Jerry Lynn discussed the dangers of the piledriver in pro wrestling during a recent interview on My Mom’s Basement.
“I took some tombstones from Justin Credible off the turnbuckle. There is a lot of trust there. It has to be someone you really trust. In ECW, I couldn’t think of a finisher. Nova was very innovative and coming up with cool stuff, so I asked Nova one day, ‘Can you help me come up with a finisher?’ He said, ‘Sure.’ The next week, he says, ‘Remember Dynamite Kid in Japan would do the cradle piledriver? Why don’t you try that?’
That’s how it all started. It’s very dangerous. When you get them up, when you let go, you’ve got nothing except when you bend your knees a little so their head doesn’t slide down further. So, I tell them a certain way to base so I can protect them. I started doing that in probably 1999 until 2013, and I think I had four mishaps. It’s dangerous anytime you’re dumping someone on their head.”
H/T to 411 Mania
