TNA Knockout, Tara, has responded to fans commenting that WWE’s Eve Torres ‘stole’ her standing moonsault.
The duo, friends during their time in WWE, both perform the standing moonsault, with Torres recently adding a ‘booty pop’ before performing hers — similar to Tara’s ‘shakedown’ before she hits the move.
Tara Takes Part in Underwear Run for Charity, Reveals Recent Breast Cancer Scare
Writing on her blog, Tara says:
I have heard from a lot of people alerting me that ‘Eve stole your standing moonsault’. Here is my perspective…Eve is a shady thief…I’m totally kidding. Eve is a wonderful person, a good friend, and one of the people I miss the most from WWE. But seriously, hundreds of wrestlers have come and gone through the major wrestling organizations. If every move they used became off limits, there would be nothing left to do. The way I learned it, there is a certain code of honor where if you ‘borrow’ someone’s move, you in some way change it and make it your own, which Eve did.
Tara also talks about Miss Tessmacher using a similar move to Trish Stratus‘ Stratusfaction:
Recently, Miss Tessmacher introduced a move that I thought was not even close to a move Trish did. But then one of the TNA backstage coaches asked her to adjust it, and it became a little more like Trish’s move. Even so, it is definitely Miss Tessmacher’s version. And at the end of the day, Trish was flattered, the same way I am flattered. If you want to spice up your arsenal, you go to wrestlers that you admire.
Read more of Tara’s blog here.
Thoughts: As Tara points, moves are rarely new in wrestling and everyone uses moves that have been done before. I think the fans point of contention comes from the fact that Eve recently added the ‘booty pop’ to her standing moonsault, which is similar to Tara’s ‘shakedown’. However, Torres has been using the actual move for a while and I’ve always thought of it as an homage to her friend more than anything else. Not a huge thing to nitpick over.
90 Comments
at
It’s only a standing moonsault.
Now if it was the widows peak that would be different….
Straight Edge Mattie Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
How would it be different
SeraphimJester Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Because the Widow’s Peak is one of the things that Lisa Marie Varon is reputable for as Victoria during her time in the WWE. It’s a quintessential Victoria move. Had Eve copied that instead of a move that is practically common, then it would have sparked off more controversy. It would be like AJ in 5 years time doing the Split-Legged Pin A.K.A Primal Scream; a move that is quintessentially unique to Melina.
BillyGP Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Nora ‘Molly Holly’ taught the Widow Peak to Tara.
SeraphimJester Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Although that may be the case the point is that the move itself is synonymous with Tara.
Harley Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
As far as the Widow’s Peak is concerned, I think that it’s not necessarily a question of “stealing” but rather a question of being “lazy.”
Don’t get me wrong. I know that there is no solid rule in this. And I can imagine that it does take time to learn something like the Widow’s Peak. Of course I will not devalue that.
But the thing is, using the Widow’s Peak would raise a lot of questions regarding…
a.) the wrestler’s love for the business
b.) the person’s knowledge of the business (which if a person really loves should span beyond North America) and…
c.) the person’s interest to really doing well by standing out (which is important in the entertainment industry.)
These are question that would easily tarnish a person’s reputation to serious pro-wrestling fans.
Plus, in my opinion, the Gory Neckbreaker / Widow’s Peak is one of those moves that are very hard to tweak in order to differentiate it from Tara / Victoria’s version.
at
Good god do people not have better things to do?
at
awww Tara is so sweet, we love her :)
at
“But then one of the TNA backstage coaches asked her to adjust it”
Oh no they actully do control your move-set backstage all what I can say is Poor Sarita. Nightmare is a reality everyone =(
BillyGP Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Poor Sarita? Poor half the roster if that the case.
hado Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Why do you think that all the divas matches are crap these days? Remember the McCool/Melina match at NOC that epic match (2009), well they both got in trouble for doing “dangerous” moves.
Now I had no idea they did this on TNA, but damn that sucks. Pretty much all the roster would be affected by this.
JSciola Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Having never seen the McCool/Melina Night Of Champions match, what moves were deemed too dangerous?
