James Yun playing redneck cowboy.
Name: James Yun
Born:1981
Ring names: Yang, Yun Yang, Jimmy Yang, Apeman, Akio, Jimmy Wayne Yang, Jimmy Wang Yang
Years: 1999-Present
Status: Active
Famous runs: Jung Dragons (WCW), Flying Elvis’s (NWA/TNA), WWE Cruiser-weight title contender
One sentence career summary: A great young talent who gets saddled with bad gimmicks and angles.
Brawling/Hardcore: Average.
Aerial: Excellent.
Technical: Above Average.
Interview/Promo: Below average.
Announcing/Commentating: Poor.
Athleticism: Excellent.
Stamina: Average.
Power: Below average.
Ring Psychology: Average.
Safety: Average.
Looks: Below average.
Terror/Menace looks: Poor.
Longevity: Below average.
Popularity: Poor.
Titles: None.
Notable feuds: Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Gimmicks: Young Asian, high flyer, martial artist, redneck cowboy
Real Personality: Laid back, funny, West Coast type.
Awards: PWI Top 500: 246, 110
Career Push: Opener.
History: James Yun was just a normal guy who applied at WCW’s Power Plant training facility. He made his debut on WCW Nitro as part of an Asian stable with Jamie-San and Kaz Hayashi, and managed by Jimmy Hart.
After WWF bought out WCW in 2001, Yun was deemed not good enough to make WWF’s combined roster and sent to a development territory. He was eventually released by WWF. Yun found work in All Japan Pro Wrestling where he was appreciated more.
Yun then went to TNA in 2002 and was one third of The Flying Elvises gimmick. Trivia answer: In TNA’s first ever match, they defeated A.J. Styles, Jerry Lynn, and Low Ki, something which would be impossible today, since A.J. is a big star.
A try-out match with Tommy Dreamer for the WWE was so good that he got a job. He would stay with WWE, mostly as a Japanese henchman, stable member, and was on the undercard and B-shows from 2003-2005, before getting laid off…again.
In 2005 and 2006, he wrestled in ROH, and did a spoof on The Last Dragon.
He was hired back to the WWE in May, and after a few months debuted his redneck cowboy gimmick, which is funny because it breaks stereotypes. He was involved in very intense matches with Smackdown’s cruiserweight division, including a feud with Chavo Guerrero, Jr. However, WWE’s lukewarm focus on smaller wrestlers stalled his push. To make matters worse, on June 9, 2008, he was suspended for thirty days for failing a drug test.
Jimmy is still on WWE’s roster, though his TV time is limited. He is also on MySpace.com and runs a wrestling school in Ohio.
Conclusion: This guy has all the moves, but either due to him not playing politics or something else, he never got the real push. I hate to judge a guy without knowing him, but it seems like he gets these crazy gimmicks because maybe he doesn’t have charisma. Every time I see him on TV, I am most impressed with his matches, but he seems forever stuck in the lower card.
Please post any memories or comments here!
January 14, 2009 at 1:07 am |
MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF JIMMY WANG YANG: I was watched Smackdown after a long hiatus of not watching wrestling, and I said, “WOW, what a bad gimmick.” Then I saw him wrestle, and realized how great the new generation of wrestlers are in terms of in-ring ability. The man can FLY!
January 16, 2009 at 7:11 am |
an Asian redneck cowboy?
I gotta give points to this guy for originality.