Xia Li

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xia Li
Xia Li posing with fan.jpg
Li posing with a hand fan in November 2019
Birth nameZhao Xia
Born (1988-07-28) 28 July 1988 (age 33)
Chongqing, Sichuan, China[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Xia Li
Billed height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[1]
Billed fromChongqing, China
Trained byWWE Performance Center
DebutJuly 13, 2017

Zhao Xia[2] (Chinese: 李霞; pinyin: Zhào Xià; born July 28, 1988) is a Chinese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Xia Li (Chinese: 李霞; pinyin: Lǐ Xià). She is the first Chinese woman to ever compete in a WWE ring.

Professional wrestling career[]

WWE[]

Mae Young Classic (2017–2018)[]

In January 2017, Li joined the WWE Performance Center after she had impressed talent scouts at a tryout in Shanghai, China.[3] On July 13, she made her debut for WWE competing in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, making her the first Chinese woman to ever compete in a WWE ring.[4] She was eliminated in the first round by Mercedes Martinez.[5] On September 19, 2018, Li competed in her second Mae Young Classic, defeating Karen Q in the first round,[6] but was eliminated in the second round by Deonna Purrazzo.[7] Throughout 2017 and 2018, Li only wrestled at NXT live events outside of the Mae Young Classic.[8]

Beginnings in NXT (2019−2020)[]

On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Li made her first appearance on a main roster pay-per-view by entering the women's Royal Rumble match at number 11, lasting 4:48 before being eliminated by Charlotte Flair.[9][10] She made her television debut on the February 20 episode of NXT, losing in a singles match to Mia Yim.[8][11] On the May 1 episode of NXT, she picked up her first televised win by defeating Rachel Evers.[8] In mid-November, she got into a feud with Aliyah and Vanessa Borne, getting singles victories over the duo on the November 13 and 27 episodes of NXT respectively, the latter of which saw her get attacked by NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke afterwards.[12][13] It led to a non-title match the following week, with Li losing to Baszler by submission.[14]

Li would compete in the women's Royal Rumble match again at the namesake event on January 26, 2020, entering at number 24 and lasting 10:49, before being eliminated by Shayna Baszler.[15][16] Li fought with Mia Yim again on the February 26 episode of NXT, this time winning the match with a roll-up after a distraction from Dakota Kai and Raquel González.[17] On the March 25 episode of NXT, Li was set to face Aliyah in a qualifier to compete in a Ladder match to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship, but was injured by her backstage before the match started.[18] This led to a brief match between the two on the April 15 episode of NXT, with Li getting revenge by defeating Aliyah.[19] On the May 6 episode of NXT, Li had a match with Chelsea Green, which she lost due to a distraction from Aliyah.[20] This led to another match between the two on the June 17 episode of NXT, with Aliyah getting the victory after Robert Stone distracted Li by vomiting in the ring.[21]

Tian Sha (2020−2021)[]

On the September 16 episode of NXT, Li teamed up with Jessi Kamea in a losing effort against Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro, with Li refusing to shake hands with them after the match.[22] The following week, she competed in a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship, which was won by Candice LeRae.[23] Li went against Carter on the September 30 episode of NXT, losing the match and pushing her to the mat after being extended a hand.[24] The following week, after losing a match against Shotzi Blackheart, she was approached by Boa who gave her a letter and followed him afterwards.[25] On the October 21 episode of NXT, Li lost a match against Catanzaro. After the match, she attacked her and Carter, thus turning heel.[26]

