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Jimmy Yang

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James Yun
Born (1981-05-13) May 13, 1981 (age 43)[1][2]
Hollywood, California[1][3]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Jimmy Yang[1]
Akio[1]
Yun Yang
Apeman
Jimmy Jun
Jimmy Wang Yang[1]
Billed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Billed weight205 lb (93 kg)[1]
Billed fromSeoul, Korea
Japan
Austell, Georgia (as Jimmy Wang Yang)
Trained byPaul Orndorff[1]
WCW Power Plant
DebutJune 1999

James Carson Yun[2] (born May 13 1981)[1][2] is a Korean American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand.

Yun is best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as one-third of the Jung Dragons, Yang, and Total Nonstop Action and the independent circuit as Jimmy Yang. After a brief stint as Akio, a henchman for Tajiri in late 2003-early 2004, he returned to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2006 on the SmackDown! brand as Jimmy Wang Yang.

Career

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2001)

In June 1999, Yun signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), making his WCW television debut in January 2000. He was originally a part of the Jung Dragons stable along with Jamie-San and Kaz Hayashi. They were brought into WCW by Jimmy Hart to feud with 3 Count, another stable.[4] They made their pay-per-view debut at New Blood Rising, losing a ladder match to 3 Count.[5] They added a manager, Leia Meow, and continued the feud with 3 Count, until, in late 2000, Jamie-San unmasked and left the group, forming a tag team with former 3 Count member Evan Karagias.[6] The team of Hayashi and Yang feuded with Karagias and Jamie until the WWF purchased WCW.

Heartland Wrestling Association and All Japan Pro Wrestling (2001-2003)

In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) acquired Yun's contract and assigned him to the company's Heartland Wrestling Association developmental territory. With no plans to call him to the main roster, the WWF eventually released Yun.[citation needed]

After his brief stint as a WWF developmental talent, Yun agreed to join All Japan Pro Wrestling where he wrestled as both a part of its tag team division and its singles junior heavyweight division.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

From May to August 2002, Yang was one third of The Flying Elvises in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alongside Sonny Siaki and Jorge Estrada. Yang and the other Elvises were involved in TNA's first match, defeating A.J. Styles, Jerry Lynn, and Low Ki in a six-man tag team match.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2003-2005)

In September 2003, following a critically-acclaimed match with Tommy Dreamer on Sunday Night Heat,[3] Yun was signed to a three year developmental deal with the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He, along with the Japanese American Ryan Sakoda, made their WWE debuts on October 19 2003 at No Mercy. Yun was renamed Akio (a reference to Japanese wrestler Akio Sato) and aligned himself with Sakoda, forming the heel tag team Kyo Dai (Japanese for "brothers"), the henchmen of the native Japanese wrestler Tajiri. Sakoda was eventually released from WWE and Tajiri was traded to RAW. This left Yun on his own to become a lower card wrestler and Velocity mainstay, competing primarily in the cruiserweight division until he was released on July 5 2005.

Ring of Honor (2005, 2006)

After being released from WWE, Yun wrestled in Ring of Honor (ROH). He debuted on October 1 2005, at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, losing to James Gibson.[7] He lost once again the following night to Christopher Daniels[8] and again two weeks later to Roderick Strong, causing him to (kayfabe) take some time away from the company.[9]

He returned to ROH in January 2006 where he recorded his first win in ROH, teaming with Matt Sydal and Jack Evans in the Trios Tournament. The team, however, was ultimately defeated by The Embassy.[10] Yun stayed with the company for several months, wrestling as Jimmy Yang and using the same martial arts based persona he adopted in WCW. His entrance music was the theme from the spoof martial arts film The Last Dragon, and he even brought in the film's star Taimak (referred to in his appearances as 'Bruce Leroy', the name of his character) to help him in a feud with Embassy member Jimmy Rave.

Return to World Wrestling Entertainment (2006–present)

In May 2006, Yun made a return to WWE, as Akio, on an edition of Heat, working as a jobber in a try-out match with Charlie Haas. This match impressed WWE, and they re-signed him once more. Beginning with the August 25 2006 edition of SmackDown!, vignettes began airing featuring Yun dressed as a babyface cowboy and calling himself Jimmy Wang Yang, in the process cutting his previously long hair short and growing a Fu Manchu moustache to fit the gimmick. In the vignettes, Yang questioned why people would assume stereotypical Asian things about him while proclaiming that he was much more of a redneck, of which he was proud.[11] The vignettes played for several weeks, with Yang focusing more on his redneck leanings. On the September 29 SmackDown!, he made his in-ring debut in a loss to Sylvan, who illegally used the ropes for leverage to get a pin.[12] This led to a feud with Sylvan. A few weeks later, on November 3, Yang debuted his valet, Amy Zidian,[13] though she was released from WWE just a month later after backstage trouble with the other divas.[14]

In December 2006, Yang became the number one contender for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.[15] Yang challenged Gregory Helms for the Cruiserweight title and lost to him at Armageddon.[16] Later, he participated in a Cruiserweight Open at No Way Out for the Cruiserweight title.[17] In mid 2007, Wang Yang would begin a feud with Chavo Guerrero. On the June 15 edition of SmackDown, Yang once again became the number 1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship,[18] after feuding with Cruiserweight Champion Guerrero for almost two months. At Vengeance, Yang lost to Guerrero after a Frog Splash. During The Great American Bash, Yang competed in another Cruiserweight Open. Although he was never pinned, Hornswoggle won the title. On the July 27 edition of SmackDown, Yang teamed with Torrie Wilson against Kenny Dykstra and Victoria; Yang and Wilson won the match after Yang pinned Dykstra. Following this match, Wilson began appearing as Yang's new valet.

On October 12, on SmackDown!, Jamie Noble, in order to weed out the competition for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship, told Deuce 'n Domino that Yang had been making "lewd remarks" about Domino's on-screen sister and manager, Cherry.[19] Deuce demanded a match against Yang from acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero. Yang won the match with his signature moonsault from the top rope, but was attacked by Deuce, Domino and Cherry after the match.[19] The next week, Yang and Shannon Moore teamed up against Deuce 'n Domino in a tag team match, which Yang and Moore won. On December 18, Yang and Moore defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz to earn a title-shot,[20] igniting a feud between the two teams. On January 1 2008, Yang and Moore once again beat Morrison and the Miz, this time in a six-person tag team match also involving Layla and Kelly Kelly.[21] The following week, in a Fifteen Minutes of Fame Match, Moore and Yang tied the champions on pinfalls, meaning Miz and Morrison retained the titles.[22]

On June 9 2008, Yun was suspended for thirty days for his first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy.[23] He made his return on the July 18 edition of SmackDown, being defeated by the re-debuting The Brian Kendrick.[24]

In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves

Championships and accomplishments

  • Real World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team League (2002) (with Kaz Hayashi)
  • Other Titles
  • Central American Middleweight Championship (1 time)

Personal life

Yun was born in Hollywood, California to a Korean father and a Caucasian mother.[3] He has a brother named Johnathan, who is a professional breakdancer.[26]

Yun also has at least one child, according to his official MySpace page.[27]

Yun is semi-confirmed to be in the upcoming WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009.

Film

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jimmy Yang Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  2. ^ a b c "California Births, 1905 - 1995". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
  3. ^ a b c Gerweck, Steve (2006-02-10). "Interview with Jimmy Yang". Gerweck.net. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  4. ^ Rose, Shannon (2000-06). "Jimmy Hart interview". Pro Wrestling Daily. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "New Blood Rising 2000". Online World Of Wrestling. 2000-08-13. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  6. ^ "Jung Dragons Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  7. ^ "Joe Vs. Kobashi - Manhattan, NY 10/1/05". Ring Of Honor. October 1, 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-07. Gibson defeated Jimmy Yang
  8. ^ "Unforgettable - Philadelphia, PA 10/2/05". Ring Of Honor. October 2, 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-07. Daniels beat Jimmy Yang
  9. ^ "Enter The Dragon - Cleveland, OH 10/14/05". Ring of Honor. October 14, 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-07. Strong beat Jimmy Yang
  10. ^ "Tag Wars 2006- Dayton, OH 1/27/06". Ring Of Honor. January 27, 2006. Retrieved 2008-01-07. Shelley, Rave, & Abyss defeated Evans, Sydal, & Jimmy Yang to win Trios Tournament 2006
  11. ^ Hamamoto, Ben (2006-10-12). "Entertainment Re-oriented - Jimmy Wang Yang: The Asian Redneck Wrestler". Nichi Bei Times. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  12. ^ Schiff, Steven A. (2006-09-26). "RAW's Revenge Strikes SmackDown". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  13. ^ DiFino, Lennie (2006-11-03). "Controlled Chaos?". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  14. ^ "Amy Zidian released". WWE. 2006-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  15. ^ DiFino, Lennie (2006-12-08). "A united front". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  16. ^ McAvennie, Mike (2006-12-17). "Helms still in Cruiserweight control". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  17. ^ Tello, Craig (2007-02-18). "Chavo makes a splash". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  18. ^ DiFino, Lennie (2007-06-15). "Backdraft". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  19. ^ a b DiFino, Lennie (2007-10-12). "Fruit-ful confrontation". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  20. ^ Rote, Andrew (2007-12-18). "It's not easy being gold". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  21. ^ Rote, Andrew (2008-01-01). "Extreme resolutions". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  22. ^ Medalis, Kara A. (2008-01-08). "Retaining gold". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  23. ^ "Jimmy Wang Yang suspended". WWE. June 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  24. ^ DiFino, Lennie (2008-07-18). "Love bites". WWE. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  25. ^ http://wwe.com/inside/news/archive/traditionalsong
  26. ^ 60 seconds with Jimmy Wang Yang, WWE Magazine (published February), 2008, p. 13, ISSN 8756-7792 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |publication-date= (help)
  27. ^ "Official Myspace". MySpace.com. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
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