When Mia Yim turned up on RAW to come to the aid of The OC in their feud with Rhea Ripley and The Judgement Day in November of 2022, it was a big darn deal for fans across the WWE Universe and beyond.

One of the multiple dozen wrestlers who were released from the company during the COVID-19 pandemic due to “budget cuts,” Yim parlayed her release into a fun run in Impact Wrestling, but in the end, her path went aimed right back to WWE, where she ended up joining Becky Lynch's team at Survivor Series and finally making her debut in a WarGames match, an opportunity that was taken away in NXT. Asked about what brought “Michin” back to WWE by Ryan Satin of Out of Character, Yim noted that the decision wasn't solely about her in-ring work, as she was satisfied with her creative direction in Impact.

“This was right when my contract with Impact was coming up,” Yim said. “Like I knew there was interest there, like still, I have nothing but positive things to say about them but it was one of those moments where, in real life and business, there were so many changes in one year that it was like ‘okay, stay with Impact or try again in WWE to try to have a better outcome.”

“Like my time in WWE was great, like, especially in NXT, the best and then getting a taste of the main roster, I wish I could have changed things, that things would have been different and now it’s like ‘okay, should I stay where I’m comfortable’ but my biggest thing is I never want to go on in life wondering, like, what if, like if the opportunity is there, I have to do it. So it was a lot of mental challenges and a lot of talks with my family and Keith and even Gail, talking with her and, like, the main motivator too is, like, me and Keith want to have a nice nest egg for our future children and I want to be able to take care of my mom and going to WWE would allow me to do that easier and faster. So it was kind of a decision where, I need to take care of everybody else, like I need to do something for me mentally to know that okay, if I could be myself how far could I have gone in WWE.”

Do you know what? It's honestly refreshing to hear why Yim decided to return to WWE and be open about her desire to set her future kids and mom up for success within the promotion. Though her current run has been sidelined at least a bit following A.J. Styles' injury at a house show in Hershey, Pennsylvania, when The OC returns, it's safe to say Yim will be back in the saddle too and performing a character far closer to her heart than Reckoning.

Mia Yim sets the record straight on her “Michin” nickname.

Speaking of Yim's monikers, Satin wanted to ask about “Michin” and whether or not it's her nickname, her ring name, or something else entirely.

“That’s a great question because I don’t know [laughs.] I think it was initially a nickname,” Yim said. “The whole time, I was told it was a nickname. The biggest thing that I want everyone to know is I’m okay with this name. Everything new, not everyone’s gonna like it. I get it, but I’m okay with this name. It’s better than Reckoning, so I’m not gonna complain about this name. It’s a nickname now, and who knows, maybe in the future, it could transition to being my name. If it is, I’m okay with that too.”

“I just want everyone to know, you don’t have to see the building on fire. It’s okay. It’s also a challenge for me to make it work. It might not work now because for 12 years, I’ve been Mia Yim, so of course something different, something new, people [aren’t] gonna like it]. ‘Why are you changing something that’s not broken? It’s like okay, but this may be just a challenge. Let me see if I can get you to love Michin just as much as you love Mia Yim, if that were the case. All in all, I think it’s a nickname for now.”

Huh, interesting stuff. While fans were initially upset with the name change, so much so that WWE had to change Yim back to Mia Yim on the company's official website, it seems like the promotion is using the two nicknames have been used pretty interchangeably, and fans have become more accustomed to it. Regardless of the name, it would appear Yim is doing just fine.