Josh Barnett Defends Headlock As Finishing Move In Wake Of NJPW 2026 G1 Climax Final
Former UFC Champion and accomplished professional wrestler in NJPW, GCW, and more, and the former head of Bloodsport, Josh Barnett has thrown his thoughts into the realm of the internet wrestling community after the subject of variations of headlocks as finishing moves has been a topic of discussion following the final of the NJPW G1 Climax.
Ryohei Oiwa won the 2026 tournament with a victory over Yuya Uemura in the final over the weekend. Oiwa won via submission, the Big Lock, in a highly-touted 35-minute bout. Since the finish of the match, fans, and wrestling personalities alike, have taken to social media to debut the Big Lock as a finisher.
Barnett, who specializes in catch wrestling, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Dave Meltzer on Monday, after Meltzer claimed that Oiwa’s headlock wasn’t “actually something that is realistic,” as he claimed Oiwa’s move isn’t something that would win in real fights.
“UWF vet, Masahiro Kakihara used a shoot style, bulldogging headlock as a finisher towards the end of his career,” Barnett said in a quote-post response to Meltzer. “Billy Robinson taught it to him, and Kakihara-san used it in honor of Billy. If I teach you the shoot headlock, I can promise you that you’ll agree it’s a finisher.”
UWF vet, Masahiro Kakihara used a shoot style, bulldogging headlock as a finisher towards the end of his career. Billy Robinson taught it to him, and Kakihara-san used it in honor of Billy.
If I teach you the shoot headlock, I can promise you that you’ll agree it’s a finisher.
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) August 17, 2026
The following day, when a fan asked, in attempts to understand the move, Barnett explained further. He said it’s not a choke, like Jon Moxley’s bulldog choke he uses in AEW.
“You have a side headlock, bulldog it to the mat while applying bone-to-bone pressure with your wrist against their cheekbone and TMJ. It sucks,” he wrote.
Finisher discussion aside, Oiwa is headed toward the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After the G1 final, he announced he’ll compete for the gold, currently held by Yota Tsuji, at King of Pro-Wrestling in October.
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