Gail Kim is opening up about one of the most pivotal moments of her wrestling career—and it came down to money.
During a new appearance on the HUGE POP! podcast with Donnie DaSilva and Jimmy Korderas, the TNA Hall of Famer revealed the real reason she walked away from the company during the Spike TV era, even though she didnâ€t want to leave at the time.
The topic came up while discussing former WWE star Jazmyn Nyx turning down a contract offer for financial reasons. Kim connected with that situation and then shared her own experience from years earlier, pointing to what she felt was a wildly unfair deal after her legendary feud with Awesome Kong.
“I actually had this conversation with Vince Russo, probably two weeks ago I think now, ‘cause he was the head of creative when I left TNA, right after the success of me and Kong, and I didnâ€t wanna leave TNA, but they offered me $36,000… we were pulling in the highest ratings, and that was the Spike TV days…â€
Kim explained that she never expected to be paid like a top-tier male star—but given the numbers her feud was pulling in, she thought a better deal was more than fair.
“And not saying Iâ€m a Kurt Angle, Iâ€m not saying I was Dudley Boyz. But, we were the highest-rated segments consistently, and all I wanted was a fair pay day, and I was offered $36,000. I was like, ‘I owe more money than that, Vince,†you know? And he didnâ€t know the number at the time…â€
Her comments make it clear that the decision to leave wasnâ€t easy—it was necessary. And the fact that it happened after one of the most celebrated rivalries in womenâ€s wrestling history just added salt to the wound.
Gail Kimâ€s story adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about pay equity in professional wrestling, especially when it comes to women performers who consistently deliver top-tier segments but arenâ€t compensated accordingly.
Do you think Gail Kim was undervalued by TNA at the time? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
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