5 Wrestling Innovations That Did As Much Harm As Good

5. Spanish Announce Table Wreckages

At WWF Survivor Series 1995, Diesel knocked Bret Hart off the apron and sent him careening through the Spanish announce table. It was shocking in and of itself - it was a company first - and was more awe-inspiring given that it occurred within the family-oriented context of the New Generation era.

Jim Cornette (naturally) blames Vince Russo for the proliferation of the spot in ensuing years. Russo purportedly lobbied for Undertaker to smash Kane through it on the post-Badd Blood episode of Monday Night RAW. Thankfully, clearer (read: Vince McMahon's) heads prevailed. 'Taker didn't exact physical retribution on Kane until months later, preserving the mystique and the suspense of what was one of the company's greatest ever long term storylines.

By 2017, the announce table had been destroyed countless times. Every major stipulation match invariably makes use of the trope, and while it has just about retained its awe, it has been done to death. It's often difficult to recall how often it has been used. It has become a meme - a shortcut for drama. Unless the structure is radically different - like AJ Styles Vs. Roman Reigns from Extreme Rules 2016 - it homogenises and makes mundane what is meant to be a unique attraction match.

It makes sense - it's right there, not stashed away incongruously under the ring - but the impact would resonate far more if it were used more sparingly. In the three WWE pay-per-views held in 2017, three tables have been broken already.