Dakota Kai is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Dakota Kai.
22 Facts About Dakota Kai
2.
Dakota Kai is a member of Damage CTRL and a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Iyo Sky.
3.
Dakota Kai is known for her time in NXT, where she won the inaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and is a former two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
4.
Dakota Kai competed in a losing effort against Hikaru Shida at Shimmer Volume 62 in April 2014.
5.
The word Dakota Kai means sea in the Polynesian language, indicating her journey to get to WWE, and contrary to popular belief, is not a reference to Leilani Dakota Kai.
6.
On 25 October 2017 episode of NXT, Dakota Kai returned to television, competing in a women's battle royal won by Nikki Cross.
7.
On 10 January 2018 episode of NXT, Dakota Kai lost to the debuting Shayna Baszler by referee stoppage after Baszler stomped and injured her arm.
8.
Dakota Kai participated in a WrestleMania Axxess tournament which she won, earning herself a match for the NXT Women's Championship, but was defeated by newly crowned champion Shayna Baszler.
9.
In parallel to her activities in NXT, Dakota Kai appeared in the newly created NXT UK brand.
10.
On 17 January 2019, Dakota Kai announced on her Twitter page that she sustained a torn ACL, during an NXT live event in December, which would sideline her from in-ring competition for the next few months.
11.
However, before she entered the ring, Dakota Kai attacked her tag team partner, Tegan Nox, turning heel for the first time in her career.
12.
Dakota Kai defeated Nox twice: first at NXT TakeOver: Portland in a street fight, and second in a steel cage match, both after interferences from Gonzalez.
13.
Dakota Kai then competed in the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with Wendy Choo, defeating Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta in the first round, Gonzalez and Jade in the semifinals on 8 March 2022 at Roadblock, but lost to Shirai and Kay Lee Ray in the finals.
14.
On 29 March episode of NXT, after Toxic Attraction took out Wendy Choo, Dakota Kai attacked the group and was assisted by a returning Raquel Gonzalez, whom Dakota Kai embraced afterwards, turning face for the first time since 2019.
15.
On 29 April 2022, Dakota Kai was released from her WWE contract.
16.
Dakota Kai had reportedly expressed to the company that she was not planning on renewing her contract prior to her release.
17.
On 30 July 2022, Dakota Kai re-signed with WWE and returned at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and Iyo Sky.
18.
Dakota Kai officially joined the Raw brand as a heel and made her debut for the brand the following night.
19.
Dakota Kai then entered the women's Royal Rumble match at the titular event on 28 January 2023.
20.
Dakota Kai eliminated five wrestlers before being eliminated by Becky Lynch.
21.
Dakota Kai's mother is originally from the Samoan village of Lepea on the island of Upolu.
22.
Dakota Kai has two younger siblings: her sister Nyrene is a mixed martial artist, and her brother Earl is a DJ.