Mia Yim Discusses Decision To Sign With IMPACT, Says It's Nice To Feel Respected

[Liz]

Mia Yim was released by WWE on November 4, 2021 as part of mass releases throughout the month of November. Yim was portraying the character RECKONING on television, but had not wrestled since December 2020.

Yim would return to the ring during WrestleMania weekend, participating at the WrestleCon SuperShow where she faced Athena (formerly Ember Moon). Yim would return to IMPACT at Under Siege in a surprise appearance.

Speaking to Denise Salcedo, Yim detailed her thought process as she decided to step back into the ring and eventually signed with IMPACT.

"A lot was going on in my mind. It's hard to pinpoint one or two specific things. me and Keith got released the same day, so it was a lot of trying to figure out of, I've done everything I've wanted in my career. Everything I set a goal for myself, I've done it all. Do I even want to wrestle anymore, just with the toxicity of social media and with what I did last, I was a joke, 'Do I even bother?' We got married, moved two weeks after and bought a house, a lot of real life stuff was happening and Keith, right after the wedding, he went to work. I was like, 'Let me take a couple of months to hold down the fort and get things together with real life so he doesn't have to worry about anything and everything will be taken care of at home.' I took a couple of months off to do things in my real life, but also figure out if this is what I wanted to continue to do. It was a lot. I'm close friends with Gail (Kim) and have been talking with her ever since I left IMPACT the first time. We had been talking and, I originally didn't want to sign anywhere or do TV. I didn't know what I wanted to do, but Gail was putting over the company, the talent, Scott, everything. With Gail being in a position in IMPACT as the head of the women's division, I had no question or second guesses or hesitation that, if I were to go to IMPACT, under Gail's leadership, everything was going to be fine. There is no drama. I didn't want to deal with drama, politics, I just wanted to, if I was going to wrestle, I just wanted to wrestle and hang out with my friends. In that place, I have a lot of friends and know I would have a lot of wrestling opportunities. It was a no-brainer for me to be like, 'Okay, I'm going to give it one more try.' I don't want people to remember me as what I've done the past year or two. I want people to remember me as Mia Yim and I have a decade worth of work under my belt before I had the whole thing happen and I want people to remember that. I'm not just a manager for a group. I can 'go' too. Once I decided, 'I'm going to give wrestling a try,' it was, 'Count me in Gail.' I know that in IMPACT, I'm going to be okay," she said.

When asked how she came to a decision to press forward to not be remembered "as a joke," Yim praised her support system, including Shelton Benjamin.

"My first match back was with Athena and it was so emotional at the end. I just needed to have that match, not to do a bunch of crazy stuff or whatever, but just to have a match to get over that mental block of...I didn't even go train inside of a ring because my anxiety wouldn't let me. It was a slow progress where, I got through my first match, now let's focus on, 'let me see if I can lead somebody still,' I had my match with Janai Kai, which went great. Talking to Keith and Gail. I'm getting older, I don't move like I used to anymore, but I'm like, 'You know what, I need to get over it.' Either I continue or I don't and if I continue, I have to go balls to the wall. I don't like doing things half-assed. If I'm going to keep doing it, if there is an opportunity that comes, I'm going to take it and make something of it. It wasn't until...I know I busted Shelton's balls all the time, but him and Keith and even (Mustafa) Ali, I had a lot of support. Shelton was like, 'Don't let them define you. Go do what you are known to do.' It was having the support of others pushing me. If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't be back. it wasn't a set match or anything, just everyone, even people who are still there like Ali, being like, 'You're a fucking badass,'" recalled Yim.

Fightful Select reported Yim signed a six-month contract with IMPACT that will take her through Bound For Glory in October. Yim previously worked for IMPACT under the name Jade from 2015 to 2017.

When asked how it felt being back in IMPACT, Yim replied, "It's an amazing and incredible feeling. Just to know that I know a majority of these people from the last time I was there, to meeting new people where I felt like I've known then forever. It's a cool feeling to walk through those doors and be welcomed by, old, new, everybody. Not jut talent, but production and office. I've never worked with Scott (D'Amore) before, but man is he cool. He's cool to sit back and talk with. It's nice. It's a really nice feeling."

Yim continued, explaining how she is treated differently in IMPACT compared to elsewhere.

"Freedom. Not that we weren't free before, but the minute I signed my contract, I got a text like, 'hey, what do you want to do for your character? What do you want to do for your tron?' I'm like, 'these are just suggestions, you don't have to go for it,' but I've been sitting on these ideas for the past two years, so I tossed it to them and they were like, 'Great, we'll set everything up.' 'This is so cool.' It was different. You're used to pitching ideas, but then nothing ever happens. 'This is an idea I pitched, but nothing happened.' In my mind, I was like, 'th fact that they straight up asked me what I want to do says a lot,' and then the fact that they went about and did it, I want to retire at IMPACT. This is where I want to stay forever, at this point. It was definitely a different feeling, but I felt like I was being heard and listened to and they took my ideas, and even little tweaks, they would ask, 'How do you feel about this?' 'You're really asking me?' It's nice to feel like I'm respected as a human," she stated.

Yim is set to compete in the Knockouts Queen of the Mountain match at IMPACT Slammiversary. Fans can check out the current lineup for IMPACT Slammiversary by clicking here.

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