WWE Bans Chairshots to the Head

Posted by Marc Middleton on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

- WWE has updated its talent Wellness policy with a section about concussions. Part of WWE’s effort to limit the number of concussions sustained by its Superstars is a ban on chairshots to the head, which actually went into effect back in January. The section on chairshots reads:

*The WWE has eliminated using folding metal chairs to “strike” an opponent in the head.

*The WWE penalizes through fine and/or suspension the following:

-The intentional use of a folding metal chair to “strike” an opponent in the head.

-Any blow to the head that is deemed an INTENTIONAL act.

*The fine and/or suspension will be directed by the EVP of Talent Relations.

WWE spokesperson Robert Zimmerman recently commented to Connecticut’s Hartford Courant newspaper about the chairshot ban:

“In January 2010, WWE amended its Talent Wellness Program, specifically regarding the ImPACT™ Concussion Management Program originally instituted in 2008, eliminating the use of folding chairs or props to “strike” an opponent in the head.”

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47 Responses to WWE Bans Chairshots to the Head:

Matt
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:30 AM
um what constitutes intentional?
its like whoever wrote this doesn’t know its fake
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Kano
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:36 AM
This has gone to far whats next no hitting each other.
I cant wait till this hole Linda running for governor or what ever she is doing is over and then maybe they can stop all this PC rubbish.
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Gimmick Guy
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:40 AM
oxymoron to say the least…
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Gimmick Guy
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:43 AM
if they are going to ban anything it should be tight @ss’ed trunks, you know like the ones batista wears.
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annonymouse
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:47 AM
have they ever ‘hit’ someone in the head? all i ever see is someone’s hands get hit
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luckysalt
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:53 AM
Foley doesn’t work for WWE anymore, ther was no need for this
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Mabry
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 9:59 AM
mixed feelings here…. wwe has got to protect their talent, chairshots to the head could be dangerous, check on Chris Benoit, he head was very mesed up (of course for a bunch o other things such as the diving head butt). i dont think this has anything to do with PG TV…. i actually never enjoyed seing Mankind geting hit in da head with chairs….. i dont know, the early 90`s didnt have chairshots and it was really fun to watch anyways….
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Danarchy
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Come on next they’ll ban Chops cause it makes there chest red this is SHITE
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edgehead15
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Wait wait wait wait, WWE who the hell are you trying to fool? When’s the last time anyone where actually saw a full blown chair shot to the head? Last time I checked they blocked with a hand!
Concussion my ass!
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Wrestling Guru #1
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:19 AM
I am against this. That being said, with the pg era calling for no more blood this only makes sense. I mean When Cena and Orton had the I quit match it was ridiculus that no one bled! The no bleeding also ruins Hell in a Cell matches and killed any chance of an Elimination Chamber themed pay per view of being remotely worth ordering!!! You hear that Vince!! PG Era sucks!!!! I am switching to TNA!!! Where blood flows free!!!!!
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Steve
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:21 AM
Shame they didn’t do this a few years earlier, after all the Beniot stuff its a good move and lets be honest, we don’t need full on unprotected chair shots to the head.
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Deva469
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:38 AM
wwe is really messing up wrestling , they dont even want to claim its wrestling but “entertainment”… not that using chairshots is ban, next will be cage matches because the talent can get hurt.
I think they might start to hire the “barney” dinosaur to help bring in more kids and ratings since they are geniuses over there
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Venom
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:38 AM
I remember when Undertaker wrestle Lesnar for the title. Lesnar took a nice shot to the head with a chair. He didn’t even block it. I think it was No Mercy 2002.
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Wrestling Guru #1
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Taker, Lesnar, and paul heyman all Bled in that match as well!! Taker Bled a lot!! Lesnar reversed the Tombstone into the F-5 it was awesome!! God I miss the F-5!!
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Logan
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 10:47 AM
First piledrivers (except Tombstones), Shoot Star Press (for awhile), now chair shots to the head….the PG idea sucks.
So does Sweet Chin Music or Trouble in Paradise count as a “blow to the head”?
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Dominic
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:03 AM
I remember the time Matt and Jeff jumped Lesnar in the ring and Jeff hit him with the sickest chair shot I have ever seen. Check out the short clip here to jog your memory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AItQ8uknmcE
