March is Women’s History Month, and Awesome Kong is the kind of name that instantly rewrites the tone of the room. Not because she was “big for a Knockout.” Because she wrestled like a final boss before that phrase became normal in women’s wrestling. Kong didn’t just win titles — she made entire divisions feel like they had consequences. If you stepped into the ring with her, you weren’t “having a match.” You were surviving an event.
And that’s why her career still matters to wrestling as a whole, not just women’s wrestling. Kong helped normalize brutality, urgency, and main-event stakes in spaces that used to keep women in a smaller box.
The origin: Amazing Kong, Japan credibility, and a style that didn’t ask permission
Before TNA ever put her on American TV, Kia Stevens had already built a reputation internationally as Amazing Kong — a legit monster who could throw people, break down opponents with stiff, ugly impact, and still work matches with structure. That’s important because Kong’s aura didn’t come from production. It came from the fact she’d already been forged in real wrestling environments where you can’t fake toughness.
TNA 2007–2010: the Knockouts era becomes a fight, and Kong becomes the division’s shadow
Kong arrived in TNA in 2007 and almost immediately the Knockouts division changed shape. The title scene went from “who’s the best athlete” to “who can withstand this monster.” She quickly won the Knockouts Championship (No Surrender 2007), but the belt was almost secondary to the point she was making: this division can be treated like a war zone.
And then came the rivalry that defined her career and arguably defined the entire early identity of the Knockouts:
Gail Kim and Awesome Kong: wrestling soulmates in the most violent way possible
When people say “chemistry,” they usually mean smooth sequences. Kong and Gail were something else. They were wrestling soulmates because each brought out the other’s truest instincts:
- Gail wrestled like survival. She sold panic and grit like it was a real fight.
- Kong wrestled like inevitability. She wasn’t just strong — she was oppressive.
Their matches didn’t feel like “women’s division showcases.” They felt like main-event fights with real fear in them. Gail made Kong look unstoppable, and Kong made Gail look heroic without ever turning the violence into parody. That’s why their feud is still referenced as a standard-setter: it took women’s wrestling in a major U.S. promotion and made it feel like the hardest thing on the show.
The peak of that era is the No Disqualification clash at Final Resolution 2008, where the stipulation wasn’t a gimmick — it was the only rule set that matched the story. It’s one of those matches people still bring up when they want proof the Knockouts weren’t just “good for their time.” They were flat-out great.
And the wild part is, years later, when Kong’s career came full circle, it was Gail who was there again — not as an opponent this time, but as the person who understood her legacy better than anyone.
WWE (2011–2012): Kharma, the short run, and the Rumble history moment
Kong’s WWE run as Kharma is the definition of “short but loud.” She debuted in 2011 like a horror movie cameo — destroying people, scaring the division, and instantly feeling like the kind of presence WWE didn’t know how to replicate often.
Real life shifted the timeline (pregnancy, time away), and when she returned it was in one of those “wait, they’re really doing this?” moments: Royal Rumble 2012, entrant #21, where she became the third woman ever to compete in the men’s Royal Rumble match. It’s still the most surreal piece of trivia in her career because it wasn’t framed as comedy — it was framed as “here comes the monster,” right down to her terrifying Michael Cole into eliminating himself.
It also ended up being her only official WWE match, which is why fans still talk about the “what if” of it all. The aura was obvious. The runway just didn’t last long enough.
The return to TNA: Havok, the cage fight, and the monster-vs-monster attraction
When Kong came back to TNA in 2015, they did the smart thing: they didn’t pretend she was “just another Knockout.” They treated her like an attraction, and they immediately positioned her opposite Havok — the closest thing TNA had to another monster presence.
That feud built with tension for weeks before the payoff: a steel cage match on the Lockdown episode of Impact (February 6, 2015), where Kong won and the division felt like it had its monster energy back. Monster-vs-monster is hard to do without it turning slow. Kong and Havok made it feel like two trucks colliding.
The Dollhouse: Kong as the new leader and why it mattered
In early 2016, TNA pulled a sharp swerve: with Taryn Terrell gone, Kong aligned with The Dollhouse and became their new leader on the January 5, 2016 episode of Impact. It was a smart use of her aura — The Dollhouse had numbers and attitude, but Kong gave them the thing every heel faction wants: fear. Her leadership didn’t last long, but the idea was clear: Kong isn’t just muscle, she’s a power source factions orbit around.
AEW and beyond: the aura followed her
Kong’s later career included a national run in AEW as part of the Nightmare Collective era, and outside the ring she also crossed into acting — most notably with a recurring role on Netflix’s GLOW. Even when the wrestling schedule wasn’t constant, her presence stayed relevant because she’d already become a reference point: whenever a company wanted a “monster,” Kong was the comparison.
Retirement at NWA Empowerrr: the goodbye that fit the legacy
The most fitting detail about her retirement is where it happened: NWA Empowerrr (August 28, 2021) — an all-women’s event, a Women’s History Month kind of stage even outside of March. Kong returned in a moment tied directly to her past, standing alongside Gail Kim, then announced she was done in-ring. It wasn’t flashy. It was firm. Like Kong closing the book herself.
TNA/IMPACT Hall of Fame: the industry admitting what the fans already knew
Two months later, IMPACT made the obvious official: Kong was inducted into the IMPACT/TNA Hall of Fame at Bound For Glory (October 23, 2021), inducted by Gail Kim — which is perfect symmetry. The rivalry made both of them legends, and the friendship/kinship became the final stamp.
Why Awesome Kong is Women’s History Month essential
Awesome Kong’s significance isn’t just “great Knockout.” She’s one of the wrestlers who helped shift women’s wrestling into a lane where violence, stakes, and main-event structure weren’t reserved for the men.
She made crowds believe in fear.
She made champions look heroic by forcing them to survive.
She made entire divisions feel like fights you couldn’t fake.
That’s why her legacy still hits now: every time a company books a “monster” in women’s wrestling, they’re chasing a shadow Kong cast years ago — and most of them still don’t make it as real as she did.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!