Brian Kendrick's Injury Shouldn't Lead to WWE Banning Hideo Itami's GTS Finisher

It's not time to shelve Hideo Itami's trademark Go-To-Sleep (GTS) maneuver.

That will be WWE's instinct after the knee strike left Brian Kendrick busted up and out of action. A single accident shouldn't lead to Itami shaving off the most famous weapon in his arsenal, though. The company can only legislate so much of the danger out of an inherently perilous industry.

Even so, after a nasty moment in a match on Monday's Raw, the GTS may well join the piledriver on the list of banned WWE moves.

At the close of the bout, Itami dropped Kendrick from off his shoulders and then drove his knee into his foe's nose. The blow hit harder than normal. Kendrick soon covered his face with his hands and curled up in pain. This was no acting job; he was hurt.

WWE announced Kendrick "sustained a broken nose and broken orbital bone."

It didn't take long for the company to make a change. When Itami defeated Jack Gallagher on Tuesday's 205 Live, the GTS didn't make an appearance. Instead, the striker finished off his opponent with a version of the Rings of Saturn submission.

If WWE has asked the Japanese to stop using the GTS, its instincts are understandable. A man left the ring with a scary injury as a direct result of taking that move.

But this was an unfortunate mishap, not verification that Itami's finisher is unsafe.

The 36-year-old has been hitting folks with this same knee strike for years. There is no long trail of injured victims, either. 

If WWE removes the GTS while allowing AJ Styles to deliver the Styles Clash, it's being hypocritical.

The WWE champ's finisher puts opponents in a precarious position with their head uncomfortably close to the canvas. The move has injured several wrestlers, leaving some with broken necks.

Moves that involve one's head driving toward the mat make sense on the banned list. The margin of error is small. The worst possible outcome too grave.

It's a fool's errand, however, to try to erase the danger of pro wrestling by wiping out every move capable of hurting someone. As Aaron Varble of SportsKeeda put it: "Any move can be delivered with accidental results more devastating than usual from a suplex to a dropkick."

Seth Rollins' Buckle Bomb tore up Finn Balor's shoulder in 2016. An errant dropkick left Paige stunned and possibly injured. Back in 2006, Beth Phoenix suffered a broken jaw thanks to a simple slap.

WWE can't ban slaps and dropkicks. It can't take away everything that has ever resulted in a sprain or break. Forbid enough moves and WWE matches will just be a series of chinlocks and armbars. 

If Itami develops a pattern of leaving a trail of shattered orbital bones behind him, the company can revisit this discussion.

For now, it's best to trust in a 17-year veteran and accept the built-in risks of the business.