Gail Kim’s issue with TNA history just got a lot bigger than a missing name in a documentary.
After fans noticed the show talked about the birth of the Knockouts division without actually saying Kim’s name, one fan brought up the bigger issue: the Knockouts changed the game, but a lot of them apparently weren’t paid like it. Kim didn’t let that one slide.
“I did come from WWE. Also, when I finally got paid what I had negotiated, that contract was changed all of a sudden in the middle of it. That’s when John Gaburick was in charge.”
That’s not a small accusation. Kim is saying she finally got the deal she fought for, only for TNA to switch things up in the middle of it. And she wasn’t done.
“Suddenly the contract meant nothing and it was changed from a salary to a pay per show basis. I had no leverage and nowhere to go bc wwe was the only other company to work for. And I left them for the second time.”
That last part is brutal. Kim wasn’t some background player in the Knockouts division. She was one of the names that made it real. Fans remember the matches and the moments, but according to Kim, the business side was a lot less glamorous.
The whole thing started because Dark Side of the Ring’s TNA episode discussed the Knockouts division while only showing Kim in footage, without naming her. Kim responded by saying she was proud of what they accomplished and that no edit could erase their impact.
Now she’s made it clear the issue goes deeper than an edit. TNA’s Knockouts division helped change how women’s wrestling was viewed on television, but Kim’s claim is a reminder that the women building that legacy were still dealing with a fight behind the curtain.
Do you think Gail Kim’s claim changes how fans should look back at TNA’s Knockouts era? Let us know in the comments.
