10 Times Controversy Inspired WWE Changes

Concussions are no joke.

Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of one will tell you that the mixture of debilitating symptoms - including amnesia, slurred speech and nausea - are not to be scoffed at.

Yet, it's the long term effects on the brain that are the real cause for concern. Which is something that WWE found out all too late in 2007, when one of their most valued employees caused the double-murder of his wife and son - before committing suicide.

Chris Benoit had spent his entire career putting his body on the line and diving head-first (literally) into any challenge that lay ahead of him. It's what made Benoit one of the company's most popular stars, yet a backlog of untreated concussions eventually caught up with Benoit and - after a series of post-mortem tests on his brain - it was revealed that he had the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient.

These findings sparked WWE into banning all weaponized head-shots and enforcing a new ImPACT Concussion Management Program, which would specialize in monitoring and diagnosing potential concussions.

A clear example of this system being used positively involved Daniel Bryan being forced to retire due to seizures being caused by a series of concussions in 2016. Bryan would remarkably return after being medically cleared, but concussions have finally been given the respect and care needed to ensure the safety of all the talent under the WWE banner.