Dango was interested in transitioning to a coaching role in WWE.
For 15 years of his pro wrestling career, Dirty Dango a.k.a. Fandango was with WWE. He started with the company in 2006 and wrapped up in 2021 after being released from his deal. Dango is currently working around the independent scene and is regularly featured in the NWA.
Towards the end of his time in WWE, he and Tyler Breeze began working with the NXT brand and during their time there, they captured NXT Tag Team Titles. As Dango was doing a virtual signing with Captain’s Corner, he shared that he had already been speaking to WWE about transitioning to a coaching role prior to his release.
I think we kind of saw the writing on the wall [Dango & Tyler Breeze had a feeling they could be let go from WWE]. So, I was 37 at the time, you kind of see the writing on the wall. I had a good run and I was kind of already speaking with WWE about possibly coaching down the road and you know, you mentally prepare yourself for that call and it didn’t seem real though for a couple months after because you live your life for so long under contract and it’s — I guess the first thing was… everyone bombards you and they want you to come do signings for ‘em and stuff like that. I don’t know how everybody gets your number — or my number… Yeah, I don’t know. They got it from somebody else or it’s just overwhelming, it’s a lot to take in. I suggest turning your phone off for a day or two, just kind of relax and… but it’s not all negative because you get overwhelmed with a lot of your friends that reach out to you and see how you’re doing and make sure everything’s okay, if you need anything. It’s a niche community of professional wrestling where, you know, your friends help you out and point you in the right direction.
Dango’s finisher is a top rope leg drop. He talked about the toll that the move has taken on his body after doing it for over two decades.
When he was in WWE, Vince McMahon told him not to perform the move at house shows because he wanted Dango to preserve his body. Dango encouraged up and coming talents to not select a finisher that requires them to land with the same force and in the same manner that a top leg drop does.
I pick and choose more now where I do it [top rope leg drop]. If it’s a good ring, I’ll do it. NWA, I’ll do it. But, even on live events, Vince [McMahon] didn’t want me to do it on live events in WWE just to preserve my body. There’s only so many times you can [land like] that man. But somebody told me when I first started — I started doing it in 1999 and someone’s like, ‘Dude, you’re gonna wanna pick a different finisher.’ I’m like, ‘Screw you. I’ll never get old or hurt.’ Now, the camera could walk out of here, you’d see me like limping a little bit so, pick a finisher guys that does not require you landing on your ass every night off the top rope. Yeah, so I still do it but just more sporadically now. I pick and choose my spots.
When looking back at his 20-plus year career, Dango was asked to share his favorite time from his career and he settled on his last NXT run.
Probably NXT towards the end of my run in WWE [is my favorite part of my career]. Just because it was — we were kind of the older veteran guys in the locker room where they didn’t — they kind of trusted us to go out and have good matches, [Tyler] Breeze and myself and we had more time to have good, quality matches. We were kind of pigeonholed as the comedy act on Raw and SmackDown so, it was good to be in NXT and go out and have some quality matches with some really great talent.
The 38-year-old Dango was most recently in action on 5/21 and he is scheduled to be at AML Wrestling’s event in North Carolina on June 26th.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Captain’s Corner with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
