Former WWE NXT star Andre Chase recently revealed that he once had to make a huge decision behind the scenes that involved turning down a much higher-paying job to continue chasing his dream of becoming a wrestler.
Chase, who now wrestles as Andre Chance after being released by WWE earlier this year, spoke about the experience during an appearance on Between Two Jobs.
Andre Chase was recruited to be a WWE coach
According to Chase, WWE originally saw him as a perfect fit for a coaching role rather than an in-ring performer. The coaching job came with better pay and more stability, but Chase knew he wasn’t ready to give up wrestling.
He explained that the opportunity first came about after WWE purchased Evolve in 2020. Evolve booker Gabe Sapolsky told him that WWE planned to bring in some Evolve talent. However, Chase wasn’t among those immediately signed because he hadn’t been under contract with the promotion. Still, Sapolsky advised him to stay ready.
A few months later, Chase got a message asking if he had stayed in ring shape. Not long after that, former WWE executive Canyon Ceman contacted him and invited him to WWE’s first COVID-era tryout.
That’s when Chase found out WWE had something different in mind for him.
According to Chase, Ceman told him that WWE believed he’d make a great coach, but they still wanted him to attend the tryout before discussing his future.
“Essentially, he was like, ‘You’re an interesting case, because we actually wanted to sign you as a coach, but come to the tryout anyway and then we’ll kind of talk and discuss what we have for you. But we just really think you’d be a great coach,’” Chase recalled.
At the time, Chase was only 31 years old and felt he still had a lot left to accomplish inside the ring. After impressing officials at the tryout, he received another call in November. WWE gave him two choices- become a coach or sign as an active wrestler.
There was one condition. “They made it very clear it was one or the other. There were no player/coaches,” Chase said.
He learned that the coaching role came with a significantly bigger paycheck than WWE’s standard developmental contract.
Struggling to make a decision, Chase turned to his brother for advice. For Chase, the answer came quickly.
“It was not an easy decision. I’ll tell you that. But like, eventually, so I’m thinking about it, I’m talking to my brother and he’s like, ‘Well, do you wanna be a coach or do you wanna be a wrestler?’ I’m like, ‘I wanna be a wrestler.’ He’s like, ‘Well, that’s it.’ And it was that easy of a decision. Oh yeah. Of course, the money was appealing and attractive, but I was like, ‘I came here to be a wrestler, so I’m gonna wrestle,'” Chase said.
Even Ceman was reportedly surprised by the choice and reminded him of the difference in salary between the two roles. However, Chase trusted himself and believed things would work out.
“And then I called him (Ceman) and told him, and even he was a bit surprised; he was like, ‘You know the pay difference, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, but it’s gonna be fine, it’s gonna work out.’ I just believed, I knew. I didn’t know how it was gonna happen, but I just knew I’ve just gotta get in and then we’ll get to where we wanna go,” he said.
Although his future is still taking shape, Chase doesn’t regret his choice. He walked away from a bigger paycheck to pursue the career he truly wanted.
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