Dustin Rhodes Says Modern Wrestling Is Going Too Far With Dangerous Moves

Modern wrestling’s growing focus on high-risk spots is facing more pushback—and now Dustin Rhodes is stepping in to say the industry needs to slow down and prioritize safety

Dustin Rhodes weighed in on William Regal’s criticism of high-risk spots, making it clear he believes today’s wrestling style is pushing things too far in the wrong direction. Speaking on the F Y’all Podcast, Rhodes addressed the backlash Regal received and immediately shut down the idea that it was an overreaction—framing it instead as a necessary warning for the current generation: “It is a cautionary tale. That’s all it was.”

Rhodes then expanded on why the message matters, pointing to the inherent risks in wrestling and how quickly things can go wrong if safety isn’t the top priority.

“And because you do have a lot of that—some very dangerous things that people do, man. This game is about safety and trusting your opponent, and then them trusting you. Their life is in your hands, you know—and it’s one slip and it could go wrong.”

He stressed that timing and safety are everything in the business, especially as wrestlers continue to push limits in search of bigger reactions: “Safety is number one, man. Timing and safety is everything in our business.” Rhodes also directly supported Regal’s original point about wrestlers chasing shock value, saying the mindset behind increasingly dangerous moves is part of the problem. He made it clear that he personally avoids those risks, even if certain moves are considered safe by others.

“And I loved what he said—and it’s true. It is true. Because so many people just go, ‘What can we do to shock them all now? How dangerous can we make this?’ And that’s not everybody—but I’m never doing that shit. Somebody wants to give me a poisonrana, I say no—I’m not doing that because I value my neck.”

From there, Rhodes explained that longevity in wrestling comes from making smart choices—not constantly raising the danger level. He also acknowledged that while experienced wrestlers may be able to pull off risky moves safely, that doesn’t apply across the board.

“If you want a long career, you can have the longevity like Regal, like me, by just working and picking and choosing certain things to really pop the crowd besides something really, really dangerous. And when you’ve got two pros in there that have done the dangerous stuff before, okay—do it. They’re pretty safe with it. But not everybody is safe with it.”

Ultimately, Rhodes ended with a blunt warning about the long-term consequences of taking those risks—something he believes many younger wrestlers aren’t fully considering.

“Because they’re going to pay for it. Their bodies are going to be broken—you’ll have a broken neck, a broken back, limbs—all kinds of stuff. Concussions to where you have to quit.”

This latest response adds weight to Regal’s original comments, which came after a dangerous-looking spot involving Jon Moxley and Kyle Fletcher led to concern across the wrestling world. With more experienced voices speaking up, the debate isn’t going away anytime soon—and it may force wrestlers and promotions to rethink how far is too far in the ring.

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