Wrestling / Jimmy Wang Yang

"Call me All-American, I'm a redneck through and through
Got my hat, my pickup truck, and my hound dog he's named Boo
People don't understand my way of life
I'm gonna have to punch someone tonight"

Trained by Curtis "The Cat" Hughes and Paul Orndorff, James Carson Yun (b. May 13, 1981) is an American retired Professional Wrestler, actor and entrepreneur from Austell, Georgia known for his work in WCW, All Japan Pro Wrestling and WWE. He debuted in 1999 and had his first significant role as a member of The Jung Dragons as "Yang", with Kaz Hayashi and Jamie-San (Jamie Noble under a mask due to being the team's Token White). They had a feud with 3-Count (Shane Helms, Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias). WWE picked up his contract after buying WCW and sent him to the Heartland Wrestling Association in Ohio but released him in January 2002. He switched to TNA, debuting on TNA #1, June 19, 2002, as part of The Flying Elvises with Jorge Estrada and Sonny Siaki in a win over AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn and Low Ki. He left after The Spanish Announce Team (Jose Maximo, Joel Maximo and The Amazing Red) defeated him, Shark Boy and David Young at TNA #29 on January 22, 2003. He went to WWE where he was renamed Akio and made one of Yoshihiro Tajiri's bodyguards. That ran its course, and in 2006 he was reintroduced as Jimmy Wang Yang, "SmackDown's resident redneck," as Michael Cole called him. He has also wrestled for Pro Wrestling ZERO1, Fighting Opera HUSTLE, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, MLW and numerous others.

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"I'm gonna have to trope someone tonight":

• Badass Teacher: He owns a professional wrestling school, Pro Training LLC, and was one of the trainers for Kelly Klein, a star of ROH's Women of Honor division.
• But Not Too Foreign: He's half-Korean descent, half-Caucasian, all American.
• Combination Attack: A jumping kick to the face while Ryan Sakoda delivered an enzuigiri.
• Demoted to Extra: In their first year at the Heartland Wrestling Assocation, Yang and Hayashi were the aces of the Tag Team division(though they never got a title shot) and Yang was a serious threat in individual matches, only failing to win a singles title because his one shot was under triple threat rules. In their second year the two were no longer used as a team, Yang won no matches, and he barely appeared besides. He briefly got promoted back to "attraction" when Taimak showed up to act as his manager again, they two of them even defeating Irish Airborne in a tag team match.
• Doting Parent: When he managed Jazzy in Japan and Korea.
• Evil Minion: Jimmy Hart was responsible for the Jung Dragons-3 Count feud, managing both groups before pitting them against one another.
• Friendly Rivalry
  • He and Sonjay Dutt have many differences of opinion, but Dutt is fond of Jazzy, which keeps him from being too mean to Jimmy.
  • With Kaz Hayashi over All Japan Pro Wrestling's junior heavyweight title belt.
• I Have Many Names: Yun Yang, Yang, Jimmy Yang, Akio, Bruce LeRoid, Jimmy Wang Yang
• I Know Kung Fu: His gimmick in WCW and Ring of Honor was based on the movie The Last Dragon. In the latter promotion he even brought in Taimak, the star of the movie, for help in his feud with Jimmy Rave.
• Jobber
  • He got the ring name "Akio" after Akio Sato, and given how Akio Sato was used by WWE it was no surprise that this Akio was basically a high profile job guy. Especially after they got rid of Ryan Sakoda and Akio was banished to the B Show Velocity. He couldn't even get a win in Ohio Valley Wrestling while it was WWE's developmental(they booked him a little stronger after breaking up with WWE). He won more matches after his return as Jimmy Wang Yang, even getting on some pay per views, but always came up short when a title belt was on the line.
  • Lost all his ROH matches until "Tag Wars" near the beginning of 2006, where he returned with new resolve, joined up with Generation Next members Jack Evans and Matt Sydal, then defeated Adam Pearce, Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer, the men who would later become Decade. Even then they lost in the final round to The Embassy but Yang would go on to pick up some individual wins from then on.
• One-Steve Limit: The Jung Dragons manager, The Mouth Of The South Jimmy Hart. His feud with Jimmy Rave. He also had altercations with Jimmy Jacobs, Jimi Mayhem and Ryu Saito, who is also known as "Jimmy" in Dragon Gate.
• Perky Female Minion: Leia Meow, another Korean and the second manager of the Jung Dragons. He had Amy Zidian for a bit in WWE before she was replaced by Torrie Wilson.
• Pretender Diss: He wasn't impressed with Jimi Mayhem's imitation of Sho Nuff, shogun of Harlem in Pro Wrestling Vendetta.
• Signature Move: Like most "cowboy" wrestlers he had quite the lariat. Specifically, a diving lariat, though he usually couldn't get into position quickly enough for a three count. He also sometimes used the dragon suplex during his "Last Dragon" angles. Away from those, he had his "fists of fury"(double fist strike), a rolling mule kick from the corner, many variations of the belly to belly pile driver(Shout-Out to his trainers) and an illegally rope hung figure four head scissors.
• Stereotype Flip: The entire Jimmy Wang Yang gimmick was based around this. His character (a down-home cowboy who also happened to be Korean) had him deliberately defying Asian stereotypes by being proud of his Southern heritage and wishing to be identified by his self-admitted love of being a redneck rather than being judged by his race.
• Tag Team:
  • The Jung Dragons
  • The Flying Elvises, when they are not acting as a Power Trio
• The Worf Effect: He ultimately served as the Worf in Vendetta Pro Wrestling to set up the Jimi Mayhem's match with Bruce LeRoy(Yang's usual manager Taimak), where Yang was avenged.
• Unrelated Brothers: He was implied to be "brothers", familial or otherwise with Ryan Sakoda in his early WWE run, though this faded away after they were separated from Tajiri.
• Tournament Arc
  • He and Kaz Hayashi won All Japan's Real World Jr. Tag League 2002,
  • He won All Japan's BAPE STA!! Tournament as "The Apeman" with Satoshi Kojima as his partner in 2003
  • He won the AJPW Junior Heavyweight League 2010.
• We Used to Be Friends: Jamie Noble after he unmasked, left the Jung Dragons and formed a new tag team with their old rival Evan Karagias. Also, James Gibson was one to start his losing streak in Ring Of Honor. Jamie even spread rumors about Jimmy trying to make moves on Deuce and Domino's valet Cherry. Rumors Cherry seemed to believe!
• Wrestling Doesn't Pay: First as a wrestling bodyguard for Tajiri, then a wrestling movie star, then a wrestling cowboy.
• Wrestling Family: His daughter Jazzy Yang is also wrestler