- UK Wrestler Lionheart, who was injured taking the Styles Clash earlier this year, posted the following message on Facebook. The message follows Yoshi Tatsu suffering a broken neck from taking a Styles Clash wrong from AJ Styles at New Japan’s Power Struggle iPPV…

Quote :

I'll make the assumption he sees this somehow so please read and share... I'd like to openly address him...

Firstly, I hope things are well for you and family... I wanted to write you because I feel it's important someone speak up in a more formal and diplomatic manner, as opposed to simply throwing abuse via anonymous social media ramblings...

Here's the truth... The move is not directly dangerous... It's a simple move in principle... Arms and legs locked, you fall forward, guy looks up/back, easy... The Styles Clash 'on paper' is a fairly safe and basic process...

That said, what is dangerous, is the instinctual reaction of your opponent... The wrestler taking the move, who like any wrestler taking any move, their safety and welfare is the priority...

Without ANY injuries, it could be argued that the mechanics of the move are unnatural, and injury could easily happen due to the physical restrictions and instinctual habits of the recipient... The numbers now are surely too great to even call it an argument?

I'm more than happy to be educated on my statistics, but there can be no move in wrestling history that carries more (documented) serious and potentially career threatening injuries than this... This, is what makes the move dangerous, whether indirectly or not...

Thus far, more specifically the last 12 months, several performers, actual experienced athletes, have been injured with this, 2 of them now with broken necks... The question I want to put to you honestly is, what does it take? What will it actually take for you to stop using this move, at the very least on an independent level, with people not necessarily exposed to the experience of working with you and taking the move semi regularly... How honestly will you feel the day you receive the news that the man you just wrestled has a broken neck and will never walk again? Statistically, that day is coming... It is a mathematical certainty...

I take this opportunity now, to openly and publicly beg you... Please, stop using the Styles Clash... You are unquestionably one of the greatest in ring performers of our time, I truly believe that... But the time is now, to put all pride, ego, blame aside, and acknowledge that irrelevant of fault, circumstance or anything else, the move is a direct risk and a danger to the safety and well being of your fellow wrestler...

All the best.
A

So essentially, he wants a dude to stop using a move that's been safe since 2002, because 3 dudes in an 11 month span who didnt know how to take it got injured. Makes sense.

Styles is the most dangerous man in wrestling right now

Strong, Tatsu, and Lionheart are great wrestlers, but they just didn't do their homework before their matches with Styles. The Clash is simple enough. Make sure you're not too low for the move and tuck your head backwards upon the fall so at most, you'll lose the wind out of your chest.

The move is safe. Three people fucked up. Might as well take out side suplexes because Orton got hurt once.