Mia Yim Talks Growing Up In The Indies, Intergender Matches, And WWE PC
Design / Layout Credit: Bill Pritchard
NXT superstar Mia Yim recently sat down with RondaRousey.com to discuss a handfull of topics, including growing up in the independent wrestling circuit, inter gender matches, and the WWE Performance Center.
Check out some of the highlights below:
On growing up in the indies:
It taught me everything from just the business aspect of it—from how to conduct myself—along with just the hustle. How I was in the indies, I worked every weekend, but I also still had a nine to five job from Monday through Friday. So it was different working and knowing how to balance… Not “real life,” just because being in the ring is real life. but how to balance a desk job along with having to travel every weekend and getting to network and using social media as a networking tool.
So, the indies taught me a lot, not just in the business but in life, as far as just balancing quality time with my family and friends versus having to work all the time and appreciating the little things like being able to be at home. There was a lot of grind to it, just having to figure out time management, for example. Where, nine to five I’m at my desk job, so after work, I would have to go home, eat something real quick, and then go to the gym—because, technically, going to the gym is still work as well. So, a lot of time management, organization, budgeting. “Adulting,” pretty much.
On intergender matches:
Intergender matches are probably some of my favorites, especially in the indies, because it’s just balls to the wall. It’s a style that is completely different than competing against another female, which some people are for it, others are against it. But it’s like your cup of tea: it either is or it isn’t.
My matches with Keith and Riddle were after I broke my leg, so I had low self-esteem, I had low confidence. So stepping in the ring with them and them pushing me to my limit or beyond what I thought was my limit really helped me mentally to get back into the mindset of, “Yeah, I can still do to this. I haven’t lost a step. I can still go.” So, intergender matches to me, I feel like it’s a way for women to express themselves in the ring as athletes, if they’re willing to go that route. It’s my favorite.
On the WWE Performance Center:
Oh my God, I feel so spoiled at the PC. I try to remind people we are blessed to be in this, to be able to come work out in this facility. The gym itself there—I don’t even need to go to my own gym. Why do I need to go when I have access to a gym and a strength and conditioning coach that’s going to tell me exactly what I need to do to get where I want my body to be? And then I can hit up Coach Sara [Amato] anytime to kick a match or to get her opinion on something. And there’s so much… My third match ever, in the independents, was with Sara, and we competed numerous times throughout my career, so I respect the hell out of her.
It’s awesome that I can easily just go into the PC and just go into her office, and just ask if I could watch a match with her and pick her brain. Just to have access to her, to Coach [Matt] Bloom, Scotty 2 Hotty, all these legends. It’s like, a lot of people that I used to watch as a kid and just admire—X-Pac is there on occasion—and just picking these guys’ brains. Road Dogg is amazing, just helping me with promos and backstage stuff.
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