chris returns to pwg - december 11th 20111

Last night, Chris hero returned to pwg in a losing effort to willie mack. click below for pictures!

http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/thechrishero/Pro%20Wrestling%20Guerrilla/Fear/

Check It Out - August 28th 2011

 

The Official Greg Excellent Website

Hey guys, Dan (webmaster) here. Just a quick shout out to you all to go and have a look at my new website for CZW Wrestler Greg Excellent!

Meet The Kings Of Wrestling - August 10th 2011

Ring of Honor is pleased to announce the addition of a Meet & Greet Autograph Session this Saturday night in Chicago Ridge, IL with The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) along with the "Queen of Wrestling" Sara Del Rey.

This special event will take place prior to the start of the first ever ROH SBG TV Tapings. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Tickets for this event can be purchased in advance at http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=201 or at the door on the night of the show.

Art Of Wrestling - August 08th 2011

A few weeks ago, Chris sat down with long time peer Colt Cabana & the two recorded another edition of Colt's popular "Art Of Wrestling" podcast series.  

For the last year, Cabana has sat down with & interviewed some of the most interesting characters in the wrestling
business.  These podcasts are roughly an hour in length & include candid & entertaining conversation.  To date, Colt's interview with Hero has garnered over 26,000 downloads.  If you haven't listened yet, check it out here:

http://tsmradio.com/coltcabana/podpress_trac/web/151/0/show51.mp3   

Some of Colt's other entertaining episodes include CM Punk, Kevin Steen, Claudio Castagnoli, the Briscoe Brothers, Insane Clown Posse & Luke Gallows (Highly recommended!! -CH).  

Support Colt by checking out his site at:
http://www.welovecolt.com/ - Enjoy!

C*4 - June 13th 2011

(From C*4 Newsletter)

It was announced last week that Michael Elgin’s opponent, Tyson Dux could no longer compete on this Friday’s event.  An open challenge was made by Elgin to anyone and everybody, who wanted to step-up.

Well, somebody has stepped up.

C*4 is very excited to announced, that this Friday night, June 17th, “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin, will face off with one-half of the “Kings of Wrestling”…  “That Young Knock-out Kid”…. Chris Hero.

Hero is a veteran and world-class competitor like few others.   Has Elgin signed on for more than he bargained for?  Or will Hero’s C*4 debut be not what he had hoped for.

Open Contract
“Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
Vs.
“That Young Knockout Kid” Chris Hero

-LIVE PRO WRESTLING!-
FRIDAY JUNE 17th, 2011
C*4: Capital City Championship Combat
Presents
“CROSSING THE LINE 4”
@
Knights of Columbus Hall
260 McArthur Road,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

VIP Tickets $20 – Doors at 7PM
(VIP ticket includes first choice seating and a bonus match!)
Advance Tickets available at the venue
Or by emailing ottawa.wrestling.tickets@gmail.com

Tickets available now!
General Admission Tickets $15 – Doors at 7:30pm
Show stars at 8:00pm
Event is all ages - Alcohol sales with valid ID.

Stay up to date with all of C*4’s recent news, and event info by visiting www.c4wrestling.com

 

AdamColePro.com - June 13th 2011

Just a quick shout out to have a look at  fellow  ROH Star Adam Cole's new website   AdamColePro.com!

Twitter Answers - June 10th 2011

Thursday evening both of the Kings of Wrestling participated in a live
Q&A via Twitter at 9PM Eastern Standard Time.  Using the hashtag
#ROHQA, an overwhelming # of fans participated and it made for a
number of interesting Q's and A's.  Here's a log of Chris's answers.
You can reach Claudio's answers on his Twitter page @ccastagnoli.

Would love to have been able to wrestle Eddie Guerrero. I was on a few
shows with him in 02 & he was a class act. @IBringItViaTwit #ROHQA

Fortunately I get to see @CMPunk on occasion. Happy for him & would be
happier to get a chance to show him one of my elbows @sXe_Edd #ROHQA

At my biggest/fattest I was 285+ lbs. Wasn't *too* difficult to drop
the weight. It's a matter of routine/discipline @KillHollywood #ROHQA

I think the Pass By Elbow is my best line of defense against a
potential shark attack... @lightfantastic #ROHQA

I'm able to separate personal from professional & therefore have
enjoyed all my matches with Eddie Kingston @petermelnick #ROHQA

As far as scary moments go, I've pinched some nerves, been knocked out
& torn my MCL. I've stayed pretty healthy tho! @NathanTubbs #ROHQA

I haven't seen anything recently but @WWEDanielBryan has had many
excellent matches in WWE. Very happy for him. @InZachWeTrust #ROHQA

I'm also inspired by Chris Candido, Eddie Guerrero & Chris Jericho.
@ccastagnoli also inspires me w/ his work ethic @HonorHammer26 #ROHQA

Years ago my main wrestling inspirations were Toshiaki Kawada, Johnny
Saint, Skayde, Tracy Smothers & Dean Malenko @HonorHammer26 #ROHQA

My favorite Hip Hop artist alltime & current is @kanyewest I prefer
not to direct any energy toward despising anything/anyone @theerj
#ROHQA

Prior to wrestling I was a bit clumsy. Played football basketball &
volleyball but I found wrestling was my true calling @AndrewC316
#ROHQA

Best advice Ive received in wrestling is keep an open mind. You Never
stop learning. Knowledge comes when you least expect @MatRykiel #ROHQA

Teams that KoW would like to face: Past- Bulldogs, Horsemen, Steiners
Present- Kidd/DH, Bad Intentions, Ibushi/Omega @Dylanaw1991 #ROHQA

I've never, for 1 second, considered quitting wrestling. Even after my
in-ring days have ceased I'll be involved in someway @NJDude94 #ROHQA

I have a guy in Japan that makes almost all of my gear including my
amazing elbow pads @Jabotism #ROHQA

I'm biased but my favorite @BornRuffians song is the Ballad of Moose
Bruce! I've discussed & would love to be in more videos @MisterDelyan

I *love* many @Art_Brut_ songs. Good Weekend is at the top of the
list. Eddie is awesome & I'd love for him to manage me someday
@drkmtch

Stay tuned for future live Q&A's. Thanks again for all those who
participated.  Cheers!

-CH

Kings of Wrestling on Samurai TV - May 2nd 2011

Monday Night Mayhem - May 2nd 2011

Monday Night Mayhem: Hosted By The Big Mosh & "The Chairman of the Board" Todd Vincent
Heard LIVE Monday Evenings @ 7PM ET/6PM CT
Join The Mayhem On Facebook @ www.Facebook.com/MondayNightMayhem
Follow MNM On Twitter @ www.Twitter.com/FeelTheMayhem

It's time for Ring Of Honor to once again takes center stage, as Kevin Kelly returns to The Mayhem airwaves for a new installment of "Ring of Honor On the Road," as the voice of ROH's iPPV's will preview Friday night's "ROH Revolution: USA" (in Dearborn, MI) & Saturday night's "ROH Revolution: Canada" (in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, plus an inside look at the latest in the world of honor. Chris Hero will also join the show to discuss the opportunity that now lies in front of him to capture the ROH World Title from Eddie Edwards at The Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, The Kings of Wrestling's quest to regain the ROH World Tag Team Titles (beginning with their second battle against The American Wolves in Dearborn), plus so much more!

New Blog- May 1st 2011

Thank you.

I know that I should probably start with the Niigata City event but the first thing that comes to mind right now is Thank You. It has been another unforgettable tour for Pro-Wrestling NOAH and I sit, now at my hotel by Narita Airport, reflecting on the last 2 1/2 weeks.

The tour started in a surreal fashion as I had just lost my close friend, Larry Sweeney, the week of my flight. In many ways it is still hard to believe that he is gone. I've written his name on my wrist tape every match since and there hasn't been a day where has hasn't crossed my mind if only for a brief second. Instead of being sad, selfishly, for my/our loss, I choose to be thankful that I got to know him as a person and as a friend. His spirit will live on through me as well as the many other people he touched throughout his way-too-short-life. Thank you to the fans for giving me the opportunity to perform for you and take my mind off of it. It is somewhat similar to the Misawa situation, to me. The show will go on and our way of coping is to channel our energy into our performances. I feel so much better now after this tour.

The Arena in Niigata was very nice. There was a ramp leading directly to the ring which, to American fans, is a symbol of Japanese Wrestling. Our opponents were Saito and Akiyama. Claudio and I performed to the best of our abilities, connecting with a flurry of "joint maneuvers." Akiyama is now healthy and is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Saito is incredibly strong and his enzuigiri is one of the most deadly I've personally felt. From what I remember that is, hah. My ribs did not sustain much more damage in this match but until I get more than a few days to rest, the injury will persist. Once again we were very close but Akiyama hoisted Claudio over his head with the wrist clutch exploder immediately after the aforementioned deadly enzui. Kings of Wrestling, unsuccessful in
Niigata City.

The following day, we had a longer bus ride on the way back to Tokyo. In the evening I did a bit of shopping. It was incredibly windy. Back in the US there are a lot of tornadoes and it's just a reminder to me of how everything is connected. While the breeze was strong, the weather was lovely so it felt amazing to walk around in such weather. I found a few cool shirts at Onitsuka Tiger and we gathered for dinner at the famous Ribera Steakhouse. I was surprised to find a picture of myself on the wall from the time I visited with Milano Collection AT in 2007. Every time I visit, I want to take my time and look at all the photos. Two particular photos always stand out to me. The first being a shot with Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit and the second with Owen Hart and Mike Tyson. It's such a wonderful little piece of history. Claudio, Bison & I had three "Akebono" steaks.
Delicious!

