Following the surprising news of multiple departures from Anthem and TNA Wrestling, including the exit of TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim, longtime wrestling ring announcer David Penzer took to Twitter/X to share his candid reaction—and he didn’t hold back.
Penzer first expressed his disbelief and disappointment:
“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 pointed post, recounting a story from the pandemic era that highlighted just how vital Gail Kim had become to the company’s internal structure:
“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!”
Gail Kim’s exit, as first reported by PWInsider, comes as part of a wave of backstage firings within TNA/Anthem that also included creative lead Ariel Shnerer, with Tommy Dreamer now taking over Talent Relations, and Hunter “Delirious” Johnston stepping in as the new head of Creative.
Penzer’s words echo the sentiment of many fans and insiders who view Gail Kim not just as a legendary performer, but as an irreplaceable backstage leader—particularly in shaping and supporting the acclaimed Knockouts Division.
As the company continues to navigate a period of internal restructuring, Kim’s absence is expected to leave a major void, both on-screen and behind the scenes.
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
