"My role model is The Rock" - Xia Li reveals how she first got interested in WWE

Xia Li has revealed that multi-time world champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was the person who inspired her to become a WWE Superstar.

The Protector made her main roster debut on SmackDown a few weeks ago where she helped Naomi fend off Sonya Deville, Natalya and Shayna Baszler. Li is the first Chinese woman to compete inside a WWE ring.

During a recent interaction with Cu Fleshman of Character Media, Xia Li said she was a childhood fan of WWE, but she never thought she would be a part of the company. She named The Rock as her role model.

"I was a fan [of WWE] when I was a child, because my role model is The Rock. I really love him, so that’s how I know about WWE. But I never thought I was going to be part of that. [laughs] One day I got the news that WWE was coming to China and having try-outs. I thought, 'I know I don’t have that experience, but I want to try.' So, I had a four-day try-out in China, and I’m the one who got hired! I moved to America and the WWE Performance Center to train, practice and be part of the WWE family," said Xia Li.

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Xia Li on what it means to her to perform in a male-dominated arena

Before making her SmackDown debut, Xia Li competed on NXT and was part of a stable with Mei Ying and Boa called Tian Sha. She also competed in the 2017 and 2018 Mae Young Classic tournaments.

When asked what it meant to her to perform in such a male-dominated arena as Asian women are often stereotyped as fragile or vulnerable, she stated:

"First of all, I know more girls, more women have [these dreams]. I want to prove myself and make my dreams come true. And second of all, there’s my family, my people from my country. They are supporting me and I want to do it [well]. I’m representing my country. Also, I want to show the world who I am, where I’m from," said Xia.

Li hasn't had a match on the blue brand yet, and there are many superstars on the SmackDown roster that she could face. It'd be interesting to see her in the ring with Sasha Banks or Shayna Baszler.