Interview with James Yun

James Yun is one of only a handful of Asian American professional wrestlers who’ve wrestled with major professional wrestling promotions. He is most recognized for his last WWE character/gimmick as “The Asian Redneck” Jimmy Wang Yang from 2006-2010.

Born to a Korean father and Caucasian mother, he had been a long time fan of pro wrestling and turned that enthusiasm into a career by breaking into the business while still a teenager.

James has wrestled for practically all the major North American promotions during his career including WWE, WCW, TNA, and ROH.

While James left WWE in early 2010, he has been keeping busy with his pro wrestling school, his new pest control business as well as still taking wrestling bookings worldwide.

We are pleased to present this insightful interview on James Yun and his career in the world of professional wrestling.

Please note that HalfKorean.com comments/questions are in BOLD.

Background: The Basics on James Yun

Where and when were you born, raised and currently reside?
I was born May 13, 1981 in Hollywood, California. I grew up in Austell, Georgia and is about 20 minutes west of Atlanta. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio now.

How did your parents meet?
My parents met in Germany while stationed there with the US Army. I don’t know the whole story behind it, but that is how they met. I don’t understand why my dad was in the US army in Germany at the time. It’s weird but I’ve never really asked him about it.

Do you have any brothers and/or sisters?
I have three sisters and one brother.

Are you fluent in Korean?
No, I wish. I only know Anyong-haseyo (hello) and Gamsa-hamnida (thank you). I also know food words like bulgogi and kimchi.

What is your favorite Korean food?
Bulgogi.

Did you grow up around other half/mixed Koreans (or people of mixed heritage)?
There were maybe four or five others.

Did you ever experience any identity issues while growing up?
No.

Since you had no identity issues while growing up, what was it like being mixed Korean in the South (Georgia)?
I never felt like that “Asian” kid. There were only really four or five of us in school. There was a handful of Koreans. I never really felt different. Nowadays people think of Georgia with rednecks. Where I grew up, it was not really multicultural but I never felt separated by race. I didn’t really get that until I moved up to northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati. Here, I go into a bar and people will look at me weird. There aren’t many Asians out here.

When was the last time you have been to Korea?
I have never been to Korea. I was trying to go there for the first time this past December to wrestle but it didn’t work out.

What do people who meet/see you think your ethnicity is?
People mostly think I’m Japanese.

Professional Wrestler

How did you first get involved in the wrestling industry?
My friend knew a guy from his church that ran a small promotion and he invited my friend to come and train. I tagged along with him.

Were your parents and family supportive in your pursuit of a wrestling career?
My dad didn’t approve of it. He didn’t think it was possible but my mom is my biggest fan.

Were you always into wrestling and was it something you wanted to do professionally?
I always remember loving wrestling. Sting was my hero and I decided my sophomore year of high school that I was going to try to become a pro wrestler.

Did you wrestle in high school or have an amateur wrestling background?
I wrestled one year in high school because I had read a book about pro wrestling and it said that it would help if you did amateur wrestling.

Which book was that?
“Inside Secrets on How to Enter the Exciting World of Pro Wrestling!” by Percy Pringle (aka Paul Bearer). I had found it in the back of a wrestling magazine.

Was there anyone that you tried to emulate or pattern your wrestling career after?
Yeah, it was always Sting. For my character, I was definitely going for the “Asian” guy who knows martial arts like Jet Li, Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. I would use my own style but emulate their kicks and stuff.

Within the industry, do you think that being of mixed-Asian (Korean) descent has had any effect on your career?
I think it had a big effect on my career. Your look is very important in wrestling.

What is it like being one of only a handful of Asian American professional wrestlers?
I like it but I wish there were more.

Since Japanese wrestling is highly respected, does it seem strange that there are not that many Asian American professional wrestlers in North American promotions?
It does seem strange.

As a person of Korean descent who is a pro wrestler, do you take pride in the fact that the “father” of Japanese professional wrestling, Rikidozan, was ethnically Korean?
I take pride in any Korean doing great things.

Have you gotten to know Gail Kim at all? The two of you are the most prominent pro wrestlers of Korean descent in North America and arguably worldwide.
Gail and I are great friends. She is an awesome girl.

You mentioned that you were going to Korea this past December to wrestle. What is the promotion’s name?
It’s called New Korea Pro Wrestling Association. It is the only Korean wrestling promotion. They were going to bring some other guys over too. They’ve worked with TNA and Japanese wrestlers. Gail Kim has been over there before too.

