Chris Hero Says WWE Used To Look Down On Independent Wrestlers
"Indie was a bad word"
Feb 18, 2021
Over the years, WWE has filled its roster with top talent from the independent wrestling scene, but the company used to look down on independent wrestlers, according to Chris Hero.
The former WWE Superstar was asked on 'Can Chris Hero Save Wrestling' on AdFreeShows.com if the company looked down on independent wrestlers when he first signed in 2012, to which he replied: "Yes. That was very evident when I went there in 2012. Indie was a bad word. It changed over time in NXT in 2014 or 2015. Things became more accepted and more revered because of the success of guys like Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens going in there and tearing it up and being the most popular wrestlers there. Finn Balor came in and Samoa Joe.
"They saw that maybe these guys do have something and they can connect with our crowd. They would often think that independent fans are not necessarily their fans. When I started, Dr. Tom was the coach. He also felt like 'hey, we have to get rid of some of these indie bad habits.' I can understand that point of view, but, if you're looking for something, you can find it.
"There's certain things the boss doesn't like and you have to figure out what those things are so that you don't do it. You get in the habit of not doing it, so that you don't do it the one time the big boss sees you, because if the big boss sees you, you get that one chance, and then you're forever the guy who does that one thing you don't like. Now with NXT, you have a different big boss who has different tastes than Vince. So, there are things that Vince likes that Hunter doesn't and that can get very confusing."
H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription
