Details On Rumored AEW Document Banning Certain Moves & Others Requiring Approval

It appears All Elite Wrestling's in-ring product may start to look a little different going forward. A new report from Fightful Select details an alleged official document laying out a list of moves and actions banned from AEW matches going forward, along with another list of things that have to be cleared by doctors and coaches ahead of time — major changes to AEW's safety protocol.

According to the document, the list of banned moves is as follows: unprotected chair shots to the head, hits to the back of one's head, buckle bombs, and blind moves backward into the turnbuckle. Additionally, AEW performers will no longer be allowed to sell with seizures or concussion responses, spit, bleed in the crowd, use weapons in the crowd, physically interact with audience members, or take food or drink from audience members.

As for interactions that have to be cleared ahead of time, the list includes spots/bumps on the apron and outside the ring, spots featuring tables, ladders, or chairs, dives outside the ring, piledrivers and all variations, high-risk in-ring dives, the use of weapons, the use of ring steps or the commentary table, simulated choking or hanging, injury spots, brawling in the crowd, moments involving individuals apart from the wrestlers involved in the match, and purposeful bleeding (sorry, Moxley). These acts are not necessarily discouraged for AEW performers, but simply need to be cleared before the match begins.

Fightful's report states that they've spoken to some within the company who have confirmed the authenticity of the document, but there are others backstage who have yet to see it. In addition to increasing safety for fans as well as AEW crew and performers, the new restrictions should help the promotion avoid repeating similar spots across the same show, and provide coaches with some added authority behind the scenes.