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Dakota Kai (@imcharliegirl_) is a professional wrestler best known for her time in WWE. She sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Las Vegas to discuss being released from WWE, her first match in over a year against Kris Statlander at Pro Wrestling EVE in London, being a part of the Damage CTRL faction with IYO SKY and Bayley, Wrestling Trish Stratus, Lita and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania, training with Stehanie McMahon for her match with Ronda Rousey, what’s next for her in wrestling, dream opponents, and more!
You just had your first match in a year last month. How are you feeling about that?
“I took almost a year off. I don’t know, I think after leaving WWE, I didn’t want to necessarily rush back into anything. I wanted to get back into wrestling on my terms and just find that passion and that love for it and just do it for fun. Basically, I wanted to do it for fun, and it was just a matter of the perfect time. Then when Will Ospreay hit me up. He’s basically like, we’d love to have you on the show, here’s what it is. When I found out I’m like wrestling Kris Statlander I’m like, oh my god, perfect. She’s been on my bucket list for years, literal years. So it just worked out. It was weird, because during that time off, the longer I was away from wrestling, which was needed for me, personally, just mentally and emotionally, it was like the thought of wrestling again was looming over me. I have very severe performance anxiety, so the longer I was away, the more anxious I got about it. But then she made it so easy, she’s the best.”
Did you have an idea of how long you wanted to be away, because it was almost a year from your last match in WWE to your first indie match?
“There was no real time limit of I want to be away for this amount. It was just more of a feeling, I guess. As soon as the opportunity came up that it was going to be there at that show on the big Wrestle Queendom show against Kris, I was like, Ah, this was meant to be. Yeah, it was cool. I mean, I just really needed to take a step back for me in terms of just finding the passion and the love for it again. I didn’t mean for it to be a year. I know everyone was like, Why did you take a year off? I’m like, I didn’t mean to, and for that to be that amount of time, I just kind of took the time I needed. Then when the opportunity came up to be against Kris, it was perfect.”
But the goal was to always get back to wrestling?
“100% I always wanted to get back. It was so funny too, because I wasn’t really saying much of anything, because I’m not on social media a lot, especially during that time off, I wasn’t posting. Not for any reason, I just didn’t know anything to talk about. There was no reason for it. So, yeah, I don’t know, it was just needed.”
Are you looking at some point to maybe get signed somewhere again?
“If that happens and everything works out that would be awesome. But I think at the moment my path right now is just indie bookings here and there, just have fun and wrestle.”
I feel like you’d be a great fit in AEW or TNA
“Not necessarily on that level. Yeah, nothing too crazy. But also, I took the time off. So I think getting back into it, they might happen, who knows. But at the moment, I just want to, like, focus on me and just, do you know, fun matches and shows here and there. Yeah, have fun with it.”
How did this release in 2025 differ from the release in 2022?
“It’s so crazy because in 2022 I got re-signed with the company within three months. So that felt different. With this one here. It almost felt like I, especially with the IC Championship tournament, it felt like we were doing this, you know, I’m getting more opportunities. So it was more of a shock, I guess. But that’s kind of why I need to take the step back, just for me and emotionally and things like that. So, yeah, 2022 didn’t really even feel like it was that long at all. So I kind of forget that happened, because then SummerSlam came around and that was all last-minute.”
I had read that in 2022 you didn’t want to renew your contract?
“No, that was a release.”
But you weren’t intending to re-sign when that time came around?
“I don’t know when it was coming up, but I think when the opportunity came up and it was going to be with Bayley, because she has been talking about a woman’s faction for years, and was just like the perfect thing, a reason to come back, as opposed to, like, just re-signing for the sake of re-signing, and then it was just meant to be.”
How did you find out the news this time that you were released?
“A phone call. They usually do it like that. Then not long after it will be online and things like that. So I had to take a step back from social media, just because it is a lot. Losing a job in any sense is rough. But I never, ever thought I would make it to WWE anyway. I think to me, the whole experience was just like a pleasant surprise. Then, coming back in 2022, I was just very grateful to be there, because I never saw myself in that position at all ever. I don’t know why. Maybe I just don’t look at myself in that light. But also, being from New Zealand, a tiny country on the other side of the world, it’s hard to envision that for yourself. If you come from there, it’s just very like, ridiculous, like, oh, that American Hollywood lifestyle and TV whatever. Then when things started going and I started doing more international shows, and I finally got a tryout, and I didn’t get an immediate yes on my tryout, although I think they were impressed. They’re kind of, like, it will just keep in touch kind of thing, and we’ll, you know, let you know, and just stay in touch every six months. So I did that with the thing of, like, ah, that’s okay, it didn’t work out this time. And then the Mae Young Classic is what kind of brought it all together for me.”
What made you even believe you could do it? New Zealand’s not exactly a factory of pro wrestlers. When you think of wrestlers from New Zealand, it’s the Bushwhackers.
