WWE.com article on Kidman and his Shooting Star

[Guest Real F'n Show]

from wwe.com:

 

Kidman shoots for the stars

by Michael Dworkis

 

 

Billy Kidman and Paul London shocked the world when they defeated the Dudleys for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Kidman brought fans in the arena and around the world to their feet when he spiraled off the top rope and splashed on Bubba Ray Dudley with the incredible Shooting Star Press, earning the three count and the championships.

 

The Shooting Star Press, Kidman’s signature move appears to be inhuman to successfully pull off. However, Kidman makes this high risk move look easy.

 

“Well, before I got into wrestling, I actually would do the move off a diving board. Before I decided to begin training, I had actually never seen it done in a wrestling match. I didn’t think it could be done. When I began training I thought about trying it.”

 

At the Wild Samoans gym in Allentown, Pa., Kidman learned that if you will it, it is no dream.

 

“When I started my training, I would stand on the top turnbuckle, and I would think to myself: ‘this is impossible, my feet could slip right off.’ So at first I never tried doing it. Then during my training at the gym, I saw a tape of Jushin Thunder Liger against Chris Benoit in Japan, and Liger did the Shooting Star Press. Now I knew it was possible, so I figured I might as well give it a shot. Chris Kanyon helped me out with it. We got a crash pad in the ring, and that’s how we did it.”

 

Kidman successfully learned how to perfect it in the ring, adapting it from the way Jushin Thunder Liger did it in Japan.

 

“When I saw the tape (of Liger), I wanted to do the Shooting Star like him. When he jumped, he tucked himself, like doing a tuck-flip. So that’s what I planned on trying to do. When I did the move, I didn’t tuck in, I laid out and wound up doing it that way ever since. It is hard to control, but I have been doing it a certain way for so long that it’s hard to change after doing it a certain way for 10 years.”

 

However, Kidman does caution that performing a move like the Shooting Star Press can be extremely dangerous. It took Kidman years to perfect it, and there are few who are able to pull off such a feat.

 

“I never had seen anyone else other than Liger pull it off. It is definitely a dangerous move. You are jumping forward and flipping back. One wrong move you can come down on your neck, come back down on the ropes, especially if you don’t get that full extension all around, it could be dangerous."

 

Kidman has felt these bumps first-hand, not only while in training, but he has also experienced his fare share of crash-landings in the ring.

 

“There was one time I jumped and came back down on the ropes. I basically jumped up, flipped, and landed where I was standing on the top turnbuckle. It slingshot me head-first to the mat. There was one time I hooked my foot on the top rope which caused me to pull my groin, and my arm was outstretched too, and I ended up tearing my rotator cuff all at the same time. I’ve done it where I didn’t get full rotation, and I landed on my chest, where my feet came over my head backwards, and that hurt... a lot.”

 

There are others who have tried the move, and some suffered for it. At WrestleMania XIX, Brock Lesnar learned the hard way of why the Shooting Star is a move best left to experts in high-flying. Brock, at around 280 pounds, leapt from the top rope, and came down on his head, suffering a severe concussion. Additionally, Brock used the move when it is common knowledge that the Shooting Star Press is Kidman’s trademark move.

 

“He shouldn’t have done it. But I heard I he could do it, and hit it pretty nice. It’s impressive for a guy that size to do that. The fact that he didn’t make it around has to do with fatigue and his size, and for anyone that size to try, it’s a more dangerous move to pull off. I don’t think he had any business doing that move, because it’s my finishing move. I could have went out there and F-5’ed anybody. But I didn’t do that because you don’t do other people’s finishing moves. It’s like a code of ethics, anyone in that locker room can do almost anyone’s moves. Unless it’s planned, there are moves you just don’t do when someone makes it their signature.”

 

Even knowing that it is a move that is extremely risky to perform, Kidman has found ways to shock fans even more with a charged up performance and modifying the Shooting Star to come out of nowhere.

