Wrestling Showdown: When Signature Moves Are Stolen

Professional wrestling is filled with intense competition, fierce rivalries, and unique personal styles. A wrestler’s finishing move is the pinnacle of their brand, a move so unique and deadly it becomes their signature.

However, it’s common for wrestlers to adopt or borrow moves from their contemporaries. While it’s considered professional courtesy to ask for permission, this doesn’t always happen, resulting in unexpected controversy and a potential breach of wrestling etiquette.

Let’s delve into ten instances where wrestlers took umbrage to their iconic finishing moves being ‘stolen.’

1. Chris Jericho Vs. The Miz: Chris Jericho, in a controversial Twitter exchange, implied The Miz had copied his once short-lived finishing move, the “Breakdown.” Miz would go on to rebrand the move, making it even more popular than when Jericho used it.

2. Billy Kidman Vs. Paul London: Billy Kidman’s Shooting Star Press is legendary. Kidman was less than impressed when Paul London began using a variant of the move, leading to an intense backstage confrontation.

3. Chris Jericho Vs. The Revival: When The Revival used a similar move to Jericho’s Code Breaker, the wrestling veteran took to Twitter to voice his dismay, accusing the young talent of disrespecting their predecessors.

4. Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock: Bret Hart publicly criticized Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock for using the iconic Sharpshooter. He felt they could not execute the move to its full potential, thus undermining its impact.

5. Kenny Omega Vs. Seth Rollins: After Seth Rollins adopted a move that closely resembled Omega’s V-Trigger, Omega responded with a sarcastic tweet, implying that Rollins had copied more than just his move.

6. Kurt Angle Vs. Randy Orton and Jack Swagger: Angle felt disrespected when Randy Orton adopted the Angle Slam, and Jack Swagger began using the Ankle Lock submission, both signature moves of Angle’s.

7. John Cena and Tyler Rex: Tyler Rex saw his push quickly extinguished after adopting a finisher too similar to John Cena’s. This led to speculation that Cena’s influence may have influenced Rex’s abrupt fortune change.

8. Goldberg Vs. Roman Reigns: Goldberg took umbrage with Roman Reigns using Spear, his iconic finishing move. Goldberg publically challenged Reigns, arguing that he was the one who truly mastered the Spear.

9. Kenta Vs. CM Punk: CM Punk’s usage of the GTS, originally performed by Kenta, led to a heated exchange on Twitter, with Kenta demanding royalties for the move.

10. Stone Cold Vs. John Cena: John Cena’s adoption of a variant of Stone Cold’s stunner move resulted in public criticism of Stone Cold. He felt that Cena’s usage of the move as a transitional rather than a finishing move undermined its impact.

The controversy surrounding ‘stolen’ finishing moves shows how intricately tied these moves are to a wrestler’s identity. This ongoing debate highlights the fascinating dynamics behind the scenes of the wrestling world, where respect for tradition often clashes with the desire to innovate.