Chris Hero
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Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Chris Hero, is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and trainer. He is currently signed to
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of independent wrestling promotions, including
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG),
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH),
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 199 ...
,
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
(CZW) and Chikara, as well as
Pro Wrestling Noah (stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Hero has had two stints in
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, both as part of their development territory
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Kassius Ohno. His second tenure with the company saw him work as a "player-coach" for the trainees in NXT and
NXT UK ''NXT UK'' is a professional wrestling television programme that was produced exclusively in the United Kingdom by the American promotion WWE. It aired on BT Sport and 5Action (previously known as Paramount Network). In the United States, th ...
. For years Hero teamed up with
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
as the " Kings of Wrestling", winning various tag team championships and tournaments such as
Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas The Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (''Chikara Tag Team championship'') was a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based promotion Chikara. History The Campeonatos de Parejas was introduced ...
, Tag World Grand Prix 2006,
CZW World Tag Team Championship The CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on Februar ...
,
JCW Tag Team Championship The JCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Twelve teams, comprising a total of twenty-five wrestlers, have held the JCW Tag Team Championship, combining for a total of twenty ...
and the
ROH World Tag Team Championship The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
.


Professional wrestling career


Training; early career (1998–2000)

After graduating from
Northmont High School Northmont High School is a public high school in Clayton, Ohio. It is the primary high school in the Northmont City School District. The school serves approximately 1700 students from the communities of northern Montgomery County, including Clay ...
in
Clayton, Ohio Clayton is a city in Montgomery county in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,310 at the 2020 United States census. A suburb of Dayton. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was named after John Clayton, a ...
, Spradlin decided to train as a
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
in the summer of 1998. After undergoing some initial training in
Middletown, Ohio Middletown is a city located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, about 35 miles (47 km) north of Cincinnati. The population as of the 2020 census was 50,987. It is part of the Cincinnati metropo ...
, Spradlin debuted on September 12, 1998 in
Xenia, Ohio Xenia ( ) is a city in southwestern Ohio and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. It is east of Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Miami Valley region. The name comes from the Greek l ...
wrestling Shawn "HeartThrob" Halsey in the Unified Championship Wrestling promotion. Spradlin's initial training in Middletown was under the supervision of a small-time promoter named Gary Goffinet. Spradlin trained for a little while alongside his friend, Adam Ghazee, under a wrestler by the name of Bo Dacious. Bo had trained previously under Charlie Fulton at the Monster Factory. At the suggestion of
Matt Stryker Brian Woermann (born July 21, 1979) is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Matt Stryker. Professional wrestling career Brian Woermann attended Milford High School, where he played basketball and Diving. A ...
, Spradlin underwent further training at Les Thatcher's
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
-based HWA Main Event Wrestling Camp between May 1999 and November 1999. In December 1999, he traveled to
Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...
to train under
Dory Funk, Jr. Dorrance Earnest Funk (born February 3, 1941), known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., is an American retired professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. The son of Dory Funk (Dorrance Wilhelm Funk) and brother of Terry Funk, he was the promote ...
at the Funkin' Conservatory
professional wrestling school Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...
. As Spradlin wrestled wearing what is popularly known as a "
wifebeater Wife-beater, wifebeater, or wife beater is a slang term for a man who commits domestic violence, particularly against his spouse or long term female partner. It can also refer to: Items stereotypically associated with perpetrators of domestic ...
" style of shirt, he began using the ring name "Wife Beater". He continued to use the Wife Beater
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
until a women's group, offended by the gimmick, organized a
boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict som ...
of a show on which Spradlin was wrestling in
Platteville, Wisconsin Platteville is the largest city in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin. The population was 11,836 at the 2020 census, up from 11,224 at the 2010 census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wi ...
. The character was discussed on the talk show ''
Politically Incorrect ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
''. However, Spradlin was not mentioned by name. After Spradlin was booked for a series of
family-friendly A family-friendly product or service is one that is considered to be suitable for all members of an average family. Family-friendly restaurants are ones that provide service to families that have young children. Frequently, family-friendly produc ...
shows for NWA West Virginia / Ohio, he changed his ring name to "Chris Hero". He wrestled his last matches as Wife Beater in 2000. In 2000, Hero began working for the
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
-based Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, where he received supplementary training from
Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestling As ...
. In the following years, he spent a great deal of time working with
Tracy Smothers Tracy Stanton Smothers (September 2, 1962 – October 28, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and Extreme Champ ...
on IWA Mid-South shows, and he now credits Smothers as his mentor. In October 2002, Hero attended the Blue Bloods Wrestling Camp, operated by UK wrestlers Dave Taylor,
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
and
Dave Finlay David Finlay Jr. (born 31 January 1958) is an Irish retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE as a trainer/assistant coach. He is known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Fit Finlay from 1995 to ...
. In July 2003, Chikara brought in
Skayde Jorge Rivera Soriano (born September 2, 1964) is a Mexican luchador (Spanish for "professional wrestler") who is best known as a trainer. He has been a ''tecnico'' throughout his wrestling career. He is currently training wrestlers at Arena Xalap ...
from
Último Dragón (born December 12, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, better known as . In addition to having trained in Japan, Asai learned to wrestle in the lucha libre style while working in Mexico. He is credited with popularizing the " A ...
's Toryumon Gym in Mexico City to teach some special ''
lucha libre Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
'' clinics. Hero took part in the training sessions and was able to add the ''Lucha'' style to his repertoire. He attended Skayde sessions in
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
between 2003 and 2006.


Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (2000–2007)

Hero debuted for
IWA Mid-South Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 1996 ...
on July 1, 2000, in a losing attempt versus Harry Palmer. In his first year in the promotion, he won the annual Sweet Science 16 tournament (now known as the
Ted Petty Invitational The Ted Petty Invitational tournament (the TPI) is an independent wrestling tournament in North America, run and promoted by Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. Created as the Sweet Science Sixteen in 2000 by Ian Rotten, the tournament wa ...
or TPI), defeating four other wrestlers in the process ( Colt Cabana, American Kickboxer,
Ace Steel Christopher Guy (born January 25, 1973) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as w ...
and Harry Palmer), and unsuccessfully challenged Sabu for the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is i ...
at ''Bloodfeast 2000''. Hero engaged in
feuds A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
with the Suicide Kid, American Kickboxer, Mark Wolf, and the Rugby Thug. On October 20, 2001, in
Charlestown, Indiana Charlestown is a city located within Charlestown Township, in Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,775 at the 2020 census. History Charlestown was established in 1808, named after one of its surveyors, Charles Beggs, upon ...
, Hero won the
IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship The IWA World Championship is the major title in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South based in Louisville, Kentucky. The title debuted at the "Crowning of a Champion" event on April 3, 1997, when Tower of Doom won a twelve man tournamen ...
from the champion Trent Baker. He held the title until December 5 of that year, when he lost to
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
. He regained the title on July 12, 2002, in Clarksville, Indiana, defeating Colt Cabana, and lost it to
M-Dogg 20 Matthew Capiccioni (born December 31, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names M-Dogg 20, Matt Cross and Son of Havoc. He currently competes on the independent circuit and Major League Wrestling. Cross has also ...
three months later on October 5 in Clarksville. He won the title for a third time on February 7, 2003, in Clarksville, pinning CM Punk in a match that lasted over ninety minutes. His third reign lasted until June 7, when he lost to Mark Wolf. Hero regained the title in a match with Danny Daniels on July 12, 2003, after Mark Wolf had vacated the title. Hero lost it for a fourth and final time to Danny Daniels less than a month later on August 2. During the fall of 2005, Hero and
Arik Cannon Arik Cannon (born December 23, 1981) is an American professional wrestler known for competing in companies such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, IWA Mid-South, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Society X. He also runs the Minneapolis-based wr ...
continued their feud that had started years before in IWA Mid South. At the end of it, Hero became a
villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
after being eliminated by Cannon in the third round of the 2005 TPI. He later turned his back on Rotten, his trainees Trik Davis,
Mickie Knuckles Mickie Lee Knuckles (born May 16, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for work on the independent circuit, particularly Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as a brief ...
, Bryce Remsburg and everyone else that had befriended him. Hero has since destroyed the IWA Mid South Heavyweight title belt. At the end of 2005, he won the third annual Revolution Strong Style Tournament, defeating
Necro Butcher Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pro W ...
in the finals.


