She feels she did all she could to find success in the company.
After seven years with WWE, Xia Zhao (Xia Li) was released from the company this past April. She is scheduled for West Coast Pro Wrestling’s Queen of the Indies event and come August 3rd, she’ll be in a kickboxing fight for the Combat Night promotion.
Zhao guest appeared on Busted Open and said the following when asked what things have been like for her since the run with WWE ended:
Freedom. Recovery. Beat up. Restart… I feel great. I feel fantastic (in) every way.
She went on to state that she was not afraid of what would be next post-WWE. She’s been wanting to take a fight for quite some time.
While in NXT, Xia almost secured a fight but WWE found out about it. When she was no longer with the company, the first move she made was contacting her training coach about the next available fight date. She shared that she took fights in China over a decade ago.
I had many things even before I’m in the WWE but now, I feel more freedom. Yes, and right now, I can do fight. I’ve been (wanting a) fight for many years. Last time, I was in NXT. I almost get a fight but they find out so I had to cancel. So, the first day I get out, so I called my coach, ‘Hi coach. When is the next fight?’ And then my coach is like, ‘Oh, August.’ I was like, ‘Okay, I’m in.’ That’s the first thing after release, I call my coach. So I can get this back.
As a part of the 2021 WWE Draft, Xia was moved from NXT to SmackDown. She responded to show host Dave LaGreca asking how frustrating it was to never get her feet off the ground on the main roster. She’s not harboring any negative feelings about it because she feels she tried everything she could to succeed.
You know, I think it’s a lot like that happen. The only thing I can do (is) do everything I can do anyway. Train harder, bring ideas, everything. So, be on TV, I can’t control. They pick who gonna be the next so, I don’t feel any bad… Because I feel I give them all I can so I feel fine for me… Of course, I wish I could get more opportunity. That’s every talent there want to be that. But, we can’t help that, you know? I wish I can do more, I can show people more. But now, I’m free, I can show more. I can show whatever I want.
Zhao’s last documented match was on an April 2024 episode of Main Event against Natalya. Her last bout on WWE TV was in February.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Busted Open with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
