Sweet Chin Music: All About Shawn Michael's Iconic Finishing Move

"Sweet Chin Music" is the signature finishing move of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. The move, a variant of the Superkick, involves a kick to an opponents chin resulting in a knockdown or knockout.

While the move has becomes synonymous with Michaels, he wasn't the first to make it a staple in his repertoire.

So how did "Sweet Chin Music" become Michael's finisher?

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How Sweet Chin Music came to be

Speaking to Sports Illustrated back in 2017, Michaels explains how the move came to be his finisher, revealing that he originally took the move from 'Gentleman' Chris Adams. Michaels said:

The first time I saw it was 'Gentleman' Chris Adams, and I have to say he was a guy that I watched, he was a world class wrestler with the Von Erichs in Texas, and he would be, I think he's smiling in his grave that his move is so big. Now, he might not be happy that it's become more, again, synonymous with my name, but I always give him credit. 'Gentleman' Chris Adams is the guy that developed the superkick. I saw it once when I was a kid and then obviously when when I started wrestling Marty and The Rockers were doing it. The one thing you got to love about the wrestling business is that if you beat that dead horse long enough it will take on a life of its own.

How Sweet Chin Music got its name

The name "Sweet Chin Music" actually originates from baseball. In an interview with Sony Sports in 2020, Michael's explains how announcers would use the term to describe a Roger Clemens fastball high and inside (near the chin) to push the batter off the plate, and after mentioning the term to Vince Russo, it took off from there.

"The Sweet Chin Music I can remember, again making the comment about a Roger Clemens fastball in baseball, and again it was a brushback pitch... and I had mentioned it I believe to Vince Russo, and from that point on Russo began to sort of insert that into a promo idea, umm, and we just felt it was a great name to differentiate what would, you know, what everyone knew as the superkick, so to speak, into a little bit more stylized and focused finishing move for The Heartbreak Kid.

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The evolution of Sweet Chin Music

Over time, Michaels added theatrical elements to the move to hype fans up before its execution. Michael's would often position himself in the corner of the ring and stomp his foot on the mat to build anticipation (tune up the band), and while his opponents would generally be unaware of what's coming, it would put onlooking fans into a frenzy.

Sweet Chin Music is one of the most iconic finishing moves in wrestling history, standing alonside other greats like The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver, Bret Hart's Sharpshooter, and Stone Cold Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner.

"Tune up the band, Cole"
Pat McAfee

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