Dakota Kai is grateful for latest opportunities in WWE

Since returning to the WWE at Summerslam, Dakota Kai has been on quite the run. 

She's become a member of the dominant faction Damage CTRL with Bayley and Iyo Sky and has gone to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team titles with Sky. 

But there was a time where Kai never thought she'd return to the WWE, or wrestling at all. 

In April of 2022, the former NXT Women's Tag Team champion was released from the WWE, and didn't think about wrestling in the least bit. She took the time to step back and focus on what mattered the most, herself. 

“At the end of my run, I needed to take time for me and not take any bookings and just reflect on everything that happened,” said Kai in an interview with CityNews Ottawa. “I was grateful for everything that happened to me in wrestling, but i just needed to step back and taking time for myself.”

As WWE when through changes in late spring and early summer of 2022, Kai got a call from the head of creative, the legendary Triple H, to return to the company. 

“Coming back, it wasn't really on my mind and I was so surprised when he (Triple H) called me before Summerslam,” she said. “But I felt good and I had time time to heal myself and I was so grateful to get that call.”

Not only is she grateful for Triple H's confidence in her abilities in the ring, but she said she owes a lot of gratitude to Bayley, who wanted her to be part of the Damage CTRL faction. 

“Even when I was away from the WWE, Bayley was really pushing for me to part of this group,” she added. “I owe a lot to her, and I am so thankful for her believing in me.”

Now, Kai is back in the WWE, and is appreciative of the many opportunities she has been given since her return as a member of the RAW brand. 

“It was very much meant to be for me to come back,” said Kai. “Being tag team champions and Damage CTRL, it's really helped me have more confidence in myself when the WWE is showing the confidence they have in me.”

While she's no stranger to being part of a WarGames match, she made history at last year's Survivor Series event when she was part of the first main roster women's WarGames match. 

During her time in NXT, Kai was part of two WarGames matches. 

All three members of Damage CTRL participated in the match and teamed up with Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley to take on WWE Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch. 

The match opened the show and was a hit with the fans in attendance, and watching at home. 

“When the match was first announced, I really hoped to be part of it,” she said. “It's been my favourite match to have, and it's fun but it's so grueling. But to be in that match and opening the event, it meant the world to all of us and it's going to stay with me forever.”

For the first time since 2010, WWE RAW is making it's way to Canada's capital on Monday, Feb. 20 at the Canadian Tire Centre. 

And Kai is looking forward to be part of the event, and hopefully, all the three members of Damage CTRL will carry gold as the road to Wrestlemania begins. 

“I love Canada and I can't wait,” she said.