The Verdict- Gail Kim: A Sellout?

Question

So, like many disheartened TNA fans, this morning I awoke to the news that Gail Kim, TNA's first Knockout Champion and prototype of what the title should stand for left the company. Astounded, I began to look around for answers. It hasn't been uncommon for TNA to drive away talent lately. Later on in the day I learned the sum of my fears, Gail Kim has met with the WWE, and plans on wrestling for them for a sizable amount of money that Total Non-Stop Action cannot meet or top.

Many fans view this as a smart move on her part, but many believe that since she could be compromising her character for a heavier wallet that she has become a sellout. It's even went as far as WWE reactivating all Gail Kim's trademarked copyrights.

Here are the facts; Kim's left a growing national company with one of the most, if not THE most, prestigious women's divisions in mainstream North American wrestling, one which she helped pave the way for, to go back to a company who wants the rights to anything with her name attached, and is synonamous with scantily clad female wrestlers, a majority of which cannot wrestle. She's done it all for an extra zero at the end, or a higher diget at the beginning.

Then again, wouldn't you do the same? Aside from encouraging Kim to get breast implants (something Gail's openly admitted to doing prior to debuting), the 'E's done no wrong with Gail, and the company parted way with hers on fairly good terms considering it was just a run-of-the-mill release.

So, what's the verdict? Has Gail sold out? Or is she justified looking after herself? Rule is you can only take one side of the argument. Whoever gives me the best reasoning gets best answer.

Answer 1

that was a good move on kims part. see, nash does not know how to create storylines with out excluding the uprise of other stars. i grant you that kim is a beast {very good wrestler and very very good looking} but how can she be a good name wrestler in TNA if KONG is the dominate lady wrestler and now getting defeated by a girl who no way in the world can defeat KONG {can you say Nash's girlfriend} Kim is better off wrestling divas like Mickey James, Victoria, Melina, and even Kelly Kelly. She can win any night and become champ. not to mention smack down is going to have a femal belt. that is two chances to be a champ. WWE has already shown her love by putting a title on her the first night.

Answer 2

If you've been watching WWE Shows this year, then you know that they've has gone a long way from lingerie and pany matches. All the WWE Divas either have learned to wrestle or are in the process of learning wrestling holds and wrestling moves. If you cannot wrestle, you'll get released. WWE noticed that TNA was getting higher ratings for matches where women were applying wrestling holds and doing wrestling moves. WWE is not stupid, they started training all the WWE Divas and women like Layla and Kelly Kelly are doing wrestling holds and wrestling moves that they could not have done a year ago. The reports I've read is that Gail Kim has a contract with a Booking Agent who lines up personal appearances for her and this created conflict with TNA wanting to use her in that capacity.

Answer 3

I thought she was in the WWE before going to TNA, so how is that a sellout?

Answer 4

She's not a sell-out, but her presence in TNA will be greatly missed.

I guess WWE needed to add a female wrestler with a lot of credibility behind her to their Divas list, as well as one that is extremely popular with fans in general. To beat out TNA's Knockouts Division and its popularity, I guess WWE was smart in trying to gain one of the biggest parts of it, though they were moronic for letting Gail Kim go in the first place.

A lot of wrestlers move to other companies for more money or another opportunity to wrestle in front of a huge crowd of people. Wrestlers are employees after all, and money is one of the main things to gain while wrestling. I just hope WWE doesn't use her for a couple of months and waste her again, jobbing to the likes of Kelly Kelly and Maria.

Answer 5

thanks for telling me i did not think she would go to wwe . ***starred***.

Answer 6

Stone Luigi - Gail Kim is Korean Canadian. Nice try.

Answer 7

maybe its because there not as good as the wwe

Answer 8

Yeah Man. She's A F*cking Sellout.

She Gave It All Away For Another Zero At The End Of Her Paycheck.

In TNA, She Had It All. She Was One Of The Top People In The Womens Division. She Was Their FIRST Womens Champion.. She Couldn't Ask For Better Usage.

Now In The WWE She Will Probably Have Some Sh*tty Gimmick Like Jillian Hall's.

Answer 9

Gail is definately in the right

In fact im glad she is going to the WWE, the TNA Women's Division is *stacked* and instead of Gail being the #1 face there now she has taken a backseat to other wrestlers in the company.

Reasons why she didnt sell out

- She built that division with Kong playing the face and heel roles that can carry any division. It was then after TNA started to care about womens wrestling by bringing in people like ODB, Roxxi and Taylor Wilde.

