Both Steve Austin and Brian Kendrick say wrestlers could do more with chin locks
On a recent episode of The Steve Austin Show, the host Steve Austin and WWE wrestler Brian Kendrick got into a conversation about "rest holds." While talking to Kendrick about his feud with Akira Tozawa, Austin complimented the former cruiserweight champion on his finisher The Captain's Hook which utilizes a rear chin lock. Austin said he liked the psychology of the hold.
"One of the thing I liked about the match with Tozawa before you got to the street fight. You were working basically, it was almost like a rear chin lock, kind of like a sharpshooter," said Austin. "You're pulling at his nose. You're pulling at his ear. You're getting anything you can. The referee is doing a good job of getting you off of it. But, to me that's a mean streak like 'hey man, this dude is trying to hurt this guy.' Put it this way: You don't see everyone trying to do that," he continued.
Chin locks and head locks are usually seen in matches as what Kendrick refers to as a "rest hold." He also explained why he does his finisher viciously and what he sees out of other people using similar holds.
"It's a shame we got to where it's called a rest hold. But, I think that's on the performers for resting in those holds. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to catch your breath or are you trying to cut the oxygen off from him? Are you trying to do something with it? Guys with the hold aren't moving around. Guys in the hold aren't moving around. So I don't feel anything. People will respond. They'll start chanting names because they know that will get you to get up and start running a spot again," said Kendrick. "But, it doesn't mean they care. It's their way of saying 'come on already,'" he added.
Austin agreed and added "it's a work hold, not a rest hold." He also admitted he would take the time to catch his breath with a headlock while wrestling Savio Vega in the late nineties. Also during the podcast, Austin and Kendrick talked about Kendrick's comeback after seven years of being away from WWE and his influences like Koko B. Ware and Ultimate Warrior.
The rest of the podcast episode can be found at Podcastone.com.