Chikara (2002–2007)


SuperFriends (2002–2005)

On May 25, 2002, at Chikara's inaugural event, Hero teamed with
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
and Colt Cabana, calling themselves the Gold Bond Mafia, in a losing effort against the Black T-shirt Squad of Reckless Youth,
Mike Quackenbush Michael Spillane (born March 18, 1976), is an American podcaster, author, professional wrestling trainer, professional wrestling promoter, and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mike Quackenbush. He has hosted several p ...
and Don Montoya. In July 2003, the team of Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush, the "SuperFriends", was formed. The SuperFriends defeated Toryumon representatives Skayde and Koichiro Arai in the first round of the 2003 Tag World Grand Prix, then wrestled Swi$$ Money Holding (
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
and
Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
) to a 30-minute time limit draw, eliminating both teams from the tournament. In July 2004, Hero moved to
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
to work alongside Mike Quackenbush at the Chikara Wrestle Factory. In April 2005, the school moved from
Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
to the former
ECW Arena 2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Arena, The ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The school was renamed the CZW / Chikara Wrestle Factory and became operated by Quackenbush, Hero and Jorge "Skayde" Rivera. In February 2005, the SuperFriends made it to the finals of Chikara's three-day, thirty-two-team tournament, the Tag World Grand Prix. Late in the match, Hero turned on Quackenbush and formed an alliance with Claudio Castagnoli and Arik Cannon. He later referred to the trio as
The Kings of Wrestling The Kings of Wrestling was a professional wrestling stable that worked on the independent circuit. It was formed in Chikara as a large stable, but also appeared in numerous promotions mainly as a tag team of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. ...
". He lost the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup! to Justice in a match with Roderick Strong on June 5, 2004.


Kings of Wrestling (2005–2007)

Hero's faction feuded with Quackenbush and his allies for the entirety of 2005. At the closing of the Chikara "season", Arik Cannon departed from the group, leaving Hero and Castagnoli as the remaining " Kings of Wrestling". At the opening of the 2006 Chikara "season", Hero and Castagnoli defeated Equinox and Hydra, Ranmaru and
Sumie Sakai is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. She is best known for her extensive tenure in Ring of Honor, where she was the inaugural and longest reigning Women of Honor Champion. Early life As a young woman, Sakai p ...
, the North Star Express (Ryan Cruz and Darin Corbin), Incoherence (
Hallowicked Robert Goodwin (born November 1, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Hallowicked. He performs primarily in the Chikara professional wrestling promotion, where he started his career in May 2002. His accomplis ...
and
Delirious Delirious may refer to: * A state of delirium Film and television * Delirious (1991 film), ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy * Delirious (2006 film), ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an Americ ...
), and finally Team Dragondoor (Skayde and Milano Collection A.T.) to become the first Chikara Campeones de Parejas. On November 17, 2006 at the Chikara show ''Brick'' in Reading Pennsylvania, Hero and Castagnoli lost the Chikara tag title to Team F.I.S.T (
Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...
and
Gran Akuma Gran Akuma (born December 20, 1974) is a retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in Chikara. He has also worked for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Dragon Gate USA and Full Impact Pro (FIP). In Chikara, he was a member of The Kings ...
) in a 2 out of 3 falls match. Following the match, Hero and Team F.I.S.T turned on Castagnoli and engaged in a beat down. This was done due to Castagnoli signing a developmental deal with the
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE). Upon Chikara's season return in February,
King of Trios King of Trios was a three-night tournament promoted by the Chikara professional wrestling promotion. The tournament was a different take on the Tag World Grand Prix event that the promotion was known for annually promoting; in King of Trios, ins ...
, Hero was scheduled to be teaming with his Team F.I.S.T partners to enter the tournament. However, Hero was booked to make his
Pro Wrestling Noah (stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
debut in Japan, so it was stated that F.I.S.T. did not want Hero on their team and instead went on to recruit Chuck Taylor as a new member of the Kings of Wrestling. On the other hand, Chris Hero had his sights set on other things when he returned to Chikara in March 2007. After Claudio Castagnoli, who had been released by WWE before making his debut for them, defeated numerous opponents and seemed focused on getting his revenge on his former partner, Hero decided he wanted to win back the control of Castagnoli. At Chikara's April 'Rey De Voladores' tournament Chris Hero faced Claudio Castagnoli in a non-tournament match in which the winner would gain control of the loser. Mike Quackenbush was the special referee for the contest. Chris Hero won the match, forcing Castagnoli back under the control of Hero. The following month Hero, Castagnoli and
Larry Sweeney Alexander K. Whybrow (February 18, 1981April 11, 2011) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney. He performed primarily on the American independent circuit, but also competed in Canada, Mexico, ...
joined forces with Icarus, Gran Akuma and Chuck Taylor to re-form the Kings of Wrestling as a superstable. Hero faced "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush at Chikara's May 26 'Aniversario?' show in a match that was two years in the making. Quackenbush won the match with his new submission maneuver, the ''Chikara Special'', a move that
Lince Dorado José Cordero (born May 11, 1987) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent currently signed to Major League Wrestling, where he competes under the ring name Lince Dorado (Spanish for Golden Lynx), and is the current MLW Middl ...
,
El Pantera ''El Pantera'' (English: ''The Panther'') is a Mexican television series that aired on Canal 5 from May 14, 2007 to November 26, 2009. It is based on a comic book of the same name. It narrates the life of Gervasio, a young man who fights crime ...
, Equinox and Claudio Castagnoli all used to defeat Hero during the summer of 2007. Many suggested that Hero was affected by a curse and was unable to break the hold. Following another upset loss to Equinox, this time a tag match in Reading, Pennsylvania on November 16, 2007, Hero snapped and tore apart Equinox's mask. Leonard F. Chikarason intervened and scheduled Hero and Equinox for a '' Mascara contra Caballera'' (Mask vs. Hair match) to take place the following evening in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. With moments remaining in the match, Equinox managed to apply the Chikara Special, only to have Hero counter out of it and lock on a Chikara Special of his own. Equinox tapped out and was forced to unmask. Hero pointed out, to the crowd, that the man behind the mask was
Vin Gerard Vince Gerard Durling (born February 4, 1986) is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Chikara, where he was a one time Young Lions Cup Champion. Currently he is the owner/operator of Indiewrestling.tv. Pro ...
, a luchador impostor. Previously, Vin had attended the Chikara Wrestle Factory and trained under both Hero and Quackenbush. It was not until Gerard was unable to break through and gain bookings on Chikara shows that he decided to create a false identity in order to wrestle for Chikara. In late 2007, Hero vacated his spot as a head trainer at the Chikara Wrestle Factory. His spot was assumed by his student and former partner, Claudio Castagnoli. On December 9, 2007, at ''Stephen Colbert > Bill O'Reilly'' Hero lost a feud ending match against Castagnoli, subsequently leaving Chikara.


Combat Zone Wrestling (2002–2007, 2010, 2013)

In May 2002, Hero debuted in
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
, wrestling Ruckus. He wrestled a second match later that year teaming with B-Boy against Nate Hatred and
Nick Gage Nicholas William Wilson (born September 22, 1980), better known by his ring name Nick Gage, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), where he is the current GCW World Champion in his record-setting t ...
for the CZW Tag Team Championship. Hero returned to CZW for a third time in the autumn of 2003, and this time he secured a regular place on the roster. Declaring himself the "Savior" of CZW, Hero defeated
Jimmy Rave James Michael Guffey (December 8, 1982 – December 12, 2021), better known by the ring name Jimmy Rave, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Ear ...
on May 1, 2004, to become the promotion's Ironman Champion. He became the longest-reigning Ironman Champion before losing the title to B-Boy at the CZW year-end event, Cage of Death, on December 11, 2004. Hero recruited Claudio Castagnoli and Blackjack Marciano to be his "Few Good Men", but shortly thereafter, Marciano disappeared from wrestling altogether, leaving Hero and Castagnoli as a tag team, calling themselves the "Kings of Wrestling". On September 10, 2005, the duo defeated the Tough Crazy Bastards (Necro Butcher and Toby Klein) to become the CZW Tag Team Champions. Hero and Castagnoli held the title and defended them in an ongoing feud with
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Kingston started his wrestling career in 2002, and has wrestled for numerous ...
and the rest of the BLKOUT faction. While Hero and Castagnoli dropped the title to Eddie Kingston and Joker in February 2006, the feud with BLKOUT continued. On May 13, 2006, Chris Hero was scheduled to take part in the Best of the Best tournament. However, Hero gave his spot to the CZW World Heavyweight Champion, Ruckus, who promised him a title shot in return. When Ruckus won the Best of the Best tournament, Hero came out and immediately used his title shot to win the
CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). It debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event. ...
. Hero successfully defended it against Claudio Castagnoli and Necro Butcher. At the Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show, Eddie Kingston accepted an open challenge from Hero and pinned him to become the new CZW World Heavyweight Champion. On October 14, 2006, the Kings of Wrestling defeated Team Masturbation (Beef Wellington and
Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
) in the first round, the BLKOUT ( Ruckus and
Human Tornado Craig Williams (born May 1, 1983), better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. His character was that of a 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the California independent ...
) in the second round, and the makeshift team of
Justice Pain Christopher Wilson (May 16, 1978 – January 24, 2020) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain was best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestlin ...
and the Human Tornado (subbing for Pain's partner in the H8 Club, Nick Gage, who left the building before the match) in a one-night tournament at the CZW show "Last Team Standing" to become two-time CZW Tag Team Champions. After news broke that Castagnoli would be leaving for the WWE, he and Hero dropped the CZW World Tag Team Championship to the BLKOUT of Sabian and Robbie Mireno on November 11, 2006. On Saturday, April 7, 2007, at ''Out with the Old, in With the New'' show, Hero would face long time, heated rival Eddie Kingston in a match where the loser would be forced to leave Combat Zone Wrestling. Hero was defeated following a spinning back fist from Kingston and post-match made a farewell speech to the CZW crowd. Following this CZW owner
John Zandig John Corson (born April 4, 1971), better known by the ring name John Zandig, is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is the founder and former owner of the promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). Early life Corson was born in Se ...
came out and thanked Hero for all he had done for CZW, including the war with
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
. More than three years later, on June 12, 2010, Hero made a return to CZW, in a losing effort against
Egotistico Fantastico Robert Anthony (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He is the current NWA National Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He has worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), ...
. Three years later, on December 14, Hero returned to CZW at Cage of Death XV to unsuccessfully challenge
Drew Gulak Drew Gulak (born April 28, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand. He is a former one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion and an eight-time ...
for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship.


