Both moves are awesome. Someone said the Pedigree is just another facebuster to them, but I've heard people say, Sweet Chin Music is just another kick, then ask, "Why is it so much more effective when Shawn does it?"
Well, that's HIS finisher. Just like a DDT was a finisher for Jake "The Snake" Roberts, but today people kick out of it left and right. It's become a common move. The funny thing is, Steven Richards does the Stevie Kick or Super Kick, and that's his finisher, but it's done slightly different. Others have done it, but HBK simply does it better and differently.
Yes, he can hit it out of nowhere, which makes it great, but the other thing I like is tuning up the band! There's crowd interaction, and who doesnt love that? You can either see it coming, with the tuning of the band or have it come out of nowhere.
Shawn can use it to kick a chair or other weapon into the face of an opponent, but it is easier to catch his leg and swing it around or counter than it is to reverse Triple H, by breaking out of his grasp and back body dropping him over you with what little momentum you'll have at that point in the match. You've got to think about that. Even though you could hook the legs and drop him in the set up that could take him into the Walls of Jericho, you still have to use what little strength you have left after being exhausted at that point.
Then also, Triple H's Pedigree can be used to thrash your head onto a chair or other weapon. It's deadlier than Sweet Chin Music because of the damage it does, trapping your head between the knees and driving you into the mat! Dont even get me started on how the very first Pedigree looked like it almost made HHH a murderer having had the guy (I believe it was HBK) dropped straight on the head!
Triple H's move is definately the most effective and harder to counter which makes it better in the strategic sense. If I had to pick which move to use, it would seem the Pedigree. The flaw is kicking the guy in the gut and hooking the arms, the strength and exhaustion factor goes both ways. Can he lift and hook the arms? Has his arm been weakened? Well if it has he's screwed so there goes his weapon as much of a power move as it is. And I witnessed this live at Extreme Rules.
So this takes us back to Sweet Chin Music because no matter how much pain you are in, even if Shawn's leg was hurt, we've seen him use it even if he was in bad shape. It's easier to use the Sweet Chin Music in a weakened state or after having drained yourself in a match than it is to execute The Pedigree.
I think that's an important consideration.
Think of this too. HBK is a guy who goes through hell, then gets momentum right when it counts! This is what powers up that move is his will to go on, his adrenaline rush, and then there's no stopping him. His weakened state doent matter and it's a mini-Hulking up moment in a way. The emotion behind tuning up the band at this point makes the move that much sweeter. He showed us how you can still use this move effectively even with a bad leg when he fought Batista at Backlash, funny I was also there and that was in my hometown too.
So, I felt digging in deep like that was needed. HBK can play dirty to pull that move out and make it effective. HHH could too, but overall, HBK's move would still be more effective and the set up is easier if he needed to cheat or stall to execute it.
Sweet Chin Music wins!
) it just becomes a whole lot better.