Chris Masters Says He Applied The Master Lock Too Roughly On Some Early Into His WWE Run

Chris Masters discusses putting the Master Lock on too roughly early into his WWE career.

Back in April 2005, Chris Masters introduced the ‘Master Lock Challenge’ to Monday Night RAW. The former WWE star would apply his submission to whoever stepped up to the plate, with a financial reward being offered to whoever could break out of the hold. In the end, it was Bobby Lashley who proved Masters’ grip could be broken, but the move was certainly well protected and highlighted as one of the more dangerous in the company at the time. Now, ‘The Masterpiece’ has commented on how he used to apply the hold.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Masters opened up on applying the Master Lock too roughly on some of his opponents early into his career.

“My Master Lock could be kind of brutal sometimes with guys ‘cause I didn’t really know how to work it either. So sometimes when I look back at those videos and I look at me putting it on Kurt [Angle], I’m kind of like, ‘Oh, man, I was probably rougher with him than I needed to be.’ When you’re that green, you don’t know how to Shakespeare it as much. You do stuff a little more real than you have to. I can remember actually there was a time with Shane Helms. We were working at a live event and I Master Locked him way too hard. I released the Master Lock, they ring the bell, the match is over and he gets up. And I think he tells me to F off and just walks off. I’m not even saying it to heel on him. I was too stiff. I didn’t know how to work it. And it became a big drama with everybody ‘cause then it was like he no sold the hold, but I’m obviously doing it too rough. And I know that too because with Shelton [Benjamin] one time, he was telling me like, ‘I was about to pass out.’ Some of the guys were so broad here that it’d be so tight that it would be tough ‘cause you start tweaking their neck from the start.“

-Chris Masters

Master has stayed active on the independent scene since his WWE departure in 2011. The 43-year-old has worked for the likes of GCW and MLW, but can be seen making appearances for a wide range of promotions, including his most recent outing which saw him team with Carlito and Ken Dixon in MCW.

Elsewhere in the interview, Masters detailed scrapped WWE plans which would’ve seen him win both tag team and singles gold. You can read more about that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Chris Masters’ time in WWE as soon as we hear more.

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