- She has done enough for TNA and realises that she is in her prime and wants to justify that for a better paycheck, not to mention the TNA Women's Division is hardly the *national* stage and now WWE and Gail can get down to things.

- What more could she do in TNA? Become a 12 time Knockout's Champion? X-Division Champion?

- She hasnt done ANYTHING wrong to TNA, there is nothing wrong with looking after her. Plus with the WWE divisions improving she can jump into that and perform well and get herself over quite quickly one would assume.

- If Gail is a sellout because she went to the WWE, doesnt that make Christian, Angle and Booker all sellouts too? They have now left the company that pushed them for *greener* pastures, that would make anyone who has left a company a sellout. Gail is not a sellout by any means, she knows her oppurtunity is now and has taken it. If anyone discourages her for that, then you are either a selfish TNA fan or a total moron who doesnt understand business.

Its funny, why are people so offend and shocked by this? Who in their right mind wouldnt turn down extra money to wrestle on a bigger stage? Its like all the TNA fans has taken this personally - Why would she go to a less established division? If TNA fans think their product is superior or feel hurt by this, please get over it - TNA isnt going anywhere, they're nothing special and the women's division is so full up that Gail was *just another woman*.

This is a smart move by Gail, and personally I get to see her wrestle more now - Its a win-win, YAY!

Plus Gail vs Beth, Gail vs Nattie, Gail vs Mickie are all awesome matches we can now look forward to.

This is a bigger gain for WWE than a loss for TNA, Gail brings a lot to the table and TNA is going to be fine without her.

Save_Us.Gail or maybe it was Save_Urself.Gail

Answer 10

Yes she is a sell out, I guess her character doesnt mean much as long as she has that money

Answer 11

i agree with J.O½ L.T 4 MVP

Answer 12

she is a sellout

Answer 13

LOOKS LIKE HER NAME SHOULD BE CHANGED TO:

'BAIL KIM'

Answer 14

I'm pretty much mad right now. Gail should have stayed with TNA, but looks like she went to WWE, and she chose the money instead of loyalty. If I was her, I would have stayed with TNA..they pretty much made her big. WWE had a chance with Gail Kim, but did they take it at first? Nope. But ohhhh, now they want her all of a sudden, because why? One of the top divas in TNA. I'm seriously mad that Gail would go to WWE...I would have stayed with TNA. TNA MADE HER BIG! If they didn't make her the first TNA Knockouts champ, or the top diva, would have WWE made that offer to her? Nope, probably not. Just...jeez.

Answer 15

TNA should stop wasting money if they want to keep talent.

Answer 16

Kevin Nash will not be a big loss. Nash has not drawn in years, and I agree with Jim Cornette's shoot in the WWE from back in the mid 1990's he said Nash had six moves and no mobility, and enough time to cover it up in his matches (which is 100% true) Gail Kim I will miss in TNA. I don't give a rat's *** about Kevin Nash. Truthfully, I think the wrong member of the Outsiders was in the main events in WCW. I would take Scott Hall anyday over Nash despite all of Hall's demons.

Answer 17

I think she didn't get a big enough push in WWE so she went to TNA

but now WWE give her a bigger offer than TNA and besides people work for money.

I hope she doesn't end up like Jillian Hall and gets a good push against Beth Phoinex for the Womens Championship.

Answer 18

no. there are very few things that can cause a person to become a sell out, and this ain't one of them. in the wwe, not only will she be offered more money, but she'll get a chance to bring prestige to either of the women's divsion in the wwe, and with neither division too stacked, this is a chance for her to gain a few reigns under her belt in the biggest company in the game. this is also a shot for her to go to a promotion notorious for hiring eye candy for divas and prove that you can be beautiful and be able to wrestle great matches at the same time. wwe has obviously seen how much she's grown since coming to tna, and with two women's division, they need talent to bolster it up. and while you can get all the eye candy in the world, it means nothing if you don't have a few good wrestlers to bring prestige to the product. gail kim does just that, brings prestige yet still is marketable eye candy.

there have been many wrestlers who have paved the way and took part in a prestigious division, only to move on to bigger and better places. look at joe and punk, they practically made roh the biggest indy around thanks to their efforts, but they had to move on to bigger money and a chance to be wrestling in primetime, and it's understandable. gail's likely leaving tna on good terms, knowing that she's been given a shot on a bigger stage and realizing that she's left the tna knockouts' division in tremendous shape.

gail is not a sell out. she is just realizing an opportunity and seizing it.