“Yeah, I know, those are our guys. So I watched wrestling with my brother from a very young age, and he was the one that got me into it, because he would sit down and watch Friday night SmackDown and whatever, and I would always be sitting there, like, when is this over? Can I change the channel, please? But it wasn’t until I actually sat down and started watching the storylines. I kind of got into it a little bit later than a lot of people my age. I didn’t watch the Attitude Era or anything like that. I got into it around 2004.”
What was the main storyline that got you into it?
“I think it was Stone Cold. Maybe I remember Stone Cold and The Rock, but I don’t know if that was before then, and I was still, like, in this mindset of wrestling? I don’t want to watch this! Put on Full House or something.”
How’d you get the name Dakota Kai?
“I wanted something Tom-boyish, I guess, for the first name. There’s not many boy Dakotas, but there are a few. I wanted something like that. And then Kai is obviously Pacifica. So I wanted to tie in my Samoan roots with that. That was the first name that I kind of pitched to them, and then it was the one that they greenlit. So I was happy about that. And then it just sounded cool. I wanted a last name and a first name. Right now, I’ve just got one name.”
When you turned on Tegan Nox, this was wild, and what a reaction that you got to it.
“So I was in NXT probably for a couple of years at that point, and I was like this happy-go-lucky, bubbly babyface, which is a much easier character for me. When I got told about this WarGames situation happening, I didn’t want to get my hopes up, because, you know, things change last minute. You never know. But I wanted, and also needed to make this as vicious as possible, to make the change be believable, if that makes sense. So if you watch it back, it’s quite like intense. I wanted to lock into that, because I really wanted people to believe that I could pull this off. And it was in Chicago too, so the crowd was there. Everything was set up, and that war games match without my heel turn was amazing too. You had like the best girls in the black and gold brand like Rhea Ripley, Candice, IYO Shana, so everything was just perfect. It was the perfect melting pot of like, all of us working together. But I needed it to be vicious for the reason of like these people, I need to make them believe that I can be a savage.”
You also had Shayna Baszler’s debut match in NXT. What a scary spot.
“I did, yeah, that’s so funny, because we had so much more planned. But obviously, for her debut match, they wanted her to look like a killer, so it was just literally, boom. Or there was like me trying to do some things, and she just stomped my arm. They played that damn moment in every one of her promo packages for the next four years. I’m just like, we can’t update it? She stomped on so many other girls since then, what are we doing? But it looks sick. Even watching it back, I’m like, damn, all right, freaking double-jointed in my shoulders, I guess maybe, not my knees. I have to laugh. But yeah, it looked nasty, so, yeah, I’ll take it as a compliment.”
That feels like one where like there’s the margin of error is small.
“Yes, because there’s a lot that can go wrong. But obviously, she’s a very trained and skilled fighter too. So when we were going through it, it’s like, okay, your wrist needs to be on the mat like this, and you kind of have to roll into the stomp basically. So it wasn’t just a case of her just doing it. We had to make sure it was all safe, because it does look nasty, and if you set it up wrong things can go wrong for sure.”
So talk to me about this release in 2022, then you get called a few months later and you make your return at Summer Slam 2022 in Nashville.
“That whole thing came out of the blue. It was probably two days before SummerSlam, and Pam, Bayley, just texts me out of the blue. She’s like, ‘Hey, I just pitched this to Hunter.’ I’m like, What are you talking about? So she was talking about an all-women’s faction for years, like, since I was starting at NXT, she’d always been pitching this idea of, I want an all-women’s faction. Think this would be so cool. I hope we get the chance. And then the year before SummerSlam, we actually were at the Performance Center. It was me, IYO Bayley, and also Raquel and Alba Fyre, and we were taking photos together as a female unit to try and have Pam basically pitch to Hunter and like, be like, Hey, this is what I want. This. Nothing really came from that. But then she texts me a few days before SummerSlam, ‘I pitched it again, I really want you to be a part of this.’ And even at that point, I’m not with the company. I’m like, yeah, right, dude. You really think this is gonna happen? And then next thing [I’m there].”
Were you prepared for what’s next?
“I was in the mindset of doing things away and outside the company. That’s a big deal to try and fall into that space of being mentally out of there and then Hunter sent a message, I think it was the day before, basically confirming that he loved her idea and that it was going to be Bayley, IYO and myself. Holy sh*t, I need to pack, because it’s the day before, and get my hair done, there’s too much to do. Oh my gosh. And then, yeah, and the day of is very chaotic, just hiding in a bus. I’ve never been in that position where I’ve had to be hidden before. I thought that was so cool, because you always see it happen with others, where they have a surprise and they’ve been hiding in the bus or wherever during the day. So we got that, and they took us over to Gorilla in a golf cart that had like, black curtains on the side.”
Did you fly in?
