6 Wrestling Finishers That Were Discovered By Accident

4. Diving Head Butt (Harley Race)

The Miz Daniel Bryan
WWE

The spectacular Diving Head Butt will forever be one of WWE's most contentious moves. Throwing themselves high up into the air, the likes of The Dynamite Kid, Chris Benoit and Daniel Bryan have all come crashing down head first onto rivals. It looks like it hurts, probably because it does.

Harley Race, better-known for keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground, never meant to invent it.

One night, Race went to the top rope and attempted a simple Splash. He botched it, his head struck his opponent's and the move was born. Much like McIntyre with his Claymore Kick, Harley knew the spot looked cool, so he repeated it again and again. In time, it became a go-to move respected by wrestlers who considered themselves workhorses.

The damage caused to the neck and spine is obvious, and it's a heart-stopping moment to see Bryan perform it on TV today knowing his history. It was hardly his fault, and he couldn't have known it at the time, but Race could've saved a lot of pain, had he pulled off that Splash.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.