Chris Hero looks back at his first WWE release in 2013.
When Chris Hero became Kassius Ohno and joined WWE, it was, at the time, one of the biggest signings WWE had ever made from the independent circuit. While Ohno had enjoyed small success in Florida Championship Wrestling and later, the early days of WWE NXT in Full Sail University, he would be released in November 2013 without ever having made it to the main roster.
Reflecting on the day of his release during Shoot Conversations with Chris Hero featuring the former Mojo Rawley, the former Ring of Honor Tag Team Champion recalls being given 30 days to improve his condition before ending up at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida early on a Friday filming practice matchups with the likes of Yoshi Tatsu, Slate Randall (LA Knight/Eli Drake), and former WWE Tag Team Champion Angelo Dawkins, before being called into the office and ultimately getting released.
“They gave me 30 days of like, 'Hey, here is your chance to turn it around.' Obviously, I didn't turn it around. The 30 days came upon the following Monday after TV. It's Friday, a day or two after we tape TV. Friday morning, we're at the PC early as hell, all in, and they decide to start shooting practice matches. You had no time to prep, they just gave you a finish and you're just wrestling in front of all 40 of us. I'm watching this and the match is Angelo Dawkins and Cal Jack. He's very new and teaming with Angelo Dawkins against the team of Slate Randall and Yoshi Tatsu. I'm like, 'Friday morning, we're watching this, what's going to happen?' Yoshi is in there with Dawkins and trying to call spots. He's in a hold and going, 'Hit me.' Dawkins hears 'Headbutt' and he goes BAM! and headbutts him in the face. We're like 'woaahh,' this is the middle of the heat. Slate Randall, LA Knight currently, is going for some type of tag and as a total shoot, from what I believe to be a total shoot, he slips on the ring skirt and falls off, and crumbles to the floor. I'm like, 'What is going on? People are going to get hurt. This is a stupid thing.' Then, I went to the office and got fired,” Hero recalls.
The closest known occurrence of Chris Hero being called up to WWE’s main roster was under the recommendation of CM Punk as Punk pitched for Hero to be the third person in what eventually became The Shield.
Ultimately, Chris Hero would return to the company in 2017 and enjoy three more years under the WWE umbrella before being released in a quiet fashion along with several other names at the start of the global pandemic in 2020.
Chris Hero has yet to return to pro wrestling but has stated on several occasions that he is looking forward to doing so when he feels the time is right.
Elsewhere during this interview, Mojo Rawley discusses his frustration over the booking of the Hype Bros split. Learn more here.
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