In 2007, Bobby Lashley made history by becoming the first man to ever break Chris Masters‘ “Master Lock Challenge”.
This really put an end to the whole concept, as the previously unbeatable nature of the competition suddenly being spoiled.
However, it made Bobby Lashley look like a huge star, and continued his main event push that would culminate in a match at WrestleMania, and world title matches against John Cena.
The Master Lock Challenge
The Master Lock challenge was a segment on WWE TV where wrestlers would try to escape from Chris Masters’ “Master Lock” submission hold.
The challenge debuted on Raw in 2005, when fans were invited into the ring to “break the Master Lock” by escaping Masters’ finishing hold to win a $1000 dollar prize.
The “Master Lock” was a full nelson submission hold, which Chris Masters used to force opponents to tap out in the WWE, between 2005 and 2011.
The challenge usually saw a wrestle sat on a chair in the ring, as Masters applied his patented Master Lock move onto his victim.
He then rag dolled the opponent around the ring, keeping the move locked in as they tried to escape from his grip.
This nearly always ended in them tapping out, as nobody ever managed to escape from the Master Lock Challenge.
…well, not for two years later, when Bobby Lashley stepped up to take the Master Lock Challenge.
Bobby Lashley Broke The Master Lock Challenge
In the build up to WrestleMania 23 and his match against Umaga in the “Battle of the Billionaires” with Donald Trump, Vince McMahon put Bobby Lashley to task to take on the Master Lock Challenge.
The then-ECW Champion faced the challenge on the March 19, 2007 episode of Monday Night Raw.
At first, Chris Masters couldn’t get his arms around the huge shoulders of Lashley, which lead to Masters and Lashley slapping each other in the head before continuing.
Eventually, Chris Masters locked in the full nelson, flinging Bobby Lashley around the ring in an attempt to get him to tap out of the submission hold.
After an excruciating 60-seconds plus in the hold, Bobby Lashley summoned all the strength he could, throwing his arms down and breaking the Master Lock.
Bobby Lashley was the first person to beat the Master Lock challenge and was the first person to break out of Chris Masters’ finishing move in two years in the WWE.
Years later, Bobby Lashley would use the Master Lock as his own finishing move, which helped him win two WWE Championships during his time as part of The Hurt Business.
Bobby Lashley called his version of the move, chosen in tribute to Chris Masters, as The Hurt Lock.