In the wake of several high-profile departures from Anthem and TNA Wrestling—including the unexpected exit of TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim—longtime wrestling announcer David Penzer took to Twitter/X to share his unfiltered reaction. And he didn’t hold back.
Expressing his shock and disappointment, Penzer wrote:
“Absolutely floored and tremendously disappointed to hear about Gail Kim. She was the rock of not only the Knockouts Division but the entire company. Can’t imagine a TNA without Gail. Sucks…”
He then followed up with a more revealing post, sharing a behind-the-scenes story from the pandemic era that underscored Kim’s importance to the company’s internal foundation:
“Wanna shoot, let’s shoot. During one of the empty studio COVID tapings, all talent was gathered to have a video chat with Anthem from Canada led by our leader at the time, Ed Nordholm. One of the things that Ed announced was that they had been trying to hire @gailkimITSME full-time in talent relations for some time but they didn’t have the funds. He thanked her for sticking with TNA and said they were hiring her immediately.”
“She became the rock of the KO Division and TNA as a whole. I say this because this morning a bunch of people forgot to read Ed’s memo. A damn shame!”
Kim’s departure, first reported by PWInsider, is part of a wave of backstage firings within TNA and Anthem. Other notable exits include creative lead Ariel Shnerer, with Tommy Dreamer now stepping into the role of Head of Talent Relations and Hunter “Delirious” Johnston taking over as Head of Creative.
Penzer’s words reflect the feelings of many within the industry who view Gail Kim as more than just an in-ring legend—she was a crucial figure behind the scenes, particularly in shaping and elevating the Knockouts Division.
As TNA undergoes major internal restructuring, Kim’s absence is expected to leave a significant void, both on-screen and behind the curtain.
Wanna shoot, lets shoot. During one of the empty studio covid tapings all talent was gathered to have a video chat with Anthem from Canada lead by our leader at the time Ed Nordholm. One of the things that Ed announced was that they had been trying to hire @gailkimITSME full time…
— David Penzer (@davidpenzer) March 25, 2025