WWFoverWWE Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
you guys need to stop getting your panties in a bunch.
the knockouts that need more training are allowed to get extra ring help before impact tapes, and that’s where girls like tessmacher can get a little more help with coaches. If they want to try new moves, then the coaches will see it and give them advice if they have too
if you’re a veteran like Tara, mickie, sarita, etc. then obviously you don’t need a coach because you know how to wrestle
TNA does not control your moveset, though they do want you to stay in character, which might influence your moveset
Kim099 Reply:
August 4th, 2011 at
and underwear
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
check kaitlyns, rosas and other girls fcw matches and compare them with the wwe ones, you’ll see huge differences there.
Kaitlyn has a huge arsenal of moves and uses different ones in every match she has in fcw, in wwe she uses like 2-4 moves only because she is the faces jobber in the most cases.
Rosa has a moveset that includes at least 12+ moves, in wwe she only punches, kicks, uses one or two submissions, before she lays down to get pinned as the heels jobber.
AJ has shown also many more moves in fcw but is stuck on the shining wizard, headschissors takendown a kick, a punch and a dropkick in wwe.
What I “hate” the most is, that the superstars are allowed to fly allover the place, yet the divas need to play it like the “desperate housewives” there. <_<
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I notice since the Hogan/Bitchoff invation heel KO can’t do cool moves, before that Alissa Flash, Daffney, Rhaka Khan still used what ever they want.
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I miss Daffney. :(
Alissa got released after her gimmick as Kongs “servant” were done? O_o
I didn’t followed that so I’m not sure what happened to her.
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I can’t believe how Alissa Flash was treated like I mean WTF were they thinking???
at
I think this should apply to Kelly Kelly for having an absolutely unoriginal moveset.
Jake Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
How so? All the Divas moves has been used by somebody else besides maybe their finishers.
SeraphimJester Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Can you name ANY other divas who has done Primal Scream? If not then your point isn’t 100% accurate.
Jake Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Obviously you ignored “besides maybe their finishers”. However, Rhaka Khan has used the move but doesn’t do the split. Melina’s Primal Scream is just modified Hog Log that Big Show did a few years ago.
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Just to let you know Melina unlike the rest of the Divas watchs alot of indie clips so she got the Primal Scream from nobody than him self EVAN BOARN!!!! anyone suprized???
SeraphimJester Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
It’s not necessarily similar to Rhaka Khan’s finisher nor Big show”s in any way. And again, it’s Melina’s OWN move. Had she done Rhaka Khan or The Big Show’s actual finisher it would have been a whole different story. I don’t see you helping oyurself here Jake.
@Laquisha Evan Bourne doesn’t finish in a split therefore Melina never copied Evan Bourne.
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I didn’t say she copied him, and I know Evan used it as a regular move just like when Madusa used the Desecratore as a regular move in one of her japanese match.
Jake Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
You’re acting like she invented the move when it’s just a modified version of a Inverted leg drop bulldog. So she does a split, doesn’t mean it’s a whole new move. Melina just added her own twist to it but it’s still the same thing.
SeraphimJester Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
@JAKE I never said she invented the move. I merely stated that she added her own innovative spin to the move. Therefore she’s not a copycat. There’s a difference. Kelly Kelly’s moveset is derived straight from other divas. I.e. Trish, and Candice Michelle.
Jake Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
But hasn’t Kelly added her own spin to the leg drop bulldog also? =/
at
People are still playing the “Wrestler A stole Wrestler B’s move” game? So childish
at
I like that Trish was flattered LOL. Well said Tara on the situation.
Kessuki Reply:
August 2nd, 2011 at
haha me too. well trish is a classy lady and so would be honoured at todays wrestlers inspired by her.
at
Can someone please tell me which one of Trish’s wrestling moves Miss Tessmacher is currently using during her matches?
alexl467
Jake Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Stratusfaction
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
its a modified version of the bulldog from the top rope trish were using under the name jake wrote.
at
Using other diva’s moves and movesets is just another thing most women wrestling fans like to bitch about.
at
When Miss Tessmacher did that bulldog on iMPACT! I did raise an eyebrow. Not because it reminded me of Trish, but I thought it looked better. Personally, I know this buisness is very political, but in the end it’s about respect. Almost every girl in wrestling, even legends like Tara and Mickie, have cited Trish Stratus as a insperation. Hell, I’m 90% sure, when girls come in they give them a list of Trish Stratus matches and say, “learn from this”. However, very few have ever really done any of her moves.
