10 Most Underrated WWE Ruthless Agression Era Stars
6. Chris Masters
A world-class physique, a great gimmick and a natural heel, Chris Masters looked to be on course for stardom when he debuted in 2005. Despite a rocky start by breaking Stevie Richards’ nose in his very first outing, Masters was seemingly the second coming of Paul Orndorff in style and presentation.
Using the Full Nelson as his finisher, Masters renamed the classic hold as “The Masterlock”, claiming it to be unbreakable when applied by himself. This set up the introduction of the “Masterlock Challenge” - a recurring contest on Raw during which Masters would challenge fans and peers to break the hold.
Used as a vehicle to push his feuds, the challenge got Masters over as a heel in short order. Several high profile rivalries followed and saw Masters lock horns with the likes of Flair, Michaels, Angle, and Mysterio, all during his rookie year. Furthermore, he would also challenge for John Cena’s WWE Championship twice during that time.
Masters would be his own worst enemy during his WWE run, taking a leave of absence in 2006 due to a drug problem. When he returned, he had dropped a considerable amount of weight and it was all downhill from there. Masters was released in November 2007 following multiple violations of the Wellness Policy.