Awesome Kong Recalls Reason Jim Ross Said She Would Never Make It
Awesome Kong left an impressive footprint in the world of professional wrestling during her legendary career. However, not everyone was a supporter of hers during the early days of her journey.
While on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former TNA Knockout's Champion recalled what current AEW commentator Jim Ross said to her during her audition for Season two of WWE's "Tough Enough."
"They said we had to come up with a promo, didn't know what a promo was, and then like, we were going to have to do some physical stuff in the ring," Kong said. "When it was time for me to audition they had me do the physical stuff first and they had us rolling around for thirty seconds, then they had us do some jumping jacks, and blah blah blah, and we had to the kip-up last ... and by the time I had to do the kip-up, I didn't impress anybody ... I was proud of my promo because I grew up in acting ... I was proud of myself and then it was like, crickets."
"[Jim Ross] was like, 'Okay, thank you. Goodbye." Kong said. "I was like, 'No, no. I'm not going anywhere. I just drove my raggedy ass Kia from LA through the mountains of Las Vegas to get here' ... JR, bless his heart at the time, he was in a certain type of thinking that make it hard out there for people like me, he was like, 'I'm sorry but, I don't think a girl your size could ever make it in wrestling. You're too big to ever make it in wrestling. You would never make it', and I was like, 'What?' And he was like, 'You would never make it in WWE, you're too big'."
Despite Ross' prediction Kong would never make it, she ended up signing with WWE in 2010 but her journey in the company would not go down the path she intended. Kong made her debut for WWE at Extreme Rules 2011 under the name Kharma, hitting Michelle McCool with a devastating maneuver following McCool's loss to Layla in a Loser Leaves WWE No Disqualification match. Kong then disappeared for months following an announcement on "Monday Night Raw" that she was pregnant and then tragically ended up having a miscarriage in real life.
Kong returned at the Royal Rumble in 2012, competing in the men's Royal Rumble match, a match that would wind up being her only contest ever in the company. Kong was able to eliminate Hunico before being eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. Kong was let go by WWE in the summer of 2012 and never returned.
As others have in the past, Kong found more championship success outside of WWE, as she won the AWA World Women's Championship, the NWA World Women's Championship, and most famously the TNA Knockout's Championship on two different occasions. While in TNA, Kong became embroiled in what is now remembered as a classic feud with seven-time Knockout's Champion Gail Kim that helped pave the way for future women's wrestlers.
Kong most recently wrestled on the January 1, 2020 episode of "AEW: Dark" that aired on January 7. Kong defeated Skyler Moore in just over three minutes in her fifth, and last, match for AEW to date. Kong announced her retirement from professional wrestling at NWA Empowerrr last year.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight" with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.