WWE has officially banned chair shots to the head. WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman told The Hartford Courant that the company added the clause to its concussion management program in January.
Here is an excerpt from the policy, which appears on WWE's corporate Web site:
The WWE penalizes through fine and/or suspension the following:
• The intentional use of a folding metal chair to "strike" an opponent in the head.
• Any blow to the head that is deemed an INTENTIONAL act
This is a great move by WWE, and hopefully every company from TNA down to the independents will follow its lead. Considering what we know about concussions, it should be – pardon the pun – a no-brainer. I've been backstage at wrestling shows and witnessed firsthand the damage a vicious chair shot to the head can do.
Using chairs as weapons to get heat for matches and angles are a staple of pro wrestling, but a chair shot to the back will accomplish the same goal and obviously is significantly safer than a blow to the head.