The next day we left the hotel at 9 to get to Korakuen for the final match of the tour. The opening match was between the two Australian gaijin: Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste. They were both a pleasure to travel with on this tour and both are exceptionally talented. I did not get to watch the match live but I look forward to seeing it eventually.

Claudio and I were out 5th as we took on Shuhei Taniguchi and Go Shiozaki. Like I said before, I feel that my "break out" match in Japan was against Shiozaki at Korakuen in the summer of 2009. Our in-ring chemistry was once again on display and the Kings of Wrestling were hoping to build off of our momentum from the previous Korakuen show where we defeated the GHC champions Sano & Takayama in a non-title match. To start the match, we were attacked and quickly our opponents took over on me. I had my ribs taped again but this only served as a target for our opponents. I battled through and soon Claudio was holding Go over his head in THE most impressing running vertical suplex I've ever witnessed. Amazing! Our double teams connected and I even managed to perform my no hands Moonsault dive (Tope con Hero) onto both opponents. Our attempt at the KRS-1 was countered but we survived a cradle pin that could have ended the match. My chest was nearly bloody from all of Shiozaki's chops (and still today, many hand prints remain). I fought through my pain and kicked out of a rolling chop and a pair of Lariats (still not sure how I did that). Go lifted me for a modified back suplex/face plant. Another loss. At least we know we fought our hardest. The adrenaline from the crowd reactions in Korakuen helped me climb to my feet as our opponents shook our hands with respect. I've now wrestled at Korakuen Hall around 10 times and from the reception that we get,combined with the quality of matches, I feel that I can call Korakuen Hall my Japanese home! It is up there with the Manhattan Center in New York City, the Reseda building for PWG and wherever wXw in Germany chooses to run shows as my favorite venues to perform in. I can't wait to return!

The main event was won by Saito & Akiyama. The ending sequence was incredible. We made our way to the ring for the celebration as the trophies were handed out. They announced our names to a loud ovation from the crowd. Much like last year, we were unaware what we were receiving but as it turns our, Claudio & myself, the Kings of Wrestling, we awarded the Kanto-sho or Fighting Spirit award for the Global Tag League. What an honor.

Reflecting on this tour, there are two things that come to my mind. First, you can never underestimate the importance of a great tag team partner. I fought the majority of our matches with a small injury but Claudio was always there to assist. Had he not been reliable, we wouldn't have won any matches this tour. It doesn't matter how talented each performer is individually, if they do not perform equally as a team, they will not win. I am thankful to have such a loyal and hard working (and powerful!) partner in Claudio Castagnoli. We will only improve as a team.

Secondly, even with a losing record, our matches were appreciated by the fans. It shows that even if you do not achieve your immediate goal, there still may be success that is disguised by failure. I cannot go back and win the matches that we lost but I can look back at each situation and find the good. This will motivate me to try again and try harder next time. We proved, as a team, that we can successfully headline NOAH shows. We've shown that we can hold our own with the best of the best and we will only work harder and improve. The continued support just makes us more determined, so again, thank you!

We were happy to sell our merchandise again after the show. We encountered many gracious fans and even received a few gifts! After a few moments we had completely sold out of the purple Kings of Wrestling shirts we'd brought for the tour. Incredible support from all of you. We were happy, as we always are, to take pictures, sign autographs and even have a short chat with our fans. My first few tours, the Japanese fans were shy and a bit embarrassed to try to speak to us in English. Now, after a few successful tours, the fans can see how much we love Japan and try to learn about their country. We hope to continue our tours and our matches will only get better! If you ever see us at a show, please take a moment to say hello. We appreciate it.

Right now I am flying from Narita to Dallas-Fort Worth. This coming weekend Claudio and I will travel to Dearborn,MI to face the American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards). The next night I will face Eddie Edwards for the ROH World Championship. I am excited for both matches. The next weekend, we travel to the United Kingdom and will team together for the first time in England. Our opponents (as a part of the NOAH UK shows) are Taniguchi & Shiozaki one night, then we face Aoki and (replacing the injured Marufuji) Morishima. Then we fly to Germany for the wXw/NOAH show. Claudio will fight for the GHC heavyweight title (v. Sugiura) and I will face KENTA. All of the matches should be intense. Stay tuned to my Twitter and I will keep you informed with the results!

Once again, thank you to everyone from the NOAH Office, our fellow wrestlers and all of our fans. We can't come back to Japan soon enough. See you next time!!

-Kurisu

New Blog- April 28th 2011

This is my eighth tour for NOAH. The majority of my tours have taken place in winter months from November to February. Once exception is a summer tour in 2009. As a result, I have visited the same towns many times and there are some that I've not been to yet. One of those was Sapporo/Hokkaido. I'd always heard of the infamously long ferry rides to the North island. When I discovered that I would be wrestling in Sapporo this tour, I was actually eager to finally be a part of one of these journeys. Plans changed though and because of our schedule it was decided that we would fly instead. That would make this a much quicker trip and thus would make it easier to perform. You won't hear any complaints from me!

