10 Wrestlers Banned From Using THEIR OWN Moves

1. The Hurricane

Nakamura Samoa Joe Muscle Buster
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It's a familiar tale, and one that brings this list to a close: virtually every cool move was banned by Vince McMahon for much of the 21st century because they looked very cool, dangerous and required a mastery of the pro wrestling form to execute safely.

But here's the thing: shouldn't WWE, as the biggest wrestling company of all time, hire the best masters of the craft and encourage them to execute the most spectacular moves ever seen?

That's the way it should go, surely. Instead, they are the recognised global leader in doing too many chinlocks. That might be an old take, but then again, the weekly TV is still a bit methodical, isn't it?

Helms' Vertebreaker was amazing - the sort of thing that would make Jim Ross say "Holy sh*t what's that?" when he isn't referring to an extra playing ring girl - but he was told not to use it very swiftly.

To his eternal credit, the Hurricane was one of the first athletically gifted but hardly monstrous performers who first learned how to game the WWE system. He was actually a pioneer in this regard: he got over by going the whole hog with a silly act expressly designed to pop Vince McMahon's dumber impulses.

He made a career out of it. Can't do that with a super indie-friendly finish.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!