Image: JJ Williams

It didn’t take very long for Chris Hero to make his WWE in-ring return after returning to the company at yesterday’s NXT TV tapings.

Hero wrestled in a WWE ring for the first time in over three years at tonight’s NXT house show in Largo, Florida. Hero was again referred to as Kassius Ohno despite wearing his basketball-inspired Chris Hero ring gear, and defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas in his first match back.

Our NXT reporter JJ Williams notes that Hero won what was a great match with one of his patented elbow smashes to the back of the head.

Dave Meltzer reported last month that Hero was set to return to WWE at the start of 2017 if everything went right with his medicals and pre-signing process. Hero confronted NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at the conclusion of yesterday’s tapings before stepping out of the ring without incident. Triple H then posted a picture with Hero on Twitter after the show was over.

What’s next for Hero in NXT remains to be seen, but he will be in San Antonio over Royal Rumble weekend as he wrestles his final matches for EVOLVE Wrestling. Hero will face Zack Sabre Jr. in his final EVOLVE match on January 28th.