Former WWE NXT star Dante Chen is getting a fresh start in Japan, and he’s doing it under a brand-new name. Months after WWE released him as part of its April 2026 roster cuts, Chen is now headed to Pro Wrestling NOAH for the N-1 Victory Tournament, where he’ll compete simply as CHEN.
Chen spent nearly five years under the WWE umbrella after signing with the company in 2021. While he never became a regular fixture at the top of the NXT card, he earned a reputation as one of the brand’s most reliable enhancement talents and became known by fans as the “gatekeeper” of NXT Level Up due to how frequently he competed on the show.
WWE released Chen in April alongside more than 20 wrestlers from the main roster and NXT. Since leaving the company, he has only wrestled once, appearing for CCW in July under the name Trexxus.
Now, Chen is stepping onto a much bigger stage. Pro Wrestling NOAH announced that the former WWE star will compete in the 2026 N-1 Victory Tournament under the name “The Southeast Asian Standout” CHEN. He has been placed in the A Block, where he will face some serious competition, including Kaito Kiyomiya and fellow former WWE NXT names Yoshiki Inamura and Shane Haste.
Chen also made it clear that this opportunity means more than simply landing another booking. He will become the first wrestler representing Singapore to compete in NOAH’s N-1 Victory Tournament.
“For the first time, Singapore will be represented in Pro Wrestling NOAH’s N-1 Victory Tournament, as I will be the one to help do so as history is made once again. #CHENUP #noah_ghc”
The move gives Chen a chance to completely reinvent himself after spending much of his WWE run putting other wrestlers over. Instead of being positioned as the guy opponents had to get through on NXT Level Up, he now has an opportunity to prove himself against some of NOAH’s biggest names.
WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH have also crossed paths through the N-1 Victory Tournament in recent years. Tavion Heights, Josh Briggs, Charlie Dempsey and Harlem Lewis have all competed in previous editions of the tournament, giving Chen another connection to the promotion he spent years working for.
For CHEN, though, this run is about carving out his own identity away from WWE. A new name, a major Japanese tournament and a field loaded with experienced talent gives him a very different platform than the one he had in NXT.
Do you think CHEN can turn his Pro Wrestling NOAH run into a breakout moment after leaving WWE? Let us know what you think in the comments.
