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A major WWE star was recently released, along with many other names. This star was reportedly talking to AEW previously.
Dakota Kai first began her WWE run in 2015 and cut her teeth in NXT. She was featured prominently during her time in NXT. However, some felt she was prone to getting injured. She found a bit of success when she was paired with Raquel Rodriguez before she was released in 2022.
She returned later the same year and formed Damage CTRL, along with Bayley and IYO SKY on the main roster. She found a lot of success as part of Damage CTRL, and she won the Women's Tag Team Championship twice. Despite her success, Dakota was recently released from the WWE again, along with several other stars.
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During a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Dakota Kai was in talks with All Elite Wrestling and Stardom when she got released the last time. However, she decided to go back to WWE. While it is not known how further along the conversations were, Meltzer reported that they were ready to use her before she decided to return to the sports entertainment juggernaut.
"When I first saw that name, my first thought is that is the one that AEW should try and take. I know the last time she got cut, I believe she was talking to AEW, and I know she was talking to STARDOM. And then she got called back and didn't go. I don't know the details of how deep the conversations were with AEW, but I could think that it's one of those things where, 'We were ready to use her and then she ran right back, and is that the kind of person we want to invest in, that she just went straight back,' type of thing."
Dave Meltzer further suggested that out of all the people released recently, she has the best chance to go to AEW.
"Of all the names that were released, I think she is the one that would be the best percentage bet for AEW. But I don't know if what happened before will make that difficult or not. But she's good."
Vince Russo urged Dakota Kai to join AEW
Dakota Kai's release came as a bit of a surprise to many people as she was a regular feature on WWE TV, with her last televised match taking place on the March 17, 2025, episode of RAW against Ivy Nile. Many fans and critics have given their thoughts on Dakota's release, including a former WWE writer.
During a recent edition of BroDown with co-host Mac Davis, Vince Russo suggested that the Damage CTRL member should go to All Elite Wrestling.
"I know, bro. Dakota Kai can make a career for herself after WWE. There is no doubt about it. She could book herself every weekend on the indies. She can probably go work at AEW. But to them, they were in the show, and now they ain't getting back to the show, and that's very, very difficult for the talent," said Russo. [19:57 - 20:19]
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Dakota Kai.
