Stone Cold Steve Austin, the man who popularized the Stunner, has problems with John Cena’s take on the move in recent matches.

WWE Hall of Famer and former six-time WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin has taken offense to John Cena’s addition of a springboard Stunner to his arsenal of moves.

On his latest podcast alongside Mark and Chris Bell, Austin argued that following his popularization of the maneuver as his finisher during his run with the company, it should mean more than the way Cena uses it. He also showed concern about the safety of the move, with the springboard aspect adding further danger to the victim. Austin and his guests referred to it on multiple occasions as a case of “gimmick infringement”.

Of course, Austin himself is not the innovator of the Stunner maneuver, as that honor lies with Mikey Whipwreck’s Whipper-Snapper. However, he is certainly its most notable user, so WWE and Cena would be foolish to ignore his advice. I agree with Austin that, as he employed the Stunner as a finishing maneuver on so many occasions, having Cena add a springboard for it not to do the same appears a little odd. It could become established as a new way for Cena to win matches without employing the AA or STF, and so other superstars have to be wary of its impact.

As far as gimmick infringement goes, I don’t think Austin has too much cause for concern. His Stunner has an iconic place in history as one of WWE’s most valuable finishers, and that won’t be affected by Cena’s modification of it in future matches. And, maybe when Austin returns to RAW one day, we’ll get to see him get a little payback just to show the current United States Champion what a real Stunner feels like.