In the third round of the 2021 WWE Draft‘s final night, it was revealed that Xia Li will be making her way to Friday Night SmackDown. As the third name from NXT to be drafted this year – Hit Row and Austin Theory were called up this past Friday on SmackDown – Li’s move has had the wrestling world buzzing. Per the rules of this year’s draft, Li’s transition to SmackDown doesn’t go into effect until after WWE Crown Jewel, which is set to take place on October 21.
#WWENXT standout @XiaWWE is headed to #SmackDown!#WWEDraft pic.twitter.com/um0xugjtbI
— WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2021
Xia Li Drafted to SmackDown
As the newest member of Friday Night SmackDown, Xia Li began her WWE career in early 2017. Following a successful tryout in Shanghai, China, she reported to the WWE Performance Center in Florida. From there, she made her first appearance in the augural Mae Young Classic. As the first Chinese woman to compete in a WWE ring, Li fought Mercedes Martinez in the first round. Despite coming up short, Li had a solid showing. She would also compete in the second-ever Mae Young Classic, which took place in 2018, making it to the second round. Li spent the lion’s share of her time in NXT, though she competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble in 2019 and 2020.
Late last year, Xia Li underwent a striking character transformation. She turned heel, joining forces with Boa and Mei Ying; together, they became known as Tian Sha. Li’s last NXT match took place on the July 20 episode, where she was unsuccessful in defeating Raquel González for the NXT Women’s Championship.
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