Gail Kim has addressed the controversy over her use of the phrase “hood side” on social media. The TNA Hall of Famer explained she was quoting Moose after being accused of cultural appropriation for the remark, which surfaced during a dispute with Dave Meltzer on X.
The backlash began after Kim posted, “Meltzer’s idiocy is bringing out my hood side which very rarely happens. I get feisty but I don’t like to curse directly at people and call them names. If it gets to that point, you know you deserve it.” Critics accused her, a Canadian of Korean descent, of cultural appropriation for the choice of words.
Kim clarified the origin of the phrase, stating, “Like I just said to Gresham, I was quoting Moose when he saw my ‘non classy fiery side’ does that term work better for everyone now? X is quite sensitively controversial these days. We need an official rule book of do’s and dont’s apparently.” She stressed that Moose had first used the expression to describe her.
This exchange came after a separate debate on September 24, 2025, when Kim criticized AEW star Riho’s on-screen presentation. At the time, her remarks received public support from Jim Cornette.
Kim, who served in TNA’s talent relations department until March, said she felt “uncomfortable” with Riho’s portrayal. She cited camera work that “would go up her skirt” and described the character as a “very little girl,” which she found “improper.”
Beyond presentation, Kim also questioned Riho’s in-ring credibility against women such as Io, Mia, Asuka, Kairi, and Lei Ying. AEW executive Kenny Omega later posted, “Another day and another ‘legend’ doing the splits on it for the yearly TKO gift basket…,” a message widely speculated to be aimed at Kim.
Kim later clarified her issue was with Riho’s overall presentation, not her size, after a fan compared her to former WWE star AJ Lee. She concluded by saying she would not add further comments, urging followers to revisit her original posts for her full stance.