9 Ups And 1 Down From WWE NXT (Aug 3)

5. Dakota Kai Reveals Why

The shock of the WWE week came in the form of Dakota Kai finally blasting her long-time associate Raquel Gonzalez with an abrupt kick seven days ago, seemingly setting the stage for an NXT Women's Championship match at TakeOver: 36. But why Dakota, why?

Well, as evidenced in a compelling video package this week, Kai felt as though Big Mami Cool lost interest in their partnership from the second she lifted that NXT gold, despite the fact that she wouldn't be in that position in the first place had it not been for The Captain of Team Kick. Paying off a story a year-in-the-making, Kai recounted the evolution of Gonzalez, highlighting the fact that it was all made possible due to her tutelage and the many lessons she taught her pal along the way. Only for Gonzalez to drop her like a sack of spuds once Io Shirai came calling in the lead-up to the biggest TakeOver.

Perhaps the most impactful moment of the entire piece came in the form of Kai somewhat crumbling at the thought of being considered Gonzalez's sidekick, with the title contender struggling to keep her composure when uttering the words "I'm no one's sidekick" to herself.

If there's a more personal, dramatic, and riveting story currently being told in NXT, your writer is yet to see it. These two are money, and the only shame is that we'll only have a few more weeks of captivating build en-route to a potential show-stealer.