On the November 25 episode of NXT, a vignette aired of Li and fellow NXT superstar Boa, both haggard in appearance, entering the backseat of a vehicle together before being driven to an unknown location. The same elderly man who handed Boa a letter on the November 11 episode of NXT appeared outside of the building, appearing to be waiting for them.[27] Weekly vignettes began airing of both Li and Boa being brutally "punished for their failures", all while being watched over by the elderly man and a mysterious woman in black-and-white face paint.[28] A transformed Li returned on January 6, 2021 during NXT's New Year's Evil special, squashing Katrina Cortez in dominant fashion.[29][30] The following week, she defeated another jobber in two strikes, but then was wordlessly given an order by her master on the stage, resulting in Li tying up the opponent and taking more shots at her.[31] On the February 10 episode of NXT, Li defeated Cora Jade in quick fashion. During and after the match, Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter came out to the ring to reason with her but she attacked them both for disrespecting her master Mei Ying.[32] Li went on to defeat both Catanzaro and Carter in singles bouts on the February 24 and March 10 episodes of NXT respectively, and beat them again in a handicap match three weeks later.[33][34][35]

In June, Li went on to feud with Mercedes Martinez over losing to her in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, defeating her in a match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.[36][37] On the June 29 episode of NXT, she teamed with Boa to defeat Martinez and Jake Atlas in a mixed tag team match.[38] On the July 20 episode of NXT, Li challenged Raquel González for the NXT Women's Championship but failed to win. During the match, she suffered an injury following a springboard senton splash, but appeared to be okay afterwards.[39][40]

The Protector (2021–present)[]

As part of the 2021 Draft, Li was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[41][42] She made her main roster debut on the December 10 episode of SmackDown as a face, protecting Naomi as she fought off Sonya Deville, Natalya, and Shayna Baszler.[43]

Personal life[]

Before joining WWE, Li was a lifelong combat-sport athlete, fighting in the martial art of wushu.[4] She was the co-founder of her own fitness studio and achieved multiple first place finishes in various martial arts and fitness competitions including: the second World Traditional Chinese Wushu Championship,[44] Nike Challenge Competition and first China Throw Down: Battle on the Bund.[45]

Championships and accomplishments[]

  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    • Ranked No. 122 of the top 150 female wrestlers in the PWI Women's 150 in 2021[46]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Xia Li". WWE. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  2. ^ "Chongqing wrestler strikes spicy tone as she makes WWE history". Chinadaily.com.cn. October 3, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Recruits from China begin WWE training". WWE. January 5, 2017. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Xia Li". WWE. August 22, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  5. ^ Powell, John (August 28, 2017). "Powell's WWE Mae Young Classic Review: Episode Two featuring Sarah Logan vs. Mia Yim, Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li, Miranda Salinas vs. Rhea Ripley, and Marti Bell vs. Rachel Evers". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  6. ^ Powell, John (September 20, 2018). "Powell's WWE Mae Young Classic 2018 Ep. 3 Review: Kaitlyn vs. Kavita Devi, Toni Storm vs. Jinny, Karen Q vs. Xia Li, and Mia Yim vs. Allysin Kay in first round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  7. ^ Powell, John (October 11, 2018). "Powell's WWE Mae Young Classic 2018 Ep. 6 Review: Kaitlyn vs. Mia Yim, Io Shirai vs. Zeuxis, Deonna Purrazzo vs. Xia Li, and Tegan Nox vs. Nicole Matthews in the final second round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "Matches « Xia Li « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  9. ^ Johnson, Mike (January 27, 2019). "COMPLETE WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2019 COVERAGE". PWInsider. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Benigno, Anthony (January 27, 2019). "Becky Lynch won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match". WWE. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Moore, John (February 20, 2019). "Moore's NXT TV Live Review: NXT announcement, Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship, Aleister Black vs. Roderick Strong, Xia Li vs. Mia Yim, Matt Riddle interview". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  12. ^ Berge, Kevin (November 13, 2019). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 13". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  13. ^ Moore, John (November 27, 2019). "11/27 NXT TV results: Moore's live review of Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly vs. Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic for the NXT Tag Titles, Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, Survivor Series and WarGames fallout". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  14. ^ Moore, John (December 4, 2019). "12/4 NXT TV results: Moore's live review of Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai, Kushida's return to the ring". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  15. ^ Powell, John (January 26, 2020). "WWE Royal Rumble results: Powell's live review of the Royal Rumble matches, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan in a strap match for the WWE Universal Championship, Becky Lynch vs. Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Garretson, Jordan (January 26, 2020). "Charlotte Flair won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match". WWE. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Berge, Kevin (February 26, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 26". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  18. ^ Berge, Kevin (March 25, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 25". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  19. ^ Berge, Kevin (April 15, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 15". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  20. ^ Berge, Kevin (May 6, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 6". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  21. ^ Pantoja, Kevin (June 17, 2020). "Kevin's WWE NXT Review 6.17.20". 411Mania. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  22. ^ "WWE NXT Results – September 16, 2020". PWMania.com. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  23. ^ "WWE NXT Results – September 23, 2020". PWMania.com. September 23, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  24. ^ Mueller, Chris (September 30, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from September 30". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  25. ^ Berge, Kevin (October 7, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 7". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  26. ^ Berge, Kevin (October 21, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 21". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  27. ^ WWE. "Xia Li and Boa beg for a second chance: WWE NXT, Nov. 25, 2020". YouTube. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  28. ^ WWE. "Xia Li and Boa pay the price for falling short: WWE NXT, Dec. 2, 2020". YouTube. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  29. ^ Tedesco, Mike (January 6, 2021). "WWE NXT Results – 1/6/21 (New Year's Evil special, Bálor vs. O'Reilly for NXT Championship)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  30. ^ Carey, Ian (January 7, 2021). "Xia Li Returns At NXT New Year's Evil, Sasha Banks Reacts". SEScoops. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  31. ^ Tedesco, Mike (January 13, 2021). "WWE NXT Results – 1/13/21 (Dusty Classic Matches begin, Blackheart vs. LeRae)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  32. ^ Berge, Kevin (February 10, 2021). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 10". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  33. ^ Juon, Steve (February 24, 2021). "WWE NXT results, live blog (Feb. 24, 2021): Adam Cole explains". Cageside Seats. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  34. ^ Tedesco, Mike (March 10, 2021). "WWE NXT Results – 3/10/21 (NXT Championship and Women's Champion on the line)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  35. ^ Moore, John (March 31, 2021). "3/31 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the 12-man battle royal to qualify for a gauntlet eliminator for a shot at the NXT North American Championship at Takeover, Roderick Strong vs. Cameron Grimes, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Zoey Stark". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  36. ^ Moore, John (June 1, 2021). "6/1 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O'Reilly for a shot at the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover In Your House, MSK vs. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde for the NXT Tag Titles, Kushida's open challenge for the NXT Cruiserweight Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  37. ^ Powell, Jason (June 13, 2021). "NXT Takeover In Your House results – Powell's live review of Karrion Kross vs. Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Title, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon for the NXT Women's Title, Bronson Reed and MSK vs. Legado Del Fantasma for the NXT North American and NXT Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  38. ^ Berge, Kevin (June 29, 2021). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 29". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  39. ^ Moore, John (July 20, 2021). "7/20 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Raquel Gonzalez vs. Xia Li for the NXT Women's Championship, Kyle O'Reilly vs. Austin Theory, Odyssey Jones vs. Andre Chase in an NXT Breakout Tournament match, Kushida and Bobby Fish vs. Roderick Strong and Tyler Rust, Drake Maverick vs. LA Knight". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  40. ^ Rose, Bryan (July 21, 2021). "Xia Li appears to be okay following NXT Women's title match". F4Wonline.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  41. ^ "See all the results from the 2021 Draft".
  42. ^ Powell, Jason (October 4, 2021). "10/4 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of the WWE Draft night two, Goldberg returns, the build to WWE Crown Jewel continues". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  43. ^ Tessier, Colin (December 10, 2021). "Xia Li Debuts, Protects Naomi From Sonya Deville And Her Goons". WrestleZone. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  44. ^ "2nd World Traditional Wushu Championships (2006) - Zhengzhou, China - Results" (PDF). International Wushu Federation: 122. February 2, 2015.
  45. ^ "WWE signs new recruits from China; Bin Wang WWE debut in China". Miami Herald. September 8, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  46. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Women's 150 2021 List in Full". Wrestling Travel. September 21, 2021. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""