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whathuh
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:10 AM
i can already whats next “Clotheslines are now banned due to possibly decapitating a opponet”
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Keith Learmonth
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:24 AM
There’s no problem here. Chairshots to the head are dangerous… they can still use the arms for protection, therefore avoiding contact… this will only really affect a mere handful of wrestlers.
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UmutBrasco
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:55 AM
after this story i can definitly say: WWE is really going down step by step…whats next? Ban for a slap? or ban for a “kick” to @ss?
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samyG
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:57 AM
I can see WWE use this purely to draw heat on a heel.
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J-J
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 12:04 PM
I can’t believe that so many people are criticising the WWE for this move. Chair shots to the head ARE DANGEROUS! Obviously Chris Benoit is the main example but so many others have had issues stemming from chair shots. Putting the hands up doesn’t block the shot, it only lessens the impact. The head is still being subjected to trauma, not to mention the stress it puts on the neck.
Wrestling in the 80′s didn’t have chair shots to the head & that era saw some of the greatest matches of all time. Instead of having a whinge that the WWE are killing wrestling, maybe they’re putting the focus back on wrestling instead of having to rely on other stupid gimmicks like chair shots to the head that not only shorten careers but quality of life…
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Steve
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 12:05 PM
I like how some people have clearly missed the point entirely! It has NOTHING to do with PG etc etc, what was wrestling terrible in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s etc when there were no headshots with CHAIRS? Its all to do with concussions. Ask Chris Nowinski about it or go look him up and his research into them. Stop being ignorant for a change.
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Jevon
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 12:40 PM
J-J people are critising this because its not necassary. I’m sure the wrestlers are well aware of the fact that there is a chance to get injured and they are ok with that risk. Its rare to happen anyway. Plus how many wrestlers in WWE actually take the shot clean to the head anyway? They are wrestlers, not footballers, they can take a bump or two ^^
WWE’s next move, A Pillow Fight PPV! xD
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rockyj
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 12:56 PM
wwe starts to suck more and more…
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??
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:03 PM
I agree with the WWE banning chair shots to the head. And to Edgehead… Look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F9dfpJHplM
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Thumper!
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:25 PM
Thats it after WM 26 theres no more WWE programming in my house….until the Rock returns lol
TNA TNA TNA!
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Steve
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Because no chair shots to the head means…we should watch the Trainwreck that is Impact. Right ok then
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brody
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:29 PM
Next is ddt’s, tombstone piledrivers, and anything else involving the head. Still, it’s good that the wrestlers are getting looked after, even if it’s years too late for some.
This kind of thing is getting more attention lately, especially in the nfl, because the guys who take all these head bumps are turning out to be in a really bad way, and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.
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kt
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:35 PM
i can understand the pg to a point but wow it almost isnt worth watching anymore i mean dont get me wrong i love to see them but the pg all this shit but look at the diva’s dont see no pg there (thank god in a sence) but anyway think you see my point like stone old being there and pg dont go together
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CC
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 1:51 PM
As has already been mentioned, most chair shots to the head are actually to the hand/arm as it blocks the shot.
I assume this is more aimed at the guys who recieve chair shots than the ones giving them.
Guys like Taker tend to go for the protective shot (theres a reason his career has been so long) where as you will see the guys like Jeff Hardy (yeah I know he isnt in WWE anymore, but he was the first guy that sprang to mind) taking the unprotected shots.
I dont even think this is a PG thing, as I am sure they are not banning shots to the back etc.
Its a common sense thing, and actually taking a chair shot rather than protecting themselves is fairly new in the scheme of things.
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Venom
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 4:04 PM
We know this doesn’t effect Dave Taylor. Dave Taylor took a chair shot and the chair was 2 feet away from hitting him. lol. This was at Armagaddon 2006. Hardys vs MEM vs London/Kendrick vs Regal/Taylor. But Joey got his skull cracked from the ladder.
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Simon
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 5:10 PM
