you would rank them

[@przemboy2007]

Love the editing

[@pedrorivas4643]

i'd love if people didn't kick out of personal moves and finishers were more protected, if its a finisher there's no reason people kick out every single match of them

[@btf_flotsam478]

With the remarks about #3, maybe a list of moves dangerous for the person doing it could make a good list. The 630 Senton springs to mind.

[@MrAce-lm8es]

Billy Kidman, The Greatest Performer of "The Shooting Star Press", hands down.

[@PowerRangerfan]

The Canadian Destroyer while not a WWE finisher is perhaps one of the most dangerous moves.

[@Danielpeter2344]

I believe Randy’s punt is no more than him bumping his shin against the taker’s head and then extending his leg all the way.

[@ImagineABear]

Stevie Richards taking the Styles Clash on his neck was 100% a work.

[@COYBIG1967]

That Owen hart one hurts in so many ways, the damage and of course physical pain it gave to Austin but also just the fact that it was owen bcos he was such a wonderful wrestler and technically brilliant. I just have no idea what made him do it that way avatar being asked but to . Anyways mistakes happen sadly and of course sadly owen would of course lose his life to one. Miss that guy so much

[@sadetwizelve]

The most dangerous moves are the tombstone piledriver and powerbomb. Tombstone has no room for error,you can be paralyzed. Powerbomb slams you on your back and skull,if it isn't flat and spread,you can get concussed

[@Emper0rH0rde]

How Finn Balor is able to perform his finisher without absolutely caving in his opponent's ribs is beyond me.

[@PapaMatt107]

Luckily, James Elsworth has no chin so he was able to take that nasty Style's Clash from AJ on Smackdown.

[@big_tea1983]

Rakishis opponents heads may have been safe from the impact but they were far from a safe place

[@stevegallo8483]

No mention of Seth Rollins' bucklebomb? That move put Finn Balor on the shelf for a long time and ended Sting's in ring career in WWE.

[@benj4558]

Wasn’t a finisher.

[@REDACTED9494]

What about the Super Dragon version of the curb stomp?

[@theamazingcj2748]

The reason Vince suffered a concussion is because he told Randy to actually kick him. Like full on punt him in the head. If he would've taken it and sold it like a normal person, he would've been fine.

[@JDjade1]

Honorable Mention: The Beverly Brothers' Shaker Heights Spike and Yokozuna's Banzai Drop

[@jakemitchell1132]

I think since it was used in the Cruiserweight Classic, which is technically WWE, the Burning Hammer should be #1 on this list. I mean when even the innovator of the move has only used it 7 times because of the danger involved, it deserves to be #1.

[@ShieTar_]

I think that would only be true for the way that Kenta Kobashi originally did it, with his opponent going very straight down. A lot of other wrestlers have picked it up (Lufisto must have done hundreds of it by now), but they usually modified it to give their opponent a lot more sidewards momentum, so they pretty safely land on their backs, not their shoulders/heads. Brian Kendrick on the other hand did a pretty classical version in the CWC, so you might have point on this one specifically ;-)

[@afd19850]

@@ShieTar_ 100% its almost an inverted FU/ DDT

[@martinrubio4410]

The styles clash is a sick move

[@dalangrimes5494]

So let’s debate who did it better Scott Steiner with the Steiner screwdriver or Brian Cage with the drill claw?

[@victorstewartjr.106]

Screwdriver is STILL my go to finisher for my character on No Mercy.

[@glencurtis6052]

Every move is potentially dangerous if the person taking it doesn't know how to

[@zulkamal9191]

Tombstone Piledriver Are One Of The Best

[@ryanwainwright6934]

no burning hammer?

[@YarnLalms711]

Wait, Scott Steiner invented the 450?

[@FraserSouris]

Apparently yes. Scott Steiner is the first known person to use the 450 Splash back in 1987

[@YarnLalms711]

@@FraserSouris that's wild

[@martinrubio4410]

The punt that kick in the head brutal

[@losnamerales3403]

Steiner screwdriver oh how I love that move

[@Ayyem93]

Scott Steiner really was an innovator

[@sadetwizelve]

Steiner did it on tv first but scorpio did it first

[@Ayyem93]

@@sadetwizelve What?

[@sadetwizelve]

@@Ayyem93 read it over

[@Ayyem93]

@@sadetwizelve You just said "it". Not what specifically he did, just that he did "it". Steiner innovated tons of stuff, you're gonna have to be a bit clearer.

[@sadetwizelve]

@@Ayyem93 so what are you asking what for? He wasn't the first to use the move.

[@britneyspearsvillarosa]

Orton's Punt Kick is the most dangerous finishing move and the Hell's Gate (The Undertaker's Submission)

[@unfixingbowl5454]

Man dude I’m here questioning when these dudes are going to run out of ideas on these top 10 videos, I hope never 😂

[@TheForeverRanger]

The double foot stomp should be on here because if done incorrectly can kill the person taking the move because where the person giving it lands.

