TNA Xplosion is a television program produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), featuring both highlights from Impact Wrestling and exclusive taped matches. It is now produced only for international markets, no longer airing in the United States. It currently airs in Canada on The Fight Network, in Asia and the Middle East on ESPN Star Sports, the Arab World on MBC Action, and is available on Challenge in the UK.^[1][2]

Format and history[link]

2002-2003[link]

Xplosion was launched on November 27, 2002 as TNA's only regular cable show and featured exclusive matches from the TNA Asylum as well as exclusive interviews with all the TNA Wrestling Personalties

2004-2005[link]

On November 18, 2004, the show became a recap show of the previous week's Impact! in light of alterations in the taping schedule. However, Xplosion resumed airing exclusive matches (billed as "Xplosion Xclusives") once more on October 7, 2005 in addition to recapping Impact!. The "Xplosion Xclusives" also aired on the now-ceased TNA Global Impact! internet show.

All of the matches seen on Xplosion are taped ahead of time along with Impact!. Matches normally feature wrestlers who rarely appear on Impact!. Occasionally, wrestlers may make their debut or return on Xplosion and angles have also taken place.

2006-2008[link]

As of May 2006, the hosts of the show are ring announcer/backstage reporter Jeremy Borash and SoCal Val. Airing of Xplosion in the United States ceased at the end of 2006 although some of the exclusive matches could be seen on TNA Today.

2008-present[link]

Beginning December 22, 2008, "Xplosion Xclusive" matches are broadcast as web matches on the TNA website and TNA's YouTube page. The show was revamped at the June 14, 2010, tapings of the 300th episode of Xplosion, becoming more of an original program instead of a highlight show, with Jeremy Borash working as the lead play-by-play commentator.^[3] This was confirmed by Dixie Carter, who announced that Xplosion would be re-fitted to feature new and exclusive matches with the TNA personalties, as well as updates on everything TNA, including coverage of its flagship series Impact!, saying “TNA features more talented superstars than ever before in company history, so it made sense to refresh Xplosion and make it a more important part of the TNA brand.” In addition to the format changes, Xplosion received a new logo, graphics and theme music performed by Taproot.^[4] At the May 16, 2011, tapings, Desmond Wolfe was announced as the new Xplosion Commissioner.^[5] He would however serve in the role only for a month, before being released from his TNA contract.^[6]

Commentators[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• TNA Xplosion at TV.com
• TNA Xplosion 2010 Opening intro
• TNA Wrestling Shows

Daddy Yankee
Background information
Birth name	Ramón Ayala
Also known as	Winchester 30-30 El Cangri El Jefe The Big Boss DY El Máximo Lider
Born	(1977-02-03) February 3, 1977 (age 35)
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Reggaeton, Latin rap, hip-hop
Years active	1992–present
Labels	El Cartel, Interscope, Sony Music Latin
Website	daddyyankee.com

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1977), known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball, and aspired to become a Major League Baseball player. He was unable to continue this sport when he received an injury to one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk correctly. He then became involved in the underground rap movement that was in its early stages in Puerto Rico, later to be called reggaeton. After receiving lessons from several artists within the genre, he developed an independent career, first recording in a production titled Playero 37. After this he began to produce independent albums. His first solo album was No Mercy. He subsequently formed a duo with Nicky Jam, and then continued his solo career with the releases of El Cartel and El Cartel II. This led him be one of many pioneers of the reggaeton genre earning him the nickname "El Cangri".

In 2002 El Cangri.com became Ayala's first album with international success, receiving coverage in the markets of New York and Miami. Barrio Fino was released in 2004, and the album received numerous awards, including Lo Nuestro Awards and a Latin Billboard, as well as receiving nominations for the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. Barrio Fino performed well in the sales charts of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. On June 5, 2007, El Cartel Records released El Cartel: The Big Boss, which was ranked as the top-selling album in Latin music genres in 2007. He promoted the album with an international tour which began in the United States and continued through Latin America, breaking attendance records in Ecuador and Bolivia.

His performances have appeared on more than 70 albums, including compilations such as Mas Flow 2 and Blin Blin Vol. 1. Outside of his work as a musician, Ayala has also worked as an actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has been generally reluctant to discuss his personal life, but has publicly expressed the importance of his wife and children to him.

