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.