Gail Kim wasn’t missing from Dark Side of the Ring’s TNA episode because she turned them down. She says nobody asked her in the first place.
That is the latest twist after fans noticed Jeff Jarrett & the Battle for TNA: Part 1 talked about the birth of the Knockouts division without ever mentioning Kim by name. She appeared in b-roll, but one of the women most closely tied to the division was otherwise nowhere to be found.
A fan figured there had to be more to it and asked whether Kim had been approached but forced to decline because of legal issues. Kim shut that down in one shot, revealing that no one even asked her.
“I wasn’t asked, but that’s OK. If creative or legal decisions resulted in an incomplete portrayal of my role, I think that’s unfortunate.”
The controversy started when a fan blasted the show for covering the rise of the Knockouts without once saying Kim’s name. She thanked the fan, said she remained proud of what the division accomplished, and warned that no edit could wipe away its impact on women’s wrestling.
“Thank you. I’m proud of what we accomplished, and no edit can take away the impact the Knockouts division had on women’s wrestling. I’ve noticed that speaking honestly hasn’t always been appreciated, but I won’t apologize for standing up for what I believe is right. Thanks, Garrett. 🙏”
Now fans know her absence wasn’t because she refused to talk. Kim was there when the Knockouts division became one of TNA’s biggest selling points. Her rivalry with Awesome Kong helped give the women a level of credibility and attention that was rare on mainstream wrestling television at the time. Leaving her name out was already strange. Finding out producers never asked for her side makes it even harder to ignore.
Dark Side of the Ring may have had its reasons for moving forward without Gail Kim, but it is tough to tell the story of the Knockouts division while leaving one of its biggest names on the cutting-room floor before an interview was even filmed.
Do you think Dark Side of the Ring should address why Gail Kim wasn’t asked to participate? Let us know in the comments.
