The powerbomb has been a staple piece of pro wrestling for quite some time. Some wrestling historians date it back to Lou Thesz, though a proliferation of major names using it in the 1990s really helped elevate the move to a defining finisher.
The powerbomb requires great physical strength to execute correctly and, especially in the right hands, can look genuinely devastating for a big, strong performer slamming an opponent down from a great height. While the move is generally considered safer than the piledriver, it does have some overlap in that a botched version carries severe risk of injury, potentially dropping the victim on his or her head or neck.
Sid Vicious Vs. Brian Pillman
A 1991 War Games match almost ended in catastrophe.
- Sid Vicious is synonymous with the powerbomb.
- The finish to WCW's 1991 War Games match was to see Vicious powerbomb Brian Pillman repeatedly.
- A low ceiling and Vicious not thinking to adapt set up a dangerous situation.
Sid Vicious was one of the wrestlers most associated with the powerbomb. It was a perfect fit for him as a statue. big man with a legacy associated with physical strength and just how—well—vicious his character was.
The finish for the War Games match at WrestleWar 1991 was well-conceived enough. Vicious would win the bout for his heel Horsemen team by repeatedly powerbombing sympathetic babyface Brian Pillman until El Gigante forfeited on the babyface team’s behalf. However, a perfect storm emerged due to WCW’s logistics being a mess and Vicious being a performer ill-equipped to improvise at that stage of his career. The cage roof was too low for Vicious to properly execute a powerbomb, resulting in a nasty landing for Pillman on the first attempt. Instead of calling an audible, Vicious attempted the move again, resulting in a less brutal but still unsafe botch that left fans concerned for Flyin’ Brian’s life.
Brock Lesnar Vs. Hardcore Holly
A young Brock Lesnar hurt the veteran.
- Brock Lesnar has always been a unique physical specimen.
- A young Lesnar hit a powerbomb on the more experienced Hardcore Holly and broke his neck.
- WWE turned the situation into an angle with Holly seeking revenge upon his return.
Brock Lesnar built a career on being a unique physical specimen, capable of remarkable acts of violence The youngest version of The Beast in WWE could be genuinely dangerous, though, for his unparalleled raw strength and speed being paired with a lack of experience.
Case in point, The Next Big Thing hit a nasty powerbomb on Hardcore Holly that legitimately broke the veteran’s neck. WWE made lemonade out of lemons in this situation with a worked shoot angle that saw Holly seek revenge against Lesnar upon his return, in what turned out to be the Hardcore star’s closest thing to a real main event push.
Kevin Nash Vs. The Giant
Even a powerhouse like Nash probably shouldn't have tried this spot.
- Kevin Nash vs. The Giant had buzz for the size of the two competitors.
- It's a testament to Nash's power and Paul Wight's agility that they could even attempt a powerbomb.
- The Giant took a nasty landing and was fortunate not to suffer a catastrophic injury.
WCW created a lot of intrigue in 1997 with a giant vs. giant feud, pitting The Giant against the nWo’s Kevin Nash. The rivalry between these well-protected big men was a compelling attraction just a notch below the main event level.
A scary scene materialized, however, when Nash powerbombed The Giant. It was a credit to Nash’s raw power and The Giant’s surprising agility that they could credibly even try this spot. The results were nasty, though, with The Giant landing on his head. It was a pure stroke of luck that the young Paul Wight wasn’t severely injured, up to and including having his career ended, via this botch.
D'Lo Brown Vs. Droz
This spot had tragic results.
- D'Lo Brown and Droz both looked to be rising stars.
- Happenstance, including a loose shirt, set up the two youngsters for unexpected challenges on a running powerbomb spot.
- This accident left Droz paralyzed, ending his career.
D'Lo Brown and Droz were both hungry young up-and-comers in the Attitude Era, each of whom seemed to have all the potential in the world. They clashed in the ring during an October 1999 SmackDown taping, only for tragedy to strike .
