Karen Yu (born January 18, 1992) is an American
professional wrestler. She is currently signed to the
promotionWWE, where she performs on the
NXT brand under the
ring nameWendy Choo. She is also known for her appearances with
Ring of Honor and on the
independent circuit as Karen Q and for her appearances with WWE as Mei Ying.
Yu made her first appearance with WWE in August 2018, competing in the
Mae Young Classic tournament under the ring name "Karen Q".[17] In February 2019, she signed a contract with WWE[18][19] and was assigned to the
WWE Performance Center in
Orlando, Florida for further training.[2] From February to July 2019, she wrestled for WWE as "Karen Q", primarily teaming with
Xia Li on
NXThouse shows.[17] In July 2019, Yu suffered a fractured
lateral malleolus; she spent the next two years rehabilitating, undergoing two surgeries.[18][20][21] In December 2020, Yu was reintroduced on NXT as "Mei Ying", the leader of the
stable "Tian Sha" alongside Xia Li and
Boa.[19] She returned to the ring in August 2021.[17] In November 2021, the Mei Ying character was dropped[22] and Yu was again repackaged, this time as "Wendy Choo".[19] In March 2022, Choo and
Dakota Kai competed in the
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, losing to
Io Shirai and
Kay Lee Ray in the finals.[17] In June 2022 at
In Your House, Choo unsuccessfully challenged
Mandy Rose for the
NXT Women's Championship.[23] Choo went on to feud with
Tiffany Stratton, defeating her in a
lights out match in August 2022.[17] In February 2023, Choo suffered an unspecified injury; she was written off television to allow her to recuperate via an angle that saw her attacked in a parking lot.[24]
Professional wrestling style and persona
Choo wrestles in a "technical" style[4] with a mix of "technical wizardry and breathtaking aerial assaults".[6] Her finishing moves have included a modified
Boston crab (dubbed the Spring Roll) and a
fujiwara armbar.[6][9] She utilizes "an array of stunning
suplexes".[5]
In 2020 and 2021, Yu portrayed the "enigmatic and destructive" character of "Mei Ying", a 1,000-year-old woman who acted as a "
Yoda" for the Tian Sha stable.[25][26] In 2022, she adopted the
gimmick of "Wendy Choo", a constantly tired wrestler who performs in a
onesie.[5]
^
abcdefWWE.com staff (August 22, 2018).
"Karen Q". WWE.com.
WWE.
Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^
abChang, Yvonne (January 2018).
"Yu can do it!!!". The Verdict. Vol. 49, no. 3. p. 8. Archived from
the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022 – via
Issuu.com.