Dakota Kai felt she was ‘constantly fighting a glass ceiling’ in WWE
The former Dakota Kai, now wrestling as Charlie, appeared on Busted Open Radio ahead of her first match back.
Kai will face Kris Statlander at Pro Wrestling Eve’s Wrestle Queendom on March 8. It will be her first match since she was part of WWE roster cuts revealed on May 2, 2025.
“I think I just really needed to take a step back and sort of rebuild myself in terms of confidence and what I thought about myself as a wrestler in this world. I didn’t really know if I still had a place in this world,” she said about taking time away from wrestling.
When asked about her plans, Kai mentioned the two ACL tears she suffered while in WWE and that she’s looking to prioritize her health moving forward.
“Going forward, it’s just making sure that I’m good health-wise more than anything and that’s mental and physical as well.”
She also spoke about wanting to rediscover her love for wrestling.
“Finding that love again and wrestling against people that have been on my bucket list and I’ve been watching for years that I haven’t been able to tangle in the ring with. I just want to focus on that and just bring that love back.”
Asked about the possibility of signing with TNA or AEW, Kai said she’s open to the possibility of either.
“I think once I get back into it, both those companies and so many more have people that I would love to face in the ring.”
“I just think once I do this match and get back, get the wheels turning again, wherever my path may lead, I’m open to it completely.”
Regarding her WWE release, Kai believes her ACL tears factored into the decision.
“I think that definitely had a part to play. Obviously, with the change in management that probably had a big part to play too. It was surprising only because we were just coming off of the Intercontinental tournament. Obviously, plans changed.”
“It’s one of those things where I was constantly fighting a glass ceiling and even when I was, I thought I was going to break through it.”
Kai’s full appearance on Busted Open Radio is available here.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.