Dakota Kai on why it's "weird" wrestling without any fans in attendance

Dakota Kai has been one of the best parts of WWE NXT in recent months. The Kiwi Superstar has earned herself a shot at Io Shirai's NXT Women's Championship and will get into the ring with the Japanese sensation at NXT TakeOver: XXX this Saturday night.

O captain, our captain. 👩‍✈️@DakotaKai_WWE is all confidence heading into her #WWENXT #WomensTitle Match against @shirai_io at #NXTTakeOver XXX! pic.twitter.com/70kRTD15GV

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 8, 2020

Ahead of her match against Io Shirai at TakeOver, Dakota Kai gave an interview to Melenie Parkes of Stuff. Kai, who is now a heel, opened up about why she was initially apprehensive about turning heel. She added that despite still being nervous at times, she loved the new role of portraying the heel:

It was scary because it's something out of my comfort zone. But I really love challenges. I love being offered something different. And it was such a breath of fresh air from what I was doing in NXT, too. So I love it. I do still get a bit nervous in terms of whether or not I'm doing things right with my character, but I love it because it offers so many cool new challenges for me.

Dakota Kai on why wrestling without fans in attendance is "weird"

KAI IS TAKEOVER-BOUND!@DakotaKai_WWE defeats @RheaRipley_WWE for the right to face @shirai_io at #NXTTakeOver XXX! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Gy7PaVDYPP

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2020

During her interview with Stuff, Dakota Kai went on to discuss what it was like wrestling in an empty arena, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kai called the experience "weird" and added that fans reactions play a big part for the performers themselves:

It is so weird and it really makes you realize how much you miss that environment and how much the fans really are a part of everything we do," Kai said. "Because the fans and their reactions, they make the moments for us in the ring. I really miss having fans. But we still have our TV audience. We have hundreds of thousands of people watching us so, at the end of the day, they are our priority.

Dakota Kai will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: XXX this Saturday night.