The wrestling style in AEW is completely different from WWE. Therefore, wrestlers in AEW are often prone to injuries. Recently, the company introduced a new safety protocol to prevent injuries from happening.
Fightful Select reported that the following spots and actions are now banned from the company.
- Unprotected chair shots to the head
- Shots to the back of the head
- Buckle bombs and blind moves backward into the turnbuckle
- Fencing responses (unnatural position of arms following a concussion)
- Seizure sells
- Spitting, bleeding in the crowd, weapons or projectiles in the crowd
- Taking drinks or food from guests in the crowd, or physical contact with the crowd
Fightful Select also noted that the following moves and actions should get approval from the officials.
- Spots and bumps on the ring apron and outside
- Table/ladder/chair spots in and out of the ring (Only allowed with padding)
- Any elevated spots outside of the barricades (dives and ladder spots on stage, around the arena, and other places outside of the ring)
- All piledriver/tombstone variations, including: sit down drivers, inverted/poison hurricarana and vertebreakers
- High-risk dives or top rope moves (450, 630, double moonsaults, SSP, etc.)
- Intentional bleeding (of any sort, not just blading)
- Throwing people into/through/over ring steps, commentary table, bell table, or guardrails/barricades
- Weapon usage: chairs, pipes, kendo sticks, hammers, ring bells, bats, chains, etc. Title belts. Thumbtacks, skewers, barbed wire, and other sharp/puncturing objects o Powders, aerosol sprays, or liquids
- Throwing any weapons or objects- chairs, etc.
- Choking/strangling with hands or a weapon or hanging spots
- Injury spots or angles, whether or not medical is involved/called to the ring
- Any physicality in the crowd or crowd brawling
- Any physicality involving referees, managers, extras, celebrities, or special guests
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