Following the incident, he became interested in the underground movement, which at the time was in an early organizational stage.^[1] He also took more interest in the events that took place in the neighborhood in which he was raised, a public housing project named Villa Kennedy.^[2] Early in his career he attempted to imitate the style of Vico C. He went on to emulate other artists in the genre, including DJ Playero, DJ Nelson, and DJ Goldy, taking elements from their styles in order to develop an original style.^[1] In doing so, he eventually abandoned the traditional model of rap and became one of the first artists to perform reggaeton.^[1] Ayala first recorded with DJ Playero as a featured artist in a production titled Playero 37, which was released in 1992.^[2]

Musical career[link]

Independent productions[link]

His first album, titled No Mercy, was produced in 1995 when Ayala was eighteen years old.^[2] The production did not sell well, and he continued his work within the genre for the rest of the decade, eventually forming a duo with Nicky Jam. One of the duo's songs, "Posición", was included in the soundtrack of One Tough Cop, a movie directed by Bruno Barreto, that was released in 1998. Beginning in 2000, Ayala began concentrating more on his solo career, releasing albums produced outside studios. The first production he released was titled El Cartel, featuring elements of the mixtape style.^[2] In 2001 El Cartel II was released, a direct sequel to the previous production, and influenced by similar genres.

In 2005 El Cangri.com was released, and became the first album in Ayala's career to sell well outside Puerto Rico, mostly in the United States.^[2] The album was produced by VI Music, an independent recording studio in Puerto Rico, and was not supported by a major label.^[2] The most successful single from the album was "Latigazo", which received significant play on radio stations in New York and Miami.^[2] The album reached #43 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart.^[2] Following the release of this disc, Ayala performed at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum before 12,000 fans.^[3] The following year VI Music produced Los Homerun-es.^[2] The album became the leader in sales in Puerto Rico during a year in which several other reggaeton artists released significant productions, including Luny Tune's Mas Flow, Don Omar's The Last Don, and Tego Calderón's El Abayarde.^[2] The album's success helped Ayala receive the publicity required for a crossover to the United States market, and marked the last album he released with VI music before signing a contract with Universal

2004–2005[link]

Ayala's next album, Barrio Fino, was produced by Luny Tunes and released in July 2004 by El Cartel Records and VI Music. It was the most highly anticipated album in the reggaeton community.^[4] Ayala had enjoyed Salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album.^[4] The most prominent of these cross-genre singles was "Melao", in which he performed with Andy Montañez.^[4] The album was described as his most complete, and with it he intended to introduce combinations of reggaeton and other genres to the English-speaking market.^[4] Barrio Fino was followed up by an international tour with performances in numerous countries including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Honduras, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and the United States.^[4] The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States alone and has sold well throughout Latin America and worldwide.^[5]

In 2005 Ayala won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry.^[6] The first award of the year was Lo Nuestro Awards within the "Latin music" category, which he received for Barrio Fino.^[6] In this event he performed "Gasolina" in a performance that was described as "innovative".^[6] Barrio Fino also won the "Reggaeton Album of the Year" award in the Latin Billboard that took place on April 28, 2005,^[6] where he performed a mix of three of his songs in a duo with P. Diddy. The album was promoted throughout Latin America, the United States, and Europe, reaching certified gold in Japan. Due to the album's success, Ayala received promotional contracts with radio stations and soda companies, including Pepsi.^[7] His single "Gasolina" received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of Premios Juventud, in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards.^[6] Ayala also made a live presentation during the award ceremony. "Gasolina" received nominations in the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards.^[6]

The successful single, "Gasolina", was covered by artists from different music genres. This led to a controversy when Los Lagos, a Mexican banda group, did a cover with the original beat but changed the song's lyrics.^[8] The group's label had solicited the copyright permission to perform the single and translate it to a different music style, but did not receive consent to change the lyrics; legal action followed.^[8] Speaking for the artist, Ayala's lawyer stated that having his songs covered was an "honor, but it must be done the right way."^[8]

2006–present[link]

On April 30, 2006, Ayala was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, which cited the 2 million copies of Barrio Fino sold, Ayala's $20 million contract with Interscope Records, and his Pepsi endorsement.^[9] During this period, Ayala and William Omar Landrón (more commonly known by his artistic name Don Omar) were involved in a rivalry within the genre, dubbed "tiraera". The rivalry received significant press coverage despite being denied early on by both artists. It originated with a lyrical conflict between the artists begun by Ayala's comments in a remix single, where he criticized Landron's common usage of the nickname "King of Kings".^[10] Don Omar responded to this in a song titled "Ahora Son Mejor", part of his album Los Rompediscotecas.^[10]