On the first day of the two events at Teisen Lanes, Claudio and I would continue in the Global Tag League. Our opponents for the first night were fellow gaijin Bison Smith and his new sidekick Masao Inoue (Ma-Sa-Oh!). On the surface, it would seem that Inoue and Mr. Sumisu would be more of a comedic team. The crowd enjoy laughing in reaction to Masao's in-match comments and mannerisms and this provides an amusing dynamic when you team him with a powerhouse such as Bison Smith. The reality of this is that they are a dangerous team because it's easy to not take them seriously. Masao is incredibly resilient! He had a serious leg injury a few years ago and I personally witnessed how hard he trained to rehabilitate his injury. The amount of punishment he is able to take allows Bison to maintain his energy on the apron and enter the match completely refreshed. Fortunately my ribs were feeling better and I opted not to have them taped for the shows. I think it was better for my confidence and it didn't reveal an easy target for my opponents.

Claudio and I dominated, as we usually do, for the first half of the match. Bison made his way into the ring and he was able to stop both of us. Claudio used an impressive chokeslam on Bison and we isolated Masao for some Kings of Wrestling double team maneuvers. We had him defeated with each maneuver but Bison wasn't worn down enough as he broke up every pin attempt. Once we got rid of Bison, we prepared for the Royal TKO (or the Royalty KO, whichever you prefer). Claudio shot Inoue into me with great momentum. Masao was able to maneuver his body around, ducking my elbow and rolling me up with a tight school boy pinning combination. I kicked out a half second too late and we had lost the match. How frustrating. After the match, an interviewer with a video camera stopped us and we vowed to defeat Kensuke and Miyahara the following evening. We are tag team specialists and, for one reason or another, our opponents since the first few days of this tour have been able to neutralize us. This is unacceptable.

The following day, we returned to Teisen Lanes and were fully prepared for our oppoents from Kensuke Office. We know that Miyahara is the weak link as a tag team but we are not afraid of Sasaki either. Claudio can hit him with impact moves and I'm able to catch him off guard and potentially knock him out with one of my kicks or elbows. Miyahara, though, is a rising star and showed glimpses of great potential. He also has great size and is bigger and stronger every tour I see him. All I think he needs is an extended stay in a foreign country much like Go Shiozaki had in the US in 2006/2007. Midway through the match Kensuke overwhelmed me with one of his typical flurries including chops, forearms and a Lariat. He sent me into the ropes and crushed my midsection with a knee before tossing me over with his Judo takedown. As you can imagine, this aggravated my rib/abdominal injury. I was having difficulties catching my breath sand fortunately my partner was able to carry the load shortly thereafter. The match wore on. Claudio & I connected with the Royalty KO on Kento but Kensuke broke up the pin. I followed with a KTFO and a Piledriver. Kento kicked out (??!). He built momentum with a few cradles but his inexperience led him to run right into a Rolling Elbow. Claudio joined me in the ring and we hit the KRS-1. 1, 2, 3, victory! The pain subsided temporarily as the adrenaline of winning our match took over.

The fans in Sapporo were surprisingly supportive of the two of us. It was our first appearance in the North and when that usually happens, the Japanese fans aren't quite sure what to think of the new type gaijin wrestlers. Thankfully we were well received and the loss on the first night did not affect the response we were rewarded with on the second night. We sold many Kings of Wrestling t-shirts and enjoyed hearing many kind words from the fans. Both Claudio and I are eager to return to Hokkaido. I even found a Mister Donut along the way!

I will take a brief moment here to proclaim my love for the calpis-soda drink called "Skal". It is difficult to find. I usually only see it in Osaka or Nagoya so I'm thrilled when I can purchase a bottle. To my non-Japanese friends, it's similar to Sprite/7up but slightly sweeter and a bit more frothy. If anyone knows where I can find Skal more regularly, please let me know!

We had days off before the tour continued so Claudio and I had dinner with Japanese female wrestler Tomoka Nakagawa. I met her at the ROH shows in Atlanta along with Ayumi Kurihara and Hiroyo Matsumoto. They were all excellent wrestlers and the ROH fans were pleasantly surprised with their performances. I hope to see them back in the US again. After dinner, we attended a bar where, much to my surprise, the attendant was an old friend of mine, Soldier, formerly of WMF. We had mutual friends and had e-mail back and forth before I had come to Japan and before Soldier came to the US. We only met a few times in the US but we've been able to have dinner in Japan a few times. It was a nice surprise and I enjoyed catching up with my old friend.

