Injury Update On WWE's Dakota Kai
Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai has been out of action since May 2023.
Having been out of action since May of last year, it sounds as if Dakota Kai will soon be back competing in a WWE ring.
Speaking to Denise Salcedo following the Royal Rumble this past weekend, Kai noted how she was wearing heels for the first time since her injury, and that "we're so close" to a return to action.
When asked about her 2024 goals, Dakota then reiterated how she's "close" to lacing up her boots again:
"I'm just excited to get back in the ring. I loved watching the Rumble yesterday, and obviously Bayley winning, I can't even explain the emotions. I was so overwhelmed with happiness. I want to get back in the ring so bad. Just watching them all have fun, I'm like, 'Oh God!', but we're so close, so I just want to get back into the mix of things physically as a wrestler and just aim high."
As it stands, Dakota Kai last wrestled on the 12 May 2023 episode of SmackDown, teaming with Bayley to unsuccessfully challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. That match saw Kai tear her ACL and Morgan suffer a shoulder injury.
While Liv would return to action one month later, those shoulder issues flared up again and she was out of action until a return at the Royal Rumble on Saturday. And now, it appears that Dakota Kai's return is also on the horizon.
Having initially been with WWE from 2016 through until April 2022 - where she was used in NXT and for a handful of NXT UK dates - Kai returned to the promotion at SummerSlam 2022, immediately aligning with Bayley and IYO SKY to form Damage CTRL. Since then, that faction has added Kairi Sane and Asuka to its ranks, with a likely shake-up on the way for Damage CTRL as reports suggest Royal Rumble winner Bayley will ultimately challenge IYO SKY for the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania XL.