Dong initially started out in basketball, hockey and kickboxing, taking the ring name Taishan after the mountain of the same name.
[4] After arriving to the US at the start of 2014 with ambitions to become a professional boxer, Dong met with attorney George Gallegos.
[5] Dong did not understand English at the time and Bray was unable to speak Chinese but the pair bonded over their shared interest in boxing.
[4] In February 2015, Dong defeated Rory McCrary (3-2-0) in a unanimous decision over four rounds.
[11] On Oct 14, 2017, Dong took part in a three-day talent tryout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.