On our other day off, Claudio and I visited Tokyo Disney. My friend Tsukasa picked us up and we had an excellent time. I'd once been to Disney World in Florida and many times to Disney Land in California. It was very similar but it was strange hearing all the characters (both walking around the park and on the rides) speaking Japanese. We started off with Splash Mountain and nearly did not fit in the seat! It took them a few moments to make sure our legs we completely under the bar and that we were fully secured. It was a tight fit with our legs crossed and our knees pressed against the seat in front of us. Fortunately we did not fall out of the ride. When it came time to Space Mountain, we checked with the staff and were taken down a hidden corridor. We were welcomed into what seemed like a secret room to test whether or not we would fit in a sample car. We fit! I was glad too. Space Mountain was my favorite ride at Tokyo Disney.

It was fun watching Claudio. He was like a child, waving to all the characters and filming the parades. I know he had a great time and we took several silly pictures.

In the evening, we had the pleasure of eating at Mr. Danger's (Matsunaga) Steakhouse. As always, the food was delicious and Mr. Matsunaga was kind.

Currently, I am on the NOAH bus, on our way to Niigata. I look forward to our match with Saito and Akiyama. I will be sure to visit Asako-san and have my ribs taped up for the match. It's crazy how quickly these tours go. I will be home this weekend and, once again, I will miss Japan greatly. Thank you all for your support and comments. Also thanks again to Yujin for translating and keeping everyone informed with the progress of my tour. Talk with you all soon, friends!

-CH

To read in Japanese, Visit Chris Hero's Japanese Blog

New Blog- April 26th 2011

Here is Chris Hero's Third Entry In His Japanese Blog:

It's been a whirlwind these past few days. There are a few things to cover so let me get started.

The attendance in Nagoya was smaller than usual. The ZEPP is one of my favorite places to wrestle in Japan. It's where I had my singles match with Kensuke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAw6Ad8o-e0) and I teamed with Doug Williams once there to take on Ogawa and Misawa. NOAH had to cancel a few shows due to the earthquakes and added this show a few weeks ago and were unable to properly advertise. The crowd, while small in number, was very vocal throughout the show and supported Claudio & I strongly.

Our opponents were GHC World Heavyweight champion Takeshi Sugiura and a wrestler that I believe is greatly underrated, Mohammed Yone. It was easy for Claudio and I to out wrestle our opponents. They're strong and very hard hitting, but our techniques have been tested all over the world. Like me, Claudio has also trained in European (both British and continental European) styles as well as Lucha Libre. This helps us to always be a step ahead of our opponents, especially in the opening stages of matches. We isolated Yone and did our best to keep him from tagging in Sugiura. Eventually he was tagged in and then it happened.

Spear!

My ribs had been feeling tender but still strong. With one maneuver the wind was knocked out of my and my sides, once again, felt like they were on fire. Claudio managed to help me and we connected with some of our combinations to nearly win the match. We used the Helicopter Crash (giant swinf with dropkick), the Royal TKO (catapult with rolling elbow) and the Royal Power & Glory (Claudio superplex followed by a Hero moonsault). Every pin attempt was broken up. Sugiura and Yone isolated me and kicked me from every angle possible. My whole body was tingling. I managed to kick out of a few more pins but once Yone picked me up for the Kinniku Buster, I was knocked silly. Even is I was fully conscious, I wouldn't have been able to kick him off of me because of my injury. I was disappointed.

Claudio and Shane Haste were helping me to the locker room and checking on my injuries. I told them I thought I would be okay and just as I did, I promptly opened one of the heavy backstage doors directly into my face, Ouch. What a lucky day...

I was cheered up after because I was able to eat a yakitori dinner with my good friend Macky. Claudio's favorite is tsukune. I like tsukune with cheese.

Next was two days in Osaka. Our first task was to battle "Pink Gordy" aka the team of Takeshi Morishima and Yutaka Yoshie. This was another main event for the Kings of Wrestling. Once again our wrestling technique put us in control of the match. We attacked Yoshie's leg. We had control for quite awhile but Yoshie picked me up and slammed me, falling with all of his body weight on my ribs. Ouch. Morishima and he used a vicious series of slams and splashes on me, obviously trying to take advantage of my condition. Fortunately Claudio was able to help me out of my predicament. Once he tagged into the ring he continued his impressive displays of power. He held Morishima high in the air for a vertical suplex. He spun him around several times, quickly with his Giant Swing. Claudio even lifted Yoshie up for a
stalling Back Suplex. Yikes! I am lucky to have such a strong tag team partner. We attempted our Royal Power & Glory but they countered. Morishima knocked me to the floor and I was unable to get up. Morishima lifted Claudio up and Yoshie followed with a top rope splash. Kings of Wrestling lose.

