Injured WWE star was called at the last minute to appear on SmackDown - Reports
Tonight's episode of SmackDown was the first since IYO SKY won the WWE Women's Championship. She came out alongside her Damage CTRL teammates, Bayley and Dakota Kai. However, the latter wasn't originally supposed to be there amid her current injury.
Kai has missed three months of WWE action so far after she suffered a torn ACL on the May 12 episode of SmackDown. Despite that, she has been present for the biggest moment of IYO SKY's WWE career. The New Zealander flew in for SummerSlam at the last minute to celebrate her teammate's big win.
The same thing happened again for SmackDown, according to Mike Johnson of PW Insider. He reported that Dakota Kai was called at the last minute to fly to Calgary for SmackDown after doing the same six days ago as well.
Here's what he said:
"Dakota Kai was not initially scheduled for Smackdown we are told. The story backstage making the rounds was that once again, she was called at the last minute to fly into the taping, just as she was Summerslam," reported PW Insider's Mike Johnson.
It remains to be seen if Kai will continue appearing alongside Bayley and SKY as she continues to recover from her injury. She could become their on-screen manager for the time being.
When will Dakota Kai wrestle for WWE again?
Despite her recent appearances on WWE television, Kai is unlikely to wrestle again in 2023. Recovery from an ACL tear usually takes six to nine months, with a longer time anticipated. Bayley herself was out for over a year after she tore her ACL in July 2021.
The Royal Rumble seems like the perfect place for Dakota Kai to return to the ring, provided she is cleared by the end of January 2024. She could pull off a shock win and set up a triple threat match for IYO SKY's Women's Championship also involving The Role Model. It would pit all three members of Damage CTRL against each other.