When it came to Chris Masters' Masterlock, it was all a part of re-educating the audience.
Chris Adonis, aka Chris Masters, spoke to HuffPost recently about his infamous segment. It came at a time when WWE overhauled the in-ring aspect of the product, developing a slower, more methodical style. Adonis says the Masterlock derived from that.
“They were trying to take a step back from doing all the crazy stuff and get [fans] conditioned back to just some basic stuff that’s fundamental and works, like the full nelson” he said. “It’s a simple move, but it works if it’s presented right the way.”
During this period of his career, one of the biggest stars in the industry would help him cultivate his talent -- Shawn Michaels. He let Adonis call his own matches, which was amazing considering he was so green at the time. He learned a lot from, especially the storytelling aspects.
“Not only do you have great moves you execute, you execute the right emotions at the right time” he said. “You execute all those little things, and the storytelling aspect, which goes along with the emotions at what’s happening, how you’re ‘selling’ — how you’re able to bring a crowd into it and convey pain.”
When he was released by WWE in 2007, he went to another legendary performer to learn more about the craft, Harley Race.
“It was good for me to have some guidance in my life at that point” he said. “I was still really young for everything that had been happening for me...it was overwhelming, and I had to find my way back.”
Masters later rejoined WWE in 2009, but failed to garner any kind of push and was released two years later.
