Dakota Kai opens up about her time away from the wrestling ring.
Following her release from WWE in May 2025, Dakota Kai (now known as Charlie) took an extended break from the wrestling ring. The break itself spanned 10 months, with the former Women’s Tag Team Champion finally returning to action to face AEW’s Kris Statlander at Pro-Wrestling EVE’s Wrestle Queendom 8 event in March 2026.
According to Kai, she entered her rest period with no set time in mind for its duration. Once the opportunity to wrestle Statlander came about, though, Kai felt it was a sign to lace up her boots once more.
“I think after leaving WWE, I didn’t want to necessarily rush back into anything,” she told Insight With Chris Van Vliet. “I wanted to get back into wrestling on my terms and just find that passion and that love for it and just do it for fun. Basically, I wanted to do it for fun, and it was just a matter of the perfect time. Then when Will Ospreay hit me up. He’s basically like, we’d love to have you on the show, here’s what it is. When I found out I’m like wrestling Kris Statlander I’m like, oh my god, perfect. She’s been on my bucket list for years, literal years. So it just worked out.
“It was weird, because during that time off, the longer I was away from wrestling, which was needed for me, personally, just mentally and emotionally, it was like the thought of wrestling again was looming over me. I have very severe performance anxiety, so the longer I was away, the more anxious I got about it. But then she made it so easy, she’s the best.”
Kai Always Intended To Come Back
Despite her extended hiatus from the wrestling world, Kai clarified that she always intended to get back into it at some point. For a while, she just needed a mental and physical break.
“100% I always wanted to get back,” Kai said. “It was so funny too, because I wasn’t really saying much of anything, because I’m not on social media a lot, especially during that time off, I wasn’t posting. Not for any reason, I just didn’t know anything to talk about. There was no reason for it. So, yeah, I don’t know, it was just needed.”
One month after her encounter with Statlander, Kai challenged fellow former WWE star Shotzi Blackheart for the House of Glory Women’s Championship at HOG Culture Clash.
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