Gail Kim likens herself to a proud parent when she watches Impact Wrestling talent do their thing from behind the curtain. The trailblazing former multi-time Knockouts champion retired from the ring in 2019 but still contributes in a big way as a producer for the company.
The veteran was beaming with pride when we caught up with her days after the Hard to Kill pay-per-view where Mickie James defeated Jordynne Grace for the gold in the main event, effectively keeping the run of “Hardcore Country” alive.
“Making that decision to walk away is difficult for any athlete I think,” Kim said. “ It took me a good two years plus to decide to retire. I like the way Mickie did it. It was a very interesting way to test herself to see if she still got it. She absolutely proved she did because Jordynne Grace is one of the best female wrestlers out there today. Talk about any company, all across the board. She was on top of her game.”
Much like the fans, Kim was emotionally invested in James’ “Last Rodeo.” For her, it’s the story-telling and quality of PPVs especially that really makes Impact stand out. Not to mention the positive work environment that has made Impact in recent years a land of opportunity. A prime reason Frankie Kazarian re-signed with the company.
“You can talk to anybody who works for our company or has worked for our company in the last couple of years. The joy, self-satisfaction, and fulfillment of why you love this business is in Impact Wrestling. I think it’s a very well-known fact in the industry that we are a great place to work because we’re like a family.”
More ‘New’ Faces Coming to Impact
Kim teases Kazarian and Santino Marella aren’t the only new or returning faces we’ll see on Impact TV in the coming weeks. And if she had her way, some of those names would come from the acclaimed all-women’s Japanese promotion Stardom.
“I have pitched I wanted a Stardom-Knockuots pay-per-view,” she said. “That was my thing I sort of threw in the bucket. It’s something I have to push a little bit harder because we do get busy, and we’re always constantly planning the next show and the next show.
“But I know the fans want to see another all-women’s pay-per-view. The last Knockouts Knockdown was great. EmPowerrr was great that Mickie ran, and now Mickie is part of our company. I would love to see collaborations with companies and Stardom was at the top of my list. I think that would create great interest and maybe a collaboration with other companies with women.”
Gisele Shaw
At the same time, Kim takes pride in the pride and evolution of its current talent. Among them is Gisele Shaw, who she believes turned a corner in 2022.
“When she first started with the company. Even before she started with the company, I would watch her and feel like she was holding back. I could feel it. I didn’t know what it was,” Kim explained.
“She just recently came out [as transgender]. She is now living openly and freely. It just changed the game with her feeling like herself. She is performing at the highest level right now. Everything she is doing is incredible. I feel like it’s only an upward trajectory from here. That is where she is now. I’m stoked to see where she goes next.”
One More Match?
Kim candidly revealed there have been numerous times watching from the sidelines that she felt the fire to compete again. The 45-year-old doesn’t rule out one more match under the right circumstances.
“It has been happening in my head a lot. It’s hard,” she said. “When you love it so much. Then when you see the talent out there. ‘What kind of match can I have with them?’ Mickie and I have joked. While she has been on this ‘Last Rodeo’ asking, ‘Why don’t you wrestle me again?’
“I said, ‘Mickie if you want me to, I respect you so much that I would if that’s what you truly wanted.’ But we have wrestled each other a bunch. For me, if I would come out of retirement for that one match, I would love it to be a three or four-way. So I can get as many talents as I could. And I love multi-women matches to be honest. It would be a dream match of all dream matches. It’s just about getting in cardio shape and preparing my back to get ready to go.”
Impact Wrestling airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on AXS TV. Catch Impact Wrestling live on January 20 and 21 for “New Year’s Revolution.” in Kissimmee. For tickets, visit here.
