What’s the story?
The NXT Universe were in for a pleasant shock at the recent NXT taping when Kassius Ohno aka Chris Hero made a surprise return to the company that released him back in 2013. Triple H took the opportunity to welcome Hero back in the WWE’s fold by posting a photo with the wrestler along with a short message:
In case you didn’t know....
Ohno was scouted as one of the members of the Shield, but the plan was dropped and Roman Reigns was chosen as the enforcer of the faction instead. WWE subsequently released Ohno on February 8th, 2013 due to Ohno failing to cut weight.
Ohno had mentioned in his exit interview that the doors for a comeback to the WWE were always open and that the management had told him that they would revisit the idea in a few years time. Well, that time has finally come. Although Ohno’s return has been billed as surprise return, the seeds of it were planted weeks ago by the master of insider scoops himself, Dave Meltzer.
Heart of the matter
The rumors of Ohno’s WWE return have been doing the rounds ever since veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer revealed it being an imminent possibility a few weeks back. Ohno has kept the fans guessing ever since then by first denying any sort of communication with the WWE. Despite Hero’s stance, Meltzer and many sources confirmed that WWE had reached out to Hero as a potential replacement for Samoa Joe, who’s due for a main roster call-up.
Hero returned on tonight’s tapings by interrupting Shinsuke Nakamura during his entrance. He made his title aspirations clear from the get go and it would be interesting to see how this all plays out after Nakamura defends his NXT title against Bobby Roode at NXT Takeover: San Antonio.
Hero didn’t cut a promo and just tapped Nakamura’s title before leaving the ring. Here is the exclusive video posted by WWE, in case you missed it:
What’s next?
Ohno is quite an established name in the indie scene and his inclusion in the NXT title picture is a smart move by the WWE. Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode are all set to square off against each other at NXT Takeover: San Antonio, which is scheduled to take place on the day before Royal Rumble.
The weeks after the airing of Ohno’s return could see WWE book him in matches to get him reintroduced to the WWE style of wrestling. Ohno could challenge the loser of the NXT title match at Takeover and assert himself as the no.1 contender for the strap. WWE could also include Ohno in the Roode-Nakamura storyline, making it a triple threat feud.
Sportskeeda take
With Samoa Joe most likely to make his main roster debut in the lead up to Royal Rumble, Ohno’s return gives NXT the much-needed boost to keep going. Ohno may not be on the same pedestal as Joe, but he is still a known name with a solid backstory. The fans see Ohno as a wasted talent and it wouldn’t be a problem for them to get behind his renewed run.
We can only hope it turns out to be better than his forgettable first outing with the developmental. Don’t screw it up WWE!
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