Brown's running powerbomb was a signature move. According to reports, Droz wore a loose shirt that night which contributed to his opponent not getting a good grip on him for the spot. As a result, it was a complete accident when Brown went through with the move; Droz didn't get a good jump in, and the victim of the move ended up landing headfirst, fracturing two vertebrae. Droz suffered paralysis and was never able to return to the ring.
Marina Shafir Vs. Willow Nightingale
The women were not on the same page for this spot.
- Marina Shafir powerbombed Willow Nightingale through a table.
- The spot looked very awkward, with concerns that one woman might leave the match hurt.
- Willow Nightingale and Marina Shafir have shown much better chemistry in other outings.
A April 2025 episode of AEW Dynamite saw Marina Shafir powerbomb Willow Nightingale through a table at ringside. The spot itself was relatively tame, but worrisome in just how sloppy the move looked, like Shafir barely had a handle on Nightingale.
Indeed, it was clear something had gone wrong with the move, and when there is a clear error going into a table spot, that’s cause for concern. Nightingale was fine, but the way the move went down had fans less invested in an intense match and more concerned about what else might go wrong and if Nightingale in particular might be subject to injury by the time the final bell rang. To the credit of both women, they've demonstrated much better skill and chemistry together on other occasions, including memorable roles in Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing 2025.
Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor
Even Elite Workers Aren't Above The Occasional Accident
- SummerSlam 2016 looked like it would be the start of a huge run for Finn Balor.
- Seth Rollins used a variation on his signature powerbomb into the turnbuckle outside the ring.
- Balor had to relinquish the title the night after winning it because of a serious shoulder injury.
SummerSlam 2016 should have been the launch of a glorious run for Finn Balor. He paid off a triumphant debut tour on the main roster by winning the Universal Championship in a tournament final match over Seth Rollins.
Everything fell apart, though, because Balor got injured in his title-winning match. Rollins gave an extreme version of his signature powerbomb variant—a buckle bomb turned into a barricade bomb and wound up badly injuring his shoulder. The spot looked nasty in real time, only for fans to learn the next night just how devastating it had been.
Batista Vs. John Cena
The end of the 2005 Royal Rumble became iconic for all the wrong reasons.
- In 2005, Batista and John Cena were both young stars on the rise.
- Batista went for a powerbomb on John Cena, but both men tumbled outside the ring.
- Fortunately, both rising champions were safe and, in the least likely turn, it was Vince McMahon who got injured.
After twenty-three world titles and eight WrestleMania main events between them, it can be hard to remember that in 2005, John Cena and Batista were a pair of young up and comers with something to prove, still coming of age as far as their in-ring talents were concerned. That’s when they were the final two men left in the Royal Rumble.
Batista lifted Cena for a Batista Bomb, only for the genuine physicality between the two to lead to a historic botch as both men tumbled over the top rope for a double elimination Fortunately, both men were safe, and it was Vince McMahon charging to the ring—only to injure himself—that became even more memorable before things went as planned with The Animal triumphing. Nonetheless, the unplanned over-the-top-rope bump had to have people backstage sweating, as the two biggest rising stars in the business easily could’ve been hurt on the road to WrestleMania.
Kofi Kingston Vs. Rey Mysterio
This Powerbomb Outside The Ring Just Looked Wrong
- In early 2025, New Day turned heel and started feuding with Rey Mysterio and members of The LWO.
- Kofi Kingston went for a powerbomb on Rey Mysterio at ringside.
- It wasn't clear who was to blame, but Kingston lost his grip and Mysterio appeared to powerbomb himself.
In an early 2025 episode of WWE Raw, Kofi Kingston went for a powerbomb on Rey Mysterio outside the ring. Kingston isn’t exactly known as a powerhouse or as one to use this move, and the execution turned out downright ugly as Mysterio seemed to slip from Kingston’s grasp altogether, only to flip himself onto the ground anticlimactically.
This uncharacteristic botch between two skilled veterans was hard to watch and had fans in the moment wondering if something was wrong with one or both performers for such a visible mistake to happen. It seemed it really was just a slip-up that could happen to anyone, albeit also an affirmation that this was probably the wrong combination of talents to be going for powerbombs.
0 Komentar