Following years spent in CMLL, AAA, NJPW, and even a one-off match in AEW, Dragon Lee signed with WWE in late 2022. At the time, the Jalisco native didn’t speak more than a few words of English, and during an interview with Chris Van Vliet on “Insight,” Lee recalled having to catch on quick once he arrived at the WWE Performance Center.
“My coach, Terry Taylor, explained [to] me many things,” Lee said. “He told me, ‘You understand?’ I said, like, ‘No.’ He said, ‘What?!'”
Lee stated that when he filled out paperwork leading up to being hired by WWE, he had marked on the form that he spoke English, out of fear that the company wouldn’t hire him if he admitted he did not. That meant he had to work hard to learn the language as well as the ins and outs of WWE. He started by taking an online class, but Lee found that it didn’t work as well as he would’ve liked. Then he moved to in-person classes at Full Sail University, but it was Lee’s time at the Performance Center that he believes made the biggest difference.
“I think I got [better at] English when I started doing more NXT [training] every day, for six hours,” Lee continued. “I think that’s what helped me – just talking with my friends.”
The initial language barrier didn’t prevent Lee from finding success in the company. After feuding with Dominik Mysterio for much of 2023, Lee captured the WWE NXT North American Championship, while also making regular appearances on the main roster. He was called up full-time the following year, and he’s since found success as a singles competitor, with the LWO, and Lee even had a tag title run alongside AJ Styles last year.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Insight” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Read the full article here
