The Diving Headbutt | WrestleZone Forums

May 2024 ยท 3 minute read
It's funny, I was only thinking about the diving headbutt the other day and came to similar conclusions regarding the move.

The move is dangerous, there is no disputing that fact, but I think most of you are focusing too much on the brain trauma it inflicts and are forgetting the trauma it causes to the spine. The way the user lands, especially with prolonged use, has a devastating effect on the spine. I'm fairly sure it's one of the main reasons Dynamite is in such a bad state. With a splash from the top the force is distributed around the body a bit better. With the headbutt the spine takes the brunt of the landing and is, essentially, being forced to bend the wrong way.

While the brain trauma should obviously not be overlooked one should remember that it's not THE reason for Benoit's condition, but rather contributed towards it. The damage it does to the spine will affect a worker much sooner.

However, I would be against a total ban on the move. The problem with the headbutt is prolonged usage and Benoit's problem was that it became a staple of his routine and he used it near enough every week.

Were Daniel Bryan to use the headbutt twice a year is it going to shorten his career? No. Further, using it sparingly will maximise the effectiveness. Benoit's prolonged usage not only shortened his career but took away from the impact the move had on the audience.

If 'Taker was doing his annual over the top dive every week would it evoke such a gasp? No. And you can be damn sure we wouldn't be seeing him wrestle an annual 'Mania match at this stage either.

Totally banning the move is a complete overreaction. Somebody like Bryan using the move as a regular signature simply makes him a fool who doesn't learn from the past.

Using the move once or twice a year is a happy medium and the most logical solution to the problem.

This whole thread brings up a very interesting discussion though. The headbutt is hardly the most dangerous move in wrestling at the moment, not by a long shot. Trent Baretta's TNA finisher, Kaz's belly-to-back piledriver and others are much, much more dangerous and appear quite easy to botch - which would end in a Droz like injury.

Hell, I always thought the Styles Clash was FAR too dangerous to be used and I certainly hope that's why we don't really see it anymore. The Stevie Richards botch should NOT have resulted in Stevie walking away like he did.

The key to these dangerous moves is not to allow a wrestler to add them to their signatures OR use them as a finisher. That maximises the potential for disaster. Use them sparingly and, not only will they elicit a huge response when they are used, but it will minimise the potential for disaster.

Banning the moves outright and doing nothing are both unnecessary extreme responses at opposite ends of the spectrum. There's a happy medium to this argument.

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