 

“I have done it a lot of different ways. Off the turnbuckle to the outside, off the middle of the ropes to the outside or inside of the ring, or running off the ring apron to the floor. If I had to pick my favorite one, it would be from when I had a triangle match with Rey Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera, then a match with Eddie Guerrero right after. I did two of them in one night.

 

That night, it was the first time I did one from the top to the floor, and the fact I was able to do it again after two consecutive matches, one in each match. Making it out of there alive made it the most memorable to me.”

 

As a WWE Tag Team Champion, one can expect Kidman to “turn it up” with Paul London, continuing a streak of causing fans worldwide to jump from their seats.

 

 

---------------------

 

Eh, I still think he should give it up and just let London use it.

[Guest Choken One]

London can do other awe inspiring moves, let Kidman do the ONE he can do on a consistant basis. London doesn't need it to get over...Kidman does. It's his identity.

[CanadianChick 0]

Oh, this article is too funny.

 

The Shooting Star Press, Kidman’s signature move appears to be inhuman to successfully pull off. However, Kidman makes this high risk move look easy.

Geez, it's a back flip while facing forward. It's impressive, sure, but not unthinkable. And Kidman doesn't make the move look too easy when he injures himself doing it.

 

 

“I never had seen anyone else other than Liger pull it off.

 

When I first saw that, I though "had" was "have", and I was going to go on that his own partner does it. But I re-read it. Whew, Train making-an-ass-of-myself derailed!

 

 

And Kidman is still whining Brock used the SSP. I really don't think he should be scolding Brock for injuring himself by doing the move when he's gotten injured frequently from fucking up the move.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Oh, this article is too funny.

 

The Shooting Star Press, Kidman’s signature move appears to be inhuman to successfully pull off. However, Kidman makes this high risk move look easy.

Geez, it's a back flip while facing forward. It's impressive, sure, but not unthinkable. And Kidman doesn't make the move look too easy when he injures himself doing it.

 

 

“I never had seen anyone else other than Liger pull it off.

 

When I first saw that, I though "had" was "have", and I was going to go on that his own partner does it. But I re-read it. Whew, Train making-an-ass-of-myself derailed!

 

 

And Kidman is still whining Brock used the SSP. I really don't think he should be scolding Brock for injuring himself by doing the move when he's gotten injured frequently from fucking up the move.

Holy Bitter Batman!

[Guest combat_rock]

It is kind of stupid how he's bitter about Brock attempting the move. I mean, yeah it's his finisher, but it's not like Brock was trying to say "Watch me steal this move from Billy Kidman". It was more like "Watch me do this move that no one my size should be doing".

[Guest Reservoir_Kitty]

Kidman should stop living in the past; Brock did it, failed, and will never do it again. Isn't that payback enough? You know Kidman was sitting in the back trying not to bust a gut when Brock fell on his skull.

[AndrewTS 0]

"The Shooting Star Press, Kidman’s signature move appears to be inhuman to successfully pull off. However, Kidman makes this high risk move look easy."

 

Since the last two times I saw him do it he botched it, and the former was when he injured himself, I'd disagree.

 

He actually pulled it off well on SD, then?

[Guest combat_rock]

Well, Bubba was really close to the corner, and he kind of went sideways like he does sometimes, but he didn't completely botch it or anything.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I think they published this article before... twice before, actually. They couldn't even write an original column for the guy(s).

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

WM 20, Kidman landed on his head on the cement doing a variant of the SSP, didn't he?

[Guest Choken One]

He didn't LAND on his head but came damn near close enough.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

I remember back in WCW Kidman, more times then not, did kick ass shooting star presses. Hell he even pulled out a few springboard to the outside ones. Hell it was because of Kidman's SSP that I made it the finisher for my e-wrestler when I first started e-feds.

 

But, ever since he came to WWE his SSPs have been pretty sad and shitty. I don't know why it is. Age, injury, the WWE style, or Kidman just isn't happy and thus isn't trying anymore but, it's real sad watching him do the SSP now.

[Guest Quik]

Yeah, he does kinda do it sloppy. It's still cool, IMHO, in it's sloppy nature. I think it makes it look a little more painful because his body has kind of a whipping motion to it. I think it's cause he bulked up a bit.

