WWE: Shawn Michaels' 25 Greatest Sweet Chin Musics

Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music is the greatest finisher ever.  He could strike with it at any moment whether his opponent was standing, kneeling or leaping. 

The crack of boot against jaw from a perfectly timed superkick is an amazing thing to watch.

The move served as an exclamation point on Michaels' career and his matches.  Let's revisit his most intense and most beautiful deliveries of Sweet Chin Music.

Number one is not a surprise to most fans.

Aside from that phenomenal match-ender, Michaels has a myriad of other classic superkicks. 

Bonus-Sentimental Favorites

Shawn Michaels offered Ric Flair the ultimate career send-off.  

Had Flair not started wrestling in TNA after this match, this tear-inducing Sweet Chin Music would have been one of the most poetic endings to close a career.  

It's not as crisp or powerful as others we've seen, but it plays a huge part in the drama of this bout, Michaels saying the simple yet unforgettable line, "I'm sorry, I love you" before kicking Flair for the last time.

Additionally, Shawn Michaels' first WWE Championship win came via another stirring Sweet Chin Music.

After a long and compelling battle with Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII, Michaels gained the first and only fall with superkicking his way to victory.

The sudden kick provided a dramatic finish to a classic match.  

25. Cyber Sunday 2007 to Randy Orton

In terms of impact, this Sweet Chin Music doesn't compare to some of his more brutal deliveries of it. 

It's the crowd reaction, Jim Ross and Randy Orton that turn this into something special.

A punt attempt was quickly turned into a superkick. 

Shawn Michaels kicked higher than normal, connecting more with Orton's temple than his chin. The blow itself is more of a glancing one, but Orton's dramatic sell job and the energetic reaction make it seem better than it is. 

24. New Year’s Revolution 2006 to Kurt Angle

This one was more like Sweet Cranium Music as Kurt Angle took the kick along the side of his head.  Still it looked like it knocked him out cold. 

While clamping on the ankle lock with his usual intensity, Angle fell victim to a blind-siding by the cagey Shawn Michaels.

Up until this moment Angle was on a roll, seemingly on his way to victory in the Elimination Chamber, but the superkick changes destinies.  

23. Armageddon 2003 to Batista

The beauty of Sweet Chin Music is how sudden and surprising it can be. Shawn Michaels hops out of a powerbomb attempt and almost instantaneously turns it into a victory.

Jim Ross once again turns a great moment into an off-the-charts moment. His emotion drives this superkick into overdrive. 

The teeth-rattling impact is exciting enough, but Michaels' half collapse, half pin is an unexpected bonus. Ignoring the fact that both men's shoulders were down, what a great visual to end a match on, a prone Michaels lying atop the dazed Batista. 

22. Survivor Series 2006 to Randy Orton

Randy Orton is capable of a much better selling of the superkick.  Check out his other appearances on the list for proof.

Still this Sweet Chin Music turns out well mostly on the strength of how viciously Shawn Michaels thrusts his leg into Orton's chin.

The move sometimes looks it taps the opponent's chin, but here is more of a clubbing blow. 

Even without getting the Pedigree immediately after, Orton likely wouldn't have kicked out. 

21. Survivor Series 2006 to Mike Knox

It's never a good idea to turn your back on Shawn Michaels even if it's to confront Triple H. 

Opening the traditional elimination match at the 2006 Survivor Series, Mike Knox got superkicked in the mouth not one minute into the action.

The Sweet Chin Music tears toward Knox's head and knocks him clear off his feet

Michaels, in a playful, goofy period at the time, first asks the ref if it's okay to pin Knox and then right after this clip ends, he asks Triple H, "Who was that?"

. 

20. No Way Out 2009 to JBL

Usually Shawn Michaels hits the Sweet Chin Music quickly and fiercely like a boxer's jab, but here his delay after nailing JBL makes it all the more devastating. 

The kick seems like a hammer blow with a thud echoing through the arena as JBL falls on his back.  JBL sold it beautifully, his head knocked back, his body limp. 

This superkick not only ended the match, but also the odd storyline where Shawn Michaels worked as JBL's employee because he was having financial difficulties.   

19. Vengeance 2006 to Nick Nemeth

Nick Nemeth of the Spirit Squad is of course better known today as Dolph Ziggler.  Judging by this superb sell job, Ziggler's been taking bumps beautifully for a long time.

