Gail Kim Says Vince McMahon Was ‘Unapproachable,’ Talks Her Favorite ’80s Legends

Gail Kim says that she found Vince McMahon “unapproachable,” though she notes that part of that was because she was very intimidated by him. The women’s wrestling legend became a star through her first run in WWE, and returned for a run in 2008 through 2011. Kim reflected on her experiences with the now-former WWE Chairman in an interview with Jackpot City Casino.

Kim also looked back at the wrestling legends in the 1980s that she most appreciated like Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat. You can see the highlights below:

Gail Kim on Vince McMahon:

“[Vince McMahon was] my unapproachable boss. I think he made himself somewhat unapproachable unless you developed a relationship with him. That’s partially on me; I was very intimidated. He’s a very intimidating man, and even the times when I took the risk to try to talk to him one-on-one, I got shooed away by someone else, they’re very protective. So, I can give him respect for what he’s built in the business, but of course, there are a lot of other controversies out there that I don’t agree with, obviously, as a woman.”

On the Legends Who Brought Wrestling Into the Mainstream:

“Hulk Hogan brought pro wrestling to the mainstream audience in the 80s. I remember as a kid, watching wrestling. Me and my sister being children and, like, waiting up really late on Saturday Night’s Main Event. It was so special to us, and the storylines and the characters back then. There was no internet, so everyone just believed everything in pro wrestling. It was such a wonderful time. I don’t know if you watched wrestling as a kid back then, but it was very real, very memorable.

“But Hulk Hogan wasn’t my favorite, I’ll say that. I liked some of the mid-card guys, I guess you would call them the Intercontinental champions at the time: Tito Santana, the British Bulldog, Bret Hart. I kind of liked more of the smaller guys, I guess, or the ones that moved around quicker, or certain characters, like Ricky Steamboat, and Jake “The Snake,” and Rick Rude, and Miss Elizabeth. “