Should Xia Li Go Back to NXT?

I am a huge fan of Xia Li--an absolutely huge fan. She's been one of my favorites ever since she made her WWE debut via the Mae Young Classic (which they still need to bring back). I literally beamed every time Xia Li appeared on NXT. I love everything about her; her look, her moveset, her upbeat demeanor, everything she brings to any and all gimmicks she plays, all of it. Any time Xia Li's on, it's the highlight of the evening.

After her MYC appearances, Xia Li became a regular on NXT, and even made a surprise appearance in the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match, and would also appear in the 2020 match as well. I was enjoying seeing Xia Li on NXT on a near weekly basis. I wanted a lot for Xia Li, but one of the first things I wanted, of course, was a heel turn. That began in September of 2020, when Xia Li reacted to a tag team loss to Kayden Carter and Katana Chance (the latter then going by her real name, Kacy Catanzaro) by refusing to join the pair and partner Jessi Kamea in a show of sportsmanship.

Xia Li's road to becoming a villainess wasn't a long one; we would see her act aggressive in matches and refusing to be a good sport for a few weeks, and it came to a head after a loss to Catanzaro on October 21. After the contest, the evil Xia Li attacked Catanzaro, and what followed was the newly turned villainess becoming part of a faction known as Tian Sha, which consisted of Boa and was led by an ancient villainess known as Mei Ying. We would see Xia Li show off her new dark and evil character in spectacular fashion on NXT, though interestingly, her time in NXT ended just under a year after she turned heel at the brand.

The 2021 WWE Draft saw Xia Li called up to the main roster, as she was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Her SmackDown debut saw her portray a heroic character known as "The Protector," and her gimmick consisted of saving the brand's babyfaces from being taken down by heels. As much as loved heel Xia Li, I was happy to see this face turn, especially since she's portrayed as an action-packed heroine. The gimmick officially began in December of 2021, and I was really drinking this in and enjoying it.

And then, just four months later, it came to an abrupt end.

So we don't see Xia Li for nearly two months after her first SmackDown match in February 2022, but she returns just a few weeks after that year's WrestleMania. It was April 22, 2022, and on that night, after just four months of being "The Protector," Xia Li turned heel with her claim that she sees no one worthy of protecting, so she is now only out to protect herself. That's it. In barely over 30 seconds, Xia Li went from a fighting heroine to a self-serving villainess. Again, I love evil Xia Li, but this heel turn could have been a lot better, especially since she's portrayed as a fallen heroine who basically feels that evil suits her more.

It's been over a year since Xia Li turned heel on the main roster, yet what have we seen? Random matches, backstage appearances, being used to enhance others...just a lot of flotsam and jetsam. Even now, it continues. Xia Li was drafted to the Raw brand in this year's draft, and her first Raw appearance? A bit role in a backstage segment with Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green. Even so, I was happy to see Xia Li, but come on, this woman deserves so much better. And I can't help but feel that, given the state of Raw and SmackDown's women's division, the only way Xia Li will ever get anything is if she goes back to NXT.

A lot of fans want Xia Li and Wendy Choo paired up, and honestly, I want to see it too. Wendy Choo first competed in a WWE ring under her familiar ring name, Karen Q, and it was against Xia Li at the Mae Young Classic. Following Xia Li's heel turn on NXT, Karen Q officially debuted on NXT as the evil Mei Ying, the ancient leader of the Tian Sha faction that Xia Li was a part of. The character lasted 11 months, and afterwards, the former Karen Q took on her current gimmick, Wendy Choo, an upbeat babyface who often wore onesie pajamas, even as ring gear.

This could go one of two ways if it happens. Either Xia Li takes on Wendy Choo as a villainous apprentice, or the dream alliance could see Wendy Choo back to her Mei Ying gimmick, though in my vision, Mei Ying would be a bit more vocal and compete more in the ring. This would at least result in the pair becoming tag champs (one has to wonder what will happen with those titles with the reigning champs now on SmackDown), if WWE actually does this.

Now, I know this idea is a huge longshot, but they could have Xia Li unveiled as the villainess behind the attacks on NXT's women, which would promote a huge return for her and lead to a big push to the NXT Women's Championship. We know Xia Li can be diabolically ruthless, and this would definitely add to that, but as I said, it's a longshot. Xia Li is one of the most amazing talents in WWE's women's division. She's far too valuable to be used (or misused) in this current fashion, especially in the two years she's been on the main roster. She deserves massive elevation, and WWE better deliver in that regard.

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