Answer 19

in away its tna's fault to. TNA if they were wasting money on football players and such they could of afforeded to pay tna talent alot more.

I'm sure Kim was making alot more money than some divas in wwe mainly Victoria, then Jillian and so on.

wwe is just going to mis use her like all the other talented divas and just make her job to the next diva that decides to pose for PB. I think Gail is making a mistake like Chris Harris did.

wwe fired kim for no reason back in 04 and i have no earthly idea why she would want to go back. TNA she was the top diva. wwe she will be nearly to the top for maybe a month or two then fall into the level of Jillian hall

Answer 20

You forget she was in the WWE before she was ever in TNA. True, she did hekp establish the Women's divsion in TNA, but just like any other athlete in other sports, she opted for a bigger paycheck and a bigger audience. Maybe she could make the WWE's women's division watchable again. Mickey James, Natalya, Victoria are all good, and Kelly Kelly & Katie Burchill  aren't near as bad as some of the others.  

Answer 21

Dawg She Korean Not Japanese Stone Luigi

Answer 22

I think she sold out big time. In the wwe she was just another one of the many divas in tna SHE MAIN EVENTED AN IMPACT AND WAS THE FIRST TNA WOMENS CHAIMPION! IN THE WWE SHE WILL BE IN BIKINI CONTEST AND WILL HAVE 4 MINUTE MATCHES! She sold out for nothing but the money i read on www.lordsofpain.com that someone from tna said that Gail wanted garanties that tna couldnt fulfil basicly that means one thing she wanted more. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Answer 23

Money is Motive. WWE can give her things that TNA can't. It's not like she left on bad terms. She is more than welcomed to come back.

Answer 24

It is true that Gail Kim had set the standard of what a Women's Champion should be in TNA. She would be the one for up-and-coming talent to model themselves after. For many wrestlers of the past, and present, the question becomes "Where do I go from here?". Kim could stay in TNA, making the same amount of money, and become champion several times over. Then again, Gail Kim could do the exact same thing in WWE, for much more money, becoming a champion several times over, and be exposed to an audience that stretches much, much farther than TNA currently can. The WWE is THE stage to perform your craft on. It's the greatest canvas of them all. Taking more money for something you do well is not 'selling out' by any means. It's smart business. There is no reason that any wrestler anywhere should feel pressured by anyone, fans or company, to limit their ability to apply their craft on an even grander stage and limit the opportunity to gain financial security in their lives. If any one of us could do what we do for living and be paid much more for it elsewhere, the majority of us would do it.

Loyalty to a company only goes as far as what the benefits are. Some wrestling companies may work a lighter schedule, but they also pay substantially less. Some companies may offer no health benefits, but pay extremely well. It's all about weighing the positives and the negatives and it's apparent that Gail sees the WWE is the place to go right now for what she needs in her life and her career.

Considering the current WWE women's roster being oversaturated with non-wrestling models and "Divas" Gail may soon find herself limited in competition, even more-so depending on which brand she is placed on. This could, in theory, be a blessing for her. She won't have to work that hard or take any serious bumps by women who are twice or three times her size (ODB, Kong) and instead can work a relatively simple match until she works with the more talented women in the WWE (Natalya, Victoria, Mickie).

Gail has not sold out by any stretch of the word. That term get thrown around too often by wrestling fans who are simply dissappointed that one of their favorites are moving elsewhere. Wrestlers, no matter how distinguished, always face the nightmare of horrible booking and mishandled storylines when leaving a company (Bret Hart to WCW) that can eventually lead them to being forgotten by the company. However, a good sign for Gail and the WWE is that the company has been eager to attain talented women for it's division. One other positive note is that since the company is now as "family-friendly" as it is we won't have to worry about seeing a half-naked Vince McMahon force Gail Kim to rub all over him while he grunts and groans like some kind of animal just appease him own sense of manliness.

Answer 25

it sounds like to me that TNA is doing the same exact thing that killed WCW.  Letting all the established superstars from the wwe call all the shots why all the TNA originals are still working hard to earn their stripes and might not get there.  From what i here Kevin Nash is on the brink of leaving TNA also.

Answer 26

As much as i would like to debate with myself on this answer, I'll just leave a little brief one.

Money moves mountains, and it's moving Gail Kim to the WWE

Answer 27

She's earned the big bucks so why not, a career in wrestling is over before you know it so let her get the money while she can