By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

PWTorch has learned the primary reason Gail Kim has left TNA for WWE is the significant discrepancy between what TNA offered her and what WWE offered her. It sounds like it's hardly news, as she obviously went with the "better offer." What has become clear this week from multiple sources is that Kim did not want to leave TNA, but she felt she had no choice based on the massive difference between the two offers.

TNA's offer, well under 100,000 per year in the form of a soft guarantee (based on a target number of matches, but paid per match) was less than one-third of the offer WWE presented, a six-figure downside with three years offered. There is potential to earn significantly more than the downside. TNA's offer was less than three years (one source believes just one year). Kim still had to be talked into leaving by friends as she had a strong sense of loyalty and contentment with her situation in TNA. She loved the company and her friends there, but she couldn't justify not taking the much better offer.

One friends says she really had no choice, she had to opt for the financial security the WWE offer provided. Another source in TNA, disappointed in her decision, said she chose to be unhappy for more money rather than remain happy and loyal and stick with the smaller company that made her a star.

There was a real void backstage TNA this week as Kim's friends couldn't believe she was gone, especially since she left without saying goodbye. Her departure was rather sudden and unexpected, but when she was given a supposedly final offer by TNA that was deemed to be "insulting" and "possibly sexist" by one friend with knowledge of the lowball offer, she couldn't risk getting hurt or being jobbed out once her decision was made.

Keller's Analysis: Everyone I've talked with talks about how much this was a tough decision for Gail and how much she'll miss her friends at TNA. (Just check out her MySpace page for all of the photos of her smiling with various TNA personnel for evidence that she didn't just show up, do her job, and leave without a sense of camaraderie.) It's still upsetting to me that TNA seemed to undervalue her. An argument can be made based on TV ratings that she was the top babyface in the top drawing division in that company, but TNA saw her as a low-budget expenditure. I understand TNA has a limited budget compared to WWE, but that means they have to be even more wise than WWE with how they spend their money, and letting Kim go while keeping certain other wrestlers on the roster seems messed up. All of the above has been previously reported to PWTorch VIP members in recent days, and even more details and analysis is available in today's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletin (VIP-exclusive) and today's Daily Keller Hotline (VIP-exclusive).

Also VIP-exclusive: In the Daily Keller Hotline and PDF Bulletin, more details on the Kevin Nash backstage below-up this week, details and analysis on the Mick Foley developments, and more. We have also debuted new VIP Audio Shows and new VIP features recently, such as PDFs of Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletters from 20 years ago this week and our new Nostalgia Audio Updates with Brian Hoops and East Coast Audio show with Travis & Bardre reviewing ECW, Impact, and Smackdown in three audio shows per week.

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