The subject of wrestler safety is never far from any discussion about pro wrestling, even though most talent and fans would probably rather “ohh” and “ahh” over brutal bumps and acrobatic spots than fret about how risky they are in the long or short-term.
WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson dove (no pun intended) right into it while talking to Denise Salcedo during a recent appearance in Pittsburgh. Salcedo asked how the original Horseman looks at “wrestling from the past versus now, specifically the in-ring
style and how it’s evolved over the years?” Anderson replied:
“Well, I’m terrified. I respect the girls and guys of today’s wrestling industry, but scared to death too, because I see things in the ring that you can’t protect yourself on. “Anything going backwards, German Suplex, you can’t protect yourself because you can’t see where you’re going. Stuff off the top, going through tables, things that are dangerous.
“I mean, look at me. I’m beat up, and I didn’t do any of that stuff. So I’m just worried that in five years, we’re gonna have a casualty list about that long. And I hate it for the young guys and girls, because they feel like they need to go to that level to get the audience’s approval.”
Salcedo and The Enforcer then have a discussion we’ve seen play out in many a thread online: She admits to enjoying the style and explains that as a fan, she trusts that the adult professionals in the ring and behind-the-scenes have determined the things they attempted in the match can be done safely. Arn would like to “just dial it down” and take out moves that wrestlers get hurt on “time after time”. As an example, he brings up a Horswoman:
“I’ll give an example; Ric’s daughter, Ashley Flair, Charlotte. She’s famous for dropping her opponent on the floor, going to the top rope and doing a Moonsault to the floor. If you go back and slow the tape down, there’s no way to catch somebody off top, and she’s landing on her feet. What’s the odds of her blowing her knee out or tearing her hamstring? You tell me if she doesn’t do that move, I’ll be disappointed? I don’t think so.”
Like most conversations on the topic, theirs moves on without a resolution. Anderson did gain an ally in Kevin Nash, who reposted aggregation of Arn’s comments and wrote:
Continue the debate below, if you’re so inclined.
