Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Gail Kim is also coming out of retirement for the 1000th episode, and she has issued a challenge for her return match.
We noted before how Impact Hall of Famer Awesome Kong will be coming out of retirement for her in-ring return at Impact 1000, in what will be her first match since January 2020, and her first Impact match since January 2016. Now Kim has announced that she and Kong will team up on the 1000th episode of Impact.
There’s no word yet on who will face Kong and Kim, but Kim issued a challenge to any two Knockouts from the past, present or future to face them.
The Impact rivalry between Kim and Kong included a dozen singles bouts, and several multi-woman matches. They have teamed up just once and that came at the Impact tapings on May 8, 2015 when she and Kong were defeated by Taryn Terrell, Marti Belle and Jade (aka Mia Yim) of The Dollhouse in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match.
Kim, who currently works as a producer for Impact, has not wrestled since losing to Tessa Blanchard at Impact Rebellion on April 28, 2019. The Rebellion match was Kim’s first since a win over Kasey Owens at a Southside Wrestling show in the UK on February 3, 2018, which was announced as her final match. The UK match was Kim’s first since a loss to Allie (aka The Bunny) at a Smash Wrestling event on December 3, 2017. Kim’s last Impact match before Rebellion 2019 came at Impact Bound For Glory on November 5, 2017, where she became a seven-time Knockouts World Champion by winning a Triple Threat over Allie and then-champion Sienna (aka Allysin Kay). Kim, who is also the inaugural Knockouts World Champion and a one-time Knockouts World Tag Team Champion, vacated the title 10 days later when announcing her retirement. Kim was inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame in 2016.
As we’ve noted, Kim and Kong along with other current and veteran Impact stars were recently announced for the Impact 1000 Fan Celebration: The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky, Angelina Love), Tommy Dreamer, D’Lo Brown, Impact Hall of Famers Team 3D, Impact World Champion Alex Shelley, Josh Alexander, Deonna Purrazzo, Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, and Brian Myers. The Fan Celebration, which is free to people who have a ticket to the Impact 1000 taping, will be held earlier that afternoon on Saturday, September 9, from 11am to 3pm at the same venue, the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. The event will include meet & greets for photo-ops and autographs, Q&A sessions, exclusive merchandise and collectibles, and more. Impact will be announcing more names soon, but the following stars have been added to the Impact 1000 Fan Celebration: ODB, Lance Storm, James Storm and Chris Harris of AMW, Shark Boy, Traci Brooks, and Impact Knockouts World Champion Trinity.
The 1000th episode of Impact will air on Thursday, September 14 as the post-Victory Road show. The special will be taped on Saturday, September 9 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. Impact will also tape additional episodes that night to carry them to Bound For Glory on Saturday, October 21. This is the day after the 2023 Victory Road pay-per-view from the same venue.
Below is the updated card for Impact 1000:
* The return of Feast or Fired with competitors TBA
* The return of Ultimate X with competitors TBA, this looks to be the 50th Ultimate X in company history
* Frankie Kazarian and Traci Brooks vs. Eddie Edwards and Alisha Edwards
* The Beautiful People (Angelina Love, Velvet Sky) and others TBA will appear on the episode
* Impact Hall of Famers Awesome Kong and Gail Kim will come out of retirement for their first matches since 2020 and 2019 against opponents TBA
* Impact Hall of Famers Team 3D reunite for their first match together since August 2016 against opponents TBA
* Impact World Champion Alex Shelley defends against Impact World Tag Team Champion Trey Miguel
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
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