Chris Hero On Never Feeling Like He'd Have Another Match After WWE Release

While Chris Hero never really left wrestling — he's been working for several promotions in a backstage capacity – he had been MIA from in-ring competition since his WWE release in 2020. That changed on Friday, when Hero wrestled for West Coast Pro Wrestling, defeating Timothy Thatcher in singles action, and revealing after the match that he will wrestle again at WCPW's next show in December.

So why did it take so long for Hero to return to the squared circle? Appearing on "The Masked Man Show," he revealed it was for a variety of reasons, but he stressed that retirement was never under serious consideration.

"I never felt like I wasn't going to have another match," Hero said. "There was never a point in me that I thought, 'Well, I'm done.' So that would be why I would get a little irritated when people were like, 'Yeah, he retired...' It just...I got fired during a pandemic. That's awesome. And I was like, 'Well, I'm not going to travel now.' I thought everyone was being a little bit irrational and a little reckless. I'm like, 'I'm not getting on a plane with strangers. I'm not traveling. I just don't want to be around people.' 

"I love fans, I love being around them, but I don't want to be around fans where I'm constantly thinking, 'Man, am I going to get sick?' It's scary. So I refused to travel for a while...that's why I didn't come right back immediately."

According to Hero, he received plenty of offers after leaving WWE, but he didn't want to accept just any match for the sake of competing. Moving forward, he only wants to wrestle opponents who excite him.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Masked Man Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription