Gail Kim

Gail Kim-Irvine, born February 20, 1977, is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In TNA, she became the inaugural and record-setting seven-time Knockouts Champion, as well as a Knockouts Tag Team Champion. In WWE, she made history by winning the WWE Women's Championship in her debut match.

Kim was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Korean immigrants. She attended York Memorial Collegiate Institute in the York district. She later enrolled at the University of Toronto, majoring in kinesiology, before transferring to Ryerson University in the Garden District to change her major to nutrition.

After completing her degree at Ryerson University, Kim pursued professional wrestling by training at Ron Hutchison's School of Pro Wrestling in Toronto, with additional training from Rob Etchevarria. She made her debut in December 2000 wearing a mask as "The Queen of the Cats" La Felina in the Apocalypse Wrestling Federation. After being unmasked by Tracy Brooks, Kim competed on the Canadian independent circuit for two years, including for promotions such as Border City Wrestling.

In October 2002, Kim was hired by WWE after being recommended to officials by Nora Greenwald. Following eight months in Ohio Valley Wrestling, she debuted on Raw in June 2003, winning a seven-woman battle royal for the WWE Women's Championship in her first televised match. She held the title for four weeks. After recovering from a collarbone injury and participating in feuds with wrestlers such as Trish Stratus, Lita, and Victoria, Kim was released by WWE in November 2004.

Kim competed internationally before signing with TNA in September 2005, initially serving as a valet for America's Most Wanted and Jeff Jarrett. She later transitioned to singles competition and became the inaugural TNA Women's Knockout Champion in October 2007. During her time with the promotion, she engaged in an acclaimed feud with Awesome Kong and was named the 2007 TNA Knockout of the Year before leaving TNA in August 2008.

Kim returned to WWE in late 2008, competing on SmackDown and Raw, and making her first WrestleMania appearance at WrestleMania XXV. Following feuds with Maryse, Melina, and The Bella Twins, Kim left WWE in 2011. She returned to TNA in October 2011, forming an alliance with Karen Jarrett and Madison Rayne, with whom she won the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship. She remained with TNA until 2025.

Over the course of her career, Kim received multiple major honors. Pro Wrestling Illustrated named her the number one female wrestler in the world in 2012. In 2016, she became the first woman inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame.