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#Post#: 31810--------------------------------------------------
Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: ChrissiCalvert
Date: July 13, 2015, 5:53 pm
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Discuss your initial training under Ron Hutchison, Rob
Etcherverria and Dave Finley. What you walked away with and what
you gained from each experience?
Ron was the first person that I went to and trained with and
obviously a lot of people associate him training Edge and
Christian, Trish Stratus, many great Canadian wrestlers so I
knew that was the place to be. He really taught me psychology
and taught me the basics and taught me right. A lot of wrestling
schools would grab the student and say hey you can learn this
cool move and do a moonsault your first month in and he really
just pump trained us on the basics in terms of psychology and
train wrestling and after we moved onto the more advanced stuff
and he was a great trainer.
When I trained with Rob and I was a student of his (Ron) and Rob
decided later on to open up his own school and he favored the
Mexican style of wrestling, the Lucha style also I took a liking
to that as well. Once I had enough experience where I could have
matches, pretty much a year after that I could be fearless with
Rob and he was very supportive towards the women.
When I joined the WWE, Dave “Fit” Finley was our first agent
that we worked with all the time and he brought in another form
of aggression in me. I was very green when I started but he
always said to me, “you need to be more aggressive”. I thought I
was being aggressive but he was would say “no, more aggressive”
and then more aggressive. I think each one of them gave me a
little piece of who I am today and I think if you were to ask
any of the women that I work with I think that is one of the
things that they’ll acknowledge about me is that I like to be
physical and I’ve become more aggressive. I think each one of
them (Ron, Rob and Dave) you’ll see a part of me when I wrestle.
Discuss your initial run in the WWE and how that differed from
the latter one? How did one departure differ from the other?
Fans generally know about how I feel about the whole experience.
I’ll put it down to this, it wasn’t the place for me. I think
it’s a different work environment there. My first run, I was
just green. I learned really quickly, I will say that. When you
are thrown into that kind of environment, you have nowhere to
go. I started at the top and won the title on my first night and
there’s nowhere for me to go but down, really. Not necessarily,
but pretty much, especially when you are at that level of
experience.
It was a lot emotionally for me to handle. I definitely believed
that first experience with them made me a stronger person and I
didn’t realize how that experience could form who I was later
on. I got released and then I lost my passion for wrestling
almost completely and I wanted to leave the business and I did,
on and off I may have done a few independent shows maybe 2 or 3
during that year off and then I started getting into stunt work
and then TNA came in to the picture and people I knew there were
people and being around the people that you start with and being
passionate and one’s you’ve started on the indies with and why
you’re so hungry for the business you get affected. I walked
into that situation and oh my gosh, that passion just came
flooding back and knowing that they were going to support
women’s wrestling in the future it was very hard to pass by and
it happened years later. This all happened for a reason and like
I said I don’t regret anything being in both companies twice
definitely gave me longevity in this business and it kept me
fresh.
How did you find traveling the independent circuit after you
initial WWE run and what you gained from that experience?
I would honestly say, I remember the day when I did a show while
I was off and gotten released the first time and in the next
year in Australia and most of the TNA roster prior to going onto
Spike TV. I felt average. I enjoyed the experience and still
unsure and then Scott D’Amore called me and said Jeff (Jarrett)
loves you and has gone in the indies many times and Terry Taylor
was there and I had worked with him too and they said to come on
down and said I know you don’t really want to wrestle anymore
but see if you like it.
Then I came down there and I there were all these faces like
Traci Brooks and Petey Williams and people that I had worked on
the Indies with previously and it was like this instant moment
of passion just flooding back, I can’t really explain it other
than that. So I just knew that I have to do this and paid off in
the end after a couple of years it still paid off.
How did your initial run with TNA come about and the decision to
align you with James Storm and Chris Harris? What stood out
during your initial singles run with the promotion?
He (Scott D'Amore) said we want to build the women’s division
and but the only thing is we only have an hour of programming
and realistically it won’t happen for a little while and he said
we want to bring you in and we want you to manage and they
wanted to give me a prominent role, this was Jeff Jarrett and
America’s Most Wanted and I said oh, I’d love to do that and I
did that for over a year and that was really fun. All the guys
in that company were always so supportive of the women including
women. Sometimes you may see back in the day women come down
there and really do nothing and hope to be a part of and get
camera time. They always included me and then eventually me just
having a passion for the sport of wrestling was very hard for me
to just stand on the outside and watch the guys do what I’ve
loved and eventually I said, 'you know guys' you said that you
wanted to have a women’s division and I’ve been waiting and you
know I just can’t wait anymore so luckily Jeff (Jarrett) said
can you work with Jackie Moore and I said yeah, absolutely.
