10 Recent Star-Making Wrestling Performances Nobody Saw Coming
6. Dakota Kai Pushes The Champion To The Limit Vs. Io Shirai
Without a shadow of a doubt, NXT's Women's division is currently the most stacked in all of WWE and arguably the world right now.
That's why it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise when Dakota Kai absolutely solidified herself as a credible main eventer during her recent feud with NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai. But, to many, it did.
Shirai had been consistently putting on decent displays during her feud with old pal Tegan Nox and the heel even scored herself a typical towering sidekick in Raquel Gonzalez. But, some fans still doubted whether she could believably pose a threat to the impressive Shirai coming into TakeOver: XXX.
However, by putting on a career-best performance at the landmark event, Kai thoroughly ensured that Shirai well and truly met her match, surprisingly leaning more on her underrated prowess in the ring than the usual heelish bending of the rules.
Her excellent display, regardless of the fact she didn't lift the NXT Women's Championship on the night, eventually earned her a ton of praise from none other than Triple H himself, with the Executive Producer of NXT claiming:
"Hats off to Dakota Kai just earning it every step of the way, and win or lose man, she had a star-making night across the board. She is a player. Absolutely, and one of the best in-ring female performers in the world. Bar none."
Though very few saw the New Zealander as a serious top name in NXT's Women's division at the start of 2020, Kai has now forced herself into the conversation and will likely only improve further in the coming months.