Gail Kim Officially Retires From In-Ring Competition, Has Final Match

After her 17-year career, former WWE and Impact Wrestling star Gail Kim has now retired from in-ring competition following her dream retirement in the U.K.

After announcing her intention to retire from the ring last year, Kim participated in the main event of Southside Wrestling’s ‘Raw Deal’ show where she beat Kasey Owens by inside cradle in her final match. This took place in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.

As Kim celebrated to her ‘Puppets On A String’ song by Dave Oliver and Serg Salinas, the other competitors from Southside Wrestling, including U.K. Classic competitor Joseph Conners came out to clap for her.

Kim hugged Owens in the ring as streamers fell around her. She would then make her way to the audience to thank them as the fans began to chant it back.

“Thank you, Gail.”

Check it out below:

Thank You Gail https://t.co/1YaN83GtsL

— Ben (@SouthsideWE) February 3, 2018

After her match, Kim took to her Twitter account to thank Owens, Southside Wrestling, and the U.K. fans for everything.

I wanna thank @KaseyOwens5 , @SouthsideWE & the Amazing UK fans SO MUCH for my final match in the UK. It truly was everything I ever could hope for and I couldn’t be happier. Was TRULY my dream come true. I actually cried 3 times which is a miracle. THANK YOU!

— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) February 3, 2018

She also had the following message on her Instagram account:

“Last note of the night. My dream was to retire in the UK and thanks to @swe_southsidewe for allowing me the privilege to do it for you. Always professional, respectful, caring and thoughtful. Tonight was the icing on the cake for my career and I’ll always be eternally grateful that I could walk away from the ring on such a spectacular note. Tonight was emotional and special and it was all thanks to them and the most loyal fans I’ve ever had. Nothing can beat tonight so I THANK YOU!! ??????“

View this post on Instagram

Last note of the night. My dream was to retire in the UK and thanks to @swe_southsidewe for allowing me the privilege to do it for you. Always professional, respectful, caring and thoughtful. Tonight was the icing on the cake for my career and I’ll always be eternally grateful that I could walk away from the ring on such a spectacular note. Tonight was emotional and special and it was all thanks to them and the most loyal fans I’ve ever had. Nothing can beat tonight so I THANK YOU!! ??????

A post shared by Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimitsme) on Feb 3, 2018 at 6:15pm PST

Now that she is retired, Kim is expected to begin working with Impact Wrestling as a producer and agent for the company, working with the current roster of talent in their Knockouts division.

To summarize the tremendous career Kim has had is impossible. She competed in many promotions over the years, including two runs with WWE, one through which she captured the WWE Women’s Championship in her debut match.

She was also a mainstay in the Impact Wrestling promotion and was the company’s first-ever Knockouts Champion.

She was inducted by the company into their Hall of Fame in October of 2016 and she last wrestled for the company at ‘Bound for Glory’ in last October where she won her record-seventh Knockouts Championship after defeating Sienna- who is battling some blood clots in hospital at the moment.

Over her career, she won numerous Championships and was ranked as the top women’s wrestler in the world by Pro Wrestling Illustrated back in 2012.

From the team at Wrestling Rumors, we want to congratulate Kim on all her amazing years of success and courage to defy the odds and expectations of women in the wrestling industry and being a pioneer in a promotion opposing the giant that is WWE.

You can see a career retrospective for Kim below.

Gail Kim Career Retrospective | #IMPACTICYMI November 16th, 2017

Who would you have liked to see Kim face? Should WWE induct Kim to their Hall of Fame?

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