The last time this move was seen in a WWE ring, it was used by Kid Kash. But it has been used recently in TNA by Austin Aries, and has notable use in Japan. To keep it simple, this maneuver is a vertical Suplex (theres a pattern here, isnt there?), but instead of having the recipient fall backwards and land on their shoulders/back, once they are fully vertical, the user falls back, sending the victim supposedly falling towards the mat head or face-first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXSLo-t_yO4 The Brainbuster was banned because the danger is obvious: improper landing on the part of the victim can cause a concussion or broken neck. Essentially, the recipient of the move has to trust the user to hold their bodies in perfect position so that, on one hand, the impact looks realistic enough, while at the same time preventing the victims head from actually hitting the mat and causing any damage. It is possible for the recipient to twist their body so that they land on their shoulders/upper back at the last second, but this is very difficult. Furthermore, since the Brainbuster is technically a variation of the DDT, the WWE would probably be more at ease in having its talent use safer versions of that move than the Brainbuster. After all, its better to fall on face from a standing height than to fall on your head and neck from being lifted up in the air and turned upside down.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