This definitly shows that no matter what you do in wrestling, no matter who you are, legend or rookie, male or female, if you do anything that looks slightly similar to someone elses move, you get heat. I find it pretty balsy for Tessmacher to use a move linked to someone that relevant. But in the end, it is wrong for us to sit here and take shots at people for using other peoples move, when really when Miss T. uses Trish’s “move”, its completly incorrect. She is just doing a move. Trish maybe linked to it, but she was not the first and most likely now, not the last. In the few cases of MsChif and a few others, can we say someone else uses someone elses move.
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Errmmm Victoria teached Trish partially cause Trish were learning at that time. ^_^
They are good friends though so its normal that they respect and inspire each other. :)
As about the moves, as Tara also pointed out, there are only as many wrestling moves so its actually not stealing, its just putting a moveset together from what is given.
Tess even had created her own version but the managers told her to modify it so it can look more like Trishes. :/
DjayDay Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Oh, I know that Tara “helped” Trish. However, Trish debut with the WWE in 2000. She did not become a permenant in-ring fixture until 2001. Victoria at the time, was one of Godfather’s ho, who liked the atmospher and got a contract with the help of Rikishi. She went through roughly a year of develpmental before debuting in 2002. Although Tara had the skill, Trish had the experince on T.V. Tara has said Trish is an inspiration and Trish has said likewise. I am pretty sure everyone knows about there very close friendship, hense why I did not put it in my these facts in my comment.
I also stated that that no one can steal anyones moves as no one can claim a move as there own, besides people like MsChif. Who alone with a trainer, with INSPIRATION, created a new move. In this case it was her finisher the “Desecrator”. I also stated moves maybe linked to people, however, they do not own them.
I doubt that they told Tessmacher to make it look even more like someone elses variation of the move, but if that is the case, well then they clearly respect Trish. Trish as we know appreciates when anyone learns something from her.
Thank you for “dissecting” my comment :/
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I didn’t meant to dissect anything.
Sorry if it came over this way. :(
Just added a few points I knew.
As about your comment “I doubt they told tessmacher to make it look even more like someone elses variation of the move”, reread Taras comment, she said that herself. ;)
at
Just wanted to point out that the only other time I’ve ever seen the manouveur that Tessmacher used was by Lita in one of her matches against Stephanie.
However, as has been pointed out already, no wrestling move belongs to one wrestler, even the most original move has to be inspired by something.
DjayDay Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Case and point. Example. John Cena. It seems like whenever someone does a fireman’s carry slam, it is a rip off of John Cena. When in reality, its one of the most unoriginal standard moves in wrestling.
at
Good for her. I agree with Tara and Melanie. Nowadays, theres not much to create. And this has nothing to do with the topic, but Eve looks too funny in that picture! Her face and her booty…at least she looks happy. Maryse sure doesnt happy.
at
As I already wrote in one of my replies, there are only as many moves one can use and if anyone of you might be interested to check, go to wikipedia and search for the following:
Professional wrestling attacks
You will see that all moves are there and people are using them by slightly modifying and renaming some of them so they can use them as finishers while others are used by everyone since they are very basic moves (clotheslines, back elbows as example).
Btw, some had wondered what the “akward move” Kaitlyn has done in a few matches that looks like a headbutt to the stomach is.
Here the description:
Battering ram
The wrestler stands facing an upright opponent, lowers their head and then jumps or charges forwards, driving the top of their head into the abdomen of the opponent. There is also a double-team version of the move.
at
I dont have a problem and it didnt really bother me when Miss T did that move similar to the StartusFaction because it was nothing like it well it kinda was but who cares we all know who the stratusfaction belongs to and who does it better so…LOL
I dont think Eve stole Tara’s moonsault because 1st off she was doing it way before , correct me if im wrong , Eve does a standing moonsault how can you steal a move from someone , when its been used by dozens of wrestlers around the world. Tara or Eve didnt steal the move from anyone , its a move in the wrestling books. They just used it in their moveset You might as well say Eve stole Lita’s moonsault too lol
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Tara, Molly and Lita did it before Eve but its normal since they were in WWF/WWE before Eve. :)
Future-Knockout/Diva Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
I Agree, It Really Didn’t Seem Anything Like Trishs Move, The Stratusfaction Was Rebounded Off The Ropes While Tessmacher Was Running Up The Turnbuckle And Used A Slight Amount Of The Rope.
