Ex-WWE Star Opens Up About New AEW Backstage Role

AEW

Chris Hero signed with AEW in June 2023 as a coach and backstage producer and has recently discussed the challenges of his new role.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Hero has worked around the glob and is well respected as an in-ring performer.

He has had two runs as Kassius Ohno in WWE, starting in 2012 in FCW before the developmental territory rebranded as NXT.

He would stay with NXT until November 2013 leaving on “good terms” and returning in 2016 where he would work on both NXT and NXT UK.

His second run would come to an end in April 2020 with his release being among the many WWE stars let go due to the COVID-19 pandemic cuts.

With his last match being in NXT UK in March 2020, Hero’s return to televised wrestled has seen Tony Khan recently reveal that he was working on getting Chris Hero back into the ring.

Hero has recently spoken to POST Wrestling about his new role, saying:

“The coaching/producing aspect is something that I really enjoy.

“It’s different, like you coach different people different ways. Sometimes, you’re just a note-taker, like, okay, what are these guys doing? Boom, let’s try to make sure that the cameras get it all. Let’s make sure that production knows what’s going on, someone’s coming in through the crowd, that kind of stuff.

“Then sometimes, it’s a collaborative effort where you’re sitting there with people, and they’re stuck on something, and you’re like, ‘How about this? How about that? Whatever.’

“Like I said, it’s a collaboration. I love all of that.”

Hero would also describe the challenges of the role and his concerns over how he could “annoy” others, adding:

“I feel like there’s so much [in my head] that’s just forcing it’s way out, and I have to control it. You don’t want to annoy people.

“You want to help and encourage. You don’t want to make them see you and be like [frustrated sigh].

“So I did a bit of this when I was in NXT. I was on the headsets a couple times.”

Hero would discuss working for the independent promotion IWC in Pittsburgh on show structure and how some matches would require more input than others.

He would also speak about his work for West Coast Pro which he says has helped him with his role in AEW and Ring of Honor, stating:

“Working with talent on a show basis, where you’re going matches one to eight or whatever it is, has prepared me for coming in and doing a couple matches for AEW or for Ring of Honor, where I have much less responsibility.

“It’s also not my ideas. It’s not something I’m coming up with and trying to convey to the talent. It’s like, ‘Hey, this is what we want. Let them know what we want and help them figure it out.’ Then getting questions from them and seeing if I can find an answer to that, and [going] back and forth.”

He would acknowledge that it’s all a “work in progress” however, saying:

“It’s all a work in progress. It’s funny. As expansive as pro wrestling is, and you can see over my left shoulder, there’s a bookshelf that’s all wrestling books I’ve got, but there’s nothing in there, there’s zero books that talk about the aspect of helping produce a pro wrestling match, and the things you can do and the things that you should do, the things that will prepare you for success.

“So it is taking these lessons that I’ve learned throughout my career, and then also working closely with others in that field to try to figure out what works for them, and then trying something and making sure that you don’t sh— the bed.”

Hero would also reveal that he believes that his work behind the scenes will serve him well for his eventual return to the ring.

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• Chris Hero
• Ring of Honor
• Kassius ohno
• AEW
• wwe

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