El Cartel: The Big Boss was released by Interscope on June 5, 2007. Ayala stated that the album marked a return to his hip-hop roots as opposed to being considered a strictly reggaeton album.^[11] The album was produced in 2006, and included the participation of will.i.am, Scott Storch, Tainy Tunes, Neli, and personnel from Ayala's label. Singles were produced with Héctor Delgado, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon.^[11] The first single from the album was titled "Impacto", and was released prior to the completion of the album. The album was promoted by a tour throughout the United States, which continued throughout Latin America.^[11] He performed in Mexico, first in Monterrey, where 10,000 attended the concert, and later at San Luis Potosí coliseum, where the concert sold out, leaving hundreds of fans outside the building.^[12] Ayala performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador.^[13] He also performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert.^[13] This show was later described as "the best show with the biggest attendance in history" and as "somehappy that his album had sold more than those of Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes, and that this was an "official proof that reggaeton's principal exponent defeated the rest of the genres".^[14] Ayala made a guest appearance in an album titled "Caribbean he loved the color reed|Inner Circle]], Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder.^[15] In July 2008, Ayala announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalía's song, Ten Paciencia.^[16] Prior to the album's release, Ayala scheduled several activities, including an in-store contract signing.^[17] On February 27, 2009, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile.^[18] In this event, the artists receive awards based on the public's reaction. After performing "Rompe", "Llamado de emergencia", "Tú me dejaste caer", "Gasolina", "Limpia parabrisas" and "Lo que pasó, pasó" over the course of two hours, Ayala received the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch" and "Silver Seagull" recognitions.^[18] On April 24, 2009, he received the Spirit of Hope Award as part of the Latin Billboard Music Awards ceremony.^[19] The recognition is given to the artists that participate in community or social efforts throughout the year. The single "Grito Mundial" was released on October 8, 2009,^[20] in order to promote his ninth album, Mundial. Despite releasing "El Ritmo No Perdona (Prende)" more than a month before, that single was not considered the first official promotional single.

Film and other career projects[link]

Ayala has negotiated promotional deals with several companies outside of the music industry, releasing merchandise under his name. In 2005, he became the first Latin artist to sign a deal with Reebok, in order to produce accessories,^[21] including the licensed clothing line "DY", which was released in 2006.^[22] He also teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23, 2006.^[11] Reebok continued the partnership with the introduction of the Travel Trainer collection in July 2007. In August 2007, Pepsi began an advertising campaign titled "Puertas", in which Ayala is depicted returning to his youth by opening a series of doors.^[23]

In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao".^[24] On August 25, 2008, Ayala endorsed John McCain's candidacy for President of the United States, stating that McCain "has been a fighter for the Hispanic community".^[25] As part of this campaign, Ayala moderated a debate titled “Vota o quédate callao: los candidatos responden a los jóvenes”, which was aired on October 9, 2008.^[26]

Ayala has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was the lead role of Vampiros, a film directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico.^[27] The film premiered at the Festival of Latin American Cinema in New York, where it received a positive reaction. This led Image Entertainment to produce a DVD, internationally released in March 2005.^[27] Ayala played the main role "Edgar" in Talento de Barrio, which was filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by José Iván Santiago. Ayala produced the film, which is based on his experience of growing up in a poor city neighborhood.^[28] While the film is not directly a biography, Ayala has stated that it mirrors his early life.^[28] Talento de Barrio's debut was scheduled for July 23, 2008, in New York's Latino Film Festival.^[29] After the premier, Ayala expressed satisfaction, saying that he had been invited to audition for other producers.^[30] On release, Talento de Barrio broke the record held by Maldeamores for the most tickets to a Puerto Rican movie sold in a single day in Caribbean Cinemas.^[31]

Ayala has been involved in the administration of three organizations, the first being El Cartel Records which he co-owns with Andres Hernandez. He also created the Fundación Corazón Guerrero, a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people.^[32] On April 26, 2008, he was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by the student organization Presencia Latina of Harvard College, receiving it for his work with Puerto Rican youth and creating Corazón Guerrero.^[33] On February 6, 2008, Ayala announced in a Baloncesto Superior Nacional press conference that he had bought part of the Criollos de Caguas' ownership.^[34]

Personal life[link]

Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews.^[35] He has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure".^[35] He made an exception in 2006 when he spoke about his relationship with his wife and children in an interview with María Celeste Arrarás in Al Rojo Vivo.^[35] He stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything", adding that he has tried to ignore other temptations because "weakness is the reason for the downfall of several artists."^[35] He also described his "very close" communication with his children, in which he tries to offer advice against drugs and negative influences.^[35] His first daughter was born when he was seventeen years old,^[35] which he has described as confusing at first, adding that raising a daughter at that age was a hard experience.^[36]

Studio albums[link]

• 1995: No Mercy
• 2002: El Cangri.com
• 2004: Barrio Fino
• 2007: El Cartel: The Big Boss
• 2010: Daddy Yankee Mundial
• 2012: Prestige

Filmography[link]

Film

Television

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Puerto Rico portal
	Music portal

• Latin American music
• List of Caribbean music genres
• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Puerto Rican songwriters
• Urban contemporary

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Daddy Yankee at the Internet Movie Database

Gail Kim
Kim at an autograph signing in 2008.
Ring name(s)	Gail Kim La Felina[1]
Billed height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[2]
Billed weight	125 lb (57 kg)[2]
Born	(1977-02-20) February 20, 1977 (age 35)[1] Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1]
Resides	Tampa, Florida[2]
Billed from	Tampa, Florida Toronto, Ontario, Canada Korea[2]
Trained by	Ron Hutchinson[1] Rob Etcheverria[1] Fit Finlay[2]
Debut	December 2000[2]
Website	http://www.thegailkim.com/

Gail Kim (born February 20, 1977)^[1] is a Canadian professional wrestler of Korean descent, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she is the current and longest reigning TNA Women's Knockout Champion. She is also known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she won the WWE Women's Championship in her first match.

She began her career wrestling as La Felina on the Canadian independent circuit, before joining WWE in 2002 as Gail Kim. In her WWE debut match, she won the WWE Women's Championship. After being released by WWE in 2004, Kim joined TNA in September 2005. There, she joined the tag team America's Most Wanted as their valet. After the dissolution of the group, Kim performed as a singles wrestler, eventually going on to become the inaugural TNA Women's Knockout Champion in October 2007. She later left TNA in August 2008, to return to WWE three months later, making her televised return in March 2009. She announced on August 5, 2011 that she had quit WWE via her Twitter account. The following October she returned to TNA.

Personal life[link]

Gail Kim was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 20, 1977. Kim majored in kinesiology at the University of Toronto before transferring to Ryerson University and changing her major to nutrition.^[1] Prior to signing with WWE, Kim undertook breast augmentation surgery. After signing, she had her implants enlarged. While performing for WWE, one of her implants ruptured, which resulted in her being sidelined for two weeks.^[3]

Kim married celebrity chef Robert Irvine May 10, 2012.^[4][5] The couple met on the set of Dinner: Impossible.^[6]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Canadian independent circuit (2000–2002)[link]

After obtaining her degree from Ryerson University, Kim decided to become a professional wrestler and joined Ron Hutchinson's "School of Pro Wrestling" in Toronto.^[7] She received supplementary training from Rob Etchevarria at the "Squared Circle Pro Wrestling Gym".^[1] She debuted in December 2000, wearing a mask and wrestling as "The Queen of the Cats" La Felina in the Southern Ontario-based Apocalypse Wrestling Federation. She, however, was eventually unmasked by Tracy Brooks in a "Mask versus Hair" match.^[7][8] Kim worked on the Canadian independent circuit for two years, wrestling for promotions such as Border City Wrestling.^[9]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2004)[link]

Kim was introduced to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) employee Nora Greenwald (known on-screen as Molly Holly) by Jason Sensation in 2001; Greenwald encouraged Kim to send her videos and tapes to WWF officials, which eventually led to her contract.^[3] In October 2002, she was hired by the WWF, now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).^[10] She spent eight months training in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and appearing in house shows and dark matches before being called up to the main roster.^[9] After several weeks of vignettes showcasing Matrix-like effects aired on Raw, Kim debuted on June 30 as a fan favorite, with a Matrix-inspired outfit.^[9]

