The superkick is controversial because its meaning has changed as it has spread. Once closely associated with Shawn Michaels and his match-ending Sweet Chin Music, it is now used by many wrestlers—as a finisher, a setup, or one strike among several. To some viewers, that frequency makes the move feel less decisive; to Michaels, other wrestlers adopting it is part of wrestling’s evolution.
Who developed the superkick?
“Gentleman” Chris Adams is widely credited with developing the version of the superkick familiar to later wrestling audiences. Michaels himself credited Adams, whom he watched wrestle in Texas. Sports Illustrated records Michaels saying, “’Gentleman’ Chris Adams is the guy that developed the superkick.” Sports Illustrated’s account of Sweet Chin Music and Pro Wrestling Stories’ history describe Adams adapting a judo-style thrust kick with a quick, angled step.
That is an attribution, not proof that Adams was the first wrestler ever to perform a similar kick. The available accounts establish his influence on the move Michaels popularized, rather than a documented first-ever use.
How did Shawn Michaels make it famous?
The Rockers used it as a team
Michaels and Marty Jannetty used the superkick in The Rockers’ tag-team offense. Michaels later made it central to his identity as a singles wrestler, turning a shared move into a signature finish.
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The Barber Shop kick became a story moment
On January 11, 1992, during the Barber Shop segment, Michaels appeared to reconcile with Jannetty, then kicked him and threw him through a set window. The attack dramatized the breakup of The Rockers and Michaels’ turn to villainy. CBS Sports reported the audience’s audible shock and later asked Michaels about the kick; he recalled, “I had the boots on and that one was a little snug, I will say that.” CBS Sports’ interview with Michaels covers the moment. A 2017 University of Maryland dissertation, Professional Wrestling, Narrative, and Betrayal, examines the breakup as an enduring betrayal in wrestling storytelling.
Sweet Chin Music added anticipation
Michaels gave the kick a distinct presentation: he would stomp in the corner, prompting the crowd to anticipate the strike before it arrived. That pause made the kick more than a physical move; it became a dramatic payoff. Sports Illustrated reports that Michaels traced the name “Sweet Chin Music” to baseball language for a high, inside pitch, recast as a stylized name for his version.
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Why do viewers disagree about the move?
The disagreement is less about whether a kick can look convincing than about what a repeated move is supposed to mean in a match. These are competing interpretations, not measured findings about audience opinion.
- Frequency: If a move once associated with a defining finish appears often, critics may feel it has become ordinary rather than exceptional.
- Dramatic function: A strike presented as a match-ending threat carries different weight from one used to set up another move or keep action moving.
- Identity: When audiences strongly connect a move with one wrestler, its use by many performers can seem like either a loss of individuality or a natural part of a shared wrestling vocabulary.
The Young Bucks have been criticized for using too many high spots and superkicks, according to Pro Wrestling Stories, which also recounts that they chose to lean into the criticism. That example shows the debate in practice; it does not establish how many fans share the complaint.
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What does Michaels think about other wrestlers using it?
Michaels has said he is not bothered by other wrestlers using the superkick. In an April 11, 2026 report, Wrestling Inc. transcribed comments he made on 7PM in Brooklyn: “I didn’t want to be an old-timer that stopped the progression and the evolution of the business.” He recalled giving Dolph Ziggler permission to use the move after Michaels retired, saying that opened the floodgate. Wrestling Inc.’s report and transcription provides the context for his remarks.
Michaels’ view and the criticism can both be true: a move can remain effective while feeling less distinctive to viewers who associate it with a particular wrestler or expect it to end a match.
What is—and is not—established about the controversy?
The sources document the move’s attributed roots, Michaels’ signature presentation, examples of criticism, and his acceptance of other wrestlers using it. They do not provide a reliable count of superkicks in matches, a survey of fan opinion, or evidence that the move’s popularity has affected viewership. The dispute is best understood as a question of wrestling storytelling and audience expectations, not a quantified verdict.
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