Awesome Kong Says Her 2020 AEW Departure Was 'Amicable'

Kia Stevens (AKA Awesome Kong) has opened up about her AEW departure.

Kong performed for AEW between 2019 and 2020, wrestling a total of five matches for the company during that time. Despite not appearing on television since February 2020, AEW kept her on the books until June 1, 2021, when they decided not to renew her contract.

During a recent appearance on the Victoire podcast, Stevens noted that she was unable to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and credited AEW for paying her while she couldn't perform.

"At the beginning of 2019, right from the jump — whenever AEW started, like for real, for real, I was there, okay? I had to leave for a little bit to go shoot GLOW and then, while we were shooting GLOW, the pandemic happened, and because of certain ailments that I have, I could not travel, and God bless them. They paid me way longer than I thought they would or should. God bless 'em, forever, and we just parted ways, because I couldn't come back and why keep paying someone? We parted amicably, seriously, and they paid me way longer than I would've paid somebody who's just not coming in a job. I'm just saying, so, yeah", she said. Stevens had previously spoken about how she 'felt unheard' during her time in AEW.

Awesome Kong retired in 2021, but came out of retirement to compete in a ten-woman tag match at IMPACT Wrestling 1000 (in September 2023) H/T POST Wrestling