Former TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong has opened up about the financial struggles many members of the Knockouts division faced during their time in TNA Wrestling.
Speaking during the season seven premiere of Dark Side of the Ring, which focused on the history of Jeff Jarrett and TNA Wrestling, Kong reflected on the disparity between what top stars earned and what many of the company’s homegrown talents were paid. “It kind of felt like [TNA President Dixie Carter] didn’t appreciate her homegrown talent.”
Kong pointed to Kurt Angle’s reported salary as an example, while making it clear she believed the Olympic gold medalist deserved every penny. “Kurt Angle is making a little over a million dollars a year. Kurt Angle deserved more than a million a year, in my opinion. Can you tell me that I’m not worth 1/10th of Kurt Angle?”
She recalled requesting a raise after calculating what she was earning. “I asked for a raise and let them know that as you break it down, I make less than a manager at McDonald’s.”
According to Kong, TNA management acknowledged her concerns but said the company couldn’t meet her request. “The reply that I got was, ‘We do not dispute any of the points you made, however, we cannot pay you that sum at this time.’”
Kong also revealed that several former Knockouts Champions were forced to work additional jobs to make ends meet despite appearing regularly on television. “There were more than two TNA Knockouts, who held the TNA title that had to moonlight in very blue-collar jobs.”
“One worked at a bar. She would be on TV and the customers would say, ‘Isn’t that you?’ She would say, ‘Yes, may I take your order?’”
She concluded by expressing frustration that, despite being aware of the financial difficulties many wrestlers were facing, TNA continued bringing in outside talent. “Dixie knows that we’re struggling, and she’s still hiring people in front of us.”
