Former WWE Superstar and current NWA star Chris Masters (aka Chris Adonis) recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s “INSIGHT” podcast to discuss a variety of topics. Adonis talked about his connections to Bobby Lashley, and how they both use the Full Nelson submission. Masters began using the move as The Master Lock years ago, while Lashley calls his The Hurt Lock. WWE actually touted Lashley as being the first WWE Superstar to break Masters’ hold in the Master Lock Challenge from the March 19, 2007 edition of RAW, as seen below.
Masters discussed the link to Lashley, then proposed a potential Master Lock vs. Hurt Lock showdown in the WWE ring, and a potential return at the Royal Rumble.
“Oh, there’s a lot of connections there,” Masters said. “I’m kind of like a ghost from his past at this point. But like I just feel like you know in the right scenario you know, you have Lashley dominating with the Hurt Lock and then you were to hear that OG Chris Masters theme. I feel like and again this more is because everybody you know, I feel like since I’ve kind of started within the last year and this year to petition for the Rumble. Again, it’s not as I don’t feel like I’m ever coming back to WWE full time. For me, it would just be it would be great to come back to the Rumble to, you know, sort of make amends with certain people within the company, but also to show like you were saying before, show the WWE Universe the polished performer that I become and like, yeah, I wasn’t able to do it there, unfortunately. But I did get there. And so for me, that would be, that would feel good. And like again, and but the biggest thing being about that oh shit moment of having that moment of me coming down the aisle and having like, some guy sitting next to his buddy slap on the chest, like ‘Oh, my God, Hurt Lock vs. Master Lock, it’s gonna happen.’ Yeah, that’s what it’s about. So like, it’s really not out of a place of selfishness and we’re like, let’s, let’s have Chris Masters come back full time. But like, for all those reasons, it would be awesome.”
Masters then talked more on how he feels about Lashley using the move.
“People ask me this all the time. I mean, like, the thing is, if you were to look at the situation, and you see that Bobby Lashley was the one to break it. It only makes sense for him with me not being there, to kind of be the guy to adopt it,” Masters said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that the Master Lock is the OG and I know a lot of people are gonna bring up Hercules and Ken Patera. But we’re talking about in the modern era, ladies and gents. So I mean, I think Hurt Lock/Master Lock would still be kind of interesting. But like, you know, it only makes sense. For Bobby… I’ve never come out on like, some dirt sheets and buried Bobby and like, here’s the thing. Think about this. I mean, from my standpoint, would you rather have Bobby Lashley adopt it or some guy maybe that they push for a month who doesn’t even amount? I don’t know, you know what I mean? Like, it’s just one of those things where. You’ve seen certain wrestlers throughout history will after they’ve worked, somebody will kind of adopt some, like you’ve seen HBK do that a number of times. You know what I mean? Like after he worked Benoit, I think he used the Crossface. I know that’s taboo to even bring up but like, you know, like, and then him being the guy to break the Master Lock, again, it’s just and like he’s such a physical specimen. Like so with all that being said, you can’t really argue like, Okay, if somebody’s using the Full Nelson and he broke it. He looks the way he does. Yeah, he’s, like a mutant.”
Masters also talked more about a possible WWE return and a showdown with Lashley.
“So, you know, all of this stuff has happened. And like I’ve never even thought about going back to WWE, honestly, because, and it’s not out of anything bitter,” he said. “It’s just, you know, I had a couple of runs there and it ended the way it did. And, you know, I just realized that my love is for professional wrestling, even if it’s not with WWE. But you know, with everything that I’ve learned in the last couple of years and then also seen Shelton, Carlito, MVP all my buddies you know, I finally started you know, looking at it and it was more out of this what you just mentioned. It was more not out of Chris Masters coming back, it was more out of because I remember getting in touch with that young wrestling fan. I remember what is it that we’re always looking for? We’re looking for that oh sh*t moment you know, I mean, like that Ultimate Warrior comeback at WrestleMania 8. It’s not to say anything I could do can measure to that but the Bobby Lashley scenario is fascinating because I haven’t been there for so long though.”
Masters often re-posts fan tweets in support of a WWE return. In December he took to Instagram to post video, seen below, of a Royal Rumble countdown that leads to his entrance. He captioned the post with, “Give the people what they want @wwe #Royalrumble #wwe #wrestling #masterpiece”
Masters originally signed with a WWE developmental contract to work OVW in 2003. He debuted on RAW in early 2005, and was with the company until his release on November 8, 2007. Masters returned to WWE in July 2009, and was signed until August 5, 2011. Since then, he has worked for numerous indie and international promotions, as well as TNA/Impact and the NWA.
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