Former WWE NXT Star Chris Hero Returns To Wrestling As 'Match Maker' Of West Coast Pro

Since the long-gone days of Dario Cueto in Lucha Underground, authority figures have become less of a commodity in pro wrestling, although Adam Pearce, at times William Regal, and Cueto's doppelganger Cesar Duran have tried hard to keep the position alive. And now, all the way out in California, the independent promotion West Coast Pro Wrestling is looking to do the same with one of the greatest independent wrestlers of all time.

As captured by Grapsody's Righteous Reg on Twitter at this past Saturday's West Coast Best Coast event, Chris Hero appeared at the event to announce he would be the new "matchmaker" for the promotion going forward. Hero promised fans that they would see "s**t they'd never seen, s**t they'd never even thought about," and also indicated he would be appearing at West Coast Pro's next event, Home of the Killers, in April.

A 24-year veteran, Hero first gained recognition for his work on the independent scene in the early 2000s, primarily through his rivalry with CM Punk. He later gained wider recognition for his work in Ring of Honor, CHIKARA Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, and other independent organizations, best known for his tag team The Kings of Wrestling with Claudio Castagnoli.

His success eventually led to Hero being signed by WWE twice, wrestling under the name Kassius Ohno from 2011 to 2013, and then again from 2016 to 2020. During both runs, Hero worked exclusively for NXT and NXT UK and was never called up to the main roster. Since his second release, Hero has yet to return to the ring, though he has remained involved in wrestling, including working a couple of shows for Ring of Honor as an agent, prior to the promotion being sold to Tony Khan.