Posted By James Walsh on 07/09/26
Awesome Kong was Not the Most Important TNA Knockout
If you have any history of listening to me on my podcast or reading my posts, you know I have nothing but kind things to say about Awesome Kong's matches with Gail Kim. Even their 2016 encounters, with a less physically capable Kong, were quality. I've compared their early encounters to the matches between Vader and Sting that ere incredibly hard hitting and featured a larger person against their smaller opponent - Imagine Sting at 6'2, 255 pounds being considered "smaller" given the Lollipop Guild we have in modern wrestlers. Kong's large size and decidedly not Barbie like figure made her stand out. But, it would not have meant a damn thing if Gail Kim wasn't her opponent.
Gail Kim and I might not agree on much in life. We are very, very, very different people when it comes to world views. Yet, I believe she deserves to be considered the most important person in TNA Knockouts history. That is a tight field. One could make the case for Velvet Sky or Angelina Love to be that cornerstone. Others could argue Mickie James or, later Deonna Purrazzo as the be all and end all of the division. I'd ask ODB her opinion of that but she'd be conveniently unavailable to respond - Sorry, inside joke after she stood me up multiple times for an interview this year. But, even ODB, who I'm still annoyed with, could stake a claim to being the most important TNA Knockout of all time. These are all valid options. But, if I had to choose just one, it would be Gail Kim. She is the "Ace" without a doubt.
What made Gai Kim special? Well, she was the "Total Package". So, I've given her Bob Orton Jr and Lex Luger's names already and didn't give her "The Franchise" tag even though I compared her to Sting. Regardless, she looked good, could work, could talk, and compared to Kong, was the underdog. You could watch Gail Kim wrestle and forget that she was a physically fit female as a male fan and appreciate her athleticism. But, be reminded of her sex appeal with the greatest of ease. Like it or not, the latter matters. If Tessa Blanchard didn't shake her rump upon the ring entrance, I don't think her work alone would have gotten her to be the traditionally male World Champion. And, as talented as Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, and even Lacey Von Erich may have been, if they weren't bending over the ropes in skirts and having their top half on display in a revealing shirt upon their ring entrance, the ratings would not have been what they were for those segments. It is an inconvenient truth. But, a truth nevertheless.
To finish my point about Gail Kim, her run in TNA ranged from 2005 through to 2025 with a few gaps in between. Her fingerprints can be seen on the division in every era since. And, Awesome Kong? Well, her influence was pretty much limited to just that initial run of Knockouts and nothing more. She was a key player and performed tremendously. But, she lacked the staying power. In fact, she went to WWE and wasted their time and money after having a nervous breakdown there even though they had big plans for her. Then, she cried racism on Netflix's GLOW and got the show cancelled. And, as a final "I dont care about pro wrestling" signal, she went to AEW and was about as agile as an 80 year old Abdullah the Butcher seemingly unable to actually climb into the ring and always being on the floor. But hey, she's the main knockout to talk to, right? Wrong.
So, Awesome Kong argued that she made less money than a McDonald's worker in TNA and suddenly, online, she's a hero for saying so. Interesting. Didn't Kelly Klein provide evidence of her $20,000 a year pay as Ring of Honor's Women of Honor champion and ultimately get blackballed for life from pro wrestling for doing so? So, why is there a moral difference between Awesome Kong and Kelly Klein. I'll wait for an answer.
My response to Awesome Kong's cries about her TNA pay as she presently lives in the Hollywood Hills? I'll quote Olivia Soprano from the Sponranos. "Oh, poor you!"