Gail Kim

About Gail Kim

Gail Kim (born February 20, 1976) is a Korean Canadian professional wrestler, valet, model, and actress. She formerly worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where she was the first ever TNA Women's Knockout Champion. She is also a one-time WWE Women's Champion, having won the title on her debut match for World Wrestling Entertainment. She is also the only woman to hold both the WWE and TNA Women's Championships.

Kim attended the York Memorial Collegiate Institute in Toronto, partaking in numerous sports and twice being named "Athlete of the Year". Upon her graduation, she began studying kinesiology at the University of Toronto, but later switched to nutrition at Ryerson University.

After obtaining her degree, Kim decided to become a professional wrestler and joined Ron Hutchinson's "School of Pro Wrestling" in Toronto. She received supplementary training from Rob Etchevarria at the "Squared Circle Pro Wrestling Gym". She debuted in December 2000, wearing a mask and wrestling as "The Queen of the Cats" La Felina in the Southern Ontario-based Apocalypse Wrestling Federation and was eventually unmasked by Tracy Brooks (Tracy Brookshaw) in a "mask versus hair" match. Kim worked on the Canadian independent circuit for two years, wrestling for promotions such as Border City Wrestling. On September 27, 2002, Kim reached the semi-finals of the WXW Women's Elite 8 Tournament in Danbury, Connecticut, defeating Nikki Roxx (Nicole Raczynski) and April Hunter before losing to Tracy Brooks.