Following TNA's creation in the 2000s, one thing that really set the promotion apart from WWE was its superb women's division. In a period where Vince McMahon was more interested in showcasing divas than he was in a legitimately competitive and athletic women's roster, TNA showed just how good women's wrestling can be if given the chance, and there was no finer example of that than the rivalry between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong.
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The two women engaged in not only an incredible Knockouts' rivalry, but also one of the best rivalries in TNA history, period. Their work really elevated their division and was a really effective way to introduce the then-brand new title.
Their styles clashed perfectly, and the feud showed fans that women's wrestling could be much more than the channel-changing divas matches that WWE was putting on at the time. It's not unrealistic to suggest that the rivalry between the two is largely responsible for the eventual women's revolution that fans got to see in WWE years later.
It Was The Perfect David vs. Goliath Story
The David vs. Goliath narrative is one that's been spun in all different walks of storytelling. Whether it's film, literature, or even professional wrestling, the story of an underdog facing insurmountable odds is always an effective tale to tell, and it was no different here. Gail Kim the lovable underdog who had earned the adulation of TNA fans, and Awesome Kong the seemingly unstoppable monster, destroying everyone in her path.
It was storytelling at its finest, and the two fit their roles perfectly. Fans could see the struggles Kim would have to face if she was to beat someone as impressive as Kong, and it helped them really get behind her. The 45-year-old is arguably the greatest knockout in TNA, now Impact, history, and it's hard to say whether she'd have become the all-time great without this story with Kong, but it certainly helped her on her way there.
Kong herself was superb as the dominant force, and fit the mold perfectly. She was believable as a destructive force. Not since Chyna had there been a woman so dominant in wrestling, and she was a major star in the promotion from the minute she debuted. Kim had been portrayed as the best knockout in the promotion until Kong's arrival, and from then there were serious doubts over whether the former WWE star would be able to keep ahold of the Knockouts title for much longer, and spoiler alert, she didn't.
They Had Great Matches
It can often be difficult for a wrestler built like Kong to put on incredible wrestling clinics. They are usually more often limited to squash matches, and slow-paced affairs, but the chemistry between these two allowed them to put on some really great outings.
They meshed so well together, and Kim's selling made Kong look even more impressive than she had up until this point. The matches were violent, and the feud felt personal. Whether it was the crisp in-ring work or the wild brawling that ensued throughout the arena, the two women put on a hell of a show every single time they squared off, and it was light years away from anything fans had seen in women's wrestling at the time.
TNA themselves really portrayed the rivalry as a huge one, and the way the promotion pushed the story also really helped to make it one of the biggest they had. Years before women closing shows became the norm, TNA had the two fight for the knockouts title in the main event of their flagship show, Impact!, and it helped create a big match feel around the meeting.
The Story Would Span Years
While the initial story between the two was held in 2007 and 2008, the pair would return to their feud on multiple occasions over the years. They quickly became each other's biggest rivals of all time, and their paths, whether it was as friends or foes, were forever intertwined for the rest of their careers.
Just last year, at NWA's EmPowerrr show, Kong returned to help Kim after she was cornered by Taryn Terrell, Jennacide, and Paola Blaze. It was a touching final chapter to the story between them, as Kong announced her retirement not long after, and their epic storyline was finally brought to an end, 14 years after it initially started.
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There have been some incredible knockouts in Impact over the subsequent years, but none would have been possible without the sensational rivalry between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong that really announced women's wrestling to mainstream fans.
