Awesome Kong

For the male wrestler who appeared in WCW, see Colossal Kongs.
Awesome Kong
Kong in 2014
Birth nameKia Michelle Stevens
Born (1977-09-04) September 4, 1977 (age 46)
Carson, California, U.S.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Amazing Kong
Awesome Kong
Kharma[2][3]
Margaret[4]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[5][6]
Billed weight273 lb (124 kg)[5][6]
Billed fromTokyo, Japan[6]
Trained byNoah Denker[7]
DebutOctober 20, 2002[7]
RetiredAugust 28, 2021

Kia Michelle Stevens (born September 4, 1977) is an American actress and semi-retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Awesome Kong. She also worked with Ring of Honor (ROH), Shimmer Women Athletes, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and with WWE under the ring name Kharma.

Stevens began her professional wrestling career in 2002 after appearing on a reality television show. For the first five years of her career, she primarily wrestled in Japan and held numerous championships there. In 2006, she began wrestling in her native United States again, wrestling on the independent circuit before appearing on national television with TNA, where she was a driving force in the foundation of their Knockouts division. During her time with TNA, she became a two-time TNA Knockouts Champion and one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Hamada. She later signed with WWE, where she became the third woman to enter the men's Royal Rumble match in 2012, and she began making appearances for then-upstart AEW towards the end of the decade.[8]

Stevens was ranked first in the inaugural list of Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI Women's 100 in 2008.[9] She retired from professional wrestling in 2021 and was subsequently inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame. As an actress, she is best known for playing Tammé "The Welfare Queen" Dawson in the wrestling-themed Netflix original comedy series GLOW.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference believe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Martin, Adam (18 April 2011). "Report: The name Awesome Kong will use in WWE". WrestleView. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Raw042511 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Amazing Kong". The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b "WWE profile". WWE. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  6. ^ a b c "Shimmer Roster". Shimmer Women Athletes. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference slam was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Caldwell, James. "Caldwell's WWE Royal Rumble report 1/29: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Rumble match, Punk-Ziggler, Cena-Kane, steel cage". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Female 50 for 2008". Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  10. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (26 June 2017). "GLOW: Kia Stevens Explains Why Her Welfare Queen Gimmick Hit Close to Home". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.