The next day, I had lunch with a friend and enjoyed some Osaka special okonomiyaki. Delicious! The arena for the show was connected to a nice shopping mall so I went for a walk with Claudio and Ricky Marvin. I was promptly distracted by the glorious smell of Mister Donut. I ended up coming back to MD to purchase 4 donuts. Two to eat then and two for after my match. I love sweets, maybe a little too much though. Our match on the 2nd night was Aoyagi and Nakajima. We were frustrated from our previous two losses so we decided to be extra aggressive. I slipped off the rope during a moonsault and aggravated my ribs again but it was not too serious. Nakajima is very talented but Claudio and I were able to neutralize him. I kicked Aoyagi in the face to get the win in six minutes. After the match, I worked with Asako, the NOAH trainer, and he helped me with my ribs. I didn't want the injury to affect me any longer throughout the Global Tag League.

Next up is our trip to Hokkaido! I will discuss that in my next blog. Thanks!

To read in Japanese, Visit Chris Hero's Japanese Blog

New Blog- April 18th 2011

Here is another entry in Chris Hero's Japanese Blog:

Hey everyone!

I want to start this off by saying I've now experienced two very small earthquakes. The first, I was in my room and I felt something in my body. My equilibrium changed and then I heard a rumble. I'm on the 15th floor and the building swayed and squeaked for about 5 minutes. It was a very surreal feeling and something I had not experienced before. And it was just a baby earthquake/aftershock! It was literally nothing! I cannot imagine the experiences you all have had! I envy your strength and calm. The second was smaller but it woke me up in the middle of the night. I didn't worry and just went back to sleep :-) I am originally from Ohio, now I live in Pennsylvania. The only natural disasters we have to worry about are Tornadoes. Sometimes there are floods and blizzards too but never earthquakes.

The show in Tochigi was fun and successful for both Kings of Wrestling. Claudio and Kotaro Suzuki nearly battled to a time limit draw. Claudio hoisted him up for the Ricola Bomb and was able to win the match. I got to wrestle Taiji Ishimori in another singles match. I tried to get the advantage early but the plan backfired and his quickness took over. He smashed me with a Tope con Hilo. I was able to stop him and he was nearly counted out of the ring after a Rolling Elbow on the floor. I also used a Piledriver and my Cyclone Kill (rolling tornado kick) and was unable to win with those maneuvers. He rolled me up for a few quick pinfalls but I landed the KTFO (stomp to the back of the head immediately followed up by a rolling elbow) for the win. The main event was a very hard hitting match between Morishima/Yoshie and Shiozaki/Taniguchi. Taniguchi has improved tremendously and Shiozaki is as good as ever. Also, I don't want to underestimate Morishima or Yoshie. Claudio and I are quicker than them but their power is impressive. I am curious to see if Claudio can powerbomb Yoshie...

Today I was able to shop at the Real B Voice shop in Odaiba. I love their clothing! They have such cool designs. I bought a few shirts. The brand is Hawaiian but I have never seen a shop in the US. Strange. After, Claudio, Bison and I traveled to Kabuki-san's restaurant for an amazing dinner. Delicious food and I believe Claudio had what he called the best steak he has ever eaten in his life. We also enjoyed the "God Damn Potatoes." The Great Kabuki is also a great chef. Thankfully no green mist in the food... Tomorrow is Nagoya! We take on Yone and Sugiura. Should be an excellent match. My ribs are feeling better but I must be careful. Fortunately I have Powerhouse Castagnoli to back me up and carry the load when I need some help. See you next time friends!

-CH

To read in Japanese, Visit Chris Hero's Japanese Blog

New Blog- April 17th 2011

Here is Chris's latest entry in his Japanese blog:

Well, friends, we are back!

I am at the Washington Hotel, getting ready to sleep after a wonderful day. Claudio & I defeated Takayama and Sano! As happy as I am with the victory, I am worried about this rib/stomach pain I am experiencing. I will discuss the match in a moment.

We arrived yesterday and went straight to Differ for a press conference regarding the Global Tag League. We were able to freshen up at the hotel after but then it was off to Samurai TV for the S-Arena broadcast! We enjoyed the show very much and we hope to be on the show again.

Everyone here, so far, have been concerned for us and surprised that we decided to come to Japan, even with all the current difficulties. This is what I want everyone to know. It is an honor to be able to come to Japan and perform. Even with the recent disasters, we are not afraid. You have all been so strong and it is inspiring. Our way to show appreciation is to come here and perform for you all! The fans at live shows, the fans that watch on television and the fans that follow our results online. We know you appreciate us, and we certainly appreciate you. Honestly, I feel that is the tsunami and earthquakes would have hit any other countries in the world, the results would have been greater. Your country, as a whole, is disciplined and dedicated. You are making the best of the situation and it is amazing to see. We will always wish you the best!

Back to the tour.

