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VIDEO: Indy Star Shocked as Standing In-Ring Move Gets Executed on “Top Turnbuckle” in Scary Moment

Published 08/17/2023, 8:00 AM EDT

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They say that the indie circuit is the home for innovative wrestling. Despite this being true, there is a fine line between innovation and danger. Unlike the WWE and other promotions, indie circuits have few rules to keep wrestlers safe in the ring. A new video making the rounds is leaving fans speechless for the deadly piledriver it depicts. 

Certain moves should only be performed in-ring. However, some defy this rule and take things to the top turnbuckle. Watch as fans are left speechless watching this move get executed. 

Watch a piledriver of a lander on the top turnbuckle

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The piledriver is a staple move in pro wrestling, with the like of Jerry Lawler, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Kane, Buddy Rogers, etc, making it famous. Despite the deliverer taking precautions, the receiver is in danger if anything goes wrong. Much safer variations are being used, but the scope for something going wrong still lingers. 

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During an indie match, this move was executed to the shocking horror of people. This is a move normally performed in-ring with the wrestler’s feet on the mat. However, the move is performed off a ladder in the video, making the rounds. And if performing this dangerous move off a ladder wasn’t enough, the move is performed on the top turnbuckle. The video was posted by Matt Cardona, better known in the WWE as Zack Ryder.

As impressive as it is to execute a move like this off a ladder and on the top turnbuckle, it only amplifies the danger if something goes wrong. The fans in attendance are left speechless while watching before breaking into cheers after it is executed. The move in and of itself is so dangerous that the WWE banned it in the 2000s with special permission required to do it.  

The video making the rounds shows that Indie circuit wrestlers throw caution to the wind when performing. They will go above and beyond what is required for their big break. Despite the innovation, the move is still dangerous, with serious, long-lasting, devastating effects that follow if botched.

One of the greatest wrestlers in the history of pro wrestling can attest to that.

The botched piledriver that put Steve Austin on the bench

A fine example of what a botch during this move could do to a wrestler was seen during 1997’s SummerSlam. The match was between Owen Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin. When Hart went ahead with a reverse piledriver on Austin, he botched it and dropped Austin on his head. This was worse than it sounds, as Austin’s neck compressed due to the pressure. This left him temporarily paralyzed and unable to move. 

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Despite this horrifying setback, Austin still finished the match but was forced to stay away from in-ring work for two months while recuperating. Due to his demanding schedule as the face of the company, he did not get much time to heal. In 1999, he required fusion surgery on his neck. He was forced to retire in 2003 from in-ring work. In some promotions, executing this move, even if perfect, will result in disqualification followed by a fine. 

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What do you make of the video involving the dangerous move caught in the Indies? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Christopher Paul

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Christopher Paul is a WWE writer who was recruited in the recent round of the 'ES Draft' for his strong passion for the sport. He is drawn to WWE for the storytelling and drama that surround the pro wrestling world. Christopher grew up admiring Jeff Hardy and the WWE's Attitude Era made a fan of him which he proudly exhibits to this day.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce