Information about James Yun

James Yun
An image of James Yun.
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Jimmy Yang Akio Yun Yang Apeman Jimmy Jun Jimmy Wang Yang
Billed height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Billed weight	205 lb (93.18 kg)
Born	13 1980 (1980--) (age 0) Hollywood, California
Resides	Phoenix, Arizona
Billed from	Seoul, Korea Japan Austell, Georgia (as Jimmy Wang Yang)
Trained by	Paul Orndorff WCW Power Plant
Debut	June 1999
Retired	|

James Eas Yun (born May 13, 1980) is a Korean-American professional wrestler/actor. Yun is best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as one-third of the Jung Dragons, Yang, 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 WWE 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. In late 2000, when Jamie-San unmasked and left the group, forming a tag team with former 3 Count member Evan Karagias. The team of Hayashi and Yang feuded with Karagias and Jamie until the WWF purchased WCW.

Heartland Wrestling Association (2001)

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.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (2001-2003)

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 TNA 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 stellar match with Tommy Dreamer on Sunday Night Heat, 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 legendary Japanese wrestler Mr. Saito) and aligned himself with Sakoda, forming the heel tag team Kyo Dai (Japanese for "brothers"), the henchmen of the actual 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. He lost once again the following night to Christopher Daniels and again two weeks later to Roderick Strong, causing him to (kayfabe) take some time away from the company.

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. However, the team was ultimately defeated by The Embassy. 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.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2006-present)

Appearance on Heat

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.

Jimmy Wang Yang (Return in WWE)

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 vignettes, Yang questioned why people would assume stereotypical Asian things about him while proclaiming that he was much more of a redneck, and that was something he was proud of. 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 Sylvain, who illegally used the ropes for leverage to get a pin. This led to a feud with Sylvan. Weeks later, on November 3, Yang debuted his valet, Amy Zidian, though she was released from WWE just a month later after backstage trouble with the other divas.

In December 2006, Yang feuded with Gregory Helms over the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Yang challenged Helms for the Cruiserweight title and lost to him at Armageddon. Later, he participated in a Cruiserweight open at No Way Out for the Cruiserweight title. In early 2007, Wang Yang would begin a feud with Chavo. On the June 15 edition of Smackdown, Wang Yang finally became the number 1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship, after feuding with Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero for almost two months. He later teamed up with Shannon Moore to defeat Daivari and Jamie Noble in a Tag Team Match. At Vengeance, Yang lost to Chavo after a Frog Splash. On the July 6 edition of SmackDown, Yang faced off in a match against Chris Masters which he eventually lost. After the match, The Great Khali came and attacked Yang. On July 13, Yang was defeated by Finlay and attacked by Hornswoggle post-match. On the July 20 edition of Smackdown, Jimmy Wang Yang competed in a 20-man Battle Royal for the vacated World Heavyweight Championship. He lasted until the last 6, eliminating Chris Masters and Chavo Guerrero before being eliminated by Hornswoggle (a non-participant who assisted Finlay from outside the ring by pulling him out without the referee seeing). During The Great American Bash, Yang competed in the cruiserweight open. Although he was never pinned, Hornswoggle won the title. On the July 27 edition of Smackdown, Jimmy Wang Yang & Torrie Wilson teamed up for the Main Event against Kenny Dykstra & Victoria, Jimmy Wang Yang & Torrie Wilson won the match after Yang pinned Dykstra following a Moonsault off the top rope. Following this match Torrie would appear as Yang's new valet.

On the February 12th episode of 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 (Kayfabe) sister and manager, Cherry. Deuce demanded a match against Yang from acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero. Yang ended up winning the match with his signature Moonsault from the top rope, but received a beating from Deuce, Domino and Cherry after the match.^[1] The next week, Yang and Shannon Moore teamed up against Deuce 'N Domino in a tag team match, which Yang and Moore won.

In wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves

*Moonsault onto a standing opponent into a pin - as Jimmy Wang Yang

*Corkscrew 450° splash - as Jimmy Yang / Akio

*Yang Time / Akio Time (Corkscrew moonsault, occasionally onto a standing opponent) - as Jimmy Yang / Akio

*Fists of Fury (Double fist strike) - as Jimmy Yang / Akio

*Missile dropkick

*Corner backflip kick

*Jumping spinning leg lariat

*Flying crossbody, occasionally from the turnbuckle to the outside

*Spinning wheel kick to the opponent in the corner

*Springboard moonsault

*Superkick

*Hanging figure four necklock

*Back to belly piledriver - in WCW

*Sitout scoop slam piledriver - WCW

*Iconoclasm - WCW / ROH / TNA

• Theme music

*Akio's first WWE theme song was titled Delhip-hop and can be found in the FirstCom production music library.

*During his time in Ring of Honor he used Last Dragon, the theme from the spoof martial arts film of the same name.

*For the Jimmy Wang Yang gimmick he was given Gonna Punch Someone Tonight by David Church.[1] This song can be found on the iTunes Exclusive "WWE The Music: Volume 7"

• Managers

*Amy Zidian

*Bruce Leroy

*Tajiri

*Torrie Wilson

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

*Real World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team League (2002) (with Kaz Hayashi)

• Other Titles

*Central American Middleweight Championship (1 time)

Film

Royal Kill (2007) - cop #2

External links

• WWE Profile
• Interview with Akio/Jimmy Yang by Genickbruch.com
• Jimmy Wang Yang is not your typical redneck.
• Jimmy's Myspace
• WWE Profile
• Commentary on Jimmy Yang in the Nichi Bei Times

References