Dakota Kai was among the surprising names released by WWE last week, raising eyebrows due to her recent appearances on Raw as a key member of the Damage CTRL faction.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live, Kai’s departure may indicate that the group has officially disbanded. With IYO SKY currently holding the Women’s World Championship and both Asuka and Kairi Sane sidelined by injuries, the once-dominant stable may have reached its end.
“Dakota Kai was probably the biggest surprise, I would say,” Alvarez said. “I don’t know what the story is there other than – and I don’t know if this is ‘official’ – but I was kind of told unofficially that Damage CTRL’s done. The group is done.”
He speculated on the direction for the remaining members:
“That probably means that maybe Asuka and Kairi might come back as a tag team, and IYO’s obviously a big singles star. Maybe they just figured that Dakota, she’s not gonna be at the level of an IYO, doesn’t have a partner… so she got cut. That one is surprising.”
Alvarez also offered an update on the injured stars:
“Asuka was injured. Kairi, I think, could return at any time. She was injured. Yeah, she’s jacked now. She’s training hard.”
Kai was a key part of Damage CTRL since its formation in 2022 under Bayley’s leadership. Although she had returned to TV in recent months following her own injury recovery, her release suggests a larger creative shift is underway.
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