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Profile: Chris Masters
After competing as an amateur bodybuilder and training as a professional wrestler in Ultimate Pro wrestling, Chris Masters was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling with a WWE developmental contract. In February 2005, following a series of promo videos hyping his arrival, he debuted on Monday Night Raw with a victory over Stevie Richards, accidentally breaking Stevie's nose and orbital bone with a double axe handle.
Billed as "The Masterpiece," Masters' heel gimmick is that of a perfectly sculpted specimen, playing on his physique at the time of his debut. Following the introduction of WWE's Wellness Policy, Masters has trimmed down noticeably, but retains the same gimmick. Also part of the character is the Masterlock, his version of the full Nelson, which went unbroken for almost two years. He would routinely invite other wrestlers and even fans to take the Masterlock Challenge, in which he would apply the hold for them to try (and fail) to escape. The first to successfully do so was a US soldier in Iraq during a special Tribute to the Troops episode of Raw, though this was later scratched from the record due to interference by JBL dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. The first official breaking of the Masterlock would not come until after the two year anniversary of his debut, when ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley powered out of the hold on the March 19, 2007 edition of Raw.
While Masters has competed in TV main events and clashed with top stars like Shawn Michaels and John Cena, he has always been considered a midcarder. Among his highest profile matches are an Elimination Chamber entry at New Year's Revolution 2006 where he was pinned by then-tag team partner Carlito, and a World Tag Team Title match at WrestleMania 22 against champions Kane and The Big Show, after which he and Carlito imploded as a team.
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