"I felt unheard"- Former WWE star on creative differences with Tony Khan's management that lead to her departure from AEW
Awesome Kong recently opened up on her creative differences with Tony Khan's management, which eventually lead to her departure from AEW.
The 20-year veteran rose to global fame as "Kharma" during her two-year stint with WWE from 2010-12. She also had a successful run in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, earning her a Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
Making her AEW debut in May 2019, Kong was primarily involved in the ill-fated Nightmare Collective storyline alongside Brandi Rhodes. After going on hiatus to film the television series GLOW in early 2020, her contract with All Elite Wrestling expired and was not renewed by Tony Khan.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Awesome Kong weighed in on the lack of creative input she had in All Elite Wrestling:
"I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the crew over there at AEW, especially since we were just up and running. We are all new executives and trying to think outside the box and really give it to y'all. Something new, something that hasn't been seen. I felt unheard. I wasn't in control," said Kong.
The Nightmare Collective member further stated that she couldn't freely pitch her ideas to Tony Khan's backstage team:
"All I could do was say, 'I have this idea of XYZ.' I couldn't get in the room where final decisions were made. I would stay there after big meetings and pick up the water bottles and cups like, 'Huh, Y'all need...you need me to go? Okay' (laughs). " (H/T: Fightful)
What are you guys thoughts on Kharma time in WWE? https://t.co/iHDvxoplHx
Awesome Kong believes having more creative control in Tony Khan's company would have worked wonders
Awesome Kong is widely considered one of the most influential female wrestlers of the modern era. Her iconic feud with Gail Kim in IMPACT Wrestling is counted among the greatest feuds in the business. She also earned acclaim for her exceptional work in Netflix's hit series GLOW after her AEW run.
During the same interview, Kong opined that having creative control would have spun things differently:
"I tried to get into that last meeting where decisions were made. Never had a chance to." She said, 'That's just not going to happen, so I'm not going to push it.' What do you do? It's out of my control. If I had control, give me 15 minutes of Kia (her real name). Kia's 15 Minutes of Fame." (H/T: Fightful)
AWESOME KONG takes everyone out!
@MeanQueenK #AEW #DoubleOrNothing #AEWDoN https://t.co/LuBMeXZ0lT
Awesome Kong garnered a vast amount of experience in her illustrous wrestling career. The 44-year old announced her retirement in August 2021 and the pro-wrestling realm will continue to cherish her contributions.