TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim sparked a major discussion with a series of social media posts criticizing Riho’s presentation in AEW, followed by a pointed, though unconfirmed, response from Kenny Omega. The exchange began after fans on X asked Kim to comment on a clip of Jim Cornette discussing the AEW star.
The former WWE Women’s Champion said she felt “uncomfortable” watching Riho perform. She elaborated in a multi-part statement:
“I will say, and I haven’t watched AEW in a very long time, but when I did watch Riho and nothing against her at all bc I am the biggest supporter of all women who wanna make it in this business, but I did feel uncomfortable watching her because the camera shots would go up her skirt and she was always dressed like a very little girl and it felt improper.”
Kim, who worked in talent relations for TNA until her release in March, also questioned Riho’s in-ring believability, contrasting her with other women’s wrestlers.
“I am also into very believable Wrestling. Not everyone is especially nowadays. And it was very hard for me to believe a little girl that was being portrayed of that size was fighting the women they had in that division. To put it into context, I find Io, Mia, Asuka, Kairi and Lei Ying to be more believable and I don’t feel uncomfortable watching.”
When a fan pointed out Riho’s size was similar to former WWE star AJ Lee, Kim clarified that her issue was presentation, not stature.
“OK, I’m not taking anything away from her talent. I’m talking about what I saw years ago and what made me feel uncomfortable. She looked like a very young girl in a frilly skirt and the camera man was up her a—. It just felt inappropriate to me.”
Shortly after Kim’s comments, AEW executive Kenny Omega posted a sharp message online. While not confirmed as a direct response, its timing fueled speculation. Omega wrote:
“Another day and another ‘legend’ doing the splits on it for the yearly TKO gift basket…”
Kim later stated she would not revisit the subject, directing fans to her original thread.
“I’m not going to comment on the Riho thing again. I have stated my opinion. It was a four part tweet so you can look at that again if you don’t understand what I was saying. It was more than about her size. It was a combination of things. I was asked about it, and I answered.”