WENDY CHOO

Karen Yu is a 30-year-old professional wrestler from Queens, New York. She is currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Yu performs on WWE’s NXT brand under the ring name, Wendy Choo.

Yu grew up in the Bayside, Queens neighbourhood of New York City and participated in gymnastics for over 10 years. She received an NCAA Division II scholarship for volleyball, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Queens College. Yu also earned a master’s degree in teaching from Lehman College. Before becoming a full-time professional wrestler, she taught physical education in an elementary school.

Wendy Choo’s Early Wrestling Career

Karen Yu began her wrestling training at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn with Johnny Rodz. She was then trained by Damian Adams at the Team Adams Pro Wrestling Academy in Wharton New Jersey. Yu made her wrestling debut in 2014 under her birth name and appeared with the Centereach New York-based Victory Pro Wrestling promotion. Over the following years, she competed on the independent circuit, wrestling primarily in the Northeastern United States.

In 2016, she adopted the ring name “Karen Q” and won her first title in April 2016, defeating Nikki Addams for the VPW Women’s Championship. The following year, she won the East Coast Wrestling Association Women’s Championship. As well, she wrestled in the ECWA Super 8 ChickFight Tournament in 2016 and 2017 but lost to Deonna Purrazzo in the finals in 2016. She did, however, win the tournament in 2017.

In April 2017, Yu began wrestling with Ring of Honor. At Survival of the Fittest in November 2017, she lost to Deonna Purrazzo in a no disqualification match. At Final Battle in December 2018, Yu took part in a four way match for the Women of Honor World Championship that was won by Kelly Klein. This was Yu’s first pay-per-view appearance.

Wendy Choo Signs Contract With WWE

Karen made her first appearance with WWE in August 2018, competing in the Mae Young Classic tournament under the ring name “Karen Q.” In February 2019, she signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for further training.

From February to July 2019, she wrestled for WWE as “Karen Q”, primarily teaming with Xia Li at NXT house shows. In July 2019, Yu suffered a fractured lateral malleolus and spent the next two years rehabilitating, undergoing two surgeries. But in December 2020, Yu was reintroduced on NXT as “Mei Ying” – the leader of the stable “Tian Sha” alongside Xia Li and Boa. She made her in-ring return in August 2021. But just a few months later, Yu’s Ying character was dropped and she was repackaged as “Wendy Choo.”

In March 2022, Choo and Dakota Kai competed in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, losing to Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray in the finals.

STATS

Birth name: Karen Yu
Born: January 18, 1992, Queens, New York, New York, USA
Height: 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)
Ring name(s): Karen Kwan, Karen Q, Karen Yu, Mei Ying, Wendy Choo
Current Roster: WWE NXT
Finishing move(s): The Spring Roll, Fujiwara armbar

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