Xia Li, the Protector, Bids Farewell

Welcome to Golden Dragon, a newsletter by Eric Diep about Asians in hip-hop and personal takes on trending topics in AAPI pop culture. Golden Dragon is a rotation of interviews, reviews, news, critical perspectives, and random blogs about music I recommend.

In Today’s Newsletter:

• WWE superstar Xia Li among Jinder Mahal, Veer, Sanga, and others was released on April 19 from the company

• New music round-up from Jay Park, Warren Hue, Jackson Wang, and 8RO8

When I saw the news on X that Xia Li was one of the wrestlers let go from the WWE, I texted my wrestling group chat that I was sad to see her go.

Xia Li, the first Chinese woman to compete in a WWE ring, was slated to appear in a battle royal on Raw for the Women’s Heavyweight Championship. She would likely be in the pool for this year’s WWE draft before getting cut.

In her posts, she thanked the WWE Universe and was grateful for the loving messages she’s received.

I want to praise Xia Li for what she’s done in her career at the WWE, breaking barriers and setting an example for future Chinese women to follow her path. Xia Li was recruited to the WWE Performance Center after impressing talent scouts at a 2016 tryout in Shanghai. She trained hard after joining NXT in 2017, participating in two Mae Young Classic tournaments and making several appearances in the Women’s Royal Rumble.

Xia Li continued to build up her resume while in NXT. She became friends with Japanese wrestler Kairi Sane. In a throwback, wrestling fans unearthed this emotional clip of the two before Kairi Sane was drafted to Smackdown. “We speak a different language but we understand each other,” Xia Li said, fighting back tears.

In 2019, she returned to China and performed for the first time in a match against Sonya Deville. The video recap showed how proud her family was of the accomplishment.

NXT viewers probably remember her time in the Tian Sha faction alongside Boa and the mysterious Mei Ying, which this article does a great job breaking down its successes and failures as a forgotten stable.

I started paying attention to Xia Li after she was drafted to Smackdown in 2021. The promos leading up to her debut told the origin story of “The Protector,” a protective shield for her family against vultures. Through comic book-style vignettes, The Protector is a babyface hero who defends the vulnerable, doesn’t fear the wicked, and rises against oppressors.

Over the next few years, Xia Li had some notable feuds, rarely getting some screen time until her matches with Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch. During her build-up for the NXT Women's Championship match against Lyra Valkyria, I appreciated the thought of doing a Warriors Tea Ceremony on television even though it was an abridged version for the American audience. The developmental arm of WWE seems to take more risks in Asian representation to see what could stick. It was cool for me to see this in a sports context as two warriors were set to do battle.

While wrestling fans were excited about Xia Li dominating the women’s division on either brand, her momentum slowed. WWE was mishandling her after an encouraging debut. She was used sparingly in a main roster storyline. There was no clear vision in building her persona, evident after she went from a face to a heel with little explanation.

I blame the creative for pigeonholing her background in the Chinese martial art of wushu into a Mortal Kombat meets Street Fighter create-a-player. Her gimmick sometimes fed into an Asian stereotype, confusing viewers like me because I wasn’t sure who Xia Li wanted to be: a superhero she dreamt of or a Shaolin warrior for Chun-Li and Kung Lao fanboys.

Unfortunately, she became underutilized and an afterthought as other wrestlers became the priority. WWE didn’t know how to use her and it didn’t help that the audience wasn’t connecting with her. The thing about wrestling fans is they are very vocal about who they want to support. Xia Li just didn’t get that shot like many others have and her booking didn’t keep us interested.

Xia Li is still great to me. She was gaining improvement on the mic. She had the athletic ability. She had a devastating kick to the head as a finisher that her opponents were starting to sell. She had the talent to be a future champion.

Maybe she would’ve fared better as a Chinese triad character with an organization of cronies, wreaking havoc on other factions like Damage CTRL or being a thorn in the side of Nia Jax. If she decides to go to another wrestling promotion later this year, I want her to get a fresh start. She is still relatively young. Her potential for greatness is unlimited.

Diep Cuts 🀄

Jay Park - “Your/My”

I’ve known about Jay Park’s R&B-focused album for a while, and it looks like we’re getting another teaser.

“I’ve been talking about my R&B album forever,” Jay Park said in a press release. “‘Next year, next year’ and five years have passed. I feel like I’ve been sitting out. Let’s say an artist is a player, it’s time for me to get off the bench and get back in the game. It’s Jay Park season again.”

The video is very D’Angelo’s "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." He even covers up his tattoos to strip away any excess.

Warren Hue - “SPLIT”

Warren Hue makes me want to relive my 20s again. Just the fun parts, not the parts where I was trying to find love in New York. He’s back with a new single.

“‘SPLIT’ is a song that I wrote detailing an experience in a long-distance relationship,” Hue shared in a press release. “I wanted to create a song based on split lifestyles and how pressure and insecurity can take over your emotions. Trust is a big theme in the song, telling my significant other to believe in me and vice-versa.”

BIBI & Jackson Wang - “Feeling Lucky”

They don’t actually kiss in the video, but the chemistry!

8RO8, P-Lo, OMGKENNY - “HELE” f/ YOREN!

O‘ahu artists 8RO8 and YOREN! connect with Yay Area’s P-Lo and Cali-based producer OMGKENNY for “HELE.” It’s off 8RO8’s Bay Area-inspired EP slated for this year, so expect more R&B/hip-hop-infused slaps like this one.

Send It 🐉

Sky and Jin gotta run it back!