The thigh slap sells how impactful a move is and is used regularly in wrestling, like stomping a foot while throwing a punch. However, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a memo has been sent to NXT talents informing them to stop making the sound effect, or they’ll be fined. This is considered ironic as Shawn Michaels is one of WWE’s greatest ever stars and is a current trainer who thigh slapped along with his iconic superkick finisher throughout his career.
In the newsletter, Melzer credits the late Chris Adams with popularizing the thigh slap, and Bret Hart has previously stated that it was introduced by his brother Owen. Regardless of past use, thigh slaps in wrestling have been a controversial subject over the last few years due to its now excessive use. Current AEW announcer Jim Ross has previously stated that he finds it passe and embarrassing on his Grilling JR podcast. Similarly, Randy Orton has mocked NXT wrestlers for overusing the technique on Twitter.
From now on, it will be interesting to see if the instruction is strictly followed, as many wrestlers do it instinctively. An example of this was in a Tommaso Ciampa and Angel Garza match, which saw Ciampa slap his thigh while kicking Garza’s ripped-off tights.
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