AS concern about the long-term effects of repeated concussions continues to impact a wide range of contact sports, the world of professional wrestling is also being forced to take a cautious approach to the health of its athletes.

The WWE appears to have shelved the “curb stomp” finishing move of current World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, which involves him stomping on his opponent’s head.

The WWE is yet to publicly address the issue and appears reluctant to say the Curb Stomp is completely banned.

But Wrestlingnews.co’s Greg Beck said the company has reacted to recent lawsuits by former wrestlers which centre on claims they have serious brain injuries after suffering concussions in the ring.

“The company feels that they open themselves to liability if a wrestler suffers a head injury while taking the move. Clips of the Curb Stomp have also been removed from Rollins’ entrance,” Beck wrote.

media_camera Rollins Curb Stomps Brock Lesnar.

Fans first became aware of the apparent decision when Rollins finished opponent Dolph Ziggler with a different move (a variant of the DDT) at the end of their match on Monday’s episode of Raw.

Bleacher Report’s WWE lead writer Ryan Dilbert wrote removing the Curb Stomp from Rollins’ repertoire hurts his entertainment value.

“Suddenly, he is without a finisher that accentuated the opportunistic and predatory sides of his character. It’s a thriller of a move — a unique and memorable way to put his foes away,” Dilbert wrote.

“The (DDT) move is a poor replacement for the Curb Stomp. It looks like a hundred other guys’ big move. It’s like replacing a tomahawk jam with a layup.”

There was also an angry reaction from fans on Twitter.

Can't believe WWE has banned Seth Rollins Curb Stomp finisher. A sad day for Rollins fans indeed. #RIPCurbStomp — Travis Jakobi (@TravisJakobi) April 21, 2015

The curb stomp being banned makes me so sad! They need to find a new suitable finisher for @WWERollins quickly! — Tanner Ragland (@Mercer_Cometh) April 21, 2015

Banning the Curb Stomp is the single most stupid thing I've heard all year. — Brad Preston (@MrBradPreston) April 20, 2015

But legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross said the WWE had to put the health of its athletes first.

“I don’t know if WWE has or has not banned the use of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher but many fans are seemingly up in arms about its absence. I say the safety of the athlete is always the first priority of any responsible company and if the move is more likely to concuss people than others then it needs to be eliminated. It’s that simple,” Ross blogged.

Rollins will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton in a Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules on April 26.

Originally published as The move too dangerous for WWE