Dante Chen, whose real name is Sean Tan, is the first Singaporean to wrestle in a WWE match.
A star is born: Tan, 25, made his WWE debut on Sept. 21 when he beat his opponent Trey Baxter, subsequently making him the first Singaporean wrestler to not only be a part of the WWE stable but also the first Singaporean to win a WWE match, according to Channel News Asia.
- Tan walked onto the stage wearing a silver mask and red robe, with the announcer exclaiming, “His [Baxter’s] opponent from Singapore, weighing in at 215 pounds, Dante Chen.”
- The match between Baxter and Tan lasted less than a minute, leaving Tan victorious.
Go for the wins, they lead to championships. 1-0 #WWENXT #WWE #DanteChen pic.twitter.com/WJ9qT3Dhlm
— Dante Chen (@DanteChenWWE) September 22, 2021
- He was one of 40 wrestlers that were invited to tryouts in Shanghai and was able to land a contract in July with WWE NXT, which is a program featuring the next generation of WWE stars. He started training in Orlando with two other Chinese athletes in the WWE Performance Center, Mothership reported.
- Before becoming “Dante Chen,” Tan was using the stage name “Trexxus” in Singapore. He started wrestling in 2012 and won the SPW Southeast Asian Championship in 2017.
Representation: Social media users took to Twitter to express their pride in the first Singaporean competitor to be a part of the WWE.
I have an old neck injury, and I gotta say… his finisher is absolutely horrifying. You get a hard cervical stretch and spinal impact in one shot.
It LOOKS like a match ender. SUPERBLY well done.
— Joshua Smith (@SagaDMW) September 22, 2021
Big congrats to @DanteChenWWE for making his @WWENXT debut! 🙌🙌🙌
I definitely remember what that move felt like 🤕 pic.twitter.com/d6TzELzwOB
— 💛 Senyorito Gaming 🎮 (@SenyoritoJDL) September 22, 2021
Already a fan of the first-ever superstar from Singapore, Dante Chen.
He’s got a great physique and his entrance was pretty damn cool as well. #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Kr0HDwXqxk
— CONNER🇨🇦 (@VancityConner) September 22, 2021
CHEN. IS. HERE.
ngl it’s still super surreal to keep hearing “Singapore” mentioned on NXThttps://t.co/KTIBW3KHp7
— Peter Lin #IStandWithRaeesah (@prodigalgeek) September 22, 2021
Featured Image via WWE