With Eve I Personally Didn’t Care When She Used The Moonsaults, Women Have Done It Before Like Lita & Victoria But Thats Okay Since They Are Gone From The WWE, All Wrestlers Use The Same Move One Way Or The Other Its Just Part Of The Business And Thats How It Works.
at
Yap, yap. Who really freaking cares? People think their so cool starting “drama”. Son of a gun.
P.S. NEVER POST THAT PICTURE OF EVE AGAIN! :)
Harley Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
LOL. And I suppose that comment regarding Eve’s picture is a lot less shallow, no?
AdrianRay Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
No. It just makes me feel…weird. So thank you but you can continue your search for a hypocrite, because it’s not me. I just feel the picture is unflattering, maybe just because I’m not use to Eve acting very…bootylicious.
at
Didn’t Lita use that bulldog back in 2000when she took on Stephanie and honest I don’t care who uses whose moves as long as they use it correctly.
art Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
yes thats the same bulldogg lita did…
at
Is it true that the Vertebreaker was innivated by a female???
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
It was Megumi Kudo a japanese female wrestler, she called the move the “Kudome Valentine”.
Gregory Helms popularized the move in his time as “Sugar” in WCW.
Homicide used this move in TNA too calling it the “Gringo Killa”.
Before his time in TNA he was calling it the”Cop Killa”.
It’s a very dangerous move to use though so its probably forbidden in WWE nowadays anyway. :)
The Piledriver as example were also forbidden in WWE in 2000.
Only Kane, the Undertaker and Jerry the king Lawler are allowed to use the move because they have a special permission to do so.
However, thats only as long as they use it outside Memphis or Mexico or the UK.
mojodoom Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Yes by Megumi Kudo. Most of the coolest and sick looking moves we see today were actually inovated by women. A lot of them during the heydays of Joshi.
Raekon Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Agree. :)
Megumi retired back in 1997.
If you check some of her videos on youtube along with other women from back then your eyeballs will pop out not believing what you are partially watching. :p
Some moves look so sick and devastating that you really dont know if these girls opponents survived them.
So it doesn’t surprise me that some of these along the vertebreaker are forbidden nowadays, one wrong execution and you are dead or paralyzed. :(
So huge respect to all those that have taken these moves and made them possible.
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
During excuting the move: When the attacker gives you the signel all what you have to do is try to do a sit up so that way you land on your back the best thing is always do it on somebody whos smaller than you because in that electric barb wire match Megumi did it on somebody who’s much larger and almost killed her.
Mikas Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Here is THE list of moves that were created by women. There are others, but those are either unconfirmed (like Aja Kong’s package piledriver), or just minor variations of existing moves.
Manami Toyota: Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex
Manami Toyota: Victory Star Drop
Manami Toyota: Manami Roll
Jaguar Yokota: Suplex powerslam (Jackhammer)
Jaguar Yokota: Double Underhook Powerbomb
Kyoko Inoue: Niagara Driver
Kyoko Inoue: Victoria Driver (Inverted Death Valley driver)
Mariko Yoshida: Air Raid Crash
Mariko Yoshida: Spider Twist
Akira Hokuto: Northern Lights Bomb/Driver
Megumi Kudo: Kudome Valentine (Vertabreaker)
Akira Hokuto: Dangerous Queen Bomb (sitout gutwrench powerbomb)
Yumiko Hotta: Pyramid Driver (Ricola Bomb)
Lioness Asuka: Towerhacker Bomb
Mayumi Ozaki: Tequila Sunrise (3/4 Nelson Suplex)
Etsuko Mita: Death Valley Driver/Bomb
Nora Greenwald: Molly-Go-Round
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Didn’t Nikki Roxx invented the Barbie Crusher and Serena Deep invented the Diving Monkey Flip.
Mikas Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
The list is about 5 years old, thats why they arent on there. But you are probably right about the Barbie Crusher. Dont know about the diving monkey flip though.
ahlanthony Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
What about the finisher of angelina love? The one that looks like a back breaker. Does she invented it?
at
You don’t hear Madusa fans or Madusa herself complaining that some wrestler is doing her bridge suplex,when Madusa hasn’t done that move since the last time that she was inside the square circle,cause nowadays she is too busy doing Monster Truck.