NWA Total Nonstop Action (2003–2004)

Hero wrestled off and on for
NWA Total Nonstop Action Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promoti ...
in 2003 and 2004. He traveled alongside Nate Webb and Dave Prazak to
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
on a weekly basis at the urging of Bill Behrens. Hero wrestled on several ''
TNA Xplosion ''Xplosion'' was a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the Impact Wrestling promotion. Launched in 2002, the show featured highlights from Impact's flagship television program, exclusive taped matches, and other conte ...
'' tapings. Although he never appeared on pay per view, he was featured on card #22 of the Pacific released TNA trading card set.


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2004–2011)

Hero's first appearance for the
southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
promotion
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
was at the January 2004 Tango and Cash Invitational tournament to determine the first ever PWG Tag Team Champions. He and his partner
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
defeated
The Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a salvation, saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''Messiah in Judaism, mashiach'', Messianism#Judaism, messianism, and of a Messianic Age#Judaism, Messianic Age ...
and Christopher Daniels in the first round, and the
Thomaselli Brothers The Thomaselli Brothers are the professional wrestling stable that consists of real life brothers Pauly Thomaselli (Brandon Thomas), Vito Thomaselli (Kent Thomas), and storyline brother Sal Thomaselli (Sal Takavoli). Kent Thomas and Sal Takavoli a ...
in the second round, but lost to B-Boy and
Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
in the third round. He made his next appearance eight months later in a losing effort against Super Dragon. At the 2005 ''All Star Weekend – Night One'', Hero defeated Chris Sabin. Later in the night, Hero came out and challenged Christopher Daniels for his
TNA X Division Championship The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey ...
. Daniels accepted and defeated Hero the next night. A few months later, however, at ''Zombies (Shouldn't Run)'', Daniels refused to put the title on the line against Hero and defeated him in a non-title match. At ''After School Special'', Hero became one of Joey Ryan's targets, so that Ryan could prove that he was the best technical wrestler; however, Hero seemed to be out-wrestling Ryan in the match, so
Scott Lost Scott Epperson (born June 8, 1980), better known by the ring name Scott Lost, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which he founded with five other wrestlers and where he is a for ...
came out and helped Ryan win. As a result of the interference, Hero had a match with Lost at the next show, and defeated him. On February 4, 2008, at ''Card Subject to Change 2'', Hero teamed up with Claudio Castagnoli to challenge Super Dragon and Davey Richards for the tag team championship, but failed to win in a 50-minute match. Hero also competed in the 2006 Battle of Los Angeles, but lost to
Genki Horiguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor. When Horiguchi's hairline began receding, the fans began t ...
in the first round. Hero appeared with regular tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli in PWG's ''DDT 4'' Tag Team Title Tournament, but lost in the first round to the Briscoes. They were on the winning side of an 8-man tag on the second night of the weekend as they were joined by the Trailer Park Boyz (
Josh Abercrombie Joshua Raymond (born April 13, 1984), better known by his ring name Josh Abercrombie, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, Ring of ...
and Nate Webb). In September 2007 Hero entered a heated feud with The Human Tornado after saving
Candice LeRae Candice LeRae Gargano ('' née'' Dawson; born September 29, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand. She is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and was a member of The Way. L ...
from her abusive pimp at the second night of the 2007 Battle of Los Angeles. The feud culminated on July 6, 2008, at ''Life During Wartime'' in a Guerrilla Warfare steel cage match, where Hero defeated Tornado to become the new PWG World Champion. Hero competed in the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles defeating Necro Butcher in the first round, Scott Lost in the second round, and
Bryan Danielson Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
in the semi-finals. In the finals of the tournament Hero was defeated by
Low Ki Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestlin ...
, in a match with only the top rope attached, as the other ropes had been damaged in the previous match. Hero's title was not on the line, but Low Ki was named the number one contender to his title following the match. Ki ended up signing with the WWE and leaving PWG before he could challenge Hero for the title. Hero went on to successfully defend the title in a
three-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
against Human Tornado and the returning Colt Cabana on February 21, 2009, at ''Express Written Consent'' and on April 12 at ''One Hundred'' he defeated Cabana in a singles match. On May 22, 2009, at ''DDT4'', Hero defeated Joey Ryan to retain the PWG title. After the match Ryan was holding the belt and offered Hero a handshake, but then out of nowhere he knocked him out with it and said "I got three more months bitch!" (referring to Ryan being the longest reigning PWG champ of all time) and left. On July 31 at ''Threemendous II'' Hero defeated Ryan in a Guerrilla Warfare match to ensure that on August 17 he became the longest reigning PWG Champion of all time. On September 4, 2009, at ''Guerre Sans Frontières'' Bryan Danielson defeated Hero to end his reign at 425 days. Following the loss of his title, Hero decided to return to his former moveset in order to regain it, and defeated
El Generico Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to joi ...
on October 2 at ''Against the Grain'' with a ''Hero's Welcome'', instead of using his various elbow strikes. As Danielson was forced to vacate the World Title, due to signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles had the World Championship at stake. Hero opted to use his rematch clause after the tournament had concluded but on July 30, 2010 was defeated by defending champion Davey Richards. On September 4 Hero entered the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Christopher Daniels in his first-round match. The following night Hero defeated
Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa (戸澤 陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and WWE 24/7 Champion, winning the ...
and Brandon Gatson to make it to the finals, where he was defeated by Joey Ryan. After the tournament Hero was granted another shot at the PWG World Championship, when he and the three other Battle of Los Angeles semifinalists, Brandon Gatson, Claudio Castagnoli and Joey Ryan, were placed in a four-way match to determine a new champion, after Davey Richards had been stripped of the title. However, on October 9, 2010, at ''The Curse of Guerrilla Island'', Hero's long time tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli defeated him for the PWG World Championship. At the following event on December 11, 2010, Hero and Castagnoli unsuccessfully challenged ¡Peligro Abejas! (El Generico and
Paul London Paul Michael London (born April 16, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his time with WWE. After being trained at the Texas Wrestling Academy, London began competing for Ring of Hon ...
) for the PWG World Tag Team Championship. On March 4, 2011, Hero and Castagnoli entered the 2011 ''DDT 4'' tournament, defeating the Cutler Brothers (Brandon and Dustin Cutler) in their first-round match. However, in the semifinals of the tournament, the Kings of Wrestling suffered an upset loss against the Nightmare Violence Connection (Akira Tozawa and
Kevin Steen Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in lat ...
), when Tozawa rolled Hero up for the win. On May 27, during the first night of ''All Star Weekend 8'', Hero unsuccessfully challenged Castagnoli for the PWG World Championship. Hero received another shot at the PWG World Championship on July 23 at PWG's eighth anniversary show, but was again defeated by Castagnoli. On August 20, after both Hero and Castagnoli were eliminated from the 2011 Battle of Los Angeles in the first round, they challenged PWG World Tag Team Champions,
the Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson), to a match for the title. The match, which took place later that same evening, saw the Kings of Wrestling once again fail to win the PWG World Tag Team Championship. Hero made an unadvertised return to PWG four months later on December 10, 2011, losing to
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
, and afterwards held a farewell speech to the fans in attendance.


