Background: The future “Asuka” in WWE made her SHIMMER debut by taking on a fellow future Women’s champion outside of the company in Mia “Jade” Yim.
SHIMMER Volume 41
Berwyn, IL
October 1, 2011
Kana vs. Mia Yim
Both women showed their kicking abilities early until Kana used one of Yim’s strikes to sweep her into the Ankle Lock. When Yim made it to the ropes, Kana gave her a death glare. The next minute or so saw Kana and Yim trade arm locks until Kana German suplexed Mia on her head. Somehow, Yim not only survived the attack, but also fired back with kicks aimed a Kana’s head. Even another German suplex couldn’t stop Yim from kicking Kana on her head. Kana’s speed got the better of Yim for a couple of seconds, ending with a roundhouse kick that caught “The Blasian Sensation” on the jaw! Mia Yim was barely conscious, but somehow still fighting and throwing kicks. Realizing these kicks were taking too much out of her, Kana yanked Yim into the Kana Lock for the submission victory.
Winner: Kana (5:47)
Is It A Classic: Kana’s debut with Mia Yim was a lot more even than one would’ve expected knowing their positions on the roster at the time – Yim a mid-tier gatekeeper while Kana was being rightly presented as one of Joshi wrestling’s biggest stars finally coming stateside. Though Kana mostly ran through Yim with a mix of kicks and submissions, Yim’s fighting spirit allowed her to gain a ton of respect from the fans and effectively gave her a lofty position as the company’s first test for any imports looking to make their name in the company.