Do you know if you have any following out in Korea?
Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails from people in Korea.

How much of your last WWE gimmick, “The Asian Redneck” Jimmy Wang Yang, was your idea? What was your take on being that character? Did you get any specific reception/response from the Asian & Asian American community regarding that character?
The idea was Vince’s. I came up with the image and character. I was glad that I was going to be an Asian American character instead of being the stereotypical Asian character; the guy that knows karate and doesn’t speak English. I had a lot fun doing Jimmy Wang Yang. I think I mostly got a positive response from people. I did hear some negative responses about how they thought the character was stupid.

You’ve wrestled for all of the main North American promotions. Is there any specific promotion that you have enjoyed being a part of the most?
I loved WCW because that was what I grew up on. The whole time I was there it was like a dream. I couldn’t believe I was in the same locker room with the guys I had idolized.

You are currently not with a major promotion. Do you plan to sign with another major promotion at some point in the near future?
Only the future will tell.

Are you doing independent shows right now?
I have done a few here and there.

You wrestled in Japan soon after your most recent WWE release. How was that experience?
It was pretty rough. I was there for five weeks and I hurt my ankle pretty bad in my second match. I had to work hurt for a month but overall it was a good trip

Are there any specific wrestlers that you have enjoyed working with?
I enjoy working with a lot of different wrestlers. But, if I had to choose one it would be Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Any specific reason why you chose Chavo?
We work well together and were paired up a lot. He pushed me and made me try harder. We connected well and we were always satisfied with what we put out there.

Is there any particular match of yours that you consider your best?
There are a lot of matches that stick out. My first televised match ever with WCW when I was 18 years old and just starting out. Another one was at the Royal Rumble. Another was a match at Madison Square Garden in a dark match and I won the match. That is the mecca of sporting events and not just only for wrestling. Going off the top ropes and seeing the crowd go wild. My first match in Japan. Wrestling in the Staples Center was pretty awesome too. Also wrestling in my hometown of Atlanta at Phillips Arena. WrestleMania always sticks out and is unbelievable when you walk out through the curtains and you see 80,000 plus people in a stadium. That is always breathtaking. I would lose focus on my character at times and look around and be like “what am I doing here?”

In your opinion, who is the most legitimate “tough” guy that you’ve known in pro wrestling?
Brock Lesnar.

Speaking of Brock Lesnar, do you think that MMA has taken some fans away from professional wrestling?
I think it has had an effect on some of the audience. Pro wrestling is pro wrestling and MMA is MMA. To me it is two different things. There are similarities but they are different. Just watch Monday Night Raw and compare it to an MMA event. But, I do think it has had an effect of pro wrestling.

What do you think of pro wrestlers who have transitioned to MMA such as Lesnar and Bobby Lashley?
I think most pro wrestlers are great athletes. There are guys who have amateur wrestling backgrounds. To me, understanding fighting and coming from pro wrestling is not just a quick step to learn. Say like Batista who fell in love with MMA a few years ago and I hear he might sign with Strikeforce. I don’t know how that will be for him but he did tell me he wrestled in high school. He is a great athlete but there are a lot of different martial arts and styles you need to learn for MMA. I know that Lesnar and Lashley have that background and it has been relatively easy for them.

How often do you train/work-out and what do you focus your training on?
I work out at least four days a week and only do weights and cardio training.

Do you have any martial arts background?
I know a few different martial arts.

You owned a professional wrestling school, Pro Training, LLC, in Cincinnati. How long did you have the school and how involved were you in the operations?
I had the school for two years. I was very involved it was my investment so I did everything from teaching, cleaning, managing, running wrestling shows and everything in between.

What happened to your school?
Back then a lot of people wanted to become wrestlers but nowadays a lot of people want to get into MMA. I’m not an MMA expert so that didn’t work. Also it was the economy here in Cincinnati. Maybe if it was in Atlanta it would have been more successful. I spent a lot of money trying to do it and lost a lot of money. Everything was real nice and professionally done at the school. But, also, my schedule was crazy as I was still with WWE. I was on the road Saturday through Tuesday and got back on Wednesday and teach Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday and leave again Saturday morning. It got to be too much at that time and I shut it down.

