Gail Kim says former AEW staff members have privately backed her recent criticism of Riho. The TNA Hall of Famer revealed that people who previously worked for the company contacted her to say they shared her concerns about the former AEW Women’s World Champion.
Speaking on the Huge POP podcast, Kim described the reactions she received. “I actually had former AEW people who worked there say to me, ‘I agree with you. I would be backstage and I felt the same way,’” she said. Her remarks come after some fans accused her of being unfair.
Kim explained that her discomfort began during a specific match where she felt a cameraman’s angle was inappropriate while Riho wrestled in what she described as an outfit “like a little girl.” That impression, she said, shaped her view of Riho’s believability in the ring. “When I said she wasn’t very believable in that match, that’s because I wasn’t comfortable from the start,” Kim noted.
She added that she still stands by her opinion, though she now considers Riho a believable wrestler overall. At the same time, she admitted she hasn’t seen enough of Riho’s more recent work to give a full evaluation.
The debate began on September 24, 2025, when Kim posted on social media that she felt “uncomfortable” watching Riho due to camera shots and attire. “The camera shots would go up her skirt and she was always dressed like a very little girl and it felt improper,” she wrote.
Kim’s comments also questioned Riho’s credibility against other women in the division. That sparked a widely shared response from AEW executive Kenny Omega, who posted: “Another day and another ‘legend’ doing the splits on it for the yearly TKO gift basket…”
In her original posts, Kim clarified her issue was with presentation, not Riho’s size. “She looked like a very young girl in a frilly skirt and the cameraman was up her a–. It just felt inappropriate to me,” she wrote.