Allie And Sienna Talk Gail Kim's Impending Retirement, Gail Taking A Backstage Position
WrestlingInc.com owner Raj Giri was on a media conference call this week with Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Sienna and number-one contender Allie. Giri asked them about Gail Kim's influence on the rest of the women and her impending retirement.
Widely regarded as one of the best women's wrestlers of all time, Kim announced that her retirement will come at the end of 2017 with her final match coming at Impact's Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Nov. 5 when she faces Sienna and Allie in a triple threat match for the title. When she's done with in-ring competition, she will transition into a backstage role with Impact.
Allie said Kim has already been an important influence to the rest of the Knockouts Division and believes she will excel at her behind-the-scenes position when the time comes.
"Well Gail actually really does help all of us in the locker room," Allie said. "She obviously is like the locker room leader and she really does want our division to be the best division in the world, so I think having her influence has helped all of us and helped us all shape ourselves as wrestlers. I've only been there for a year and she's helped me quite a bit. When she goes into retirement and just having her more accessible and more available to help us is just gonna make the division even stronger."
Despite her rivalry with Kim, Sienna praised her for being a true pioneer of the Knockouts Division. But what Sienna is most grateful for is the chance to go against Kim in the ring.
"Though Gail and I have had our differences, I must admit I am grateful for what she's done for the Knockouts Division," Sienna said. "She's the reason that there even is a Knockouts Division. So as much as we don't get along sometimes, she is the reason that I'm given the opportunity that I am today, and I'm grateful that she's given me the opportunity to come on television and punch her in the face."