Today was Korakuen. Claudio and I teamed together in the Main Event against our rivals, the GHC Tag Team Champions, Sano and Takayama. We came very close to defeating them at Budokan but came up short. Today we fought every bit as hard and managed to end the match with out original finishing maneuver, the KRS-1 (Kings Reign Supreme). They isolated Claudio early but his power was too strong. He deadlifted Takayama with the Alpamare Waterslide and tagged me into the match. I struggled to knock Takayama off of his feet. I used rolling elbows but it is very difficult to damage someone who has been in as many wars as he, I eventually knocked him down with a Moonsault and used my KTFO to nearly pin him. Takayama took the wind out of me with a Knee Blast. The right side of my ribcage felt like it was on fire! Shortly after, Sano landed a double stomp to my midsection and I felt something pop. This is not good. My adrenaline was such that I connected a Cyclone Kill (rolling high boot) to Sano's face and tagged Claudio to capitalize. Sano survived the Helicopter Crash (giant swing + dropkick). Takayama saved him from being pinned on Claudio's Ricola Bomb. I dove through the ropes on Takayama with an Elbow Suicida, taking him out of the picture so Claudio and I could deliver our finishing move. The KRS-1. It is a difficult maneuver to execute but once we've hit it, no one has ever been able to kick out. Sano was no different. You winners, today in Korakuen Hall against the GHC Tag Champs, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli: the Kings of Wrestling.

It's a great feeling. I am concerned, though, how I will feel when I wake up. Maybe this is not a serious injury. It could just have been something sudden that will heal quickly. I hope so! The training staff at NOAH is very skilled, so I am sure they will be able to help me.

Tomorrow is Tochigi. Claudio faces Kotaro Suzuki and I wrestle Taiji Ishimori, Both should be exciting matches but I believe we are the clear favorites. We are too big and too strong to be defeated right now.

A special thank you goes out to all of our fans in Japan. Last year, at Budokan, when we challenged for the titles, many people thought we had no chance. However, some of you were certain we would defeat the champions! While it did not happen, we did not forget that support. We felt it tonight at Korakuen and it helped remind us to give our best and be certain of our abilities. If we didn;t have the support we did tonight, we may not have won. We will continue to fight our best, regardless of injuries!

Thank you friends! See you soon.

-CH

P.S.
This past week, a close friend of mine, Sweet & Sour Larry Sweeney, passed away. I dedicate this tour to his memory. He has only performed once in Japan but he was incredibly popular in the U.S. He started in Chikara and also made a name for himself in IWA Mid South, CZW and IWC Pittsburgh before making his way to Ring of Honor where he managed me. He was a throwback to the old style personalities of wrestlers. He even had the fortunate of performing with a number of legends including the Iron Shiek, One Man Gang, Bruno Sammartino, Bill Dundee, Brad Armstrong, Kamala, Demolition and many more. He was a great friend beyond his unmatched charisma as a wrestler. I loved him and I will miss him dearly.

To read in Japanese, Visit Chris Hero's Japanese Blog

The Rematch - April 13th 2011

On December 17, 2010 two of the best teams in the history of ROH stepped into the ring against each another in one of the most anticipated matches in recent memory. The ROH World Tag Team Champions Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defended the belts against Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards. The Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves, and the result became known as “Tag Title Classic II” (available here: http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=477).

That winter night it was the defending champions who proved victorious after Chris Hero delivered a series of devastating elbows to Eddie Edwards and pinned the recently dethroned World TV Champion (one of the last time Edwards was pinned as a matter of fact). Some called that bout “The Last Hunt” for The Wolves, and it certainly appeared that way as the majority of 2011 saw Edwards & Richards pursue their individual interests. It was only after Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin defeated The Briscoes at the “9th Anniversary Show” to earn a Tag Title shot and then challenged the Wolves to reunite for one more match that Eddie & Davey came together once again.

But before that dream tag bout came to fruition, Eddie Edwards shocked the world at “Manhattan Mayhem IV” when he defeated Roderick Strong to claim the ROH World Title…the belt many of the ROH faithful felt was destined to end up around Richards’ waist. So come “Honor Takes Center Stage: Chapter 2” when the Wolves & WGTT finally squared off, the scene was very different than when the challenge was issued. Earlier in the day, while being interviewed by Jim Cornette, the Wolves stated they would not fight one another for the title, and while things got a little tense as Cornette pushed the issue, the interview ended with all the focus on the WGTT match later in the day. Unfortunately that would be a match the Wolves lost after some miscommunication led to Richards being pinned by Benjamin. Tension followed, blame seemed to be tossed in Edwards’ direction by Davey, and ultimately the World Champion walked away from the situation. Eddie had no words for ROH cameras that night; Richards, in the moment, spoke his mind in the latest ROH Video Wire but has since told ROH officials that he and Eddie have spoken on the matter. It was simply a case of their competitive drives and their passion for pro wrestling that caused the momentary tension. Regardless of what happened in Atlanta, they are still The American Wolves, they are still brothers.

