Top 13 Most Painful WWE Moves Ever

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The list of the most painful professional wrestling moves could be endless, because even though it is often seen as a violent form of ballet, wrestlers put their bodies through a lot of punishment. There are certain moves which are more devastating than others, sometimes due to their long-term effects, and sometimes due to the immediate impact of the move. Either way, wrestlers at times perform extra dangerous moves to hype up a crowd and to add more realism to the occasion, but with the added effect of putting their bodies through more pain.

Professional wrestling is dangerous, which is how injuries happen regularly, with the talent inside the ring putting their bodies on the line. Of course, there are plenty of moves in the likes of WWE that are relatively safe and pain-free, but as wrestling becomes more intense, the risk factor is increasing.

This has led to some dangerous moves being created over the years, with wrestlers putting themselves at huge risk every time they nail them. They are often amongst the more painful of moves in wrestling, with those often getting the fans to react in the biggest way possible.

UPDATE: 2023/11/18 14:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

The list of the most painful professional wrestling moves could be endless, because even though it is often seen as a violent form of ballet, wrestlers put their bodies through a lot of punishment. There are certain moves which are more devastating than others, sometimes due to their long-term effects, and sometimes due to the immediate impact of the move. Either way, wrestlers at times perform extra dangerous moves to hype up a crowd and to add more realism to the occasion, but with the added effect of putting their bodies through more pain.

13 Ricochet Pulls Off This Dangerous Move With Ease

Move: 630 Splash

Ricochet Makes The Move Look Easy, But The Impact Must Be Sore
A Double Somersault From The Top Rope Onto A Prone Opponent

There is a difference between the 630 splash and say a 450 or even a shooting star press. Ricochet is one of the most notable wrestlers to use this incredibly difficult-to-do move, and the impact in which he lands on an opponent can make even the most avid viewers flinch.

With the extra rotations, the 630 builds up more speed and momentum than many other top rope maneuvers. Landing in a ball on your back means that there is less give than someone landing on their front, making it one of the most painful moves in WWE today.

12 Chests Have Been Left Bloody And Raw

Move: Knife-Edge Chop

Ric Flair Helped To Make The Chop Famous
Gunther's Chop Is Renowned For Being One Of The Hardest Ever

The chop is one of the most commonly used moves in professional wrestling today, so much so that it feels just like a punch, kick, or irish whip. However, when looking at the ferocity that some deliver the move with, and the bloodied and bruised mess it leaves on the chest of a wrestler, it is hard to argue that it wouldn’t be painful.

The noise of a chop is something that can’t be produced unless there is a lot of impact, and there is very little hiding from it too. Wrestlers can’t sneakily shield themselves, all they can do is tense up and take the beating. Gunther's chops are particularly deadly, with this being a marquee move for the dominant Intercontinental Champion.

11 The Pain In This Move Is All In The Name

Move: Backbreaker

Wrestlers Have Innovated The Backbreaker Over The Years
There Is A Reason Why The Breakbreaker Is Given Its Name

There are several different iterations of the backbreaker, with some being more devastating than others. Often, a backbreaker is delivered on the knee of an opponent, and with that sort of impact hitting someone’s back, it must surely be painful.

As opposed to a basic flat back bump, the impact isn’t spread out, and is instead targeted on one specific area with a backbreaker. The name of the move should tell fans all they need to know about the desired effects of it.

10 A Career-Ending Move For Some Wrestlers

Move: Piledriver

Careers Have Been Ended With Piledrivers
WWE Banned The Piledriver Due To Its Danger

When done right, the Piledriver can be a relatively safe move, but the problem with this one is that the room for error is very slim, and when it goes wrong the risk factor is incredibly high. There is a reason why WWE has banned this move, because when it goes wrong the chances of a broken neck are high.

That is why it can be one of the most painful moves in WWE history, with fans always being stunned if it gets pulled out nowadays due to how rare it is.

9 Brock Lesnar Made Suplex City Famous

Move: German Suplex

There Isn't Much Give On A German Suplex
Brock Lesnar Is The Most Notable Wrestler Today To Use The German Suplex

The German Suplex is a move that plenty of wrestlers have used over the years, but it is most commonly associated with Brock Lesnar. However, it doesn't matter who delivers it, a wrestler landing high up on their backs or necks is something that can be incredibly dangerous.

It is relatively simple in comparison to many of the other moves that take place in professional wrestling, but because of the area that a wrestler lands on, it is easy to see how this is an incredibly painful one to receive.

8 A Top Rope Move Which Poses Threats To Both Wrestlers

Move: Diving Headbutt

Bryan Danielson Had Medical Issues After Performing The Diving Headbutt For Years
Small Margin For Error With This Move

There is no room for error when it comes to a Diving Headbutt, with this being one of the most dangerous moves in WWE history. Only a select number of wrestlers have been able to hit this over the years, and concern has always been there when this move has been used.

