10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Chris Hero
Welcome back, Kassius Ohno.
If the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer is to be believed, Chris Hero is on his way back to WWE.
The independent wrestling benchmark has had a blistering 2016 that brought great matches on both sides of the Atlantic on a near-weekly basis. His presence will be sorely missed by promotions around the world, but their loss is WWE's gain, and Chris Hero is about to become a huge asset to Vince McMahon's company.
This isn't his first time with WWE, of course. Hero originally joined the company in 2012, and became Kassius Ohno upon debuting on NXT television later that year. His run brought a tremendous feud with William Regal (one of his old mentors), but it wasn't to last, and he was released from his contract in November 2013.
Such disappointment could ruin a lesser wrestler's career, but not Hero. While fans speculated on the circumstances of his release, Hero put his nose to the grindstone, pulled on his working boots, and became independent wrestling's MVP.
He'll return to WWE stronger than ever before, and while a slew of talented indie workers walking through the Performance Center's doors in recent years, he'll be in good company. Despite all this, he'll still be an unknown to those who don't keep a close eye on the indies, and anybody who missed Kassius Ohno the first time around.
With that in mind, here are 10 things WWE fans need to know about Chris Hero.
10. He Learned From The Very Best
Few things look better on an aspiring wrestler’s resumé than time spent training under a legend, and Chris Hero’s list of trainers reads like a “who’s who” of wrestling pioneers.
Hero started training shortly after graduating high school in 1998, and moved to Les Thatcher’s wrestling school in Cincinnati, OH the following year. A multi-time NWA Mid-America Tag Team Champion, Thatcher’s students include former WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose, Umaga, Charlie Haas, and a host of other WWE and indie wrestling alumni.
While working under Thatcher, Hero traveled to Florida for a spell working under the legendary Dory Funk Jr., then hooked-up with former ECW Tag Team Champion Tracey Smothers (a man he now considers his mentor) in 2000. 2002 saw Hero work with Dave Taylor, William Regal, and Finlay in the United Kingdom, and he branched out into Lucha Libre through training beneath Jorge “Skayde” Rivera for various spells between 2003 and 2006.
As if that wasn’t enough, Hero also counts British wrestling icon Johnny Saint, professional boxing coach Marshall Kauffman, and, ahem, Ian Rotten among his trainers. Few wrestlers, if any, can match this diverse range of influences, and it reflects in Hero’s multi-faceted wrestling style.