Her first televised WWE match was a seven-woman battle royal in Buffalo, New York on the June 30, 2003 episode of Raw with the WWE Women's Championship, then held by an injured Jazz, on the line.^[9] Kim won the match by lastly eliminating Victoria.^[9] Kim held the title for four weeks, before losing it to Molly Holly on the July 28, 2003 episode of Raw.^[11] Subsequently, Kim formed an alliance with Holly to take on Trish Stratus, who was later assisted by Lita. At WWE's Unforgiven PPV event on September 21, 2003, Stratus and Lita defeated Kim and Holly in a tag match.^[12] The four women continued to feud until November, when Kim was sidelined with a broken right collarbone.^[3][10] Kim returned to Raw in April 2004 and immediately reforged her alliance with Holly.^[10] At WWE's Bad Blood PPV event on June 13, 2004, she faced Lita, Stratus, and Victoria in a Fatal Four-Way for the WWE Women's Championship, which was won by Stratus.^[13]

Kim participated in a battle royal on October 19, 2004 at WWE's Taboo Tuesday PPV event, which was won by Stratus.^[10] She, however, was released by WWE on November 3, 2004 as a result of cost cutting.^[10][14] Kim was caught off guard by her release and was told that management wanted to take the women's division in a new direction.^[3]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling[link]

America's Most Wanted (2005–2007)[link]

Kim during her time managing America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris [top] and James Storm [bottom])

Following her release and the expiration of her 90-day no-compete clause,^[3] Kim made sporadic appearances on the independent circuit, including at Michigan's All World Wrestling League and in Japan.^[15] She also competed in Korea and Mexico before being signed by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion on September 6, 2005.^[10][16] She made her TNA debut on the October 8, 2005 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!, aligning herself with Jeff Jarrett and America's Most Wanted (AMW) (Chris Harris and James Storm) and taking on the role of AMW's and Jarrett's manager.^[17] Kim made her in-ring debut on July 16, 2006 at TNA's Victory Road PPV event in a Six Man Mixed Tag Team match with AMW against A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Sirelda. However, her team ended up on the losing end of the contest.^[18] At TNA's Hard Justice PPV event on August 13, 2006, Kim defeated Sirelda in a standard wrestling match.^[19]

In early 2007 after the dissolution of AMW, Kim began a more active role as an in-ring competitor in TNA. This began with an on-screen feud with her former alliance, Storm, and his new manager Jacqueline. The first encounter between the group was on February 11, 2007 at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event in a Mixed Tag Team match, which Kim and her partner, Petey Williams, lost.^[20] On March 11, 2007 at TNA's Destination X PPV event, Storm and Jacqueline won a rematch against Williams and Kim in a Double Bullrope match.^[21] Kim went on to defeat Jacqueline in a Six Sides of Steel cage match on April 15, 2007 at TNA's Lockdown PPV event.^[22] Their feud came to an end on the May 3, 2007 episode of TNA Impact!, when Kim defeated Moore under street fight rules.^[23]

Singles competition (2007–2008)[link]

Kim during her time as a singles competitor in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

After the conclusion to her feud with Moore, Kim made two minor TNA PPV appearances before outlasting nine other competitors in a ten-woman gauntlet match to crown the first TNA Women's World Champion on October 14, 2007 at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event.^[24][25][26] She made her first title defense on November 11 at TNA's Genesis PPV event; there she successfully retained the now renamed TNA Women's Knockout Championship by defeating Roxxi Laveaux, ODB, and Angel Williams.^[27] Kim then began a feud with Awesome Kong over the championship. Their first encounter occurred on December 2 at TNA's Turning Point PPV event, which resulted in Kim retaining due to a disqualification by Kong.^[28] On January 6, 2008 at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event, Kim defeated Kong in their second encounter to retain the championship under no disqualification rules.^[29] In their third and final encounter in the main event of the January 10 episode of TNA Impact!, Kong defeated Kim to win the TNA Women's Knockout Championship.^[30]

During the January 24 episode of TNA Impact!, Kim was awarded the 2007 TNA Knockout of the Year award.^[31] Kim competed in a three way match on March 9 at TNA's Destination X PPV event against Kong and ODB, which Kong won.^[32] On April 13 at TNA's Lockdown PPV event, she teamed with ODB to defeat the team of Raisha Saeed and Kong in a tag team match.^[33] On May 11 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event, Kim won a TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal, which involved a battle royal and then a ladder match, to become new one contender TNA Women's Knockout Championship.^[34] Kim competed for the championship on the May 15 episode of TNA Impact!, however failed to win the title.^[35] At TNA's Slammiversary PPV event on June 8 Kim teamed with ODB and Roxxi to defeat The Beautiful People (Angelina Love and Velvet Sky) and Moose in a six woman tag team match.^[36] Kim defeated Love on July 13 at TNA's Victory Road PPV event.^[37] Kim then teamed with ODB and Taylor Wilde to defeat the team of Kong and The Beautiful People on August 10 at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event in her last TNA PPV match.^[38] Kim's final TNA match aired on the August 21 episode of TNA Impact! in a losing effort to Kong under street fight rules.^[39] Kim left TNA in mid-August 2008 after the terms of her contract expired.^[40]