“Yes, the morning of. So I wasn’t there. They flew us in, and I think no one really knew. I don’t think it was spoiled at all. I think it was genuine surprise, right. I actually remember I brought it up a few times, but the golf cart with the black curtains on the side, it kind of moved, Tommaso was standing right there, and he was like, oh, and I’m like, hello. So that whole moment was so special, especially because Bianca was in the ring, and she’s one of my closest friends in this business, too. So her reaction, I don’t know. People watch that clip back, her reaction to me was like, coming from a place right here. So that was that felt special, too.”
Did you feel like things levelled up with Damage CTRL:
“Yeah, like from the start. I think they had big ideas for us to be this dominant faction. Obviously, things change here and there, and I don’t know, and it felt good for me to be part of a group. Like I said, I work better in a group, but there could have been better opportunities for us. Bayley was doing her darndest to try and pitch more for us. But it’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
When you won the tag team championships with IYO SKY, tell me about this golf cart celebration.
“And with Bayley driving it. I forgot about all of that stuff. I don’t know. I just, it’s so funny, because some of the ideas we don’t know until the day of, and then they’re just like, ‘Oh yeah, we got this golf cart.’ I’m like, oh, cool. So we’re just gonna go down the ramp and Bayley is driving it. So hopefully nothing bad goes wrong with that. Yeah, that’s so random. I loved it. I think it was just like, we’ll just put you guys on a golf cart and just celebrate. And I was like, All right, I’m all for it. I love when wrestling gets weird and just like, does stuff for the sake of doing stuff. So, yeah, we had a golf cart, no reason, and we never had it again. I was like I wish we could have that as our entrance.”
Do you have any dream opponents on the indies?
“I have dream opponents, just in general. I would love to wrestle Willow Nightingale. I know she’s all over the place right now, but there’s a bunch. Obviously, I’d love to run it back with Shotzi too. And there’s a lot of new, newer girls coming up too, that I just want to be able to wrestle and, not show them the ropes, but help them get to a point where they can have more matches and things like that. So, yeah, I don’t know, it’s so weird. I’ve got a list on my notes app of girlies I want to wrestle. Steph DeLander, another one that I’d love to wrestle again. We kind of had some matches in NXT, but not many. But I would love a singles match with her too, because she’s another one that’s insanely strong and just, I love being able to, like, be rag-dolled around, kind of my thing. But yeah, I don’t know, just having fun with my opponents and just looking at that perspective.”
After that first match, after a year off, how much did you miss it?
“I was, and I think the longer I was out of wrestling, the more anxious I obviously got. But to have my first match back, because obviously I didn’t plan for it to be a year. It kind of just worked out to be that way. Everyone thinks I’ve retired, and that’s the thing. People so adamantly on social media, which is why I don’t go on there a lot, because I’m like, Oh, you guys just make things up. ‘She’s definitely retired.’ I’m not retired yet! But I think with the year off, I can understand why people were like maybe thinking that way, I wouldn’t just leave people hanging. I’m gonna give them a reason or something. But I think after I had my match against Kris, everything fell into place, and then even being in front of the crowd again, that was something I missed, too.”
You got to work two Wrestlemanias. Take me to the first one. What’s that day like and everything leading up to that match?
“So we had the six woman tag, myself, IYO and Bayley against Trish, Lita and Becky. So that was an insane moment, not only because it was my first ever Wrestlemania, and I obviously didn’t think I would ever get one, but to be against like two women and Becky, I love her too, but like Trish and Lita I watched growing up. I took the Stratusfaction and the Stratosphere, it was just such a very surreal moment. I think that was the main word that we were throwing around that day, because the whole day just felt like I was dreaming, like it was just very strange.”
Stephanie McMahon had some very nice things to say about you on her podcast. Recently, she talked about how you helped her prepare for her WrestleMania 34 match against Ronda Rousey.
“Yeah, that’s so weird. I mean, she’s the sweetest person in the world and always said hello to me, but the fact that she remembers that is insane to me. Because I don’t know, again, I don’t look at myself in that light, you know what I mean? But she’s honestly one of the most sweetest people ever, and I was just grateful to be able to be in the ring with [her], training with her and Ronda and Kurt and Hunter as well. She got to DDT me. I was like, yes! Beat me up, Stephanie. This is so freaking cool. But she’s the nicest person. I think that was our first ever time meeting. Every time after that, backstage or wherever, she would always make a point to come up to me and be like, ‘Dakota!’ I’m like, Oh my God, you know me.”
How did you get chosen for this?
“I think I just got told, I think coach Sarah, just pulled me aside one day and was like, hey, you’re going to be flown up to Connecticut to train with Ronda. It was very hush-hush, obviously, because it was their first match. So yeah, just kind of got told that I was getting flown up there to train with them. So that was cool.”
What is Dakota Kai grateful for?
“Life, family and animals.”
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