Ring of Honor (2005–2012)


CZW invasion (2005–2006)

During a large portion of 2006, Hero feuded with the entire
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
promotion, which began when he issued a challenge to ROH at CZW's ''Cage of Death 7'' in December 2005. Hero began by challenging Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship on January 14 at ''Hell Freezes Over'', but could not win the title. He, along with
Necro Butcher Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pro W ...
, had been attending various Ring of Honor events, which usually involved them getting kicked out after harassing of Ring of Honor wrestlers in the middle of a match. During the feud Hero portrayed a villain in ROH, while still a fan favorite in CZW. On February 25 Hero, Necro Butcher, and the CZW locker room invaded ROH's ''Fourth Anniversary Show'', before being chased away by
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW ...
and the ROH locker room. The feud came to a head on March 11, when both promotions were in the same place, to co-promote an evening during which ROH held ''Arena Warfare'' and CZW ''When 2 Worlds Collide''. Although Hero was not in attendance at ''Arena Warfare'', CZW came out on top, after the CZW locker room took on Samoa Joe and
B. J. Whitmer Benjamin Whitmer (born January 25, 1978), better known by the ring name B. J. Whitmer, is an American professional wrestler, producer, trainer, and color commentator. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer. He is bes ...
following their own match. This resulted in an all out brawl between the Ring of Honor locker room and the Combat Zone locker room, and the Combat Zone roster proceeded to destroy the ring ROH had set up, and chase Ring of Honor out of "their house". Hero and Necro Butcher came to ROH's ''Best in the World'' event in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on March 25 to answer a challenge made by
Adam Pearce Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer, trainer, ...
, but instead attacked him. Hero's long time tag partner and pupil Claudio Castagnoli turned on both Necro and Hero by saving Pearce. The next weekend, Hero and Necro again caused a disruption during the ROH shows. They attacked ROH Commissioner
Jim Cornette James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...
as well as Whitmer and Pearce. They also finally got the attention of Joe, who personally declared war on CZW. On April 22, ROH's 100th show in Philadelphia featured a battle between Team ROH (Joe, Whitmer and Pearce) and Team CZW (Hero, Necro and
Super Dragon Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
). The team of Hero, Necro Butcher, and Super Dragon went on to win the ROH vs. CZW main event, after Castagnoli revealed his allegiance to Hero and CZW by first attacking Samoa Joe and then helping Hero pin Pearce for the win. On July 15 at ROH's ''Death Before Dishonor IV'' Hero led Team CZW into the Cage of Death for a five-on-five main event against Team ROH. Hero had teased that he had made a deal with a mystery fifth man, who turned out to be Hero's hated rival Eddie Kingston. Although ROH's surprise fifth man Bryan Danielson turned on Samoa Joe in an effort to incapacitate Joe before their title match, Team ROH finally put CZW away when Homicide arrived in the Cage and pinned Nate Webb for the win. The following day on their Newswire, ROH stated that the war with CZW was over, thanks to Homicide. Despite being forced out of ROH, Hero invaded the promotion's first two shows in the United Kingdom in August and was defeated by Colt Cabana in a singles match and Cabana,
Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
and
Robbie Brookside Robert Edward Brooks (born 11 March 1966), better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a trainer/producer for the NXT brand. He has toured all ov ...
in a six-man tag team match where he teamed with Castagnoli and Chad Collyer. In August 2006, the Ring of Honor Tag Team Title belts were stolen from champions
Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his ...
and
Roderick Strong Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
. Hero revealed on his
LiveJournal LiveJournal (russian: Живой Журнал), stylised as LiVEJOURNAL, is a Russian-owned social networking service where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. American programmer Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal on April 15, 1999, as ...
that he and Castagnoli were the culprits and would be challenging for the title on September 16. They defeated Aries and Strong at ''Glory By Honor V Night 2'' to become the Ring of Honor tag team champions. ROH then announced that by winning the belts, Hero had been made a full-time ROH wrestler. After it was announced that Castagnoli had signed a developmental deal with the WWE, the Kings of Wrestling lost the belts to Christopher Daniels and
Matt Sydal Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was ...
on November 25 at ''Dethroned''.


Sweet N' Sour Inc. (2006–2009)

On December 22 at ''International Challenge'' Larry Sweeney made his ROH debut and assisted Hero and Castagnoli defeat the Briscoe Brothers. The following night in Manhattan at ''Final Battle 2006'' the Kings of Wrestling had their final match together when they, with
Larry Sweeney Alexander K. Whybrow (February 18, 1981April 11, 2011) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney. He performed primarily on the American independent circuit, but also competed in Canada, Mexico, ...
in their corner, were defeated by the Briscoe Brothers in a rematch. After the match, Castagnoli announced that he was no longer going to World Wrestling Entertainment, and would remain in ROH as one half of the Kings of Wrestling. Sweeney then said he and Chris Hero had big plans for 2007, but Castagnoli was not included in them. Then, when Hero was forced to choose between staying with Castagnoli or going with Sweeney, he shook Castagnoli's hand but left with Sweeney. Hero found relative success in singles competition, with notable feuds including Nigel McGuinness and the Briscoe Brothers. Hero was described by Sweeney as "the best athlete in Ring of Honor today", and was the most high-profile member of Sweet 'N' Sour Incorporated, Sweeney's stable that included Hero, Tank Toland, Bobby Dempsey and
Sara Del Rey Sara Ann Amato (born November 13, 1980) is an American professional wrestling trainer and retired professional wrestler, best known by her ring name Sara Del Rey. She was a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer, but also appeared for many other ind ...
, with whom he held the unofficial Intergender World Tag Team Championship. He had challenged for the ROH World Title in a losing effort against then champion Homicide, and briefly reformed the Kings of Wrestling in another losing attempt at winning the ROH World Tag Team Championship. At ''Survival of the Fittest 2007'', Hero single-handedly eliminated Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Claudio Castagnoli,
Rocky Romero John R. Rivera (born October 28, 1982) is a Puerto Rican-American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed non-exclusively to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッ ...
and
Human Tornado Craig Williams (born May 1, 1983), better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. His character was that of a 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the California independent ...
to win the 2007 Survival of the Fittest tournament. As his prize, Hero was granted a shot at the ROH Heavyweight Championship at a time of his choosing. He chose to challenge the reigning champion, Nigel McGuinness, at ''Glory by Honor VI: Night One''. Despite a badly torn biceps sustained a week prior, McGuinness accepted the challenge. Hero managed to force McGuinness to tap out, but the match was restarted after the referee noticed that McGuinness had reached the ropes. After the restart McGuinness made Hero tap out and retained his title in controversial fashion. On June 27, 2008, Hero pinned FIP World Champion Roderick Strong in a non-title bout with an assist from Sweeney. On June 28, 2008, Hero's winning streak continued when he defeated Pelle Primeau in a Light's Out Match with an assist from Larry Sweeney and Sara Del Rey, despite interference from former Sweet N'Sour Inc. teammate and later turn coat
Brent Albright Brent Albright (born November 28, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, during which he appeared on ''SmackDown!'' as Gunner Scott. Aside from WWE, Albright is a o ...
. On July 26, 2008, Hero and fellow Sweet N'Sour Inc. teammate
Go Shiozaki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion where he is the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in a record breaking fifth reign. He made his debut for the promotion in July 2004 and remained with it unti ...
were defeated by Roderick Strong and
Naomichi Marufuji (born September 26, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler who competes for Pro Wrestling Noah, with occasional appearances in other professional wrestling promotions including New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), ...
when Strong pinned Hero with a big boot/cradle backbreaker combination. During late 2008 Hero began wearing a more traditional wrestling attire and adopted a new finishing maneuver in the ''Rolling Elbow'', while being dubbed "That Young Knockout Kid" by his manager Larry Sweeney, who ended up leaving the company in April 2009. After returning from a tour of
Pro Wrestling Noah (stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
in early 2009, Hero began using a weighted elbow pad, which he claimed to have been given as a gift from
Mitsuharu Misawa was a Japanese amateur and professional wrestler and promoter. He is primarily known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and also for forming the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion in 2000. In the early 1990s, Misawa gained fame alongside ...
, to knock out his opponents and win matches. On May 8, 2009, Hero was defeated by the ROH World Champion
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
in a match for the title. On July 25, 2009, in Toronto, Canada, Hero scored what could be considered the biggest win of his career when he pinned Lance Storm in a grudge match that was one year in the making. During much of 2009, Hero rekindled an old feud with Eddie Kingston, whom he defeated in a singles match on September 26 at ''Glory By Honor VIII: The Final Countdown''. On December 19, 2009, at
Final Battle 2009 Final Battle 2009 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. It took place on December 19, 2009 from the Manhattan Center in New York City. Nine matches were aired live ...
, ROH's first live pay-per-view, Kingston defeated Hero in a
Fight Without Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
.


Kings of Wrestling reunion (2009–2012)

Towards the end of Final Battle 2009, after the Briscoe Brothers had defeated
The American Wolves The American Wolves are a professional wrestling tag team which consisted of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. They are seven-time world tag team champions being five-time TNA World Tag Team Champions and two-time ROH World Tag Team Champions. ...
(Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) for the ROH World Tag Team Championship, Hero reunited with his Kings of Wrestling partner Claudio Castagnoli. Together they attacked the new champions and then posed with the Tag Team Championship belts. The two would adopt Shane Hagadorn as their manager and Sara Del Rey as an associate. On April 3, 2010, at The Big Bang! Hero and Castagnoli defeated the Briscoes to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship for the second time. At the following pay-per-view,
Death Before Dishonor VIII Death Before Dishonor VIII (DBD VIII) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. This marked the 8th event entitled ROH Death Before Dishonor, Death Before Dishonor, with ...
, on June 19 Hero and Castagnoli successfully defended their title against the Briscoes in a
No Disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. In July Ring of Honor announced the return of Tag Wars, where twelve tag teams would compete in three blocks to determine, which three would get to challenge the Kings of Wrestling in the final Ultimate Endurance match. On August 28 the Kings of Wrestling defeated The Dark City Fight Club ( Jon Davis and
Kory Chavis Kory Chavis is a professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Rainman. He works for several independent promotions, including Dragon Gate USA, Full Impact Pro, and Evolve. Chavis wrestled with tag team partner Jon Davis as The Dark Cit ...
), The All Night Express (
Kenny King Kenneth, Ken or Kenny King may refer to: Ken King * Ken King (born 1971), American politician and businessman * Ken King (ice hockey) (1952–2020), Canadian sports executive Kenneth King * Kenneth George King or Jonathan King (born 1944), Englis ...
and
Rhett Titus Everett Lawrence Titus (born September 15, 1987) is an American professional wrestler working for Ring of Honor (ROH). where he is a former ROH World Television Champion, an overall two-time ROH Tag Team Champion individually, as well as winn ...
) and the Briscoes in the Ultimate Endurance match to win the 2010 Tag Wars and retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On September 2 it was announced that Hero had signed a contract extension with Ring of Honor. On December 18 at
Final Battle 2010 Final Battle 2010 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on December 18, 2010, at the Manhattan Center in New York City. It was the eighth annual event in the ROH Final Battle, Final Ba ...
the Kings of Wrestling ended their feud with the Briscoe Brothers in a six-man tag team match, where Jay, Mark and their father Mike defeated Hero, Castagnoli and Shane Hagadorn. On January 4, 2011 Hero and Castagnoli became the longest reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions by breaking the previous record of 275 days, set by the Briscoe Brothers. Although they had ended their feud with the Briscoes, they had already begun another. At the September 11, 2010 pay-per-view
Glory By Honor IX Glory By Honor IX was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. It took place on September 11, 2010, at the Manhattan Center in New York City. This was the ninth event ent ...
, the Kings of Wrestling picked up a major victory by defeating
Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team The World's Greatest Tag Team was an American professional wrestling tag team, which also used the name Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. The team consisted of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. Originally formed in World Wrestling Entertainment ( W ...
(
Charlie Haas Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American professional and former amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000-2009 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010-2013. In WWE he was a me ...
and
Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name. He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
) in a non–title match on the team's debut with the promotion. However, on January 28, 2011, Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team took a return win in a non-title match at ''SoCal Showdown II''. On February 26 at 9th Anniversary Show, Hero and Castagnoli successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship against The
All Night Express The All Night Express (usually abbreviated ANX) was a professional wrestling tag team that primarily performed in Ring of Honor. The tag team consisted of Rhett Titus and Kenny King, who are former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champions. Histor ...
. On April 1 at
Honor Takes Center Stage Honor Takes Center Stage was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place over two consecutive days, on 1 and 2 April 2011, at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, with the 1 April show at 8pm E ...
, the Kings of Wrestling lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, ending their reign at 363 days. On May 7 at ''Revolution Canada'' Hero unsuccessfully challenged ROH World Champion Eddie Edwards for his title, losing to him via referee stoppage. The Kings of Wrestling received their rematch for the ROH World Tag Team Championship on August 13 at the first ''
Ring of Honor Wrestling ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'' or ''ROH TV'', is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series featured professional wrestlers competing in matches and condu ...
'' tapings under the
Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG) is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, t ...
banner, but were unable to regain the belts from Haas and Benjamin. This would mark the team's final ROH appearance as the following month it was reported that Castagnoli had signed a contract with WWE. On December 23, 2011 at
Final Battle Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first internet ...
, Hero returned to ROH to accept the Roderick Strong Invitational Challenge, losing to Strong after interference from his manager,
Truth Martini Martin Krcaj (born May 8, 1975) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and trainer better known by the ring name Truth Martini. He is perhaps best known as the manager of The House of Truth stable in Ring of Honor. Career Early ...
. He made one more appearance with the company, at their January 20, 2012 ''Homecoming'' event in Philadelphia. There, he faced Strong's ally
Michael Elgin Aaron Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He most recently worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Masa Kitamiya ...
, but was again defeated.


International promotions (2007–2016)

Hero became a regular for several European wrestling promotions, most notable being the
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its eve ...
(wXw) federation based in Essen, Germany. He has wrestled in sixteen different countries across the world: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. In April 2007, Hero competed in the first
King of Europe Cup :''This tournament should not be confused with the "King of Europe Tournament", held in 2006 by the Austrian wrestling promotion Rings of Europe.'' The King of Europe Cup (KOE cup) is a European professional wrestling tournament in the style of th ...
, as the representative of CZW. He defeated Claudio Castagnoli in the first round before being defeated by Doug Williams in the quarterfinals. On May 6, 2007, Hero won wXw's prestigious international competition event, the "16 Carat Gold Tournament", defeating Ares in the finals. Hero also returned to Australia to wrestle for the PWA Queensland promotion, competing in their annual "Rise of the Warriors" tournament, in which he also competed in 2007. Hero made it all the way to the final of the tournament, which lasted two nights, losing to PWA Queensland regular, Esteban Molina. Along the way, he defeated Mason Childs, whom he lost to in the final of the 2007 tournament, Mark Davis, and Blakestone to get to the finals. The previous year, he defeated Kyote, Damian Slater, and Ryan Eagles to advance to the finals. In January 2009, Hero returned to Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah. He came to an agreement with the Noah front office and was granted a stay at the dojo after the tour. He trained alongside
Richie Steamboat Richard Henry Blood Jr. (born July 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Richie Steamboat. He is known for wrestling in WWE's developmental territories Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT, and w ...
and made his way back to the U.S. after five weeks abroad. Hero returned to Noah for the June 2009 tour and stayed, once again, at the dojo. During this stay, Hero wrestled at the event where one of his idols, Mitsuharu Misawa, died during the main event match. In January 2010 Hero and Claudio Castagnoli entered the
Global Tag League The Global Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by Pro Wrestling Noah. It was created in 2008. The Global Tag League is held under a points system, with two points for a win, one for a time limit draw and no ...
, but ended up losing all three of their matches. Hero and Castagnoli returned to Noah on November 19, 2010, for a three-week-long tour. The team went undefeated in tag team matches, before being defeated on December 5, the final day of the tour, by
Takuma Sano (born February 2, 1965) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist most notable for being the generational rival of legendary Japanese pro wrestler Jushin Liger. During the last years of his career he went by the ...
and
Yoshihiro Takayama is a former Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Debuting for UWF International (UWFI) in the 1990s, Takayama joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1997 after UWF-i folded. In 2000, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), and ...
in a match for the
GHC Tag Team Championship The Global Honored Crown (GHC) Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah. It was created on October 19, 2001, when Scorpio & Vader defeated Jun Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito in a tourname ...
. The Kings of Wrestling returned to Noah in April 2011 to take part in the 2011 Global Tag League, where they managed to win two out of their seven-round robin matches, finishing seventh out of eight teams in the block. On March 13, 2010, Hero made his debut for the American promotion Evolve at ''Evolve 2: Hero vs. Hidaka'', losing to
Ikuto Hidaka (born August 5, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita, with whom he has held the Zero1-Max International Lightweight Tag Team and Intercon ...
in the main event of the evening. In October 2011, Spradlin took part in the first season tapings of
Wrestling Retribution Project Wrestling Retribution Project was a planned professional wrestling television program developed by Jeff Katz. Founded in 2011, the Professional wrestling promotion, promotion was based on a 13-week Serial (radio and television), serial schedule. ...
, where he performed as Chris Hyde. On April 12, 2014, Hero returned to Japan and Pro Wrestling Noah to take part in the 2014 Global Tag League, where he teamed with Colt Cabana under the team name "Big in U.S.A.". The team finished the tournament with a record of two wins and four losses, finishing last in the block. They were, however, given the Technique Award for their effort in the tournament. From October 18 to November 8, Hero took part in Noah's 2014 Global League, where he finished with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance from his block. Hero returned to Noah in April 2015, when he and Cabana took part in the 2015 Global Tag League, where they finished with a record of three wins and two losses, finishing tied second in their block and missing the finals. During the tournament, Hero and Cabana most notably scored a win over reigning GHC and NWA World Tag Team Champions K.E.S. (
Davey Boy Smith Jr. Harry Francis Smith (born August 2, 1985) is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his real name Harry Smith. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was o ...
and
Lance Archer Lance Hoyt (born February 28, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Lance Archer. He also makes sporadic appearance for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for ...
). As a result, Hero and Cabana received a shot at the GHC Tag Team Championship on June 19, but were defeated by K.E.S. In June 2015, Hero wrestled for the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Smash Wrestling as part of a fundraiser for research against ALS called an Infinity Gauntlet, where the duration would be set by the level of donations and he would be wrestling the entire time. Hero wrestled for over three hours, raising $3440 for ALS. From October 16 to November 6, Hero took part in Pro Wrestling Noah's 2015 Global League, where he finished with a record of four wins and three losses. Hero entered the final day with a chance to advance to the finals, but was eliminated after losing to Naomichi Marufuji in the main event. Hero debuted for
Progress Wrestling Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known as Glen ...
in the UK in May 2016 at their annual Super Strong Style 16 tournament. He won against Mark Andrews in the first round and Big Daddy Walter in the quarter finals before losing to
Tommy End Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 2017 ...
in the semi-finals. At Chapter 31, he had a thirty-minute match with then-Progress Champion
Marty Scurll Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
for the title but did not win. At the 2018 Super Strong Style 16 tournament, Hero, billed as Kassius Ohno, won against Chris Brookes in the 1st round before being eliminated by
Tyler Bate Tyler Bate (born 7 March 1997) is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he performs on the NXT brand. In 2017, he became the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion (later renamed NXT United Kingdom Championship) ...
in the quarter finals. As Bate was injured during his previous match with Ohno, an impromptu Semi-final Qualifier match occurred between Ohno, Roy "Big Wavy" Johnson, Chuck Mambo, Chris Brookes,
Jordan Devlin Jordan Devlin (born 15 March 1990) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name JD McDonagh. He previously performed in NXT UK, where was a one-time and the longest re ...
,
Angélico Adam Bridle (born 7 May 1987), better known by the ring name Angélico (), is a South African professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his work in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), Lucha Undergroun ...
& David Starr. Ohno won, earning a place in the Semi-final match against
Zack Gibson Jack Rea (born 8 August 1990) is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Rip Fowler. He is also known for his work as Zack Gibson on the UK independent circuit. H ...
, which he won. Ohno was defeated in the final by
Zack Sabre Jr Lucas Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, ''Zakku Seibā Jr.''), is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Outside ...
.


WWE (2011–2013)


Florida Championship Wrestling (2011–2012)

In June 2011, both Spradlin and Claudio Castagnoli had a private tryout with WWE. While Castagnoli was instantly signed to a developmental contract, Spradlin's contract was delayed when elevated
testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...
/
epitestosterone Epitestosterone, or isotestosterone, also known as 17α-testosterone or as androst-4-en-17α-ol-3-one, is an endogenous steroid and an epimer of the androgen sex hormone testosterone. It is a weak competitive antagonist of the androgen recepto ...
level caused him to fail a drug test for steroids. Eventually, Spradlin signed a contract in February 2012 and was assigned to WWE's
developmental territory In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
,
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW). On February 16, FCW introduced Spradlin under the new ring name Kassius Ohno. He later revealed that he had come up with the name himself, wanting to have the initials "K.O."; Ohno was taken from Apolo Ohno. Spradlin made his debut as Ohno at an FCW
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
that same evening, losing to
Xavier Woods Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He app ...
. Ohno made his ''
FCW Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
'' television debut on March 11, when he introduced himself in a promo. His in-ring debut took place the following week, when he defeated Xavier Woods. On the April 29 episode of ''FCW'', Ohno unsuccessfully challenged
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
for the
FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship The FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship (professional wrestling), championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), a former Farm team, developmental territory of WWE. ...
.


NXT (2012–2013)

When WWE
rebranded Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...
its developmental territory FCW into
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, Ohno debuted on the July 4 episode of the rebooted ''
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'', where he defeated Mike Dalton, while taking on a gimmick of a methodical wrestler who takes pleasure from inflicting pain and knocking out opponents. Ohno started a feud with
Richie Steamboat Richard Henry Blood Jr. (born July 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Richie Steamboat. He is known for wrestling in WWE's developmental territories Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT, and w ...
in September; Steamboat defeated Ohno twice (via disqualification and a cradle), but Ohno conducted successful post-match assaults on Steamboat. Ohno then injured and pinned Steamboat during a six-man tag match while teaming with the Ascension against Steamboat and
The Usos The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They ar ...
on the October 17 ''NXT'', but Steamboat still managed to cost Ohno a match against
Trent Barreta Gregory "Greg" Marasciulo (born March 30, 1987), better known by the ring name Trent Beretta or Trent?, is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his time with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring ...
a week later. Ohno defeated Barreta in a rematch on the November 7 ''NXT''. After
Leo Kruger Leo Kruger may refer to: * Leo Kruger (rugby union), South African rugby union player * Leo Kruger, South African wrestler also known as Adam Rose Raymond John Leppan (born 20 July 1979) is a South African retired professional wrestler. He is ...
attacked Baretta before he could face Ohno again on the November 21 ''NXT'', Steamboat returned from injury and decisively pinned Ohno to end the feud. Ohno then formed an alliance with Kruger and also started a feud with
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
after Regal saved
Tyson Kidd Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. The final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Wilson ...
from a beatdown by Ohno and Kruger on the December 5 ''NXT''. Ohno and Kruger defeated Kidd and Justin Gabriel on the January 2, 2013 ''NXT''. On the January 30 ''NXT'', Ohno and Kruger entered the NXT Tag Team Championship Tournament to crown the inaugural champions and defeated
Alex Riley Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and commentator best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Alex Riley. He was a participant in the second season of ''NXT''. Professional wrestling ...
and Derrick Bateman in the first round. On the February 6 ''NXT'', Ohno and Kruger were defeated by
Adrian Neville Benjamin Satterley (born 22 August 1986), better known by his ring name Pac, is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he was the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion. He is one-third of the ...
and
Oliver Grey Joel Pettyfer (born 21 February 1987), is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Joel Redman. Pettyfer is best known for his work on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom, where he is a former Unified British T ...
in the semi-finals when Ohno was distracted with taunting Regal. When Regal saved Derrick Bateman from Ohno's post-match attack on the March 13 ''NXT'', Ohno confronted Regal only to be assaulted by him. The following week, Regal apologized to Ohno and in reply, Ohno stated that he had followed in Regal's footsteps to arrive in WWE, but that Regal's whole career had no legacy, leading to Regal again assaulting Ohno. In the following weeks, Ohno and Regal went on to attack each other while the other person was at commentary. The rivalry between Ohno and Regal culminated in a match on the April 11 ''NXT'', which Regal won. On the May 8 ''NXT,'' Ohno turned
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
by apologizing to Regal, after which, he was attacked by
the Wyatt Family The Wyatt Family was an American professional wrestling stable in WWE originally composed of Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper. The Wyatt Family debuted in WWE's then developmental branch NXT in November 2012, with Harper and Rowan g ...
. On the May 29 episode of ''NXT,'' Ohno competed in an 18-man
battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
to determine the number one contender to the NXT Championship, where he and Corey Graves were eliminated by
Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fo ...
. The following week Ohno and Graves teamed up to take on
Luke Harper Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Luke Harper (later simply Harper) from 2012 to 2019, and in All E ...
and or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar, and computing * Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a boolea ...
Erick Rowan Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler performing as Erick Redbeard. Having previously wrestled in Japan, where he trained and performed for Pro Wrestling Noah, Ruud signed a contract with WWE in 2011. He was s ...
for the
NXT Tag Team Championship The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on January 2 ...
but were defeated after Wyatt interfered. On the June 19 ''NXT'', Ohno, Graves, and Adrian Neville were defeated by the Wyatt Family in a six-man tag team match. On the June 26 ''NXT'', Graves and Ohno defeated Garrett Dylan and Scott Dawson to become number one contenders for the tag title, but were later attacked by the Wyatt Family as well as Dylan and Dawson. This attack led to Ohno suffering a storyline injury while he was pulled from NXT television tapings, reportedly due to his lack of commitment to physical conditioning programs. Ohno returned to in-ring action on the October 2 ''NXT'', losing to Luke Harper. On November 8, 2013, Spradlin was released from WWE ending his first stint in the company. After his release, he said that he had enjoyed the last 21 months and intended to continue with his independent career, including international dates in Europe and Japan. The split was reportedly on "good terms", with Hero saying that the door was open to a future with the WWE. He would go on to say, "In my exit interview, they said we would take a little while and revisit later on and see if things change".


Return to the independent circuit (2013–2017)

On November 16, 2013, Spradlin returned to working on the independent circuit under his Chris Hero ring name, defeating
Shane Helms Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and H ...
at a Pro Wrestling Syndicate event. The following day he made his debut for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice P ...
, unsuccessfully challenging
Johnny Gargano John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Johnny Gargano. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is best known for his time in NXT, wh ...
for the
Open the Freedom Gate Championship The Open the Freedom Gate Championship was the major title in the promotion Dragon Gate USA. The first holder of the title was crowned following a 14-man tournament held at DGUSA Freedom Fight on November 28, 2009. The title was recognized by Dra ...
. On November 30, Hero made his debut for NWA territory Florida Underground Wrestling, defeating Jesus De Leon. On December 15, Hero defeated Lance Storm in his Smash Wrestling debut. On December 27, Hero made an appearance for Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), losing to
Tim Donst Michael Hopes (born October 17, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Tim Donst. He is performing primarily in Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), Chikara and Dragon Gate USA. He is known for his amateur ...
in a singles match. On January 10, 2014, Hero returned to Evolve, losing to
Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
in a singles match. On February 23, Hero defeated
A. R. Fox Thomas James "T. J." Ballester (born September 5, 1987), better known by his ring name A. R. Fox, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is also known for his work in promotions like Combat Zone Wrestlin ...
to win the
Evolve Championship The Evolve Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Evolve promotion. The inaugural champion was crowned on April 5, 2013, when A. R. Fox defeated Sami Callihan in the finals of an eight-man tournament. Like most prof ...
. On March 16, 2014, Hero became the first two-time winner of wXw's 16 Carat Gold tournament, defeating
Axel Tischer Axel Tischer (born 5 November 1986), is a German professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name, Alexander Wolfe. Under his real name, Tischer competed on the European independent circuit. Du ...
in the finals of the three-day-long tournament. On June 6, 2014, Hero made his debut at Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore. Hero was defeated by A.J. Styles. On June 13, 2014, Hero defeated Jeckles the Jester in San Francisco, CA Near the Historic Cow Palace to win the
All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...
World Wide Internet Championship. On August 8, Hero lost the Evolve Championship to
Drew Galloway Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE In ...
. In June 2015, Hero wrestled for three consecutive hours against 17 opponents in a fundraiser for ALS. After re-signing with WWE, Hero wrestled his final independent match on January 28, 2017, losing to Zack Sabre Jr. at Evolve 77.


Ring of Honor (2013–2014)

On December 14, 2013, Hero also returned to ROH, attacking ROH World Champion Adam Cole and
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
at the end of
Final Battle 2013 Final Battle 2013 was the 12th Final Battle professional wrestling event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which occurred on December 14, 2013 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York. Background ''Final Battle 2013'' featured eight pr ...
. On January 4, 2014, Hero was defeated by Kevin Steen in his ROH return match. On February 21 at the 12th Anniversary Show, Hero unsuccessfully challenged Cole for the ROH World Championship. A rematch between the two, contested under Ringmaster's Challenge rules, took place on March 8 and saw Cole again retain the title. Hero's last match in ROH was on March 22, where he was submitted by
A.J. Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
.


Pro Wrestling Guerilla (2013–2015)

Hero returned to PWG at All Star Weekend X Night One on December 20, 2013, unsuccessfully challenging
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). C ...
for the PWG World Championship. In August 2014, Hero then entered the
Battle of Los Angeles The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
for the first time since 2011, but was eliminated in the first round by a returning Matt Sydal. In the following year's tournament, Hero made it all the way to the finals before being submitted by
Zack Sabre Jr. Lucas Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, ''Zakku Seibā Jr.''), is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Outsid ...
in a three-way elimination match also involving Mike Bailey.


WWE (2016–2020)


NXT (2016–2019)

In December 2016, it was reported that Spradlin had re-signed with WWE. Spradlin, once again billed as Kassius Ohno, made his return at the January 5, 2017 ''NXT'' tapings, confronting then
NXT Champion The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. I ...
Shinsuke Nakamura at the end of the live show. The following day, Ohno defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas at a ''NXT''
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
in his return match. Ohno returned to NXT television on February 22, 2017, saving No Way Jose and confronting Bobby Roode. On the March 15 episode of ''NXT'', Ohno faced Roode for the NXT Championship in a losing effort. On the March 29 episode of ''NXT'', Ohno defeated Elias Samson in a Loser Leaves NXT match. Ohno made his
NXT TakeOver NXT TakeOver was a series of periodic professional wrestling events produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The events were produced exclusively for the promotion's NXT brand division and aired live on pay-per- ...
debut at NXT TakeOver: Orlando in an eight-person tag team match, teaming with
Tye Dillinger Ronnie William Arneill (born February 19, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Shawn Spears, where he is a current member of The Pinnacle ...
,
Roderick Strong Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
, and
Ruby Riott Dori Elizabeth Prange ( ; born January 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to orld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where she performs under the ring name Ruby Riot. Prange has also worked in World Wonder Ring Stardom (a ...
against SAnitY, replacing an injured No Way Jose, being on the losing side of the team. Ohno entered a program with
Hideo Itami is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he performs under the mononymous ring name Kenta (stylised in all capital letters), and is a member of the Bullet Club stable. He also makes occasional appea ...
after Itami began causing a scene in the locker room following his loss to then-NXT Champion Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, during which Ohno tried to calm down Itami. Concerned with Itami's actions, Ohno saved
Oney Lorcan Christopher Girard (born December 21, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE as a coach at their Performance Center. Previously he performed on the NXT brand under the ring name Oney Lorcan. He is a former NXT Tag Te ...
from a post-match attack by Itami on the June 7 edition of ''NXT''. After weeks of trying to help Itami, tensions became too high and Ohno and Itami faced off on the July 26 episode of ''NXT'', where Ohno won after Itami got himself disqualified. The two concluded their feud on the September 6 episode of ''NXT'', when Ohno defeated Itami in a No Disqualification match. On the November 8 episode of ''NXT'', Ohno asked general manager
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
for a match with the undefeated Lars Sullivan. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ohno was defeated by Sullivan. On the January 24 episode of ''NXT'' Ohno had a backstage encounter with
Velveteen Dream Patrick Clark Jr. (born August 19, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Velveteen Dream. Clark began his professional wrestling career in 2014, when he debuted in ...
that ended with Ohno shoving Dream to the ground. This led to a match against Dream at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia where Ohno lost. Ohno was subsequently presented as a figurative "gatekeeper" in NXT while showing signs of a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...
turn. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, he was called out by
Matt Riddle Matthew Fredrick Riddle (born January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inactive due ...
, who challenged him to an impromptu match, in which he lost in only eight seconds. At the December 5 edition of ''NXT'', Ohno attacked Riddle after his match against the debuting
Punishment Martinez Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judg ...
, cementing his heel turn. At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Ohno faced Riddle in a rematch, which he lost. Following him "leaving" NXT, Ohno continued wrestling on NXT live events. On April 10, 2019, Ohno wrestled the recently signed
Kushida is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling. He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
, in his debut match for NXT. With WWE's partnership with
Evolve Wrestling Evolve Wrestling (stylized as EVOLVE) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2010 by former Ring of Honor booker and Dragon Gate USA vice president, Gabe Sapolsky. The company featured a roster of wrestlers from all ove ...
, Hero was announced for Evolve 115, 116 and 118. At Evolve 115, he failed to defeat Fabian Aichner for the Evolve Championship.


NXT UK (2019–2020)

Following his loss to Matt Riddle at TakeOver, Ohno stated on NXT's weekly show that he would be leaving NXT. On February 22, 2019, Ohno debuted at WWE's United Kingdom brand
NXT UK ''NXT UK'' is a professional wrestling television programme that was produced exclusively in the United Kingdom by the American promotion WWE. It aired on BT Sport and 5Action (previously known as Paramount Network). In the United States, th ...
event in Coventry, UK. There it was announced that Ohno was now an active wrestler on NXT UK. The following night, February 23, he cut a promo at NXT UK Coventry, reading an apology off his phone for Ashton Smith. Later, he was defeated by
Travis Banks Travis Bligh (born 15 February 1987), better known by his ring name Travis Banks, is a New Zealand professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE on their NXT UK brand. He is also known for competing in promotions such as Fight C ...
. On March 20, 2019, Kassius Ohno defeated Ashton Smith. On April 16, 2020, Ohno's WWE.com profile was moved to the alumni section and was soon confirmed to be part of the releases that took place due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Spradlin himself would further confirm this, as he took to Twitter where he posted a picture of his Kassius Ohno boots alone in the ring followed by a video confirming the return of Chris Hero.


Other media

Spradlin appeared on Australian program '' Border Security: Australia's Front Line'', a weekly television documentary program that details real and potential immigration and custom infringements at airports and seaports across Australia. On December 18, 2008, Spradlin had entered Australia under a tourist visa, which does not permit participating in paid or unpaid performances, even though he was planning to perform, defending his PWG World Championship in the PWA Queensland wrestling show the next day. Spradlin cooperated with the immigration officials and after four hours was permitted to leave the airport and enter the country after the event organiser agreed to sponsor him on an entertainment visa, which was approved by immigration. Spradlin also appeared in a music video for the song "The Ballad of Bruce Moose" by
Indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
band
Born Ruffians Born Ruffians are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto. Officially founded in 2004 in the Georgian Bay town of Midland, Ontario, the band is composed of frontman Luke Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier, and drummer Steve Hamelin. During the ...
. The video features Hero performing his signature moves the
rolling Rolling is a type of motion that combines rotation (commonly, of an axially symmetric object) and translation of that object with respect to a surface (either one or the other moves), such that, if ideal conditions exist, the two are in contact ...
elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...
and
moonsault A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Japanese and American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being u ...
in slow motion. Spradlin, going by the ring name Chris Hero, appears on
WWE Home Video WWE Home Video is a video distribution and production company that distributes WWE programming. A division of WWE formed on April 16, 1997 as WWF Home Video, it replaced a similar independent company owned by Evart Enterprises, Coliseum Video, ...
's ''CM Punk – Best in the World'' DVD documentary, where he talks about competing against CM Punk during their independent circuit days. Spradlin, as Kassius Ohno, made his WWE video game debut as a playable character in ''
WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
'', and subsequently appears in its sequels ''
WWE 2K19 ''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'' and WWE 2K20.


Personal life

Spradlin is a fan of hip hop music and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, the latter of which has been the inspiration for much of his ring attire.


Championships and accomplishments

* AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined **Jim Lynam Memorial Tournament (2016) *
All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...
**
APW Worldwide Internet Championship The APW Worldwide Internet Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the independent professional wrestling promotion All Pro Wrestling. Title history As of , , there have been 53 reigns between 39 champions ...
( 1 time) *Alternative Championship Wrestling **ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Chikara **
Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas The Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (''Chikara Tag Team championship'') was a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based promotion Chikara. History The Campeonatos de Parejas was introduced ...
( 1 time) – with
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
**
Tag World Grand Prix The Tag World Grand Prix was a professional wrestling tag team tournament promoted by the Chikara and Wrestling is Fun! (WiF!) wrestling promotions. 2003 Tag World Grand Prix 2003 was the first ''Tag World Grand Prix'' tournament held by Chikara. ...
(
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
) – with Claudio Castagnoli *
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
**
CZW Iron Man Championship The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The championship was created and debuted on February 13, 1999, at CZW's Opening Night event. The title is currently inact ...
( 1 time) **
CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). It debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event. ...
( 1 time) **
CZW World Tag Team Championship The CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on Februar ...
(
2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with Claudio Castagnoli **Last Team Standing (2006) – with Claudio Castagnoli *Coliseum Championship Wrestling **CCW Heavyweight Championship (3 times) **CCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with John Caesar *
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
**
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as i ...
( 1 time) * Evolve **
Evolve Championship The Evolve Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Evolve promotion. The inaugural champion was crowned on April 5, 2013, when A. R. Fox defeated Sami Callihan in the finals of an eight-man tournament. Like most prof ...
( 1 time) *Grand Pro Wrestling **GPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Hard Core Wrestling **HCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Blackheart *Impact Championship Wrestling **ICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 199 ...
**
IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship The IWA World Championship is the major title in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South based in Louisville, Kentucky. The title debuted at the "Crowning of a Champion" event on April 3, 1997, when Tower of Doom won a twelve man tournamen ...
( 4 times) **Strong Style Tournament (2005) ** Sweet Science Sixteen (
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
) **
Ted Petty Invitational The Ted Petty Invitational tournament (the TPI) is an independent wrestling tournament in North America, run and promoted by Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. Created as the Sweet Science Sixteen in 2000 by Ian Rotten, the tournament wa ...
(
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
) *IWA East Coast **IWA East Coast Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *
Juggalo Championship Wrestling Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formerly Juggalo Championshit Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), better known as the hip-hop duo In ...
**
JCW Tag Team Championship The JCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Twelve teams, comprising a total of twenty-five wrestlers, have held the JCW Tag Team Championship, combining for a total of twenty ...
( 1 time) – with Claudio Castagnoli *
NWA NWA or Nwa most commonly refers to: * N.W.A ("Niggaz Wit Attitudes"), a hip hop group from Compton, California, US * National Wrestling Alliance, a professional wrestling organization NWA or Nwa may refer to: Music * New Weird America, a subgenr ...
West Virginia / Ohio **NWA WV/OH Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Northern States Wrestling Alliance **NSWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
**
PWG World Championship The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
( 1 time) *''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
'' **PWI ranked him No. 36 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 2011 *
Pro Wrestling Noah (stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
**Global League Puroresu Kakutōgi DX Award (2014) **Global Tag League Outstanding Performance Award (2015) – with Colt Cabana **Global Tag League Technique Award (2014, 2015) – with Colt Cabana *
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
**
ROH World Tag Team Championship The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
(
2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with Claudio Castagnoli **
Survival of the Fittest "Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success. In Darwinian terms, th ...
( 2007) ** Tag Wars Tournament (2010) – with Claudio Castagnoli **Undisputed World Intergender Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Sara Del Rey Sara Ann Amato (born November 13, 1980) is an American professional wrestling trainer and retired professional wrestler, best known by her ring name Sara Del Rey. She was a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer, but also appeared for many other ind ...
1 *SoCal Uncensored Awards **Match of the Year (2008) vs.
Low Ki Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestlin ...
at '' PWG 2008 Battle of Los Angeles – Stage Two'', November 2, 2008
**Match of the Year (2009) vs.
Bryan Danielson Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
at ''PWG Guerre Sans Frontières'', September 4, 2009
*Unified Championship Wrestling **UCW Television Championship (1 time) *Violent Championship Wrestling **VCW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Porno the Clown **VCW Triple Threat Championship (2 times) *
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its eve ...
**
wXw World Heavyweight Championship The wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship, contested in the German professional wrestling promotion, Westside Xtreme Wrestling. The championship was established in 2001 as the wXw Wor ...
( 1 time) **
wXw Tag Team Championship This is a chronological list of WXW Tag Team Champions. The WXW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title created in 1996 as part of for Top Rope Productions (later renamed World Xtreme Wrestling World Xtreme Wrestling ...
( 1 time) – with Marc Roudin **
wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its eve ...
(2007, 2014) *''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' ** Tag Team of the Year (2010) with Claudio Castagnoli *Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling **XICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Other achievements **Jeff Peterson Cup (2007) 1Championship not officially recognized by
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
.


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hero, Chris 1979 births 21st-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers Living people Professional wrestling announcers Professional wrestlers from Ohio Professional wrestling trainers Sportspeople from Dayton, Ohio ROH World Tag Team Champions PWG World Champions CZW World Heavyweight Champions Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions CZW Iron Man Champions