I can work with whoever you want me to work with she’s
absolutely amazing and the toughest women I’ve been in the ring
with so we just had some amazing catfights as you would call
them, physicality and people loved it and people were like oh,
holy crap these girls are beating the crap out of each other and
so just went slowly with Jackie and brought in Jamie D from the
Independents and they would bring in girls slowly one at a time
and then all of a sudden they said they wanted to bring in a
title and bring in 10 girls and it was just a success overnight
virtually and it just happened so perfectly I couldn’t have
asked for anything better.
How have you found your character progression during your second
run with TNA?
I would say that I’ve always been either a heel for a long time
or a babyface for a long time. I’ve never really gone one year
on and one year off. So it’s been a lengthy amount of time and I
love the fact that I came in as a heel and I hadn’t been a heel
for a really long time and I think before that (previous run in
the company) a babyface for at least 4 years through TNA and WWE
and it’s just easier to have a character honestly as a heel so,
I loved the fact that I could work with the two best heels in
the company when I first came in and find my stride and get in
the zone with Karen Angle and Madison Rayne. It was so easy to
play off of them and they made it so easy and it was fun and
wrestling wise I like wrestling as a heel or a babyface so for
me it didn’t really matter. It’s just about finding my comfort
zone and after you’ve been a babyface for so long until I found
that stride.
I think my main thing is fans they identify with someone who
they like or dislike or whatever they may be through getting the
character and may identify with the character and that oh, I’m
like her like Mickie James. She’s the girl next door, seems so
approachable and that’s what they love about her and she’s a
great wrestler as well. For me, the wrestling fans could really
identify with the passion for the wrestling industry and see my
passion for wrestling and so I think that’s where my progression
has come in terms of my character which is actually, really me.
With TNA, they have always allowed me to vocalize that and show
that through storylines and it was harder to do that in WWE with
3 minute matches and 6 girls going out there at once and there
were no storylines virtually. I did a lot of gimmick matches
which is not really my cup of tea. When you’re uncomfortable on
that kind of stage it shows. I just think it was a better fit
here where they kind of let the girls come and do what their
strengths were and for me it was wrestling.
How have you found that TNA has capitalized on
#GiveDivasAChance?
I don’t think it’s ever really changed. The true wrestling fans
that watch TNA Impact, I think they’ve always known. I don’t
want to say they take it for granted in anyway but they always
just know that TNA and Impact Wrestling are going to give them
women’s wrestling. It’s almost like they want to see it in the
WWE and this is why they are so vocal as well. I don’t know if
anything really changed.
I think we’ve always been strong with women’s wrestling and I
think the fans have always known that. I think that’s a lot of
the reason why they would tune in from the feedback I get from
it through social media or meeting fans or that’s one of the
things that I think that they love is that they would always say
Impact Wrestling treats the women really well and one of the
reasons they love watching it is because the women’s actually
wrestle. I’m just glad when I was fighting for us to wrestle I
would always have people tell me Gail, women’s wrestling is for
the bathroom breaks, you know they really don’t want to see it.
I would get discouraged a little bit but I was very adamant so
I’m glad that we girls proved them wrong.
What changes do you think need to be made by the industry as a
whole to ensure that #GiveDivasAChance isn’t simply a momentary
movement but deserves to be recognized as an equal to the male
wrestlers?
I honestly believe that just to have a movement in place women
empowerment right now and just in general in our world right now
especially in entertainment and being vocal and people like
Rhonda Rousey who are dominating the sport and are showing that
they can headline stuff. However, I am also realistic in the
sense that pro wrestling has always been a very male dominated
sport and it would take a long time for equality to happen. I
truly believe, but that’s okay we can take baby steps. I just
think it’s the pool of talent also and giving them the proper
creative storylines to and letting them have the ball and trying
to run with it. If they don’t deliver but you can see that they
have the potential to keep on giving them the chance. For me, I
didn’t become who I became in terms of being comfortable and
feeling very confident in this business until, half way through
my career up to this point.
The Rock didn’t become The Rock overnight. Steve Austin didn’t
become Stone Cold overnight. It takes time to develop people.
That’s why I think everything happens so quickly now. I think we
really need to take time as a business and just get the fans
emotionally involved and that’s all in the storyline and the
characters and taking your time. My two most successful feuds in
my career were Awesome Kong and Taryn Terrell. Both of those
happened over the minimum of a six month storyline. People don’t
realize that but they got emotionally invested in it and we
delivered as the same time. But there is a lot more psychology
behind that. The people don’t realize.