Ziggler was trying to interrupt Triple H's Pedigree, only to get a kick in the face for his troubles. 

Shawn Michaels delivers this Sweet Chin Music more casually than we're used to seeing, but it still nails Ziggler in the jaw.

Ziggler helps to elevate the move by looking as if he got shot with a tranquilizer gun. 

18. Survivor Series 2002 to Triple H

Unfortunately the cameras didn't capture all of this Sweet Chin Music, but it remains a powerful moment.

The kick and the subsequent pin earned Shawn Michaels the World Heavyweight Championship.  After not competing from 1998 to 2002, Michaels marked his return first with a Street Fight at Summerslam and then this emotional title win.

This Sweet Chin Music had no tuning up of the band; it was a seemingly desperate attack at a foe who had bloodied him.  Michaels' dramatic spin into the cover added a welcome touch of flair. 

17. Survivor Series 2009 to Triple H

In one of the more shocking openings to a match, Shawn Michaels superkicked his own partner right out of the ring.

The sudden Sweet Chin Music became the highlight of the match. 

Triple H sold it superbly by snapping his head back.  He rolled through the ropes, leaving us to soak up the moment.

Michaels' delivery is crisp and convincing. 

It's hard not to watch this at least a few times in a row. 

16. Unforgiven 2003 to Randy Orton

Randy Orton gets another taste of Shawn Michaels' boot, this time knocking his head back like whiplash. 

There is less artistry involved with this one than many of his finest superkicks, but the straight-ahead bulldozer version is just as impressive.

He seems to almost step through Orton's head.   Orton helps improve the visual with a minor spasm on the wrestling mat. 

It's not exactly difficult to make Jim Ross shout, “Oh my god!"  This time though, it was well deserved. 

15. Bad Blood 2003 to Ric Flair

Shawn Michaels put an end to Ric Flair's WWE career with Sweet Chin Music.  Before that classic date at WrestleMania, the two men battled at Bad Blood. 

Michaels popped the Nature Boy in the mouth only to get a chair shot from Randy Orton seconds after impact. 

In the same match, Michaels hit Orton with a superkick as well. 

The kick on Ric Flair produced a brutal thud and Flair made it look as if the blow killed him. 

14. Cyber Sunday 2006 to Stan

Unfortunately for WWE backstage employee, Stan, Shawn Michaels was on a mission to prove that he was still controversial. 

The unsuspecting Stan is soon lying on the concrete. Before he exits, Michaels kicks two more employees, paperwork flying everywhere. 

This is one of HBK's funniest moments. 

Kudos to those three superkick victims for taking the move like men. Stan sells the move nearly perfectly. 

13. Raw 2009 to John Cena

Shawn Michaels caught John Cena with Sweet Chin Music two times in this match from Raw. 

The second one is a fine looking kick, a cracking lightning strike across the chin. It's still not as incredible as the first one shown here.

With that superkick it's as if Michael's foot becomes a baseball bat and Cena's head was just a waiting tee ball.

The face-changing impact should have been enough for a three-count, but Cena sneaked his arm out just in time. 

12. The Barber Shop 1992 to Marty Jannetty

The Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, went from tag team partners to hated rivals after one swift kick.  This famous '91 Barber Shop segment was set up as a chance for the two partners to reconcile after some tension at Survivor Series.

Michaels turned heel and catapulted his legendary singles career with a Sweet Chin Music on his old friend.

It's not the most beautifully executed version of the move, but the most monumental.  Bobby Heenan's commentary nearly outshined the act itself.

After Michaels smashed Jannetty through the barber shop window, Heenan said, "Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape.  What an act of cowardice."

Skip right to the superkick at about 1:00 in the video. 

11. WrestleMania 21 to Kurt Angle

It's only fitting that Kurt Angle suffered a busted lip after running his mouth mid-match against Shawn Michaels.

The Pro Wrestling Illustrated 2005 Match of the Year award-winning match had its share of dramatic, heart-pulsing moments.  This Sweet Chin Music was certainly one of them. 

Again, thank Jim Ross for amplifying this kick with his infectious exuberance.

Michaels does his usual histrionic post-kick collapse which gives the cameras a chance to zoom in on the blood in Angle's mouth.

10. Unforgiven 2008 to Referee

In his Unsanctioned match against Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels proved how deranged he'd become. Even the ref wasn't safe from his overflowing anger.

