Former champion returning to the company, underutilized star - 4 temporary replacements for Dakota Kai in WWE
WWE star and former Women's Tag Team Champion Dakota Kai has been out of action since the spring. She tore her ACL during a tag team bout on Friday Night SmackDown and was immediately taken off television for surgery.
In the time since then, Kai has been relatively quiet. She returned to World Wrestling Entertainment programming at SummerSlam to celebrate IYO SKY's championship win. Dakota has remained on television with the duo ever since.
While some fans hoped that Dakota appearing on television meant she was cleared to compete or close to it, that isn't the case. During a Twitch stream, the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion revealed that she'll likely be out of action until 2024.
Naturally, this leaves a gaping hole in Damage CTRL, the stable she is in alongside Bayley and IYO SKY. The group may need a new member to fill Kai's shoes in-ring temporarily.
This article will look at some superstars who could potentially serve as a Damage CTRL substitute.
#4. Emma needs something to do
Emma is one of WWE's most underrated superstars. She joined the promotion back in 2011. She reported to Florida Championship Wrestling and later NXT. Fans often forget that she was a crucial part of the NXT Divas Revolution, which later became the Women's Evolution.
Sadly, Emma was released by WWE in 2017. She wrestled for promotions, such as ROH Wrestling and IMPACT Wrestling, before being re-hired in the Triple H-led regime last year.
Unfortunately, the Australian hasn't done much in 2023. Joining Damage CTRL could be the way to finally give her regular screen time. She's technically a member of the Monday Night RAW roster, but moving to SmackDown could easily be explained.
#3. Kairi Sane is reportedly returning to WWE
Kairi Sane is an incredibly talented pro wrestler. She started wrestling in 2012 and traveled all over the world. This eventually led to her joining World Wrestling Entertainment in 2016, where she won gold on both NXT and the main roster.
The Pirate Princess left WWE in 2021. She returned to her home country of Japan and dominated STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling's women's division. Things appear to be changing now, however.
According to reports, Kairi is on her way back to WWE. While some expect her to feud with Damage CTRL since Bayley was the storyline reason for her exit, Sane could unite with her former foe instead. It would give the group a major shot in the arm.
#2. Xia Li could be a bodyguard for the group
Xia Li is a talented professional wrestler. She entered the industry in 2017 and trained at the WWE Performance Center. Xia was part of NXT until she was drafted to SmackDown in 2021. Despite the call-up, Li didn't make her in-ring debut on the blue brand for quite some time.
It could be said that the talented Li hasn't had the best main roster run. Since her first match on WWE SmackDown in February 2022, Xia has only had 18 bouts that made air. Of those, four have been on Main Event. She is yet to compete on RAW since being drafted to the brand this year.
Since she hasn't officially debuted on RAW anyway, she could quickly return to Friday Night SmackDown as a Damage CTRL member. Xia, the muscle and enforcer who helps protect the injured Kai, Bayley, and IYO, could make for a fun dynamic.
#1. Tegan Nox has a history with Dakota Kai
Tegan Nox is another example of an underrated and underutilized WWE Superstar. She joined the promotion back in 2017. Before joining the main roster, she competed in the Mae Young Classic and on both NXT UK and NXT.
Unfortunately, her main roster run didn't go as anybody would have expected. She and Shotzi joined SmackDown as a tag team and immediately gained momentum, only to be split up. Tegan was then drafted to RAW and released by WWE months later. Thankfully, she has since been re-hired.
The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard has much history with Damage CTRL. She's a real-life friend of Bayley's and was once part of Team Kicks with Dakota Kai. The two have a fierce split and rivalry on NXT but could let bygones be bygones. Who would be a better replacement for Kai than her former best friend?