10 Wrestlers Who Revived Their Careers On The Indies

5. Kassius Ohno

Loaded Drew Galloway
RF Video

Chris Hero was already one of the best wrestlers in the word by the time he joined WWE and was re-branded Kassius Ohno in 2011. While his spell in the company’s developmental system produced a few highlights (including an excellent match with William Regal), and he was supposedly pegged to take Roman Reigns’ spot in The Shield at one point, his first WWE run ultimately ended in failure in 2013.

From there, Hero’s independent career ascended to stunning new heights. His WWE release had lit a fire under him, and throughout 2014 and 2015, he perfected his hard-hitting wrestling style, and his name value grew stronger than ever before. Hero’s career peaked in 2016, when barely a weekend passed without him producing a Match Of The Year candidate in promotions like EVOLVE and RevPro, creating a tremendous amount of buzz in the process.

Eventually, Hero’s banner year became so strong that WWE just couldn’t ignore him anymore. He re-signed with the company in December 2016, and made his official return in January. Now 37 years old, he has become Kassius Ohno once more, and has rejoined wrestling’s biggest company with a wealth of new experiences under his belt.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.