Why did Gail Kim quit WWE?

It has been 13 years since Gail Kim was last a part of WWE, but the former champion was seen in attendance on Sunday's premium live event, NXT Battleground, which took place in Las Vegas. Her bold comments after her exit from the company had caused some controversy at the time.

Gail Kim spent a total of five years for WWE in two stints. First, she joined the company in 2002 and became the women's champion in her debut match. She left WWE in 2004 and returned in 2008, staying with the company till 2011.

Speaking after her departure, she named former Chairman Vince McMahon as the reason for her decision to leave, as McMahon wasn't willing to give her opportunities.

"One of the writers had told me, 'I write stuff for you but it gets cut and taken out,' and to me, once I heard that, I went, 'Okay, you answered the question without answering the question.' Only one person can change creative, and that's Vince McMahon. If Vince doesn't like me, what am I doing here?" Kim said during an appearance on the Story Time podcast with Dutch Mantell [35:49 – 36:08]

Since leaving WWE, Gail Kim moved to TNA, and is considered a legend there, where she was even inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 47-year-old former wrestler was in attendance tonight in Las Vegas, as TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace faced Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Championship.

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Gail Kim reveals moment she knew she had to leave WWE

Gail Kim has been quite vocal about her time with WWE and has showed no hesitation to talk about the reasons she left.

In the interview with Dutch Mantell, she named Vince McMahon directly as the cause for her departure from the company and revealed the moment she found out it was time to go.

"I've already been here twice, for a total of five years. If he doesn't like me now, you know what? I'm in my mid-30s, I gotta get out of here. I gotta go, and I gotta show everyone what I have to give for the fans, and so I quit, I left, and I went back to TNA." [36:08 – 36:27]

With Vince McMahon now out of WWE and the company working on a collaboration with TNA, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Gail Kim made a return at a premium live event like the Royal Rumble, like when Mickie James did in 2022.