Amazing Kong

Amazing Kong is a 7-year veteran who has competed in both Japan and America. She is an American from California although she is billed as being from Tokyo. A social worker before starting wrestling in 2002, she trained in California before moving to Japan and debuting in All-Japan Women in 2002. Her ring name was an invention of Masatsugu Matsunaga, who needed a replacement for Japanese female wrestler Aja Kong in several matches. She defeated Ayako Hamada for the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship in late 2004. She also formed a tag team named Double Kong, with Aja Kong, and the two women held several tag team championships, including the predominantely male Hustle Super Tag Team Championship, using the ring names Margaret and Erika. In early 2007, Kong also won the AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Women’s Champion in Tokyo.
On May 5, 2007, she defeated MsChif for the NWA World Women’s Championship, but Kong lost the title back to MsChif approximately one year later. The following month, Kong competed at the IPW:UK produced Chickfight 9, winning an eight-woman tournament.
Throughout 2006 and 2007, Kong also competed in nine of the fifteen Shimmer Women Athletes events released on DVD. On October 13, 2007, Kong got her first Shimmer Championship title shot against Sara Del Rey, losing when she did not answer the referee’s ten-count. On May 3, 2008 she teamed with Del Rey against Ashley Lane and Nevaeh in a Shimmer Tag Team Championship match, losing by disqualification. On November 8, 2009, at the tapings of Volume 27 Kong and LuFisto went to a double count out so both of them were declared #1 contenders at the Shimmer Championship. Later that same night on Volume 28, Kong suffered her first pinfall loss in Shimmer, after being pinned by MsChif in a 3-way elimination match, which also included LuFisto. She then moved on to TNA Wrestling, debuting in 2007 as Awesome Kong. She would win the TNA Knockouts (Women’s) Championship in early 2008 and reigned for several months. She would also win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles with Hamada in late 2009.
Things began to fall apart for Kong both personally and professionally soon afterwards. On January 19, 2010, Bubba the Love Sponge claimed on his radio show that Awesome Kong had attacked him, while backstage for the tapings of TNA Impact! the previous day, due to his negative comments concerning the Haiti earthquake relief project. Kong, who had been a driving force in the wrestling community in raising funds for Haiti, was reportedly sent home from the tapings following the altercation. She asked to be released and didn’t participate in a subsequent tour, leading to her being suspended. She then filed a lawsuit against Bubba for an alleged threatening phone call. Kong was finally released by TNA on March 1. On March 18 Kong’s profile was finally removed from TNA’s official website, confirming her departure from the company. TNA later released a statement claiming that she had requested her release due to personal reasons, supporting her through this time and hoping to see her return to the company soon. In the meantime, she will return to Japan for at least a couple of appearances as she has been confirmed for NEO’s 10th Anniversary event on May 5, 2010 and will use her old Amazing Kong ring name. In NEO she is a former 2-time NEO Tag Team Champion, reigning with Haruka Matsuo & Kyoko Kimura. That likely marked her last appearance in Japan for some time as she since has reportedly signed with WWE.

Stats & Info:
Real name: Kia Stevens
Age: 32
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 272 pounds/123 kg
Experience: 7 years
Finishing move: Amazing Bomb, Amazing Press
Current affiliation: WWE
Alternate gimmicks/names: Awesome Kong

Titles won:
1-time WWWA World Heavyweight Champion
1-time WWWA World Tag Team Champion
1-time AAAW Tag Team Champion
1-time Hustle Super Tag Team Champion
2-time NEO Tag Team Champion
1-time LLPW Tag Team Champion
1-time NWA World Women’s Champion
1-time WORLD-1 Women’s Champion
1-time AWA Superstars Women’s Champion
2-time TNA Knockouts Champion
1-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion

Tournaments won:
Chickfight 9
2003 Japan Grand Prix

Other accolades:
Ranked #1 in 2008 PWI Female 50
2008 PWI Woman Of The Year

Official website (English):
http://www.awesomekong.tv/