In a way it good… it means no other Benoit occurances wikll happen. But at the same time, a good chairshot to the head can be a good thing, if not over used. It was the perfect way to end some no DQ matches. The hardys lesnar one was a good show of how it could be done properly. But I can remember Kane hitting HBK in a very sickly way with a chair. It looked sick, it sounded sick and it did the job of making you think HBK was not getting up after that.
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pimp s
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 5:30 PM
so no chairs at extreme rules ?wtf
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kac
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 6:33 PM
benoits wasnt messed up from just chair shots..you have to take into account the roids the dude was on..if you think about it alot of wrestlers that have taken chair shots are fine…there are a whole lot of other factors involved……….but it looks like if anybody wants decent hardcore matches with blood anymore its off to TNA!……….and ill be fairly new to TNA…maybe we should all watch TNA that way WWE will pull their head out of there a$$es and get scared if the TNA ratings go up….im migrating……………TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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rick james bish
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 6:49 PM
Jeez so much complaining… It’s for the safety of the wrestlers, not to keep a “PG” rating. Besides, WWE barely even uses chair shots anymore. Nobody who still watches WWE will miss a thing.
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dude
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM
are you guys serious? There were no chairshots in the 80s? Yeah maybe in the wwe but guys like Ric Flair and Terry Funk have been bleeding for pro wrestling in hardcore style matches since long before the “attitude era” came about.
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Guest Host
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Watch WWE RAW the day after Wrestlemania, where Barney the Dinosaur guest hosts!!
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Mannul
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:22 PM
So what are they going to do now for the TLC PPV? Change it to TL?
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Mannul
Date: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:23 PM
^^^^^^^And I can’t wait to see Barney guest host RAW! Maybe they’ll get The Snorks to have RAW under the ocean so Sponge Bob can make an appearance too!! Yay,kiddie wrestling!
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Marcus Squirrelvon
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 12:10 AM
Venom, i do believe also it was ANDERSON that hit Eddie over the head with a chair, hmmmm??
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Matt
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 1:53 AM
i think what some people fail to understand is that people like lesnar took it in the head without protection prolly just to look like a hard man, and to sell it even more, benoit was a number of factors over several years
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snkfiend
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 6:42 AM
as if the wwe could not get any worse
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Nicholas G
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 12:24 PM
This is no suprise that some people failed to miss the point with the band. I mean to me the internet could care less about the health of the wrestler in wrestling all they are looking for is something to entertain them and don’t care who gets hurt.
I don’t mind this ban what so ever. I mean just because the wrestlers but there hand up before getting the chair shot it doesn’t always work. Vince Mac is showing me that it not all about entertainment it also about taken care of the people in wrestling. I have a lot of respect for that.
In closing the internet people will not get it. Because they some of them are to hook on drugs and they don’t really care about the wrestler the person. The internet is so self center.
Like or Dislike This Comment: 0 0
!!!!!!!
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 2:53 PM
DIDN’T TNA GET MAD AT A WRESTLER FOR HEAD SHOTS
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Dr Jerry Graham
Date: Mar 18, 2010 at 10:57 PM
I would like to see Vince Jr take at least twelve, hard, unprotected shots to the head. That would compell me to watch wwe again.
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Juggalo
Date: Mar 19, 2010 at 12:40 AM
Hmm. No. TNA was upset at Jesse Neal for taking a chairshot -straight- to the head without using his hands to block. He had apparently done it to prove he was tough actually but thats dumb.
And come on guys… you can’t really defend this. I’ve been to a thousand indy promotions and they all do chairshots. Wrestlers aren’t dying left and right from chairshots to the head or it would of been banned in a bigger fashion by now.
This is WWE for some ungodly reason trying to prove that they’re wholesome and family TV, but I digress.
Chair shots now, what next? Ladders hit much stiffer than chairs. Tables can splinter and cut the hell out of people.
Hell jumping off the top turnbuckle is pretty dangerous too, WWE might want to look at that one.
But… I’m personally just going back to Spike and I’m gonna go ahead and watch the real wrestling.
Nicholas G, your level of compassion for the wrestlers is entertaining at the best. Lets try put less of your flamboyant emotion in your next post. Hooked on drugs… lmao.
And because I can’t help myself. Wrestlers do their own gigs people, Chair shots? Yea. For the most part they decide that.
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Ant
Date: Mar 20, 2010 at 8:33 AM
TNA IS BETTER WITH THE BLOOD,AND THE CHAIR SHOT,AND THE EXTREME RISK BUT WWE IS BETTER WITH………………I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY BUT I’LL FIGURE IT OUT.
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