Former WWE Star Jimmy Wang Yang Opens Up About Troubled Childhood In New Book [Exclusive]

Everyone has a story to tell. Even if it's one they are not particularly proud to share.

Wrestling fans may remember Jimmy Yang from his days in WCW, TNA or his tours over in Japan. Many will recall the Asian cowboy gimmick given to him during his third tour of duty with WWE, which has garnered a cult following in the years since.

I personally know Jimmy Yang as the man who called me out of the blue one day after he heard me on the radio in Cincinnati, where we both lived at the time. Having only ever met me once before, Jimmy thought I could use a little help and offered to better educate me on the wonderful sport of professional wrestling.

He invited me out to his gym for what I believed to be a one-off training session. I was invited back for 18 straight months until he moved to Georgia to help his daughter begin her own in-ring career.

That's just a small peek at the man behind the wrestler, James Yun. Someone who is willing to help, just because he has the ability to do so. Now he's hoping to offer guidance, encouragement and inspire positive change on a wider scale by stepping way outside his comfort zone.

Wednesday, October 1 marked the release of 'Yun's Time', the autobiographical story of James Yun penned by the man himself.

“This project has taken me like 15 years to do,” Yun told The Takedown on SI. “People always suggested that I write a book, [because] the people close to me know my story. Every year they’d say, ‘Man, you really need to write a book… it's a great story.’”

While his past may make for a compelling read, taking a strolling down memory lane is far from a pleasant experience for Jimmy.

Yun had anything but a typical family dynamic when he was a kid, and he harbored a great deal of reserve for a long time about sharing those distressing details of his life.

“My dad left when I was like nine or 10 years old... he chose his new wife over [my family],” Yun said. "My mom's in a religious cult. I grew up on food stamps and ramen. I was kind of just embarrassed about my childhood.”

During our conversation, Yun described his mother as a 'diehard' Jehovah's Witness. We'll allow the book to convey all the details, but it was very apparent in speaking with him that her lifestyle had an effect on Jimmy and his siblings.

“She's the one that comes and knocks on your door every Saturday. We didn't celebrate holidays. We didn't celebrate birthdays. And as a kid, that was very confusing to me," Yun said. “I’ve got three sisters. I’ve got a brother and my mom's been married six or seven times, so I have six or seven stepdads... I think I beat everybody when it comes to having a dysfunctional family.”

Like any child who grew up in poverty, Jimmy had to find an escape of some kind. His ended up being professional wrestling.

"We had one TV, but we didn't have cable. We only really had two channels, PBS and TBS. I did like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, but I gravitated more towards Atlanta Braves baseball and WCW. The first time I [saw] Sting, he blew me away. Like, an instant connection. He was my Superman."

Yun said his lifelong wrestling fandom was later solidified when Sting gave him a high five during the first show he was ever able to attend live. By his sophomore year of High School, Jimmy made the decision to turn his passion into a career and it wasn't long before he found himself wrestling across the globe.

In a strange twist of fate, it be would be family that ultimately brought him back to the United States permanently.

“Writing this book I realized I have a lot of trauma, because as a dad, I can't believe that they did that to me as a kid... the best thing that my dad ever taught me, is how not to be a dad."

Yun said he experienced one of the biggest regrets of his life while he was overseas in the early 2000's. With the birth of his daughter imminent, Jimmy believed that he had timed out it perfectly so that he could make it back home in time to be there. Little Jazzy Yang had other plans and arrived a week early.

“My biggest life changing moment was when I first laid eyes on her and the first time I held her. I was just blown away by the connection… I'll never forget it," Yun said. “I was so blown away about seeing her, meeting her and holding her and realizing what I created, but I only got to stay home for like five days. And then I had to go back to Japan for a two or three week tour. And that was the hardest tour I've ever been on in my life.”

Soon all of his tours began to wear on Jimmy mentally. He knew he had to find a way back to the U.S. and two years after his first run with the company ended, Yun started working the phones to see if a return to WWE was possible.

He was able to secure a tryout and was later brought back under the WWE umbrella as Akio. The schedule wasn't easy, but at least he was able to see Jazzy on a weekly basis.

"It's kind of crazy, but I love my baby. She's like my sun and I revolve around her."

I’m the meanest😤
I’m the prettiest🤩
I’m the baddest mofo low down round this town💥
I am the ShoYang of Wrestling💯
Your bias 🫶
Your idol 🤗
Jazzy Yang‼️‼️ #whostheyang pic.twitter.com/qrCtYi4nOb
— Jazzy Yang (@jazzywangyang) July 25, 2025

Which is exactly why when Jazzy decided to pursue her own in-ring career, he closed down his wrestling school in Cincinnati and moved down to Georgia to help get her started

"She's doing great. She's bee to Japan twice, all over the states and Puerto Rico. She's really killing it. She's so much better than me at her age than I was. It's amazing to see."

Jimmy has since reopened his wrestling school, only now in the greater Atlanta area, where he's once again mentoring the pro wrestlers of tomorrow. Spreading the word that it doesn't matter where you come from, your past doesn't have to be the guide toward your future.

"I wrote this book because people close to me encouraged me to share my story, insisting that my journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a professional wrestler was an inspiring one. While I was initially hesitant to revisit my past, they convinced me that my experiences could serve as a powerful catalyst for positive change in the lives of others."

'Yun's time' is now available for paperback, digital download and audiobook on Apple, Barnes & Noble and Spotify.

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