@thelostscribe: The no off-season is a problem too, I agree. A lot of that goes back to them all being signed as independent contractors. Without a union or any collective bargaining (thanks Hogan), that's unlikely to change. To expect these guys to work as much as they do, and also expect them to drive themselves to their own gigs, is a bit much.

Thanks for the thoughtful response, and for taking the time to read. Much obliged.

@swantn5: It's contextual. What's acceptable risk for someone with a healthy neck is high risk for someone who was advised to never get in the ring again.

@truthier: You're right and wrong. Most wrestlers do not plan out move-for-move (Randy Savage is a notable exception to this; he choreographed his matches extensively) But most wrestlers, especially today, do more than plan out the finish. They'll also plan out the notable spots where the momentum of the match shifts.

Add to this that they were wrestling this exact match at several house shows before this one, and they almost certainly knew the sequence of events beforehand. There might be small variations. But a blind kick leading into a hot tag would almost certainly have been discussed beforehand.

@kanekan-slaugh: I agree. They traded one dangerous thing for another.

@Sepewrath: To me, at least, it's not either/or. There's a difference between progress in performance and doing powerbombs on the apron, blind kicks to the back (on a house show, no less), and buckle bombs into barriers. There's a middle ground between the extremes of going back to nothing but wristlocks and accepting a buckle bomb as a regular move. No one should have to take that on a nightly basis, especially with the schedule WWE performers work.

I always think back to Austin matches (after his neck injury). Or William Regal matches. Or any Revival match from the past three years. Whether a guy is a brawler or a technician, there is absolutely a way to work safe, get over, and not do career threatening spots that jeopardize everyone involved. There is no way Austin, in his condition, would have ever agreed to let Rock kick him square in the back, blind, or take a powerbomb to the apron. The current roster needs to say "no," instead of throwing up their hands and accepting it as an inevitable part of their business. It shouldn't have to be like that.

@Blk_Mage_Ctype: They're transitioning her into a managerial role, it seems. They also announced she would not be competing at the Rumble. Trust me, I hope the multiple sources are wrong. But it doesn't look good.

@mandzilla: Also a good one! JBL is a textbook bully - just stand up to him, and he'll fold like a house of cards. Even Joey Styles knocked him out.

@pointingmonkey: There's a shoot interview with Jim Cornette that you ought to look up. Search for Jim Cornette Montreal Screwjob. He gets into a lot of this; it's a pretty fair summary of what made Bret brilliant in the ring, but exhausting to deal with backstage. Wrestlers aren't exactly known for their sensitivity and bedside manner, but it would be a chore and a half to tiptoe around a guy like Bret Hart.

@pointingmonkey: Yes, but in some ways, that was even worse. Because he wasn't even doing it deliberately. He was just unsafe to work with back then. Bret doesn't like Shawn Michaels either, but he never called him dangerous. Goldberg, on the other hand, ended his career with an errant kick to the head.

@timthegem: Good point. Might as well throw Stan Hansen and Vader in there too.