Ex-WWE star was told he can't perform the Superkick because Shawn Michaels used it (Exclusive)

Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music was an iconic finisher

Vince Russo has revealed that Stevie Richards was told that he couldn't perform the Superkick when he joined WWE as Shawn Michaels used it.

Richards performed the move, which was also Michaels' finisher, before he joined the promotion in 1999. The Superkick is now widely used by stars such as The Young Bucks, The Usos and Dolph Ziggler.

Dr. Chris Featherstone, the host of Sportskeeda's Legion of RAW show, asked Vince Russo about how Vince McMahon and WWE view Superstars using their peers' finishers. Russo revealed that the company is protective of finishing moves, and even recalled how Stevie Richards was told he couldn't use the superkick as it was Shawn Michaels' signature move.

"I know that for a fact that when Stevie Richards came over and Shawn [Michaels] used his Superkick - and that's what Stevie used - and he was told flat-out, 'You're never using the Superkick again.' I can't think of guys or instances off the top of my head, but they were very, very strict about that. Like, if 'Taker used the Tombstone - that was the big deal, 'Taker does the Tombstone, nobody else does until Kane. Very, very, very protective of finishing moves back then," said Russo. [From 18:00 to 18:46]

The conversation was brought about after Dominik Mysterio performed an RKO-like move on Dolph Ziggler on WWE RAW.

WWE star The Miz feels that using another Superstars's finisher was "sacred" back in the day

Best Superkicks in the biz.

Happy birthday to the one and only, @ShawnMichaels! 💔 #HappyBirthdayHBK https://t.co/Vghi04aFhx

The Miz bemoaned the fact that wrestlers use each other's finishers, which wouldn't have been the case a few decades ago. He cited how the Superkick is used by several wrestlers in pro wrestling presently.

"No one could do a superkick because Shawn Michaels did the superkick. Now superkicks are almost like the new hip toss, the new arm drag… But back then it was very sacred to do someone else's moves," said The Miz.

Michaels disclosed a few years ago that the late Pat Patterson was instrumental in helping him use the Superkick as his finisher.

Please H/T Legion of RAW if you use any of the above quotes.