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TNA Wrestling Announces Departures of Gail Kim, Ariel Shnerer & Others [Updated]

Long-time TNA Wrestling producer and highly respected Gail Kim one of several people who were laid off from the company Tuesday.
Rick Ucchino|
Gail Kim has been let go from TNA
Gail Kim has been let go from TNA | TNA Wrestling

TNA Wrestling announced a number of departures among its leadership team Tuesday afternoon. Most notably was 7-time Knockouts Champion and long-time producer Gail Kim.

Parent company Anthem sent out a company email that noted the TNA Wrestling leadership changes. In addition to Kim, Senior Vice President of Content, Distribution and Marketing Ariel Shnerer was let go. As were Chief Revenue Officer Rob Kligman and Michael Shewchenko, who was on the digital team.

Many of those in TNA are said to be in a state of total shock over the news, especially when it comes to the termination of Gail Kim.

One top TNA talent, who spoke with The Takedown on SI's Jon Alba, said they believe Gail Kim is a "major loss, especially for the women's division." A sentiment that many others have echoed, convinced her departure will have the biggest impact on TNA of them all.

"Gail has had a long and storied career in TNA as both a champion wrestler and a part of the TNA leadership team," Anthem said in their email announcing the news. "Gail has been a powerful presence in our locker room, supporting our talent and their great performances."

When it comes to Ariel Shnerer, The Takedown on SI was told he was very hands on with the current partnership deal with WWE, which has seen numerous TNA stars featured on NXT and vice versa.

Carlos Silva took over as TNA President last month, and it's believed that some of the leadership changes are a result of that transition. Other members of the Anthem team let go today include Karen Clevett, Sebastian Dastranj, Romy Glazer and Rafael Morffi.

Update

TNA released a new statement from Anthem Sports Group President, Carlos Silva.

“Today, we announced a restructuring, resulting in staffing changes at TNA Wrestling. These decisions are always difficult, but it became apparent that we needed to make adjustments to our business strategies. We are grateful for those who worked here and thank them for their years of dedication to the company. Finally, we want our fans to know that we are committed to producing the absolute best product and highest-quality content that we can, and we appreciate their continued support.”

We'll continue to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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