‘Making historical past is a big honour’: Singapore’s first WWE wrestler Dante Chen on his journey and what comes subsequent

SINGAPORE: Shedding your job is never one thing to giggle about. However for Singaporean skilled wrestler Dante Chen, there was one thing virtually amusing about the best way he came upon his five-year profession with World Wrestling Leisure (WWE) was coming to an finish.

Chen, whose actual title is Sean Tan, made historical past in 2021 when he grew to become the primary Singaporean to wrestle for the American skilled wrestling big, which counts Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena amongst its former stars. 

Chatting with CNA in an e-mail interview, the 30-year-old mentioned he had already suspected his time with WWE was up. 

“The evening earlier than the telephone name occurred, I knew it was going to occur the next day,” he mentioned.

“The best way it occurred was amusing to me, and I used to be even stunned I managed to go to sleep that evening,” mentioned Chen, who now competes below the ring title CHEN. 

He had been scheduled to compete at a reside occasion the next day, solely to be instructed the evening earlier than that he was now not required.

Shortly after his match was cancelled, WWE despatched a company-wide message instructing wrestlers who weren’t booked for the upcoming NXT occasion to avoid each the present and WWE’s efficiency centre. 

That struck Chen as uncommon, as wrestlers have been ordinarily anticipated to attend NXT Dwell! occasions no matter whether or not they have been competing.

“As I anticipated, I acquired the telephone name within the night,” he mentioned.

Chen introduced his departure from the corporate in April, bringing an finish to a five-year stint throughout which he competed totally on NXT, WWE’s developmental model, with out securing a full-time transfer to its principal roster.

However his departure has not dampened his wrestling ambitions.

Since leaving WWE, Chen has competed in a match organised by Japan’s Professional Wrestling NOAH, taking over a few of the promotion’s prime wrestlers.

In November, he’ll return to the ring in Singapore on the promotion the place his profession started virtually 14 years in the past.

LIFE AT WWE 

Chen started wrestling in 2012 below the ring title Trexxus at Singapore Professional Wrestling (SPW), when the native scene was nonetheless creating.

Chen described these early years as a strategy of “fixed trial-and-error” to determine what labored within the ring.

“What made it tougher was that I nonetheless would not have the ability to know what was efficient and what wasn’t,” he instructed CNA.

His huge break got here in 2019, when he was scouted by WWE officers at a tryout in Shanghai.

Two years later, he reported for coaching at WWE’s Efficiency Middle in Orlando, Florida, the place he discovered himself studying from skilled coaches and wrestling veterans.

He singled out former wrestler and WWE coach Terry Taylor as having the largest affect on his growth.

“My method in the direction of wrestling now’s closely impressed by what he has taught me,” Chen mentioned.