Xia Li Was Inspired By The Rock To Become A Pro Wrestler

Xia Li made headlines after being the first Chinese talent to join WWE a few years ago. Li worked in NXT where she became one of the mainstays of the women’s division. It seems The Rock inspired her as well from the looks of it.

In preparation for Xia Li’s debut on the main roster, WWE started airing vignettes of Xia Li, familiarizing fans with her before Li makes her debut. The vignettes featured comic book style storytelling that fans certainly liked.

Xia Li finally made her debut on a previous episode of Friday Night Smackdown, where she saved Naomi from Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville. Many fans simply loved Li’s debut as well.

While speaking with Cu Fleshman of Character Media, Xia Li said she was a fan of WWE growing up and The Rock was her role model. Ultimately, it was The Rock who inspired her to become a pro wrestler.

“I was a fan [of WWE] when I was a child, because my role model is The Rock. I really love him, so that’s how I know about WWE. But I never thought I was going to be part of that. [laughs] One day I got the news that WWE was coming to China and having try-outs. I thought, ‘I know I don’t have that experience, but I want to try.’ So, I had a four-day try-out in China, and I’m the one who got hired! I moved to America and the WWE Performance Center to train, practice and be part of the WWE family.”

We will have to wait and see how Xia Li will fare on Friday Night Smackdown, as it seems she will be feuding with Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler for the time being.

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