Gail Kim Expands on Recent Statements About Riho, Responds to ‘Derogatory’ Comments Made by Kenny Omega

During a recent appearance on HUGE POP! with Donnie DaSilva and Jimmy Korderas, former TNA and WWE star Gail Kim expanded on her recent statements regarding AEW talent and former Women’s World Champion Riho. At the time, Gail Kim stated, “When I did watch Riho and nothing against her at all bc I am The biggest supporter of all women who wanna make it in this business, but I did feel uncomfortable watching her because the camera shots would go up her skirt and she was always dressed like a very little girl and it felt improper.” AEW star and EVP Kenny Omega later appeared to reference Kim’s comments regarding Riho on his X account, writing, “Another day and another ‘legend’ doing the splits on it for the yearly TKO gift basket…”

The drama continued with Kim responding to Omega directly, writing, “If you’re trying to beat around the bush and misinterpret things like the rest of the yahoos, let me clarify that you are wrong. And if you’re not talking about me then I’ll apologize but with all the tribalistic crazies out yesterday misinterpreting things, I was yes, assuming so.” Kim addressed the situation at length on the podcast, explaining her thoughts on what she’s seen of Riho and Omega’s “derogatory” comments. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Kim on feeling her comments about Riho got twisted: “I’m a little feisty, I’m a little fiery, so when people come at me, I have this need to defend myself… I did budge from my stance because… the view that the AEW fans or maybe the Riho fans had, a lot of them were very misunderstood and I felt like got very twisted inside and out and backwards and forwards and every which way you can imagine. So, I tried to explain myself… I was not, in any way, saying anything bad about her. I was talking about my discomfort in a segment that I had watched, probably when AEW started, because I don’t watch AEW currently. I’ve tried a few times. Wasn’t really my cup of tea. I do support, of course, a lot of the wrestlers over there because our world is very small, and yeah, I always support the wrestlers and what they do. I gave my answer from a question that was asked. I think it stemmed from a Jim Cornette question, who is also very controversial, and I guess people who didn’t like my opinion, and maybe read people’s twisted interpretations of what was said, took it the wrong way… The (Dave) Meltzers of the world and people telling me I need to apologize. It’s just ridiculous in my opinion just because I don’t think he fully understands the situation, and like I said, I would have been happy to have a conversation just like we’re having right now. I always feel like having conversations clears up things so much more, besides standing behind or sitting behind a keyboard where you’re anonymous, whereas we are all public figures and we have to take accountability for what we say and they really don’t.”

On why the Riho segment she commented on made her feel uncomfortable: “For me, I saw that one segment and I remember just feeling uncomfortable… Yes, she appeared to look very young, and then dressed, in that particular match, like a little girl, in my mind, and then when the cameraman — I think she was going up to the top rope — and I remember the cameraman shooting up her skirt, which, you know, happened a lot in my early wrestling days, where I had to go tell the cameraman or the production truck, ‘Hey! Stop shooting up my ass.’ So I felt uncomfortable and that kind of set the tone for the match. I’d honestly have to go look to see what match it was. It might have been Nyla (Rose), because it was very early on, and when I said she wasn’t believable in that match, it was just ‘cause I felt uncomfortable from the start, if you get my drift, in terms of — in this age of the child — you know, Jeffrey Epstein-era… I just felt really uncomfortable and then so, that’s what I meant by it and I actually had AEW — former people that worked there, say to me, ‘I agreed with you. I would be backstage and I felt the same way,’ and so, listen, not everyone’s gonna feel that way and by no means makes me think she’s current-day, not believable wrestler. I actually haven’t seen her wrestle again. Maybe clips online. But I can’t judge what type of wrestler I think she is today, and I’ve admittedly said that I haven’t watched their product in a really long time so, I’m happy to watch the product again and give my opinion on that, so, I would just hope that people have open minds…”

Gail Kim on belief that Kenny Omega was likely responding to AEW fans twisting her comments out of context: “Even what he said though, was very derogatory. Again, he was probably reading things online and believing the AEW fans who twisted all the messaging, in my opinion, I don’t know. Maybe he did read my original answer. But, to say I do the splits — I didn’t even know what that meant at first. I’m like, ‘What do you mean I do the splits for TKO?’ I’m like, ‘What is he talking about?'”

As previously noted, it was later reported by BJ Bethel that she reached out to several people in AEW at some point. Kim later denied the report stating the only person from AEW who contacted her was Sonjay Dutt, and it was asking if she wanted to wrestle, which she said she turned down.