Return to World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2008–2011)[link]

After her contract expired with TNA, Kim re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late-2008.^[41] She made her return on the March 27 episode of SmackDown, when she interrupted a WWE Divas Championship match between Michelle McCool and Maryse by attacking both competitors.^[42] Kim made her in-ring return on the March 30 episode of Raw on the winning team of an 18-Diva tag team match.^[43] She made her first WrestleMania appearance when she 25-Diva Miss WrestleMania battle royal on April 5, 2009 at WWE's WrestleMania XXV.^[44] On the April 17 episode of SmackDown, Kim defeated then-Divas Champion Maryse.^[45] This earned her a championship match the following week, which she failed to win.^[46]

Kim at an autograph signing in Indianapolis, Indiana.

On the June 29 episode of Raw, Kim was traded to the Raw brand as part of a 15 wrestler tri-branded trade between Raw, SmackDown, and ECW.^[47] A few weeks later on the August 10 episode of Raw, she gained another Divas title shot by winning a Fatal 4-Way match, that also involved Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, and Alicia Fox, to become number one contender.^[48] She was unsuccessful in winning the championship on the August 17 episode of Raw, when she faced then-champion Mickie James.^[49] At the Bragging Rights pay per-view on October 25, Kim, with Melina and Kelly Kelly, represented Raw in a losing effort to Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, and Natalya, representing SmackDown.^[50] Kim was on the winning side of a five-on-five Survivor Series Elimination match on November 22 at the Survivor Series pay per-view.^[51]

In early 2010, a tournament was held for the newly vacated Divas Championship.^[52] Kim defeated Jillian Hall and Fox to make it to the finals, where she faced Maryse for the vacant title.^[53][54] The finals were held on the February 22 episode of Raw, which Maryse won to become the new champion.^[55] The finals were originally to be held on February 21 at the Elimination Chamber pay per-view,^[56] but the match was changed to the team of Maryse and Kim versus Team Lay-Cool (McCool and Layla), which was won by the latter thanks to Maryse abandoning Kim during the match.^[57] Kim was a part of the losing side of a 10-Diva tag team match at WWE's WrestleMania XXVI PPV event on March 28.^[58] At the Fatal 4-Way pay per-view on June 20 Kim challenged for the Divas Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match that also involved then-champion Eve, Maryse, and Fox; however, Fox won the contest.^[59]

In early 2011, Gail Kim became the on-screen girlfriend of Daniel Bryan and began accompanying him to the ring.^[60] At that time Bryan was managed by The Bella Twins and after they discovered Daniel Bryan kissing his new girlfriend, Gail Kim backstage, they assaulted her.^[61] On January 30 at the Royal Rumble, the Bella Twins once again assaulted Kim.^[62] On the following night on Raw, Gail was at ring side during Daniel Bryan's match against Tyson Kidd. After the match, the Bellas entered the ring, Nikki slapped Bryan and Gail attacked her.^[63]

On the August 1 episode of Raw, Kim participated in a Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the Divas Championship, however, shortly after the match began, she eliminated herself. She later explained that WWE had instructed her to get herself eliminated from the match within the first minute, so she decided to take the easy way out and just eliminate herself.^[64] On August 5, Gail Kim announced on her Twitter page that she had quit the WWE following the incident.^[65] Kim later indicated that WWE did not grant her release, but would instead force her to stay with the promotion for the remainder of her contract.^[66] Kim's WWE.com profile was removed on September 30, indicating that she had officially left the company.^[67] Kim later stated in an interview with The Sun that she was not happy with her time in WWE due to feeling that she was being held back, while also vowing never to re-sign with the promotion.^[68]

Return to TNA Wrestling (2011–present)[link]

