Cewsh Scouts NXT 2013: The Next Wave

Kassius Ohno

Pros:

- Has a built in fanbase of smark fans- Immediate history with both Antonio Cesaro and CM Punk- Is capable of some truly great things

Cons:

- Inconsistent- Doesn’t stand out on his own- Unimpressive build

Last Year’s Analysis:

Cewsh: Kassius Ohno, (previously Chris Hero to you indy fans,) has a lot going for him. He has a solid look, he has easy connections to two guys on the main roster, (Antonio Cesaro and CM Punk,) and he has a wealth of experience from wrestling in virtually every promotion on the planet over the past 10 years. All of that makes him very comfortable in the ring and on the mic, and he’s adapting quickly.

But it’s important to understand that he’s not there yet, and he’s still trying to work the kinks out of a new in-ring style and a new kind of character, just like CM Punk, Low Ki and Daniel Bryan had to. Ohno isn’t the talent those three are, but he’ll be a solid addition to the main roster in a year or so.

Cewsh’s Prospect Grade: B

Ready For Main Roster: No

Cewsh: Believe me when I tell you that I’m not happy to be saying what follows here.

Kassius Ohno, formerly Chris Hero, was a low key favorite of mine on the independent scene for years. He was likable, he had some memorable matches, and he seemed like one of those guys who was naturally right on the cusp of being special. But the thing is that he never GOT special. He was never a Ring of Honor world champion, even in the days where your mother could have been ROH World Champion if she had been willing to teach the school for 6 months.

He was never one of the names that people clamored to see. And it wasn’t until his tag team with Antonio Cesaro that he really clicked as someone who was truly important. After that his stock rose through the roof, and WWE brought him in, much to all of our delight. But the results since Ohno has arrived in WWE have been… mixed.

Basically, it breaks down like this. Kassius Ohno has not had a standout moment since joining the company. He has been put in the right position to do so, and was even given a feud with Regal that mirrored the one that put Dean Ambrose on the map. But at the end of all of it, here he is being surpassed again and again by other people with less credentials and less hype. His promos are not strong, his character is poorly defined, and he seems to disappear in his own matches. Since our review of him last year, he seems to have declined worryingly. And with the rumors of management heat for his inability to keep in shape added on top of this, I find it hard to sit here and honestly tell you that Kassius Ohno can be a success in WWE.

I’m still rooting for him, and I badly want to be proven wrong. But Ring of Honor might want to wait by the phone. WWE won’t wait on Ohno forever.

Cewsh’s Prospect Grade: C-

Ready For Main Roster: No

Artie: Legend of the independent circuit, the former Chris Hero, has adopted quite beautifully to the wacky world of World Wrestling Entertainment. He seems to have learned the art of condensing matches down to 10 minutes faster than either of his predecessors in CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. He’s got a fantastic look these days, with the beard and slimmer body, and obviously knows how to wrestle well, but in a controversial move here, I’m going to say that he’s not quite ready for the main roster yet. Ohno seems to still struggle with delivering strong promos as we saw in his feud with William Regal and his finishing maneuver, a discus elbow, will need to be changed before he hits the main roster, as Wade Barrett already uses something similar.

Hero’s Prospect Grade: A-

Dennis: Kassius is a toughie for me. Kassius Ohno is my favorite wrestler currently. Now that fluctuates frequently, but it’s the truth as of now. So it’s hard for me to point out his flaws. I love his unique move-set. He has an almost infinite move-set and just when you think “Man, Ohno’s been boring as of late, he’s been doing the sam… WHOA WHAT WAS THAT?! That was awesome!” He has a great ability to be “out of nowhere” with his moves. I like that he’s not the prototype model of a wrestler either. He manages to take his fairly average looking self, and make it dangerous because he’s unpredictable. I even like his promo work, though some don’t agree, I like his calm/quiet approach to an interview.

Kassius Ohno pretty much joined FCW/NXT ready for the main roster as a well seasoned worldwide performer. All he needed to learn was the WWE style, which he has done. He had a great feud with William Regal that I believe he shined in. But SOMETHING is missing. I don’t know what it is, maybe he needs one more big feud to push him over the top. He’s currently in a good one with The Wyatt Family, so we’ll see where that goes. But Kassius has yet to reach his full potential, I feel. I think a chance on the main roster may be sink or swim for him, but I also think it’s the only way he will evolve any more than he has already.

Dennis’ Prospect Grade: A

Ready For Main Roster: Yes. But it may be a crapshoot on whether or not he’ll be successful.

Psycho: While still one of the hottest prospects on the NXT roster, Ohno has cooled down a bit in momentum it feels. Ring-wise, he’s still on top of his game (though on rare occasions disappointing), and personality-wise, he’s still quirky and has that Kassius Ohno charm. There’s just…something missing. Perhaps it’s his recent face turn, maybe it’s the abrupt postponing of his feud with Richie, but it feels like he’s taken a step back. This is probably a slump of which he’ll rise out, but something has to be worked out before they bring him up.

Psycho’s Prospect Grade: B

Ready For Main Roster: Not Quite