Referee Marty Elias stood near Jericho's feet when he saw the heel of Michaels' cowboy boot rocketing toward his face. 

It's a powerful kick sold awesomely by the ref. 

Say what you want about Michaels' acting job afterwards, but the Sweet Chin Music was a work of art. 

9. Royal Rumble 2004 to Triple H

In a fantastic bloodbath between former friends, Triple H ran into a battering ram of a superkick.

Shawn Michaels' boot shot up as Triple H charged at him and hit him flush in the teeth.  The Game's head snapped back and both men fell to the blood-soaked mat, exhausted.

You'll hear louder versions of Sweet Chin Music, but few will have as much impact as this one did. 

As many times as Triple H has taken the move, you think he'd know how to avoid getting hit so directly, but perhaps he just wanted to entertain badly enough to take the bump like that. 

8. Survivor Series 2008 to John Morrison

John Morrison wanted to show up the Heartbreak Kid with his own move.  Even if he had connected, it wouldn't have been as gorgeous as Shawn Michaels' version.

We will likely never see someone master the superkick like Michaels.

As the flashbulbs go off, HBK's foot knocks Morrison's chin back. Michaels' leg curves more than usual here, but still ends up delivering a massive Sweet Chin Music.

I only wish Jim Ross was calling it.

7. Backlash 2004 to Chris Benoit

The crack timed perfectly, Shawn Michaels caught the late Chris Benoit in the neck and the side of his face with a stellar superkick.

Benoit took the brunt of the blow and sold it well, collapsing to the apron.

The crowd's roar and Jim Ross' rising tide of emotion made it even better. Despite taking Sweet Chin Music across his stubble, Benoit would go on to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.

6. WrestleMania 25 to Undertaker

How impressive was it that despite the Undertaker's height, Shawn Michaels hit the superkick so high on his head?

In this certified classic, we saw both men's finishers several times, but this Sweet Chin Music may just have been the most exciting strike in the match. 

Undertaker, of course, sold it well. Michaels did his usual dramatic collapse afterwards.

Jim Ross sums it up quite well with simply, "Damn."

5. WrestleMania 26 to Undertaker

Undertaker and Shawn Michaels may not have topped their award-winning match from the previous WrestleMania, but Michaels certainly outdid his Sweet Chin Music.

He gets more momentum by running at the Dead Man and then whips his foot toward Taker's face. 

If you judge a finishing move by a crowd's reaction then the blubbering, elated folks in the front row, award this Sweet Chin Music an A. 

Watch the ref's reaction. Despite being several feet away, he seems to feel the impact as well. 

4. WrestleMania XX to Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit had Triple H in the Sharpshooter for a long time and seemed like it might be the Wolverine's time. He would, of course, raise the World Heavyweight Championship over his head later than night, but Shawn Michaels made sure it didn't happen right then.

Michaels charged in out of nowhere and clobbered Benoit from the side.

Michaels spun into the kick, his bloody face falling to the mat. The impact sent Benoit flying. 

Unfortunately for Triple H and HBK, Michaels couldn't repeat the performance when Benoit got the Game in the Crossface. 

3. Survivor Series 2005 to Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio springboarded himself at an overselling Shawn Michaels.  Boot hit flesh with amazing results.

The crowd erupted.  The ref covered his head and closed his eyes.

Mysterio's size made this look even better as his small frame was whipped backwards by the kick. 

It's a tribute to Shawn Michaels' mastery of this move that this is only third on this list. 

2. WrestleMania 19 to Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho ran at his former idol, now rival, and Shawn Michaels gave him a phenomenal superkick for his troubles. 

In a match chock full of highlights, this has to be one of the finest.  Michaels timed this perfectly.

He stretched out like a ballet dancer and with the help of a world-class sell job by Jericho turned out a Sweet Chin Music for the ages. 

Michaels was too drained to take advantage, the ring ropes bouncing, the crowd in awe. 

1. Raw 2005 to Shelton Benjamin

Even if you've seen Shawn Michaels knock Shelton Benjamin out of the Gold Rush Tournament with the best Sweet Chin Music ever a few hundred times, it's still worth rewatching.

This tops the mid-air superkick on Rey Mysterio in terms of volume, impact and crowd reaction. 

Benjamin had an impressive showing, his athletic skills on full display throughout the match.

However, his performance and the match itself will forever be overshadowed by the move that ended it. Benjamin tried to attack Michaels from the air, but got kicked into internet stardom instead.