It is an extremely dangerous one considering the height at which wrestlers fall, connecting their head to another, which is something that can easily cause concussions and further risks, which is why this is a painful one.

7 Sheamus Has One Of The Most Painful Kicks In WWE

Move: Brogue Kick

Sheamus Has Used To Brogue Kick As His Finisher For Years
Wrestlers Have Been Struck Stiff By Sheamus' Boot

The Brogue Kick is a fantastic finisher that looks impactful every single time Sheamus hits it, and that is why it's one of the most painful moves in WWE history. The former WWE Champion holds nothing back with this one, pushing his foot straight into the face of his opponents with as much power as possible.

Sheamus is a hard-hitting talent naturally, always working a physical style, with his matches always looking painful from a viewing perspective. But the Brogue Kick is the one that stands out, with this being capable of knocking a few teeth loose.

6 PAC's Top Rope Move Is Very Painful

Move: Red Arrow

PAC/Neville Performs The Red Arrow With Ease
The Impact Of A Red Arrow Is More Brutal Than Most Top Rope Moves

The Red Arrow was the finisher of Neville/PAC during his time with WWE, and it helped to truly push his superhero-style gimmick. He worked an aerial style, and that led to some amazing moves taking place, but his finisher was the true highlight, and it would always surprise fans.

But because Neville got so much height, twisting in mid-air as he moved, the impact ended up being a huge one that people couldn't believe. It would leave the wrestler suffering it winded, while it would even hurt Neville as he delivered it due to the heavy impact.

5 The Most Well-Known Submission Move In WWE History

Move: Sharpshooter

Bret Hart Is The Most Famous User Of The Sharpshooter
The Back Strain Put Onto An Opponent Is Intense

There have been many great submission moves used over the years in WWE, but none have looked as painful as the Sharpshooter, with this being one that requires a wrestler to have their legs looped around like a pretzel, and then yanked back to cause as much pain as possible.

It is something that always looks very painful, and that is why it ends up being one of the most painful moves in the history of WWE, as the wrestlers applying them always put on as much pressure as possible to make it look great.

4 Only A Few Wrestlers Pull Out This Dangerous Move In WWE

Move: Brainbuster

The Brainbuster Is Rarely Used In WWE
Wrestlers Land On Their Head And Shoulders After A Brainbuster

Any wrestling move that involves a wrestler landing near their head is always going to be considered a seriously dangerous and painful one, which is the case with the brainbuster. A lot of the pressure is on the person delivering this move with real safety and care, while making it look devastating.

Because fans know there is a high risk with this it always gets a huge reaction, and that is something that helps to make it such a fantastic move that brings legitimate shock from an audience.

3 AJ Styles' Finisher Can Leave An Opponent Sore & Has Injured Opponents Before

Move: Styles Clash

AJ Styles Has Used The Styles Clash All Throughout His Career
The Styles Clash Has A Small Margin For Error, With Few Wrestlers Using It

The Styles Clash is a great move and one that AJ Styles and Michelle McCool have used throughout their respective WWE careers. It looks impactful and leaves fans shocked whenever it gets hit, which is the key to any good finishing move as fans can buy into it working.

However, this move can also be extremely dangerous in reality, with this being one that has legitimately injured plenty of wrestlers over the years, showcasing just how painful it can be.

2 Brock Lesnar Has Put Down Many Opponents With His Finisher

Move: F5

Brock Lesnar Has Used The F5 Since Day One
The F5 Has Been A Very Protected Finisher In WWE

The F5 might not be one of the most flashy or over-the-top finishing moves in wrestling, but when Brock Lesnar's pure power and strength is put into the mix it goes to a new level. Adding on the fact that he spins the wrestler in mid-air, meaning they don't know where they're landing and it becomes even more intense.

The talent sells this so well because it is a legitimately painful move as they get flung around the ring at a great pace as they land wherever Brock wants them to, and they do so with an immediate thud.

1 Randy Orton's Banned Move Is A Favorite Of Fans

Move: Punt Kick

Randy Orton's Punt Kick Was Banned In WWE
The Punt Is Dangerous Both In And Out Of Kayfabe

The Punt Kick always looked incredibly painful, with this move being a devastating one that Randy Orton would make look incredibly realistic. Seeing him run and kick his opponent directly in the head as hard as possible was always going to be something that got considered to be dangerous.

When this went wrong, it was always going to cause huge pain because it led to a wrestler taking a direct shot to the cranium, which is never a good thing in professional wrestling, which is why this ended up being banned.