How A Simple Wrestling Hold Remains Iconic In WWE

Highlights

• The Full Nelson, a classic wrestling move, has been used by numerous wrestlers throughout the years, despite its origins being relatively unknown.
• While the Full Nelson is banned in amateur and Olympic wrestling due to its dangerous nature, it is seen as a safe move in pro wrestling and is used in various ways.
• Bobby Lashley has made the Full Nelson a threatening move in today's wrestling by using his strength to ragdoll his opponents, proving that a straightforward move can still be credible.

No matter how much wrestling moves evolve and get more complicated, there's always room for the classics. It may be harder nowadays for simple moves to believably end a match considering what fans see performers kick out of these days, but it's certainly not impossible. If a wrestler can make those moves look convincing, it shouldn't matter how simple it is because it's those moves that make the most sense in the confines of kayfabe. An example of this is the classic Full Nelson, used by many wrestlers in WWE. The Full Nelson seems to make its way back every few years or so to a different star, but it really is a hold that is meant to be protected because of how legitimate it is.

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The Origin Of The Full Nelson In Pro Wrestling Is Relatively Unknown

The Full Nelson is such an old move that there's no real period in time to point to where it was first used. It is believed to be named after Bobby Nelson, but several wrestlers from a very long time ago who most fans probably never heard of were also known to use it such as Billy Jack Haynes, Angelo Mosca, and Hans Mortier.

Of course, as wrestling got more popular, bigger names like Superstar Billy Graham were more synonymous with the Full Nelson. However, even though the move's origins aren't well known in the space of pro wrestling, it is also strangely believed to be named after a 19th century British naval officer named Horatio Nelson who would use a strategy of surrounding his opponents to win battles.

The Full Nelson Has Been Banned In Almost Every Level Of Wrestling

The Full Nelson is a basic wrestling hold where the attacker simply stands behind the victim, wraps their arms around the shoulders, locks the fingers right behind the neck, and pushes down. Now, in pro wrestling, this is easily controlled and is actually seen as a safe move to take.

However, in amateur, collegiate, and Olympic wrestling, the move is seen as extremely dangerous as it can very easily break the neck or spine of the person it's being applied to. Therefore, in most sports, the hold is either strictly to be used as a transitional move or is just outright banned altogether.

Several Wrestling Stars Have Used The Full Nelson

Since the Full Nelson is not banned in pro wrestling, and it's meant to be a dangerous move, it's been constantly used through all the years. Whether it be transitional, signature, or finishing move, the Full Nelson pops up all the time. However, it isn't just the submission hold that's been utilized. The Full Nelson is also very famous because of how differently it can be used. Wrestlers have spun around their opponents, others apply the move on the ground, and many have opted to use the Full Nelson slam. There are also more creative ways to use the hold, most famously how The Miz uses the move as a set-up for the Skull Crushing Finale.

RELATED: 10 Myths Fans Have About Wrestling Submission Holds That Just Aren't True

Probably, the most famous performer of the move right now is Bobby Lashley, who was somehow able to make the Full Nelson, named the Hurt Lock by him, a legitimately threatening move in 2020s pro wrestling. His method of using his absolute strength and power to just ragdoll his opponents around makes the hold look just as gruesome as its built up to be. Other notable people to use the move regularly as part of their move-set, besides the aforementioned names, include the Warlord, Erick Rowan, and The 'Masterpiece' Chris Masters, who named the move The Master Lock and would host a Master Lock Challenge to see who could break the hold. Coincidentally, it was Bobby Lashley who was the first person to break the Master Lock, and to Masters himself, this makes Lashley the "most sense" to use the hold.

The Full Nelson has many positives. It's legitimately painful, it can be used by anyone, and it just looks cool. However, with how common and well known it's become, many fans may not see the move as a plausible ending to a match. That's just a consequence of how talented wrestlers have become and how matches need to end with the most insane moves done at least three times. Although, when people like Bobby Lashley come around, and is able to make their opponents tap out within seconds of the hold being applied, it's hard to argue the credibility of such a straightforward wrestling move.