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== '''World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2004)''' == | == '''World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2004)''' == | ||
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. In October 2002, she was hired by the WWF, now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She spent eight months training in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW)[http://www.ovwrestling.com/] and appearing in house shows and dark matches before being called up to the main roster. 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. 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. Kim won the match by lastly eliminating Victoria. Kim held the title for four weeks, before losing it to Molly Holly on the July 28, 2003 episode of Raw. On the August 25 episode of Raw, Kim turned on Trish Stratus and subsequently formed an alliance with Holly to take on Stratus, defeating her and various partners on several occasions, until she 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. The four women continued to feud until November, when Kim was sidelined with a broken right collarbone. Kim returned to Raw in April 2004 and immediately reforged her alliance with Holly. 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. Kim participated in a battle royal on October 19, 2004 at WWE's Taboo Tuesday PPV event, which was won by Stratus. She, however, was released by WWE on November 3, 2004 as a result of cost cutting. Kim was caught off guard by her release and was told that management wanted to take the women's division in a new direction. | 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. In October 2002, she was hired by the WWF, now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She spent eight months training in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW)[http://www.ovwrestling.com/] and appearing in house shows and dark matches before being called up to the main roster. 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. 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. Kim won the match by lastly eliminating Victoria. Kim held the title for four weeks, before losing it to Molly Holly on the July 28, 2003 episode of Raw. | ||
On the August 25 episode of Raw, Kim turned on Trish Stratus and subsequently formed an alliance with Holly to take on Stratus, defeating her and various partners on several occasions, until she 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. The four women continued to feud until November, when Kim was sidelined with a broken right collarbone. Kim returned to Raw in April 2004 and immediately reforged her alliance with Holly. 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. Kim participated in a battle royal on October 19, 2004 at WWE's Taboo Tuesday PPV event, which was won by Stratus. She, however, was released by WWE on November 3, 2004 as a result of cost cutting. Kim was caught off guard by her release and was told that management wanted to take the women's division in a new direction. | |||
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== '''Return to World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2008–2011)''' == | == '''Return to World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2008–2011)''' == | ||
After her contract expired with TNA, Kim re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late-2008. | After her contract expired with TNA, Kim re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late-2008. She made her return on the March 27, 2009 episode of SmackDown, when she interrupted a WWE Divas Championship match between Michelle McCool and Maryse by attacking both competitors. Kim made her in-ring return on the March 30 episode of Raw on the winning team of an 18-Diva tag team match. She made her first WrestleMania appearance when she 25-Diva Miss WrestleMania battle royal on April 5, 2009 at WWE's WrestleMania XXV. On the April 17 episode of SmackDown, Kim defeated then-Divas Champion Maryse. This earned her a championship match the following week, which she failed to win. | ||
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. 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. She was unsuccessful in winning the championship on the August 17 episode of Raw, when she faced then-champion Mickie James. 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. 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. | |||
In early 2010, a tournament was held for the newly vacated Divas Championship. Kim defeated Jillian Hall and Fox to make it to the finals, where she faced Maryse for the vacant title. The finals were held on the February 22 episode of Raw, which Maryse won to become the new champion. The finals were originally to be held on February 21 at the Elimination Chamber pay per-view, 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. 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. 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. | |||
Whilst feuding with Maryse, Kim wrestled a string of house shows with Maryse, Kim was rumoured to be furious when one of the matches ended with Maryse sitting on Kim's face for the pin-fall. This move was never attempted on a live show as it did not comply with the WWE's current PG rating, however it is rumoured that this is one of the reasons for Gail Kim's departure from WWE. | Whilst feuding with Maryse, Kim wrestled a string of house shows with Maryse, Kim was rumoured to be furious when one of the matches ended with Maryse sitting on Kim's face for the pin-fall. This move was never attempted on a live show as it did not comply with the WWE's current PG rating, however it is rumoured that this is one of the reasons for Gail Kim's departure from WWE. | ||
In early 2011, Gail Kim became the on-screen girlfriend of Daniel Bryan and began accompanying him to the ring. | |||
In early 2011, Gail Kim became the on-screen girlfriend of Daniel Bryan and began accompanying him to the ring. 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. On January 30 at the Royal Rumble, the Bella Twins once again assaulted Kim. 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. | |||
For the first half of 2011, Kim feuded with Melina; the matches between the two mainly took place on Superstars and saw Kim emerging victorious in two singles matches on May 30 and June 23.[2] 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.[65] On August 5, Gail Kim announced on her Twitter page that she had quit the WWE following the incident.[66] 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.[67] Kim's WWE.com profile was removed on September 30, indicating that she had officially left the company.[68] 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.[69] | For the first half of 2011, Kim feuded with Melina; the matches between the two mainly took place on Superstars and saw Kim emerging victorious in two singles matches on May 30 and June 23.[2] 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.[65] On August 5, Gail Kim announced on her Twitter page that she had quit the WWE following the incident.[66] 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.[67] Kim's WWE.com profile was removed on September 30, indicating that she had officially left the company.[68] 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.[69] | ||