Former WWE wrestler was ‘caught off guard’ by her release
A part of WWE from 2017 to 2022 and again from 2022 to 2025, Dakota Kai has now revealed how and why she was “caught off guard” by the release decision.
Speaking to Ring The Belle, Kai, now known as Charlie, opened up about her 2025 WWE release. Believing she was finally getting “traction” in the promotion, WWE’s decision to release her surprised her.
“It was one of those things where I thought ‘I’m finally getting some traction, I got a new song’ and things like that, so it caught me off guard too. At the end of the day, it is business, for better or for worse, and now I can just do what I love and go out there; I’ve got a whole bucket list of girlies I want to wrestle,” she said.
A part of the Damage CTRL faction for several years, her final few days in the promotion saw her involved in the Women’s Intercontinental Championship scene. She even took part in the finals of the tournament, where she lost to the inaugural champion, Lyra Valkyria.
Currently active in the indies, AEW’s Will Ospreay recently expressed his thoughts on seeing Kai wrestle in All Elite Wrestling. While an extremely popular and successful name in WWE, her run there was also filled with multiple injuries.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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