I’ve actually re-opened it just a few months again. I moved my school to another location and have been training a few guys. You can check it out at myspace.com/protrainingllc.

How often do you get recognized when out in public?
It used to be really bad. I think because I’m bigger, don’t look like the typical Asian guy and had the goofy mustache that I kind of stuck out. Everywhere I would go I would get recognized. Even now, people still recognize me pretty much every day. I haven’t been on TV for awhile but I think it is good as I feel like I made an impression on people. Even today, I had my truck in the shop yesterday and the guy called me and was like, “Excuse me, can I ask you a question…?”

Do you have any interesting stories about fans and their interaction with you?
There are so many stories. A few months ago I had fan mail sent to my house. I never listed my address and I don’t know how they found it. It was kind of creepy. There are all sorts of weird stories that I don’t know where to begin with that.

What was it like to be in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 video game? Was that the first video game your likeness was in?
For me, one of my biggest goals in wrestling was to be in an American video game. I mean, a main goal was to win a title but another big goal was to be in a video game. I had been in a couple Japanese wrestling video games but that isn’t something you could tell your friends at home to get easily. There was also the action figure and that was pretty cool too. But it was not the same as being in a video game.

What are some common misconceptions in pro wrestling?
As always with everything on TV, everyone thinks people on TV are millionaires. For one misconception that is true, wrestlers are some of the craziest people I’ve ever met in my life. So for that misconception, yes, it is true. Wrestlers are crazy.

What about the misconception that all professional wrestling is fake?
What I tell people is that if it was a real fight someone would be in the hospital. Wrestling is a show but people do get hit really hard. I’ve knocked out guys I don’t know how many times. I’ve been knocked out. It definitely hurts a lot but it is not a real fight because in a real fight we would be trying to knock each other out intentionally. But, it does happen a lot in wrestling. It does hurt a lot and is real physical.

What are some differences between James Yun as opposed to the characters you portray in the wrestling world?
For the “Jimmy Wang Yang” character, I’m definitely not the crazy redneck that I was on TV. I do have some redneck tendencies in me and listen to some country music. But, I don’t know how people watch NASCAR and stuff like that.

Do you think it is harder to break in to wrestling nowadays without the old “regional” system?
There are really only two companies that you can wrestle professionally and make a living off of it. In other pro sports like baseball and football there are 30 plus teams but in wrestling there is only really the two companies. Like in WWE, there are only about 50 wrestlers on a roster and that is such a hard thing to get to that up there. With Smackdown and Raw just think about how many matches they have on TV, maybe five or six. So, if those are single matches, that is only 10-12 wrestlers. Even if they are all tag team matches that would only 20 or so wrestlers. Once you think about it that way, how many matches really are on a show like Raw? It seems like a lot of talking and maybe only a couple matches.

How does a company like WWE, with a large roster of wrestlers, use all the talent? Is everyone required to be at each show?
It has been different over the years that I’ve been wrestling. There was a time when everybody had to be at TV tapings. Now, I guess with the economy the way it is and to save money, they tell you that they’ll call you if they need you. On TV taping days, the script changes 10-15 times a day, if not more. So, sometimes guys will get called for TV days and not be needed. Then they’ll call later and say that they are needed.

What did you think of Bret Hart’s return to WWE in 2010?
I was a WCW guy and I didn’t get WWE on TV growing up but I had heard of him. I always thought of him as the guy who stole Sting’s move. I didn’t realize how important he was to the wrestling community. Watching now, I see how he was a wrestler’s wrestler. I don’t think of him now as the person who stole Sting’s move. It is good to see a comeback every once in a while.

What did you think of TNA’s effort to compete even more with WWE in 2010?
It was great that TNA was doing that. The leverage that Vince McMahon has on the wrestling world has wrestlers thinking that they either work for him or where else do you go. Sometimes you just have to take crap because what else you going to do. I watched it and enjoyed it more than Raw and Smackdown. I would rather watch TNA now because I think Raw and Smackdown are way too predictable on what is going to happen and hasn’t sparked my interest like TNA has. I wish that TNA could compete with Vince more but his power and financials are hard to compete with.

Any plans to pursue acting or other pursuits outside of wrestling?
If acting comes around I would do it, but right now I’m starting a new pest control business called Jimmy’s Pest Control.

