We all know by now that Chris Hero has been released from his developmental contract. After hearing this news my initial plan for this article was to list some of WWE’s biggest mistakes when it came to hiring and firing people. I nixed this idea for something with more substance.
Hero joined WWE in February 2012. Back when NXT was little more than a terrible contest for ‘rookie’ wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan and Low-Ki to make a fool of themselves for our amusement.
My point centers more around Daniel Bryan and Low-Ki than my negative comments about the NXT experiment. Both Bryan and Ki were given similar terrible things to do on NXT. Ki even went further than Bryan on his respective season of the show and managed to pick up the crown.
What is more interesting is what happened after NXT.
Low-Ki went on to complete obscurity afterwards and eventually asked for his release from WWE after what was a torturous year for him. He was granted his release and was never seen in the WWE again. He returned to the independent scene and even appeared again in TNA in 2011 but never quite returned to previous form, retiring in October this year.
Then we have Daniel Bryan. He was paired with The Miz on NXT and was pretty much buried every week by Miz and Michael Cole. Luckily, he caught a break when WWE decided to push The Nexus and things seemed to be looking up for the former ‘American Dragon’.
Then he decided to choke Justin Roberts unconscious with his own tie.
WWE had no other choice than to release him after pressure from some of their sponsors. Everyone was sure that Bryan had blown his chance in the big leagues. That was until he was revealed as the surprise seventh member of Team WWE at SummerSlam 2010.
We all know the story of Bryan in WWE by now, WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, Tag Team Champion, United States Champion, Mr. Money in the Bank and the unofficial face of the company for most of 2013.
Why am I comparing two very different people because they both took part in WWE’s version of America’s Next Top Model? Because they were both revered on the independent scene, both were expected to do big things in WWE, both men were a similar size and both had a similar reputation inside the ring.
Will Hero do incredible well on the independent circuit now? Undoubtedly. Will he be happier now he can be Chris Hero again? Absolutely. Does any of this mean he ever had a chance of being a star in WWE? Your guess is as good as mine, which is as good as every other wrestling fan with an opinion.
Why did Bryan succeed where Low-Ki and Hero failed? You tell me.
– By Michael Owen
Agree or Disagree? Have your say in the comments section.