Dakota Kai is preparing for the next chapter of her career, unveiling a new look as anticipation grows around her return to the ring following her WWE release earlier this year. The former multi-time tag team champion shared a selfie on Instagram, showcasing her refreshed appearance as speculation continues about where she might land next.
In the meantime, Kai has kept herself visible online, streaming several times a week on Twitch and maintaining an open dialogue with her community about her future. During a recent broadcast, she spoke candidly about her plans, making it clear that her time away has only strengthened her desire to wrestle again.
“I miss wrestling, you guys,” Kai said. “We’re gonna get back into it. It’s just one of those things where it’s been nice to have a little bit of a break. I’ve been doing it for a long time. Longer than the last seven years I was with WWE. It is nice to take a step back a bit, but I really do miss it.” (h/t Fightful)
Kai’s departure in May closed the book on a turbulent second stint with WWE. Originally released in 2022, she was brought back at SummerSlam later that year under Triple H’s leadership, joining Bayley and Iyo Sky to form the first iteration of Damage CTRL. The group quickly became a focal point of the women’s division, with Kai and Sky winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Her momentum, however, was cut short in mid-2023 when a torn ACL sidelined her for nearly a year, and she was released again not long after.
The decision sparked discussion behind the scenes. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, company officials cited Kai’s age—37—as “part of” the reasoning, a move that reportedly surprised many given the strong reception she had received internally.
Now a free agent, Dakota Kai has made her intentions clear: she plans to step back into the ring. With a new look and a renewed sense of purpose, she has positioned herself as one of the most closely watched names in the industry heading into the coming months.