Athletes - Chris Hero

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	Athletes - Chris Hero

Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of both the Indiana-based Independent Wrestling Association Mid South and the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Combat Zone Wrestling promotion.

Career

After graduating from Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio, Spradlin decided to train as a wrestler in the summer of 1998. After undergoing some initial training in Middletown, Ohio, Spradlin debuted on September 12, 1998 in Xenia, Ohio, wrestling Shawn "HeartThrob" Halsey in the Unified Championship Wrestling promotion. As Spradlin wrestled wearing a "wifebeater" T-shirt, he began using the ring name Wife Beater. He continued to use the Wife Beater character until a women's group, offended by the gimmick, organised a boycott of a show Spradlin was wrestling on in Platteville, Wisconsin. The character was discussed on the talk show Politically Incorrect, although Spradlin was not mentioned by name. After Spradlin was booked for a series of family friendly shows for NWA West Virginia / Ohio, he changed his ring name to Chris Hero.

At the suggestion of Matt Stryker, Hero underwent further training under Les Thatcher in Thatcher's Cincinnati, Ohio-based Main Event Wrestling Camp between May 1999 and November 1999. In December 1999, He travelled to Ocala, Florida to train under Dory Funk, Jr. in the Funkin' Conservatory professional wrestling school.

Independent Wrestling Association

In 2000, Hero began working for the Indiana-based Independent Wrestling Association Mid South, where he received supplementary training from Ian Rotten. In his first year in the promotion, he won the annual Sweet Science 16 tournament (now known as the Ted Petty Invitational, or the "T.P.I."), defeating four other wrestlers in the process (Colt Cabana, American Kickboxer, Ace Steel and Harry Palmer), and unsuccessfully challenged Sabu for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Bloodfeast 2000. Hero engaged in feuds with the Suicide Kid, American Kickboxer and the Rugby Thug.

Throughout 2001 and 2003 Hero engaged in a lengthy feud with CM Punk. Throughout this period, he trained under Tracy Smothers.

On October 21, 2001 in Charlestown, Indiana, Hero won the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship from the Rugby Thug. He held the title until December 5 of that year, when he lost to CM Punk. He regained the title on July 12, 2002 in Clarksville, Indiana, defeating Colt Cabana, and lost the title to M-Dogg 20 three months later on October 5 in Clarksville, Indiana. He won the title for a third time on February 7, 2003 in Clarksville, pinning CM Punk in a match that lasted over ninety minutes. His third reign lasted until June 7 of that year, when he lost to Mark Wolf. Hero regained the title in a match with Danny Daniels on July 12, 2003, after Mark Wolf had vacated the title. Hero lost it for a fourth and final time to Danny Daniels less than a month later on August 2.

Hero later began a feud with "The Anarchist" Arik Cannon that continued into 2006. He is the only wrestler to have competed in all six Ted Petty Invitational events, and, at the end of 2005, defeated Necro Butcher to win the third annual Strong Style Tournament.

In October 2002 Hero attended the Blue Bloods Wrestling Camp, operated by English wrestlers Dave Taylor and William Regal and Northern Irish wrestler Fit Finlay.

Combat Zone Wrestling

In May 2002, Hero debuted in Combat Zone Wrestling, wrestling Ruckus in a match that went badly. He wrestled a second match later that year that "also ended in a debacle". Hero returned to CZW for a third time in the autumn of 2003, and this time secured a regular place on the roster. Declaring himself the "Savior" of CZW, Hero defeated Jimmy Rave on May 1, 2004 to become the promotion's Ironman Champion. He became the longest reigning Ironman Champion before losing the title to B-Boy at the CZW year-end event, Cage of Death, on December 11, 2004. Hero recruited Claudio Castagnoli and Blackjack Marciano to be his "Few Good Men" but, shortly thereafter, Marciano disappeared from wrestling altogether, leaving Hero and Claudio as a tag team. On September 10, 2005, the duo defeated the Tough Crazy Bastards (Necro Butcher and Mr. Insanity) to become the CZW Tag Team Champions. Hero and Castagnoli held the titles and defended them in an ongoing feud with Eddie Kingston and the rest of the faction known as Black Out. While Hero and Claudio dropped the titles to Eddie Kingston and Joker in February 2006, the feud with Black Out continued.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Chris Hero ]

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