John Pollock of Post Wrestling interviewed Russell Naquin of the Louisiana Boxing & Wrestling Commission to discuss certain guidelines that professional wrestlers and promoters must follow. Naquin noted that both piledrivers and blood are prohibited on pro wrestling events statewide, due to an incident which injured a competitor several years ago.
According to a report from Deadspin, the issues with Louisiana and the piledriver date back to 1996, when wrestler Gino Van Dam was paralyzed after what he claimed was a miscommunication over what maneuver was being performed. His opponent, Jason Dupre wrestling under the name of Steve Anthony, and the promotion. His lost wages argument held up in appellate court, and he was awarded a significant sum of money.
Although there were no rules listed on the commission website regarding the banning of piledrivers, commission secretary John Green, Jr. did sent a redlined version of the rules, dated 2017, which included the following banned wrestling moves:
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.
