10 Last WWE Stars To Take Banned Wrestling Moves

4. Kota Ibushi - Burning Hammer

Buckle Bomb Nia Jax
WWE.com

The four words in this entry's heading could hardly be more incongruous with the very fabric of WWE, but this actually happened.

Admittedly, it went under the radar in the adjacent underground of 2016's Cruiserweight Classic - which is probably why the men involved got away with it. The prospect of Kota Ibushi ever performing for WWE seems remarkable today. Equally remarkable is that Brian Kendrick's version of Kenta Kobashi's disgusting Death Valley Driver - known as wrestling's most dangerous move - didn't end the match.

Curiously, its feared reputation is not why the Burning Hammer is off the cards in WWE. FCW's lanky graduate Tyler Reks used a safer variant - the Scolding Hammer, if you will - during his tenure in the company, right up until it attracted the ire of a certain John Cena. Reckoning the move to be a rip-off of his Attitude Adjustment, Cena promptly had it barred from Reks' arsenal. Incidentally, the AA itself is a parody of the F5. Just saying.

Regardless, even with John Hollywood bound, it's improbable the Burning, nor even the Scolding Hammer, will be back on WWE screens any time soon.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.