5 WWE Superstars who were upset with other wrestlers stealing their moves
Like each of us, WWE Superstars don't appreciate things being stolen from them. Over the years, several WWE Superstars have called out other wrestlers for using signature moves that they invented or made popular.
Kevin Owens used “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Stunner, but took permission from The Rattlesnake to use the move. Similarly, Seth Rolins has used Triple H’s pedigree and MVP has used Shelton Benjamin’s Paydirt.
But a few major WWE Superstars haven’t been too happy watching their moves being copied by other wrestlers in the ring. They’ve called out such competitors and expressed their displeasure at their moves being stolen.
Let’s take a look at five WWE Superstars who were not happy watching their moves being stolen by other wrestlers.
#5 Billy Kidman tried to stop two WWE Superstars from using his finisher
Veteran WWE fans will remember Paul London as a lovable highflyer who performed jaw-dropping moves. Along with Brian Kendrick, the Superstar formed a great tag team that was prominent during the 2000s. Not only did London compete in a tag team with Kendrick, but he also found a partner in Billy Kidman before him.
Appearing on The Pancakes and Powerslams Show, London recalled the time when he was in a tag team with Kendrick and decided to use the Shooting Star Press as his finisher. Kidman, who was known to do that move, asked London to stop using it.
"I remember we were working I think Matt [Hardy] and Shannon [Moore] in New York, and I decided that we could start doing something where Brian [Kendrick] is on all fours, and I run, jump off his back, and do a Shooting Star [Press] off his back. So I started doing that in the matches, and it was getting really good reactions, how we were using them. And I remember [Billy] Kidman coming up to me, and he said, 'Hey man! You're gonna steal my move every night?! You're gonna keep stealing my move every night?!' I just looked at him and said, 'Do you do a running Shooting Star off the back?' He goes, 'uh... well no, but...' I go, 'Well... yeah.'”
However, London clarified that he was using a modified version of the move and continued to use it for as long as he was in WWE.
London isn’t the only Superstar whom Kidman called out for using the Shooting Star Press. AJ Styles has also revealed that Kidman was unhappy with him for performing the move back in WCW.
"I don't know if I've ever told you guys this, but I was in WCW if you guys didn't know that, and I did the Shooting Styles Press, which is like a gainer to the outside. Billy Kidman, who was working there, was like, 'What the heck!?' He even called me AJ Steals, which kind of p***ed me off. But he was Kidman, so what could I do? I ended up testing out the Spiral Tap without ever hitting it on anyone because I wasn't sure how that would go.”
Despite Kidman's apprehension, many wrestlers both inside and outside WWE use the Shooting Star Press during matches.