Wrestlers who regretted their signature moves

In the world of professional wrestling, signature moves are an integral part of a wrestler's persona. These moves define their character, excite the audience, and contribute to their success in the industry.

But just because these moves are loved by the fans, it doesn't mean that the wrestlers themselves feel the same way.  In this article, we'll explore some of these cases where iconic wrestlers came to regret the very moves that made them famous.

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Many wrestlers have used 'cutter' style moves, but few have done it like Randy Orton and his iconic RKO. Known to suddenly change the momentum of a match, the RKO is a fan favourite and has helped shape Orton's career. But 'The Apex Predator' seems less keen on the move himself these days.

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‘I kind of wish I could go back in time and create a finishing move that didn’t entail me jumping up as high as I can and landing on my back” Randy Orton told Fox 2 Now in 2022. "After doing that a couple of thousand times over the last few decades, I’m starting to feel it,"

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of professional wrestling. His finishing move, the Stone Cold Stunner, is one of the most famous moves of all time and became synonymous with his persona.

While he may not exactly regret the move – in fact he says it's still one of the best wrestling finishers of all time – Austin said on his podcast the 'Steve Austin Show' that there were times he couldn't face executing the stunner and 'jumping up and down on his a-- over and over again' due to his ongoing back issues. 

D-Lo Brown was a midcard wrestler in the WWE (then WWF) during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and would regularly end his match with a running powerbomb.

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However, this move led to a disastrous incident in 1999 during a match against Droz. D-Lo accidentally dropped Droz on his head, resulting in a severe neck injury that left Droz paralyzed, ending his career. Though there were a few factors that led to this botch, including Droz's loose-fitting clothes that night, it's something that deeply troubles Brown to this day. 

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A member of the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, the WCW Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame – it's safe to say Harley Race has stamped his mark on the wrestling industry. Race started his career in 1959 and was wrestling right up until 1990. In that time he was something of a pioneer and is credited with inventing his signature move, the diving headbutt.

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Although the diving headbutt was beloved by fans, and even adopted by other big-name wrestlers like Daniel Bryan and, erm, Chris Benoit – it's a seriously dangerous move for one to execute as it basically just involves smashing your head into someone's body at best, or the matt at worst. Race would undergo several kneck and back surgeries, and would have five vertebrae in his back fused together – all thanks to the repeated trauma from his time in the ring.

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Hulk Hogan is easily one of the biggest names in wrestling history – shooting to fame in the 80s with his over the top persona and dramatic move set. His atomic leg drop finisher is nothing short of iconic and has closed most of his matches. But if Hogan had his time again, he would ditch the move, telling 'The MMA Hour' podcast in 2023 it was his biggest regret from his entire career. 

The repeated impact of hitting the ring on his backside has caused long-term complications for Hogan’s back. For much of his career he weighed around 135kgs (almost 300lbs) and the repeated impact of landing on his backside left him with serious and debilitating back injuries. He's so far had 11 surgeries in total to fix the damage caused by this move.  

Jeff Hardy was one of the most iconic wrestlers of the 2000s, dazzling WWE audiences with high-flying, hardcore wrestling style. Known for doing some of the most breathtaking aerials in the business, Hardy seemed invincible. But even he is dealing with the consequences for his renowned finisher, the Swanton Bomb.

The impact of falling onto his back from great heights on a regular basis has meant that he can't do a lot of the things he once could. He told CantonRep.com in 2018: “The toll has been rough at times. Lately, my lower back has really been bothering me to the point where I haven’t been doing the Swanton as much in the live events just to protect it. I think looking forward I’m gonna have to be more like that, because nothing lasts forever.”

As far as signature moves go, the Bronco Buster isn't exactly one of the most beloved or inspiring....though it is memorable. X Pac made this move – in which he would launch into his opponent in the turnbuckle with his groin and proceed to bounce up and down on them – famous during the late 90s. Comical as it was, it had a nasty outcome for X-Pac.

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During a 2013 independent show, X-Pac went to hit the Bronco Buster on an exposed turnbuckle but misjudged and ended up piercing a hole in his rectum. He had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency sphincterotomy to repair the damage he'd done.

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