WWE May Have Stopped The Young Bucks From Using 'Too Sweet' Hand Sign

There’s arguably no act that fans want to see in WWE more than the Young Bucks. While WWE has reportedly had interest in some time, last year the Bucks opted to instead sign a two-year deal with Ring of Honor and New Japan. Since then, the Southern California tag team has pretty much redefined (along with their Bullet Club compatriots) what it’s possible to achieve as an independent wrestler.

The Bucks and Bullet Club have shirts in every Hot Topic in the nation, and few items in those Hot Topic stores are more popular. They have made a cottage industry out of Young Bucks merch, they are able to get hundreds of fans to show up for signings at a moment’s notice, and they can even inspire a massive gaggle of fans to invade Raw.

And they’ve done it all (and likely made just as much, if not more money than they would have on a WWE contract) while not having to be on the road 250 to 300 days a year like your average WWE main roster act. Oh yeah, and they’ve also re-popularized both the “Suck It” catchphrase and the Kliq and nWo “Too Sweet” had gesture. The reason people scream a high-pitched “SWEET” after every two-count at every wrestling event in the world? That’s not because of Hall and Nash. It’s because of Nick and Matt.

But it appears the Bucks may be undergoing a branding change, and one that is completely out of their control. Fans recently noticed that the “Too Sweet” gesture and phrasing was suddenly gone from their bounty of merchandise where it formerly appeared. During a Reddit AMA on Wednesday, Nick and Matt insinuated that there were some shenanigans afoot, and that they would likely cease using both the gesture and the “Suck It” catch phrase. What’s more, the chances of them ever signing with WWE may have plummeted to zero.

When a fan asked what the odds are that we’d ever see the Bucks in WWE, Matt replied, “Ask me when I’m not grumpy with them.” Nick commented separately and said, “After what we received yesterday chances have gotten low.”

So what did they receive on Tuesday? According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, it was a cease and desist from WWE, claiming to own the trademark of “Too Sweet” and the accompanying hand gesture, and threatening to sue if they don’t stop using WWE’s intellectual property. Furthermore, WWE reportedly wants a written statement from the Jacksons promising they will not use any of WWE’s IP in the future.

Since this apparently just happened on Tuesday, it’s entirely possible WWE was spurred to issue the cease and desist due to the Bullet Club’s invasion of Raw on Monday, but that’s purely speculation.

Obviously, this is a huge bummer to fans. Also obviously, this won’t at all stop fans from using the gesture. For their part, though, the Bucks are taking this all in stride.