[@SnapGrapplePop]

I’d still rather take most of these than a swanton from Jeff Hardy right now.

[@Tactical_Hotdog]

A local wrestler Adrian "Lionheart" McCallum tucked for a Styles clash at an Indy and broke his neck. He recovered and carried on his career before sadly taking his own life in 2019. RIP Hearto 🦁💜

[@rustycox7741]

Jericho made fun of him for it on his podcast too when interviewing AJ.

[@chrislouden6702]

Paul Orndorf was the master of the piledriver

[@DosSantos_leyenda]

Surprised that the Burning Hammer wasn’t mentioned

[@wyattstuart1104]

Do the safest

[@nicktaylor2657]

I was surprised the Burning Hammer wasn't on the list since it's basically a Torture Rack into a Brain buster Bianca Bel-Air KOD is similar but much less dangerous

[@afd19850]

The Kobashi version is dangerous but those that use it kinda turn it into an inverted FU/DDT.

[@jackwells8107]

I don't know how dangerous it actually is, if anyone has really been hurt by it, but I'm surprised you didn't mention the Canadian Destroyer. That move LOOKS like it should kill people on a regular basis. Or is that considered a pile driver variation?

[@DoomTooth]

Surprised the Burning Hammer wasn't on here

[@lenn7272]

Steiner was strong enough to keep anyone who took it away from the canvas. Dude gets a lot of hate and sucked at the end of his career, but early on he was probably one of the best.

[@johnytwotimes4072]

Scott Steiner was the most innovative wrestler for a while back when guys like him didn't have to. Do not say the word hurricanrana in his presence 😱

[@dylanogg347]

All joking aside, no one took the Styles Clash worse than poor Lionheart.

[@DarthSmirnoff]

How in the hell did the "Shaker Heights Spike" not make this list? You basically throw a guy up in the air, and then try to lawn dart his head into the mat.

[@aleeking2602]

Who does that move ?

[@DarthSmirnoff]

@@aleeking2602 The Beverly Brothers. Tag team from like the early 90s?

[@aleeking2602]

@@DarthSmirnoff yeah i remember them i was really young though

[@FretzlemaniaPod]

At second glance, the Samoan spike looks like a lariat

[@majinpvegeta]

Steiner Screwdriver looks a lot like the Drill Claw..

[@daltonpinell6251]

How about the Beverly Bros' Shaker Heights Spike? You know the clip I'm talking about

[@UNCFIPP]

Can we argue that Scorpio invented the 450,but Steiner was the first to use it on a NATIONAL stage??

[@TheCharlesCote]

What about the Shaker Heights Spike ?

[@adom626]

Fin Balor should be on this list!

[@chadharger9323]

What about Big Van Vader. Safe Wrestler and BVV are words you do not see in the same sentences in that order. According to Bret Hart, taking a safe bump from BVV is still the same as being hit by a cement truck.

[@PowerRangerfan]

Marty Garner is lucky that that pedigree didn't actually kill him. That could have easily been very tragic.

[@tofuyeahman439]

I mean, what about lost in the woods?

[@olivermcguire2545]

Y’all remember the piledriver rikishi used to do ???

[@eyzzquare7811]

Brian Cage's version of Steiner screwdriver/Drill claw is much safer.

[@sadetwizelve]

9:00 wrong,Gory Guerrero

[@duckydarrick7460]

Yeah, the regular piledriver is banned but yet they'll let a hip-hop singer do an even crazier version of it in his very first match...

[@felipefarias8853]

Hearing Scott Steiner invented the 450 splash made let out a what the fuck out loud

[@raymoreclef]

Did CM Punk ever preform the Pepsi Plunge in WWE?

[@sirekumasutra7022]

Good list and of course so many moves to consider like the Curb Stomp, Tongan death grip, top rope bulldog, Avalanche (corner and ground running version).

[@derrickhaggard]

They actually banned the Curb Stomp for a while due to Seth Rollins accidentally botching the move during his initial solo heel run as the Authority's Golden Boy during his early feud with Dean Ambrose basically during said feud in a match with Dean instead "stomping" safely on the side of Dean's head like he usually does when preforming the move he actually stomped on the back of Dean's head causing the future Jon Moxley to be KO'd for a few minutes with Dean suffering some minor to medium level head trauma and a mild to medium concussion it was after the Curb Stomp was banned that Seth started to use the Pedigree as his finisher. Another finisher of his that would be banned in WWE for a while was the Buckle Bomb which as the name implies is hitting the opponent with a Powerbomb into the corner and this was banned for a while after Seth infamously botched the execution of the move during his match against Sting at Night of Champions. And Seth on both occasions stated he doesn't blame Vince for banning the two finishers admitting that his botching of their execution could've led to Dean and Sting being seriously injured or worse.