Kim returned to TNA on the October 20 episode of Impact Wrestling, attacking TNA Women's Knockout Champion Velvet Sky and aligning herself with Karen Jarrett and Madison Rayne, thus establishing herself as a villain.^[69][70] On the October 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, Jarrett named Kim the number one contender to Sky's title, before she went on to defeat Tara in her first match back with the promotion.^[71] On the November 3 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim and Rayne defeated TnT (Brooke Tessmacher and Tara) to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.^[72] The following week they made their first title defense, defeating Mickie James and Velvet Sky.^[73] On November 13 at TNA's Turning Point PPV event, Kim defeated Velvet Sky to win the TNA Women's Knockout Championship for the second time, making her a double champion.^[74] She made her first title defense on December 11 at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event, defeating Mickie James, following interference from Madison Rayne.^[75] On the December 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim retained her title against James following another interference from Rayne.^[76] On the January 5 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim and Rayne retained their tag team title against James and Traci Brooks.^[77] Three days later at Genesis, Kim defeated James via disqualification to retain the Women's Knockout Championship.^[78] On February 12 at Against All Odds, Kim successfully defended the Women's Knockout Championship against Tara in a match, during which Madison Rayne walked out on her Knockouts Tag Team Championship partner.^[79] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Rayne won a battle royal to became the number one contender to Kim's TNA Women's Knockout Championship.^[80] In the following weeks, tension between Kim and Rayne began to be teased with the two negatively interfering in each other's matches.^[81][82] On the March 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim and Rayne lost the Knockouts Tag Team Championship to Eric Young and ODB.^[83] On March 18 at Victory Road, Kim successfully defended the Women's Knockout Championship against Rayne.^[84] On the March 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim and Rayne reconciled and remained together as a team.^[85] On April 15 at Lockdown, Kim defeated Velvet Sky in a steel cage match, following a distraction from Rayne, to retain her title.^[86] On May 13 at Sacrifice, Kim defeated Brooke Tessmacher, pinning her with her feet on the ropes, for another successful title defense.^[87] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Kim successfully defended her title against Tessmacher and Velvet Sky in a three-way match.^[88] On May 20, Kim became the longest reigning TNA Women's Knockout Champion in history by breaking Madison Rayne's previous record of 188 days.

Other media[link]

Kim posed topless for a cell phone ad campaign in South Korea.^[89] In 2007, Kim was listed on Forbes' top 40 list of "America's Most Eligible Bachelorettes".^[90] In 2009, Kim was a part of the cast of the independent psychological thriller entitled Royal Kill.^[1] On October 13, 2011, Gail Kim, along with The Miz, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and Eve Torres appeared on a special WWE edition of Family BrainSurge.^[91]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Christo / Flying Dragon (Tilt-a-whirl headscissors armbar)^[2][92]
  • Eat Defeat (Inverted stomp facebreaker)^[93] – 2009–present
  • Happy Ending (Straight jacket neckbreaker)^[2] – TNA; used as a signature move in WWE
  • Hurricanrana pin^[2] – WWE; 2002–2004
  • Over the shoulder back to belly piledriver^[26][94] – TNA

• Signature moves
  • Diving leg drop^[2]
  • Dragon sleeper^[2]
  • Front missile dropkick^[2]
  • Over the shoulder single leg boston crab^[2]
  • Springboard arm drag^[2]
  • Toronto Slam (Double leg slam)^[2]

• Managers
  • Karen Jarrett^[72]
  • Madison Rayne^[86]

• Wrestlers managed
  • America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm)^[10]
  • Molly Holly
  • Jeff Jarrett^[15]
  • Eve Torres^[15]
  • Daniel Bryan^[2]

• Entrance themes
  • "International Woman" by Dara Shindler (WWE; 2002–2004)^[95]
  • "Unstoppable" by Dale Oliver (TNA; 2005–2008, 2011)^[96]
  • "Strong and Sexy" by Jim Johnston (WWE; 2009–2011)^[97]
  • "Puppet on a String" by Dale Oliver^[98]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Gail Kim in February 2012 with the TNA Women's Knockout and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship belts.

• Apocalypse Wrestling Federation
  • Diva of the Year (2001)^[7]

• Funking Conservatory
  • FC Women's Championship (1 time)^[2]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked her #3 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008^[99]

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Madison Rayne^[72]
  • TNA Women's Knockout Championship (2 times, current)^[26][74]
  • Knockout of the Year (2007)^[31]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Women's Championship (1 time)^[100]

Lucha de Apuesta record[link]

References[link]