Sean Tan becomes first Singaporean to wrestle on WWE SmackDown

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Sarah Koh

SINGAPORE - Professional wrestler Sean Tan drop-kicked his way into history on Feb 23 when he became the first Singaporean to appear on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programme Friday Night SmackDown.

Tan, whose "ring name" in the WWE is Dante Chen, faced Bron Breakker - one of the US pro wrestling juggernaut's most highly touted young stars - at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The 28-year-old Tan showcased his athleticism with an impressive drop-kick to Breakker early in their match, but was soon overpowered by his 26-year-old opponent, who picked up the win after a vicious spear manoeuvre.

Despite being soundly beaten, Tan later said in a Facebook post that his Smackdown debut was still a "history-setting moment".

SmackDown is one of two major WWE episodic shows - the other being Monday Night Raw - and Tan's appearance made him the first Singaporean wrestler to appear on national television in the US.

Local promotion Singapore Pro Wrestling (SPW), where Tan previously competed with the ring name Trexxxus, congratulated him in a tweet, and described his journey from a Singaporean ring to NXT, and then SmackDown, as "nothing short of inspiring".

"We're all proud of you! CHEN UP!" said SPW.

In 2021, Tan became the first Singaporean wrestler signed by WWE and won his first match, competing on the organisation's developmental brand NXT, in September that year.