They will have to be on the same page when The American Wolves team-up once more in a highly-anticipated, fan-demanded rematch against The Kings of Wrestling when ROH returns to Dearborn, MI! The KoW are fresh off losing the ROH World Tag Titles to Haas & Benjamin the night before WGTT beat The Wolves, and by the time we hit Michigan, Hero & Claudio will be only days removed from competing in the Pro Wrestling NOAH Global Tag League. In addition, the day after in Toronto, Hero will have his opportunity to put gold back around his waist when he battles Eddie Edwards for the ROH World Title. The Kings are on a mission to regain the tag belts they lost just two days before their one year anniversary, and putting the Wolves down once more would expedite their rematch. And it would certainly put a damper on Edwards’ spirits heading into the World Title match if Hero could once again lay him out.

With one team laser-focused on claiming any title in Ring of Honor, and the other team status being quite uncertain, how this one will play out is anyone’s guess. Suffice to say that Dearborn, MI is in for a treat as four of the best wrestlers competing today will collide on May 6, 2011! Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves II at “ROH Revolution: USA”! Tickets are available here: http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=202!

Wrestling Observer Radio - April 13th 2011

Wrestling Observer Radio with Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez returns today with special guest Chris Hero to talk the life and times of Larry Sweeney, the problems he faced growing up and in the last few years, fun memories, and more. This show is free, so you are welcome to spread the link or file elsewhere.

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Chris Hero Gets Title Shot In Toronto - April 13th 2011

On the heels of a week of phone calls, e-mails, and meetings with Shane Hagadorn, ROH officials have finalized the paperwork for Eddie Edwards’ next World Title defense on May 7th when Ring of Honor returns to The Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto. His opponent: “That Young Knockout Kid” Chris Hero!

As one of only two men who have pinned Eddie Edwards since his “Survival of the Fittest 2010” win, Chris Hero has not challenged for the World Title since “Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2” in April 2010 when he fought Tyler Black. Now, with the fire of recently losing the World Tag Titles in his heart, Hero comes after Edwards with a vengeance.

“Hagadorn did his job well.” stated Hero, “And soon it will be time for me to do mine. Eddie Edwards, you felt the force of my elbows in Plymouth and you know what it feels like to be rendered unconscious by me! Hold that title tight for the little time you have left with it, because in Toronto…the city where I beat Lance Storm, the city where Claudio and I slaughtered The Briscoes….in Toronto I will bring your championship dreams to a brutal conclusion!”

“Chris Hero thinks he knows me.” stated Eddie Edwards, “He thinks he has my number after pinning me in Plymouth. Watch the tape Chris, and look at what it took to put me down that night. Look at my fight with Roderick and look at what he put me through, but look at who took the belt home that night. Chris, this championship is everything to me, and there is nothing you can possibly do that will put me down for the count.”

May 7, 2011 in Toronto, ON, Canada; Eddie Edwards vs. Chris Hero, ROH World Title on the line! Ring of Honor is coming off a huge weekend in Atlanta and we’re going to carry that momentum into a weekend of “Revolution”! Join us in Dearborn & Toronto and revolt against the norm as ROH creates an uprising in true pro wrestling. Get your tickets now: http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=203!

R.I.P Alex Whybrow aka Larry Sweeney - April 11th 2011

(Larry Sweeney, second from left - 1982 - 2011)

Its unfortunate that the first post on the new look thechrishero.com has to be this, "larry sweeney" Alex Whybrow passed away this morning.

this is from chris:

We lost a dedicated friend and an overwhelmingly talented performer this morning. Alex Whybrow aka "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney has passed.

We spent a few yrs together on the road & Alex was gifted beyond measure. He could enthrall you with colorful stories from his personal life or he could captivate thousands with his undeniable charisma. I loved him & my heart is with his family, friends & his countless fans.

First he was my student & he transcended that almost immediately. I will forever cherish our in depth conversations & time spent together.

Love you man. Miss you. Rest in Peace.

Sweeney & I both loved Jive Soul Bro. Way too much. We met Akeem in San Fran & the following year this came to fruition

We're back! april 10th 2011

Welcome to the new look thechrishero.com!

Complete with new bio, new merch and more updates than ever before. Keep checking back for more information about your favorite wrestler - "That Young Knockout Kid" Chris Hero

New Kings Of Wrestling T-Shirt! Feb 24th 2011

KINGS

REIGN

SUPREME

It's not just a face anymore, it's a t-shirt!

With a white screen, this "royal" purple tee is available in Small, Medium, Large, X-Large & 2XL.

The shirt is available for $20 (please include $3 for shipping in the US or $10 for International orders).

Click below to buy, Via PayPal. Thanks!

 

U.S

Sizes

Small $23.00 Medium $23.00 Large $23.00 XL $23.00 XXL $23.00

 

Outside U.S

Sizes

Small $30.00 Medium $30.00 Large $30.00 XL $30.00 XXL $30.00

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