Who would you say male or female doesn’t get the recognition
they deserve in the promotion?
There are so many I can’t think. Just the X Division as a whole,
I can’t really specify. I feel as though they are going out
there and doing amazing things for once but if they could just
combine that character and storyline with that ability I think
it could just be brought to another level. I feel that Impact is
pretty good about pushing those people as superstars. I think if
anything it’s just a lack of storylines. EC3, I’m not going to
say he’s not because he treated really well and has been brought
to the forefront but I just have to mention him because I think
he’s so talented and I was just shocked when he got released
from the WWE because I saw that potential in his talent and how
he speaking and character and he can work it and he’s pretty
amazing. I think he’s the future definitely.
People like Chris Melendez, this guy was veteran and now he’s a
pro wrestler. That’s a true life hero and that’s happening right
now TV. We need to capitalize a little bit on that as well. I
really have to think about that. I feel like there is just a lot
of people like Rockstar Spud who won our first British Bootcamp.
He’s an amazing talent and he might be overlooked from maybe the
fans a little bit but the company does realize how big of a star
he is but maybe because he is small guy but that guy really
knows the business. He’s truly talented and I can see a great
future for him as well.
What does the rest of 2015 and beyond have in store for Gail
Kim?
I think, I definitely still want to continue making magic in
that ring and I’ve wrestled a lot of the girls. I will say I am
looking forward to wrestling some fresh new talent and someone
like Mia Yim who is Jade on TNA. I want to make magic and I know
people are saying, Gail, isn’t it around retirement time? I’m
saying not yet because my body is still pretty good. At the same
time, I know it’s not the beginning of my career right now. I
want to definitely work with some young talent and give the
greatest matches that I can and unforgettable matches like I
have in the past. I feel as though I want the fans to remember
me for my wrestling and I want to just continue to do that in
this upcoming year.
What do you think of Impact Wrestling's move to Wednesday nights
will mean for the company?
I think it's a better evening for us personally. It's a night
when there is no other wrestling on television and with the
addition of ROH on The same network, all wrestling fans win in
the end. Throughout all the years of wrestling on Impact with
Spike and DA, we have changed nights numerous times so it never
has felt different to me. It's a matter of wrestling fans
finding us and tuning in.
Throughout your career, you've had matches with a number of
people. Was there a match that didn't go as planned and what you
think you would have liked to do differently given the
opportunity?
I guess there's always something in every match that I would
have "fixed" or changed because I'm a neurotic perfectionist
when it comes to the in ring product but you can never be
completely perfect. You learn from every single experience you
have out there whether it was good or bad. Nothing goes
completely as planned most of the time so that's the part where
your skills come in to play and keep you sharp.
Was there anything you'd like to share, encourage or promote for
wrestling fans?
Tune in every Wednesday night to Destination America at 9 pm or
check your local listings. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram:
gailkimITSME
#Post#: 31811--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: tnafanforum
Date: July 13, 2015, 5:54 pm
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I put this news up lol
#Post#: 31813--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: ChrissiCalvert
Date: July 13, 2015, 6:16 pm
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--- Quote from: JP Owner link ---
>
> I put this news up lol
>
--- End Quote ---
This is the full Interview though
#Post#: 31818--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: tnafanforum
Date: July 14, 2015, 9:03 am
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Oh lol ok . Hehehe .l I think WWe are trying to re make the
girls over their .l look at last night we sew something special
from them girls .. This is me of the first times we have seen a
great storyline for the girls on WWE TV FOR A LONG TIME ..
#Post#: 31852--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: tnafan
Date: July 15, 2015, 2:23 pm
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I would like to se her have a long knockout run soon . Maybe she
could be the one to win it from the doll house
#Post#: 31860--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: ChrissiCalvert
Date: July 15, 2015, 3:16 pm
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--- Quote from: TNAcrazy link ---
>
> I would like to se her have a long knockout run soon . Maybe
she could be the one to win it from the doll house
>
--- End Quote ---
Brooke or Kong the way they are being pushed
#Post#: 31863--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat with Gail Kim. Talks TNA, WWE & more
DIR By: tnafanforum
Date: July 15, 2015, 4:13 pm
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I think they will go with Brooke and see what she can do ..
Maybe we will see Kim vs doll house .. But Kim will penned some
back up,...
I think with kong their is not a lot of ways she can go when she
is the champion just because she is so big and over powerful ..
TNa do not have the old knockouts anymore who could go face to
face with her like tara just to pick one one .......
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