Former Chase U leader says he turned down coaching money to keep wrestling
Summary
– Andre Chase revealed he turned down a higher-paying WWE coaching job to sign as a wrestler
– WWE originally viewed Chase as a potential coach before offering him a choice after his tryout
– Chase said choosing to wrestle led to Chase U and the NXT run that would not have happened otherwise
Andre Chase says his WWE career almost took a very different path.
While speaking with Duke Hudson, Chase revealed that WWE originally wanted to bring him in as a coach rather than a wrestler. The opportunity came during the COVID era after he received a call from Canyon Ceman.
Chase said he was invited to a WWE tryout, but the company had already looked at him as someone who could be a strong coach. At the time, Chase was 31 years old and did not feel ready to stop wrestling.
After the tryout, WWE called him back in November with a choice. The company still liked him as a coach, but officials also enjoyed what he showed in the ring.
That left Chase with a major decision. WWE offered him the chance to take a coaching job with a much higher salary or accept a wrestler contract for less money.
Chase admitted the coaching pay was tempting. He wondered if he should take the money and close the book on his in-ring career.
After talking with his brother, Chase realized the choice came down to one simple question. He had to decide whether he wanted to be a coach or a wrestler.
Chase said he still wanted to wrestle, so he turned down the bigger paycheck and accepted the wrestler contract. For him, the money was attractive, but it was not enough to make him walk away from the ring.
Looking back, Chase believes he made the right call. Choosing to wrestle led to Chase U, his NXT run, and everything that came with the character.
Chase said none of that would have happened if he had taken the coaching role. Instead of working behind the scenes, he became part of one of NXT’s most memorable acts.
The story gives fans a closer look at how close Andre Chase came to having a completely different WWE career. He bet on himself as a performer, and that choice became a defining part of his run.
Now moving forward as “The Professor” Andre Chase after his WWE release, the decision feels even more meaningful. He chose wrestling once before, and now he appears ready to keep proving that choice was worth it.
