Josh Alexander Asked Ken Shamrock To Use The Ankle Lock In IMPACT Wrestling
Alexander got the nod from the move's originator
Nov 7, 2022
Current IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Josh Alexander was recently a guest on The Kurt Angle Show podcast, where he spoke about his use of the Ankle Lock as a finisher.
The Olympic Hero famously used the move to end matches during his career, but it was actually originated by former WWE star Ken Shamrock.
Alexander noted that he asked The World's Most Dangerous Man if he could use the move going forward, before formally asking Angle if it was alright with him, too.
"I will keep putting on the ankle lock, in proper form. Kurt, when I went to my singles career, I had approached Ken Shamrock, who was still with the company, and I asked him, 'Do you mind if I use the ankle lock?'. He was leaving the company that week. He said, 'Yeah, I appreciate you asking'. I said, 'I'm old school in a sense, I wouldn't do it if you didn't give me the blessing. Is that okay?' 'I'd be honoured, absolutely'. I started using it then. Are you okay with me using?", asked Alexander.
The WWE Hall of Famer replied that he was happy for Alexander to use the move, noting that he himself had sought Shamrock's blessing when he initially started using the move in 2001.
"Yes, Kenny let me use it, I asked him just like you did. I asked him too and he said, 'Go ahead, I'd be happy for you to use it'. I didn't invent it. It's a cool move, a great submission move. It should be going on in professional wrestling forever and you're carrying it on and keeping it going", the gold medalist said.
Ken Shamrock is a member of both the IMPACT Wrestling and Ultimate Fighting Championship Halls of Fame. He recently said that he believes he has done enough to warrant induction into WWE's version as well.
H/T Fightful