[Guest Wondermouse]

Kidman's shooting star, that is, when he's not botching it, is my favorite. The fact that he's not tucked in and barely finishes the rotation looks really, really awesome to me.

[Guest JRE]

The whole time I read that articles I just wanted to scream "YOU'RE NOT THAT GOOD AT IT DAMMIT." Will he ever allow London to do one, that is the question

[Astro7x 0]

And Kidman is still whining Brock used the SSP. I really don't think he should be scolding Brock for injuring himself by doing the move when he's gotten injured frequently from fucking up the move.

I didn't know that it was possible to botch the move more than a 1:1 ratio

[Guest Nelly's Bandaid]

And you guys call yourselves "smartmarks".....

 

For months we here about a fued over the SSP. Kidman and London win the Tag Titles, the first thing WWE does is not discuss there title history or how they got together or how this is london's first WWE title, but the SSP.

 

Think people. The seed has been planted.

[J.B. Buzzkill 0]

The whole time I read that articles I just wanted to scream "YOU'RE NOT THAT GOOD AT IT DAMMIT."  Will he ever allow London to do one, that is the question

Correction: Will the WWE higher ups allow Paul to do one? (It's not like Kidman has a lot of backstage pull .)

[Guest Choken One]

Why the Hard on for London not being able to do the SSP? London can do 1005 other great moves. Kidman Can only do one...Let him have it.

 

At least he properly credited Jushin Liger for bringing it to the masses and didn't try to do the whole "I invented this move" like some do.

[Guest Staravenger]

Don't forget Kidman has some kind of knee injury (the mysterious unknown kinds) as does London. I know London wears a nee brace, but I'm not sure if Kidman does. That can explain difficulty of performing the move when you can't get a good push off with one leg.

 

Did the article mention Kidman mocking that the F-5 is a move anyone could do? I just skimmed over that part because it's old news. Sounds like they just typed up what he said on Confidential one time.

[Cheex Incarnate 0]

Didn't Marc Mero do it quite often during his "Wildman" days? Pretty nicely IIRC

 

-Cheex

[J.B. Buzzkill 0]

Yeah, Marc had an AWESOME SSP.

[Guest darkquack]

, Brock used the move when it is common knowledge that the Shooting Star Press is Kidman’s trademark move.

im suprised wwe would support a cruiser over a big ole steroided freak

[Guest Choken One]

The steroid freak would be who?

 

U mean the PURE ATHELETE that left WWE for the NFL? That guy...

 

Well, One of those two guys (kidman and brocky) are still employed...

[Guest Real F'n Show]

Yeah, Marc had an AWESOME SSP.

Yes, that was the first SSP I ever saw. Marc's SSP was almost as good as London's. Marc Mero should come back and beat both of their asses for stealing the Wild Thing. That'd be funny as hell.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Didn't Marc Mero do it quite often during his "Wildman" days? Pretty nicely IIRC

 

-Cheex

Yeah he did and I remember him doing it a few times during the later days of Johnny B. Badd. You know when Badd started looking less and less like a queer.

[Guest Dids]

Why the Hard on for London not being able to do the SSP? London can do 1005 other great moves. Kidman Can only do one...Let him have it.

 

At least he properly credited Jushin Liger for bringing it to the masses and didn't try to do the whole "I invented this move" like some do.

Because London's SSP is a thing of beauty. Kidman's isn't.

[King Cucaracha 0]

WM 20, Kidman landed on his head on the cement doing a variant of the SSP, didn't he?

He headbutted Nunzio in the face I think.

[Guest darkquack]

The steroid freak would be who?

 

U mean the PURE ATHELETE that left WWE for the NFL? That guy...

 

Well, One of those two guys (kidman and brocky) are still employed...

brock a pure athlete? my ass. i can pass any drug test after shootingup heroin if i wanted to. a thing called certo the government doesnt know about. i found out about it from a radio interview with road warrior animal.

[Guest Choken One]

ooohhh...Road Warrior Animal! OF COURSE!

 

Get out of here, simply for being an Idiot.