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Boa (wrestler)

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Boa
Birth nameYanbo Wang
Born (1995-06-21) 21 June 1995 (age 29)
Beijing, China[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Boa
Big Boa
Yanbo Wang
Billed height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[2]
Billed weight225 lb (102 kg)[2]
Trained byRobbie Brookside
WWE Performance Center
DebutJuly 8, 2017

Yanbo Wang (born June 21, 1995) (simplified Chinese: 王彦博; traditional Chinese: 王彥博; pinyin: Wáng Yànbó) is a Chinese professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Boa.

Professional wrestling career

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WWE (2016–2024)

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Wang signed with WWE in September 2016 after attending a tryout in Shanghai.[3] He reported to the WWE Performance Center along with three other Chinese recruits in February 2017.[4] Upon signing with WWE, Wang was known as Big Boa,[5] but later worked just as Boa. He went on to wrestle in several NXT live events. Boa's televised debut in NXT took place on July 10, 2019 when he competed in the NXT Breakout Tournament,[6] where the winner but was defeated in the first round by eventual winner Jordan Myles.[7] In November 2019, he suffered a shoulder injury and had undergone surgery that kept him out of the picture for an unspecified period.[8] On the October 7, 2020, episode of NXT, Boa returned, dressed in a suit and tie, to deliver a letter to Xia Li.[9] On the November 11 episode of NXT, he appeared to tell Raquel González that Li was not here to have their match, and was subsequently beaten up by her. Afterwards, an elderly man approached Boa and handed him a letter while also leaving a black mark on his hand.[10]

On the November 25 episode of NXT, a vignette aired of Li and Boa, both haggard in appearance, entering the backseat of a vehicle together before being driven to an unknown location. The same elderly man who handed Boa a letter on the November 11 episode of NXT appeared outside of the building, appearing to be waiting for them.[11] Weekly vignettes began airing of both Li and Boa being brutally "punished for their failures", all while being watched over by the elderly man and a mysterious woman in black-and-white face paint named Mei Ying.[12] A transformed Boa returned on January 6, 2021 during NXT's New Year's Evil special, accompanying Li during her match against Katrina Cortez.[13] He made his in-ring return on the June 29 episode of NXT, teaming with Li to defeat Jake Atlas and Mercedes Martinez in a mixed tag team match.[14]

In November, Boa was possessed by the spirit of Tian Sha and inherited its powers, as he began sporting black and white face paint with the word "Tian Sha" written in Chinese characters.[15][16][17] He entered into a feud with Solo Sikoa after his alter-ego attacked and choked him backstage on the December 28 episode of NXT.[18] On the January 11, 2022, episode of NXT, Boa and Sikoa fought to a double countout and continued to brawl in the backstage area, resulting in Boa's alter-ego launching a fireball in Sikoa's face.[19] This led to a No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere match on the January 25 episode of NXT, where Boa lost after Sikoa splashed him through a table.[20] On the April 7, 2023, episode of NXT Level Up, Boa made his in-ring return with a loss against Dante Chen.[21] Ever since then, Boa has appeared in backstage segments with Chen, teasing an alliance in the process, and on the November 7 episode of NXT, Boa was seen alongside Chen who began sporting the same face paint as him, confirming their alliance. On May 3, 2024, Boa was released from his WWE contract, putting the alliance to an abrupt end.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "WWE signs new recruits from China; Bin Wang WWE debut in China". Miami Herald. September 8, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Boa WWE". WWE.com.
  3. ^ "Did WWE just sign a future Women's Champion?". WWE. September 8, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Fernandes, Steven; Jordan, Paul (February 7, 2017). "New Recruits Arrive at WWE Performance Center, New WWE Book Next Month, WWE Sending Patriots Championship Belt & More". PWInsider.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "Recruits from China begin WWE training". WWE. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  6. ^ Clapp, John. "NXT Breakout Tournament bracket". WWE. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Clapp, John. "Jordan Myles def. Boa in the first round of the NXT Breakout Tournament". WWE. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  8. ^ Middleton, Marc (November 15, 2019). "WWE NXT Superstar Boa Undergoes Shoulder Surgery This Week". Wrestling Inc. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  9. ^ Berge, Kevin (October 7, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 7". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  10. ^ Mueller, Chris (November 11, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 11". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  11. ^ WWE. "Xia Li and Boa beg for a second chance: WWE NXT, Nov. 25, 2020". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  12. ^ WWE. "Xia Li and Boa pay the price for falling short: WWE NXT, Dec. 2, 2020". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ^ Tedesco, Mike (January 6, 2021). "WWE NXT Results – 1/6/21 (New Year's Evil special, Bálor vs. O'Reilly for NXT Championship)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Berge, Kevin (June 29, 2021). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 29". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  15. ^ Elizabeth, Claire (November 2, 2021). "WWE NXT results, live blog (Nov. 2, 2021): Halloween Havoc fallout". Cageside Seats. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  16. ^ Moore, John (November 9, 2021). "11/9 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of "Toxic Attraction" Mandy Rose, Jacy Jayne, and Gigi Dolan vs. Io Shirai, Kacy Catanzaro, and Kayden Carter, Kay Lee Ray vs. Sarray, Joe Gacy vs. Boa, and Kushida and Ikemen Jiro vs. Julius Creed and Brutus Creed". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  17. ^ Moore, John (November 23, 2021). "11/23 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Carmelo Hayes vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne for the NXT North American Title, Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grayson Waller in a non-title match, Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade in a non-title match, Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro vs. Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  18. ^ Moore, John (December 28, 2021). "12/28 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray for spots in the Triple Threat for the NXT Women's Championship, Solo Sikoa vs. Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller vs. Odyssey Jones, Harland vs. Andre Chase, Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  19. ^ Moore, John (January 11, 2022). "1/11 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller, Santos Escobar vs. Xyon Quinn, Pete Dunne vs. Tony D'Angelo in a Crowbar on a Pole match, Solo Sikoa vs. Boa, Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Carter, and Amari Miller vs. Indi Hartwell, Portia Pirotta, and Wendy Choo". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "WWE NXT Results – January 25, 2022". PWMania.com. January 25, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  21. ^ O'Connor, John (April 8, 2023). "4/7 NXT Level Up results: O'Connor's review of Oro Mensah vs. Joe Gacy, Sol Ruca and Dani Palmer vs. Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, and Dante Chen vs. Boa". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  22. ^ Thomas, Jeremy (May 3, 2024). "WWE Releases NXT Talents Valentina Feroz, Boa, Trey Bearhill, More". 411Mania. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
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