7 Shocking Times WWE Revived Banned Moves

Don't Call It A Comeback

Finn Balor Seth Rollins
WWE

Vince McMahon is a mad old f*cker.

Not new information, but relevant yet again following a Monday Night Raw main event that drew gasps at its climactic conclusion. Seth Rollins unleashed his first curb stomp in nearly three years, with a slow-motion replay and a brand new name suggesting that seemingly out-of-nowhere, it's back for good.

This isn't the first time 'The Architect' has been subject to the Chairman's whims. Only last year did Vince become infuriated with the second of silence in Rollins' entrance music. The hilarious insertion of a metal singer wailing 'BURN IT DOWN' had to be played down by Seth despite shocking the sh*t out of audiences for weeks before it disappeared again.

Getting his finisher back has probably made up for the musical snafu. Rollins' Pedigree never felt as prestigious as Triple H's, nor did he ever quite have the requisite bite to knock his foes out with a running knee. He's not the first to suffer the fate though.

Through various safety concerns, public relations manoeuvres or inexplicable urges, the company has put a halt on particularly severe spots only to reverse their decision down the line. Typically for pro wrestling, the return of a beloved hold or strike often generates a bigger response as a result.

7. Tombstone

Finn Balor Seth Rollins
WWE.com

The Undertaker's 2000 return as a leather-clad bike-riding 'American Bad Ass' saw him wreak havoc on the McMahon-Helmsley Regime, nailing both Triple H and Shane McMahon with Tombstones within 24 hours of his return. Only those two men would take them again for the better part of two years.

A spate of serious neck injuries in the late-1990s had resulted in long layoffs for some of the company's biggest-hitters. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the most notable absentee, taking nearly a year to recover from the surgery he required after an Owen Hart tombstone gone wrong two years earlier.

It was around this time that Vince McMahon issued an edict banning all piledrivers. Even the company cornerstone wasn't immune from The Chariman's whims. Upon his reimagined return to the main roster, The Undertaker introduced 'The Last Ride' powerbomb to circumvent the ban, until McMahon's stance later softened.

In 2001, it was coincidentally Triple H and Shane McMahon that took the move at WrestleMania and Survivor Series respectively. Feuds with The Rock and Ric Flair in 2002 represented a soft relaunch for the finisher before it returned full-time alongside his 'Deadman' persona in 2004.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett