Why I Love Wrestling: Chris Hero

The once, and possibly future, Kassius Ohno (come on WWE, get over the body thing), Chris Hero is one of the biggest stars on the indy scene and has been for at least a decade. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Hero debuted in 1998 after graduating from high school. He was okay at first but really started to come into his own after moving to Florida to train under Dory Funk Jr. In what would become a theme throughout his career, Hero would undergo further training as he traveled the country adding Japanese and Lucha to his repertoire. It’s part of what makes Hero such a special talent, he is absolutely a student of wrestling. He knows the history, the evolution of styles, and every trick in the book. He is not just a respected in ring worker, but a highly respected trainer as well. Chris Hero is professional wrestling.

Hero has wrestled around the world and is a thirty six time champion. His matches in Chikara and CZW in Philly are some of the most technically sound, exciting matches you could want to see. His work in PWG is about as stiff as it gets. In Japan, he is one of the more feared strikers. Other places, he is one of the more feared flyers. He can do it all and deserves another shot in WWE. As a singles competitor, or as a tag team wrestler, most famously with Cesaro (Claudio Castignoli) as The Kings of Wrestling, his performance is top notch.

His WWE run in NXT was good, but not to his previous standards. The rumors surrounding his release were that his body was a bit too soft for WWE standards. IF, customary grain of salt included, that is true, it was a huge mistake on their part. Hero has never been shredded as a wrestler yet he has consistently wrestled hour long “Broadways”, 2 out of 3 falls, two hour long matches, tournaments, you name it. His look is part of what makes him great. He is one of the most over guys in the business. Every time he makes an appearance in places like PWG or ROH the place goes nuts. His moveset is as fun as it gets. He’s great on the mic. He really does have everything you would want a superstar to have. But don’t take my word for it, watch the matches below. The guy can go. Follow me on twitter, @geekadedan, and let me know what you think.

Dan Ryan

Dan Ryan was once the most feared and respected luchador in the world until the "Great DDT Disaster of '85" where Dan unfortunately DDT'd his opponent so hard into the ground that he opened a gate to the underworld that let unholy things into this world. After that, Dan refused to wrestle anymore but he's found new life writing and talking about his favorite hobbies here at Geekade. He pens the weekly Why I Love Wrestling series, co-hosts The Stone Age Gamer Podcast, expertly pairs video games with beer, and much, much more. Dan is a personality that Geekade simply would not be the same without.

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