Dante Chen returned to WWE in-ring action on Friday, May 16, 2025, competing at an NXT live event held at the Lakeland Armory in Lakeland, Florida. This appearance marked his first wrestling match in four months.
In the main event of the untelevised NXT program, Chen stepped up to challenge Oba Femi for the NXT Championship. Despite Chen’s return to the squared circle, the reigning champion Oba Femi successfully defended his title.
Chen’s hiatus from active competition commenced after his last televised match on an NXT TV episode aired on January 14, 2025. During that broadcast, he was involved in a segment where he was attacked by Ethan Page following their match, which served as the storyline explanation for his subsequent absence from WWE programming.
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The May 16 NXT live event not only signified Chen’s first match back but was also his first wrestling appearance of any kind, whether televised or at an untelevised event, since the on-screen incident with Ethan Page in January.
Notably, the same NXT live event in Lakeland also featured Lince Dorado, formerly of Lucha House Party, who wrestled Anthony Luke in the show’s opening contest. Dorado made his return to WWE earlier in 2025, undertaking a combined wrestler and trainer role, and has since participated in several live event matches against other talents such as Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin.
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