Before being signed by WWE, Zhao Xia Li was a martial arts fighter, specializing in wushu. In January 2017, she tried out a tryout in Shanghai Performance Center and signed a contract, after impressing all the coaches.

Xia lei made her debut for WWE, competing at the Mae Young Classic where she was announced as one of the entrants. Xia not only made her wrestling debut at the event, but she was the first Chinese wrestler in history to kick a WWE ring.

On July 13, under the ring name Xia Li, she made her debut by taking on Mercedes Martinez in the first round, picking up a loss. In 2018, Xia Li took part in the second edition of the Mae Young Classic. On August 19, Xia defeated Karen Q in the first round. On October 10, Xia Li was defeated by Deonna Purrazzo in the second round, to be eliminated from the tournament.

On May 1, 2023, as a result of the Draft, Xia moved to the Raw roster.