What made you decide to start the pest control business?
I had just been thinking of a business that could be reliable. Wrestling will not be forever and I don’t want to end up in a wheelchair. So, I thought about what to invest in and there will always be bugs. There will always be a need for it. With pest control and your clientele you have repeat service such as spraying twice a year. It seemed like a good business to get into.

What were your opinions regarding The Wrestler movie starring Mickey Rourke?
People always ask me about that movie. To me it is not a dramatic movie but more like a biography. Not about me, but on a pro wrestler. Everything that was in there you could really relate to. That was one of my worst nightmares, to end up like that. I know more than a few people ending up similar to that and not having a place to stay. Right before I did the Highspots shoot interview, that movie was on. I was about to do an autograph convention. If you watch the movie, he is at a convention and there are guys in wheelchairs. I was like, “Is this a sign?”

Are you still taking bookings for wrestling?
I’m still taking wrestling bookings. I will always love pro wrestling and will never really walk away from it. It is something I love to do. I have a kid now and want to make sure I can walk when I’m older.

How long do you plan to wrestle?
I think I will always wrestle but I do plan on slowing down. I don’t want to end up in a wheelchair when I get older.

What are some of your short and long term career plans and goals?
My main goal right now is to make my new business a successful one.

Any particular advice you would give to someone pursuing a professional wrestling career?
It takes a lot of dedication. If you really want to do it, you have to do the steps that need to be done to accomplish it. I have students now who tell me they want to be WWE wrestlers and I always tell them they need to take the right steps just like any other profession. You have to dedicate your life to wrestling. There is a lot of misleading ways to get into pro wrestling but you should make sure to get properly trained and go to professional schools.

Could you give us some final thoughts and opinions regarding the following:

WWE’s move to PG rating policy
My era of wrestling was 1996-2000 with the Attitude era and that, to me, was the best wrestling. But, I think the WWE had to go with the PG rating with the whole bad rap that wrestling has gotten recently and what WWE has been through. They had to because they are more mainstream with the world. I understand why they had to do it.

WWE Talent Wellness Program
I think it is great for wrestlers considering the lifestyle. It is not a healthy lifestyle the way pro wrestlers are and it is needed especially with all these premature deaths of wrestlers. The policy should have been in place a long time ago and would have helped out a lot. There are a lot of people don’t think it is legit but it is and everybody got tested. It is good because of the craziness of pro wrestling. It sucks that people had to pass away for people to really take notice.

Wrestlers dying prematurely
I never thought in my life in wrestling that people that I had watched and gotten to know and then see them pass away and be gone. It is crazy how many people like that have passed away.

Current state of professional wrestling?
Pro wrestling is pro wrestling. I know it is not the hottest thing in the planet right now but it will always be around. There will always be pro wrestling fans and everybody loves pro wrestling. A lot of people grew up watching pro wrestling. Hopefully it’ll spark the interest of fans again soon.

Random

What is your current relationship status and what do you look for in terms of relationships?
I’m single. I like all types of girls but it seem that all my serious girlfriends are dark hair white girls.

Do you have any hobbies or interests that you do to relax?
I love sports and I love going to games.

Anybody you respect/look up to?
I use to until I met them (wrestlers). Wrestlers were my heroes growing up. People know that Sting was my hero. I had a weird time in WCW when Sting would come around because I would start meeting people and find out that they weren’t really like how they were on TV. So, with Sting, every time he came close I would go the other way. I didn’t want to find out that he was “normal.” So I didn’t really get to talk to Sting. It wasn’t until a few years later that I finally talked to him and he didn’t let me down.

Do you like soju?
Of course.

Do you get on the Internet often and what are some of your favorite websites?
Yes. The XXX ones.

How did you find out about HalfKorean.com and what did you think about HalfKorean.com when you first saw it?
I think my brother told me about it and when I saw it for the first time I wondered why I wasn’t on it. I thought it was great for the community. It is something I always wanted to portray in my character (being half Korean). It is the only thing I know of out there for half Koreans. There are a lot of us out there and we can all relate to each other about growing up.

Any words that you would like to pass on to the community?
I’m very proud to be Asian American.

Thank you to James for his time. If you happen to live near Cincinnati, you can check out his pest control company, Jimmy’s Pest Control. As he mentioned within the interview, if you are considering professional wrestling you can contact him about his professional wrestling school, Pro Wrestling LLC. You can also connect with James via his official Twitter and MySpace.

Interview by: David Lee Sanders

Posted: 2/9/2011