Illness Takes Gail Kim Out Of Special Ref Role In NWA Crockett Cup Match With WWE Star

By Angeline Phu
Gail Kim interacts with the crowd at a TNA/Impact Wrestling event. TNA

Several big names, including WWE's Natalya, were expected in at NWA's 2025 Crockett Cup event, but fans are now expecting to see one less wrestling icon at the event. Former WWE and TNA figure Gail Kim announced her sudden departure from the event early Saturday, just mere hours before the doors opened.

Kim, who is known best for her two runs with WWE in the 2000s and her leadership in TNA's talent relations department, took to social media to announce her day-of withdrawal from the NWA event. According to Kim, after she finished a cruise vacation on Sunday, May 11, she began experience "severe flu/covid symptoms." Whether Kim has COVID-19 or not remains unclear, but her condition was severe enough for her to withdraw herself from the night's festivities. Kim was intended to be a special guest referee for Kenzie Page's NWA Women's Championship title defense against Natalya.

"I did not want to announce in hopes to make a full recovery by today," Kim wrote on May 17, "but I am still experiencing a high fever and have had to cancel this am."

Kim promised that the now-missed Crockett Cup event would not be her last appearance with NWA, and directed her best to all performers still expected for the Crockett Cup. It seems that Kim's absence from the Crockett Cup card is not expected to impact the night's match line-up, as Page is still slated to defend her title against the third-generation Neidhart. Underneath, fans poured out their support for Kim's health, and implored the 7-time Knockouts champion to rest.

The Crockett Cup will be hosted in Philadelphia's 2300 Arena. A three-way match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, with the champion Thom Latimer taking on Rhino and Colby Corino is set for the main event. 

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