On the latest episode of his My World podcast, recorded live with guest Gail Kim, Jeff Jarrett made an extended case that the TNA Knockouts division was a foundational moment for women’s wrestling — one he believes history will eventually recognize with its own dedicated story. You can check out his comments below:
Jarrett recalled how the division was built, and Kim’s role in it:
“We had the X Division, and I remember Gail saying, Jeff, I want to wrestle, I want to wrestle. And I’m like, I understand, Gail, but we’ve got to build a base, we’ve got to build it out. Gail was jumping off the top rope — I didn’t have to do any burke or raw. That was Gail. Planet Jarrett, myself and Gail and Chris and James, we were the heel faction when we came on, and that was my philosophy in booking: the anchor are the heels. Then little by little, we started putting the pieces of the puzzle together.”
“One of the proudest things I’ve ever been a part of in my entire career — not just TNA, my entire career — was seeing the building blocks build and build to the point that Gail and Kong main-evented an Impact and delivered numbers. As far as a women’s division on a national scale, Gail Kim and Awesome Kong are the OG foundational members. Without them, the building blocks aren’t in place. I truly believe that, and nobody can change my mind on that.”
Jarrett argued the Knockouts run created a proving ground whose impact is still being felt across the industry:
“When you look at all the online chatter — there’s not enough female wrestling, there’s not this — I think as a consequence of what we did from ’05 till about ’08, ’09, the building blocks, the Knockouts division, it was a real proving ground. Had that fallen on its face, I’m not sure. When I look at Charlotte Flair’s career, when I look at the ladies who have been on top and making big, big money — I think of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the ’80s, and now you’re looking at a kid right out of college making 35 million in the NBA. Had it not been for the beautiful people, ODB, that nucleus — one day the Knockouts division story will be told on the importance of it to all of women’s professional wrestling.”
Jarrett also spoke to why he found producing talent more rewarding than his own in-ring success, using Kim as the example:
“When you can be a part of somebody else’s success, it is 1,000 times more gratifying than if you come up with your own hot spot or finish or promo. That’s gratifying. But when you can play a role in somebody else’s success — it’s so hard to describe. There’s something magical when you can contribute to somebody’s success. That may be the most intoxicating thing about this business.”