Chris Hero Is Ideal Fit for an Increasingly Indy-Influenced WWE NXT - Bleacher Report

Chris Hero won't recognize WWENXT when he returns.

WWE's developmental wing has embraced and embodied the aura of the independent circuit since his departure in 2013. NXT has long had talented indy stars, but the vibe of the brand has changed. It has morphed into a traveling act designed to appeal to diehard fans, a super indy of sorts.

Hero will find that out firsthand before long. 

According to Josh Nason of Figure Four Online, "Barring a last-minute change, Chris Hero is heading back to WWE, confirmed by a company source according to our David Meltzer." Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet also reported, "Sources tell us the current plan is for the man formerly known as KassiusOhno to rejoin the NXT brand."

When that happens, Hero will thrive. NXT's evolution is tailor-made for a talent like him.

Hero first signed with WWE's developmental system in 2011 when it was still Florida Championship Wrestling.

The hard-hitting indy vet with an overflowing in-ring toolbox was one of the most promising prospects on the roster. He exchanged his old ring name for a fresh one—KassiusOhno.

And FCW soon changed monikers as well when WWE christened its feeder system NXT. Other changes came with the rebranding, from making Full Sail University in Florida its home base to growing NXT into a slicker product fit for TV.

Despite his talent, Hero didn't get to stick around for NXT's explosion into an underground hit. 

WWE kept him off TV for a long stretch. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), this was a result of the company's frustrations with Hero's physique.

He eventually received his walking papers in 2013.

The move shocked many. Hero was a better performer than a good number of those signed to NXT.

Mike Johnson wrote of Hero's release for PWInsider.com: "He knew all sorts of different styles and honestly, should have been training the talents he was instead training with in the Performance Center. All the elements were there, except, apparently, WWE didn't see it."

Hero followed his NXT run with a successful journey through the indys. He competed for Evolve, Beyond Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and elsewhere, fattening his resume with stellar matches.

Against opponents like Timothy Thatcher, Cody Rhodes and Jushin "Thunder" Liger, he put on show-stealer after show-stealer.

And now WWE has reportedly welcomed him back into the fold.

Hero's build isn't any closer to WWE's liking. He's still a thick, soft-around-the-middle grappler. It's NXT that has changed.

More and more, it's a brand that pairs up-and-coming prospects with experienced hands from the indy world.

Wrestlers aren't necessarily signed to move up from NXT to the main roster. WWE brings some talent in to boost NXT itself and to give developing talents veteran foes to learn from.

NXT brought in a 38-year-old Austin Aries in 2016. Johnny Gargano of Evolve and Chikara fame is now one-half of the NXT tag team champs. Biff Busick, who cut his teeth at Combat Zone Wrestling, is now OneyLorcan.

WWE isn't likely to promote Aries to Raw or SmackDown. He's instead a means to appeal to the type of fan who follows wrestling religiously. 

At 5'10", Gargano may be too small in the company's eyes to be a star on the main roster. But he can help sell tickets when NXT roams the globe. He's an indy darling, a performer who casual fans don't know but diehards adore. 

Hero is in that same category.

Maybe he's not flashy enough to make his way to WrestleMania. Maybe he's not chiseled enough to land on a SummerSlam poster. But he can bring a buzz to the NXT product and flourish against the likes of Roderick Strong, Tommy End or any of WWE's recent signees from the indys.

Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net is among those who have raved about Hero:

And with good reason. Hero has had a tremendous year on wrestling's smaller stages.

Increasingly, NXT has mirrored the places where Hero plied his craft. The more talent WWE plucks from Evolve and PWG, the more NXT feels like a version of those companies. 

The more NXT matches feature a distinctly indy flavor, the more the brand will become a super indy.

That's excellent news for Hero. The indy circuit is where he has long been a mat maestro. He may not fit the WWE mold, but NXT's will be perfectly snug on him.

SUMBER

Tweet