While TNA Impact has had a lot of great female workers in their Knockouts Division, one name always stands tall: Gail Kim. She still holds the record for the most Knockouts Championship reigns ever, but more importantly, she helped make the division stand out when WWE’s own women’s wrestling division was in a low period. Kim did begin her career in WWE, yet TNA is where her true fame began.

Related: Gail Kim: Age, Height, Relationship Status & Other Things You Didn't Know About Her

Kim’s career is amazing. With little experience, she was signed to WWE and pushed fast. Yet that early push faltered to leave her adrift before TNA gave her a new life. There was a brief WWE return, yet TNA/Impact is always where Kim seemed most at home. These photos show her journey from just a standard worker to a brief WWE star and then Impact icon and the amazing legacy Kim has left for women’s wrestling and especially one company.

10 Early Days

Gail Kim Rookie

After some time as a model, Kim started her career in Toronto, training under Rob Etchevarria at several gyms. She debuted under a mask as “La Felina” before losing a match to Tracy Brooks.

She continued to work under her real name for Border City Wrestling and other territories, showing some good skill, and eventually getting a tryout for OVW. She spent eight months training and doing dark matches before finally winning a spot on the main roster, which would turn out to be a big move.

9 Debut & First WWE Title Win

gail-kim-wwe-womens-champion

Gail Kim got a setup via vignettes with a character clearly based on the hit Matrix movies. She made her debut on the June 30, 2003, episode of RAW, by taking part in a seven-woman battle royal was held for Jazz's WWE Women’s Title. In a huge upset, Kim dumped Victoria to win the title, putting her on the shortlist of wrestlers to win a championship in their debut.

Related: 10 Wrestlers Who Won Titles Quickly (& Were Then Forgotten)

However, her reign lasted only four weeks, with her only televised title defense against Molly Holly. She then dropped the belt to Holly as the company seemed to lose some drive for her.

8 Heel Turn

Gail Kim WWE

After losing the title, Gail Kim and Trish Stratus lost a tag match to Victory and Molly Holly. Kim blamed Trish for the loss, attacked her, and turned heel. She then joined Holly in an alliance to attack Trish, who was saved by a returning Lita. The feud continued until Kim suffered a broken collarbone and had to take a few months off.

She returned in April of 2004 to once more feud with Stratus while also taking part in a Fatal Four-Way match at Bad Blood. Her final appearance was a battle royal at Taboo Tuesday before being cut without warning in November.

7 Joining Impact

America's Most Wanted

Gail Kim wasn't expecting her release from WWE, but she'd soon make appearances wrestling in the independents and Mexico. She signed with TNA in September of 2005. She debuted in October, aiding heel tag team champions America’s Most Wanted. For months, Kim was the team’s manager, often interfering to help them keep the titles.

Related: 10 Backstage Stories About Gail Kim We Can't Believe

She didn’t actually wrestle until July of 2006 when she and AMW faced AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Sirelda in a mixed tag match. She then beat Sirelda in her first singles match at Hard Justice to start a new career path.

6 Knockouts Champion

Gail Kim Knockouts Champion

In 2007, TNA began to take women’s wrestling more seriously as Kim won a short feud with Jacqueline. At Bound For Glory, she won a 10-women gauntlet match to become the inaugural Knockouts Champion.

She held the belt for three months, including an acclaimed feud with Awesome Kong, who finally beat Kim for the belt in January of 2008. Kim would spend the next few years challenging for the title and wrestling in tag team matches, being a dependable face for the company before departing in August of 2008 when her contract expired

5 WWE Return

Gail Kim returns to WWE

Gail Kim returned to WWE, interrupting a SmackDown match between Maryse and Michelle McCool. She was part of the WrestleMania 25 battle royal and various tag team matches while challenging Maryse for the Women’s Title. Kim was later traded to RAW to challenge for the Divas Championship but kept coming up short.

Related: Gail Kim & 9 Other People Who Will Never Work With WWE Again

While she had a few title shots, Kim was mostly used for “filler” spots in tag team or fatal 4-way matches than anything serious on her own, despite her great talent and obvious stardom ready to be used.

4 Bryan’s Girlfriend & Departure

Gail Kim and Daniel Bryan

In early 2011, Gail Kim had even less screen time than she had before. One angle involved the Bella Twins each trying to win over Daniel Bryan. Instead, Bryan revealed he was dating Kim. It was an odd pairing that never quite worked with Gail in Bryan’s corner for matches.

She feuded with Melina before taking part in a battle royal on the August 1 episode of RAW. Eliminating herself in the first minute, Kim basically quit the company on the spot, airing her frustrations about WWE not using her right. She stuck around until her contract expired in September to leave under a cloud.

3 Return To Impact

Gail Kim TNA Knockouts Champion

Kim returned to TNA on the October 20, 2011, episode of Impact Wrestling to attack Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky and ally with Karen Jarrett. Kim and Madison Rayne won the Knockouts tag team titles and at Turning Point, Kim beat Sky for the Knockouts Title.

Related: 10 Wrestlers Who Left TNA And Came Back Without Changing Much

That made her the first two-time Knockouts Champion and a double champ as well. By the time she lost the belt 210 days later, Kim was, at the time, the longest-reigning Knockouts Champion and kicked off an amazing new career.

2 Hall Of Famer

Gail Kim Hall Of Fame

Over the next five years, Kim would set the record for the most Knockouts title reigns, seven in all. She handled several injuries alongside numerous face/heel turns while feuding with pretty much every woman in the company.

No matter what else happened in the Knockouts Division, Kim was generally at the center of it, often holding the belt. In 2016, Kim was the first female inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame. She had to end her title reign at the time for a back injury but would return to challenge for the GWF Women’s belt.

1 Retirement & Producer

Gail Kim TNA Entrance

At Bound For Glory 2017, Kim faced Sienna and Allie in a three-way match for the Knockouts Title. She won the title, but the very next night, Gail announced she was retiring from wrestling to vacate the belt. She then took on a role as a backstage producer and trainer. Kim was placed into the feud of Tessa Blanchard and Tara Valkyrie, which involved fighting with Blanchard.

That had Kim making a one-night return to the ring in 2019, where Blanchard won. Today, Kim works to sign new talents to Impact and help secure her legacy as one of the best female workers in any company’s history.