Marshy Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
or even has stole her winning maneuver to make her the greatest woman wrestler of all time.
at
There really is a debate about this going on? Really? Now you can’t even do a standing moonsault without being called a thief? Eve have been doing that move for awhile now but because she starting poppin she’s stole it? Whatever. And as far as Miss Tessmacher goes that bulldog looked nothing like the one Trish does. If anything it’s more the version that Crash Holly used in the WWE.
at
meduse did the startusphere in wcw & you dont see her complaining..lita did the same bulldog brooke has & lita doesnt care..i dont know why anyone would care that someone is using a move they do?..
you train for all those moves anyway so i dont see how its an issue.
Harley Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
To be honest, I think that if it was Sarita doing the standing moonsault, only a few would complain because she has been put in that “she can wrestle” pedestal. No offense, though. I like Sarita.
My point is this: there are a lot of people out there who have grown so tired of the “models turned to wrestlers” trend–and rightfully so. However, there are times when these people allow their hatred for the trend to cloud their judgment. Hence, they would make issues like this out of thin air.
Harley Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
And if I may add, these people tend to disregard the obvious improvements of a wrestler. Let’s look at Layla, for instance. She has improved a lot. But there are a lot of people who still think that she’s a horrid wrestler because she was already “branded.”
laqisha Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
My problem with Models is they use to much Facebusters, Bulldogs, Hairpulls, Mat Slams on the other hand Dancers “Naiomi, Eve” have good move-sets. WWE should atleast have Basketball Dancers turn wrestler.
art Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
@Harley i get ur point but at least eve is doing something athletic..i just think because eves in wwe & doing it that people wanna compare but i see nothing in it..
i do think people have the mind frame of once a model their not a wrestler & i think eve,alicia & lay have proven they are wrestlers..
at
I can name quite a few women that currently do a standing moonsault (MsChif and Io Shirai), so it’s no big deal.
Harley Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
My point exactly. I think that a lot of people are only complaining because Eve is the one doing the so called “stealing.” She is one of those girls “black-listed” by supposedly “serious” pro-wrestling fans because she was one of those who supposedly had an easy contract acquisition.
Personally, I’m not a fan of Eve. But only a blind person would not notice her level of improvement as far as in-ring work is concerned.
at
In dancing, this is called “biting.” But it only becomes a “bite” if the dancer does not even make the effort to “justify” the move or alter it to make it seem unique.
But here’s the thing, no matter how original you want to be, the human body still is such a limited thing even for people as flexible as MsChif. Ergo, it cannot be helped for similarities to appear here and there. Therefore, it is the effort that counts.
As I mentioned earlier, to use a move that is popularized by someone else is not necessarily an act of stealing since technically, an innovator or a popular user usually does not copyright such moves. But it would SEEM rather “lazy” to use a move that is already heavily associated with another wrestler in your generation, the not-so-far off generation before you or your immediate target market.
Ergo, using the Stratusfaction (if you’re not Trish) is not a crime but it does raise a lot of questions regarding your love for the business and your seriousness as a prowrestler. If you really love the business, then you would most likely know that there are more unique moves out there (other than the Stratusfaction) that are not heavily associated to a popular wrestler within your immediate market. And if you’re serious, you would most likely choose a more unique move to alter or emulate in order to stand out.
But that’s just my opinion.
at
Standing moonsault? Isn’t that a basic move for high-flyers anyway? People have nothing else to complain about. I hope Eve stops that booty-pop asap.
ElectricMVx Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at
Exactly, it;s like saying someone stole a suicide dive
at
A standing moonsault !? R u kidding me tona of high flyers do this move !
at
Well said by Tara. Tessmacher’s move didn’t remind me of the Stratusfaction at all at the time, so I find the comparisons a little ridiculous. There are similarities between the moves, but not a lot. I don’t think Tessmacher even uses it as a finisher, just part of her moveset (which isn’t a particularly unique move anyway).
Also, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone give Sarita credit for making the move look extremely good. Sarita really deserves credit for it, just as much as Tessmacher.