The restrictions on professional wrestling in the state of Louisiana are quite a bit different than most any other states in the U.S., and a list of banned moves making the rounds on the internet has fans wondering how WrestleMania weekend will be impacted.
While it was previously reported that athletes that would be wrestling at any show during WrestleMania weekend would need to undergo blood testing for the state of Louisiana, David Bixenspan of Deadspin examined some more caveats to Louisiana’s wrestling restrictions. They include a list of banned moves, which were prompted by a lawsuit coming from an accident where a wrestler (Gino Van Dam) was paralyzed years ago. That lawsuit resulted in millions of dollars in damages.
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The most recently updated list of banned moves by the state of Louisiana, issued in 2017, was sent to Deadspin by John Green, Jr., commission secretary. The list includes the following:
1. All variations of the Pile Driver;
2. All variations of the Power Bomb;
3. The “Moonsault”, “Shooting Star”, or “450 Splash” or any variation thereof which involves one wrestler, leaping or flipping off the ropes or turnbuckles to contact the head or neck of the opponent with any part of his body;
4. The “Stungun” of any variation thereof which results in the one fighter’s head or neck being dragged, draped or “closelined” [sic] across the ropes;
5. The striking of a wrestler’s head with any object, chair, trashcan [sic] lid, etc., and
6. No wrestler shall throw, push, shove or force another out of the ring or over the top rope.
We should be clear from the beginning: this list will only impact the independent events happening during WrestleMania weekend. Both WWE and ROH are spared from these restrictions, as they have been deemed “major league” by the commission. The commission exempts promotions that employ performers that they deem “well-trained professionals,” and both WWE and ROH have been declared to be in that group.
However, the rules may become a burden for the many independent shows happening around New Orleans. Shows like PROGRESS, Joey Janella’s Spring Break, and WWN will likely be impacted. The performers who will be on these shows certainly should be considered “well-trained professionals” as well, but so far its not known how the commission will enforce the rules on these smaller organizations.
Interestingly, Louisiana will provide a commission official on-site at all of the events who can approve the use of any of the banned moves. Their rules state, “The Commission Official [on site] may, at his sole discretion, allow wrestlers to perform prohibited holds, moves or maneuvers listed above, provided permission is sought and obtained prior to the event by both wrestlers and the requesting wrestlers have sufficient training, athletic ability and experience to perform the maneuver without endangering one another.”
Most of the promotions running New Orleans next week are using a local promoter, Luke Hawx, as the official promoter of their shows for regulation reasons. Even so, he was quoted as saying that despite running shows locally, he was not even aware of the strict commission rules.
