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    “It caught me off guard” –  WWE released 4-time champion after giving her a new theme song

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    WWE is headed towards The Biggest Party of the Summer in the first week of August. Meanwhile, a female star opened up about her release from the Stamford-based promotion, which came some time after she received a new theme song and was working in the mid-card scene.

    In 2022, Dakota Kai appeared at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and IYO SKY, and the trio created Damage CTRL. Kai was a tag team specialist and proved it inside the square circle, as she held 4 tag team championships (2 NXT and 2 WWE) in the Stamford-based promotion. Unfortunately, she was released from the company in 2025 following WrestleMania 41.

    Speaking on Ring The Belle, the multi-time Tag Team Champion opened up about her second release from the company. Kai stated that the release initially caught her off guard, as she received a new theme song and was going after the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. However, she understood that it was a business decision. Looking at the bright side, the 38-year-old ex-WWE star stated she’s ready to complete her bucket list of opponents in the industry.

    “I know. I had a new song. [When the release happened, the fans were so shocked.] I know. Yeah. It was one of those things where I thought, I’m finally getting some traction. I got a new song and things like that. So, it caught me off guard too. But I mean, at the end of the day, it is business. You know what I mean? For better or for worse. Now, I can just do what I love and just go out there, and I’ve got a whole bucket list of girlies I want to wrestle,” Kai said.

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    What was Dakota Kai doing on WWE RAW before her release?

    In 2024, the company announced a tournament for the newly introduced Women’s Intercontinental Championship. In January 2025, Dakota Kai made it to the finals and lost to Lyra Valkyria. After her loss, she picked up three wins and was gearing up for another shot at the title.

    However, she suffered another injury by the end of January and ultimately received her release from WWE in May. She’s currently working on the independent circuit as a performer. It’ll be interesting to see if she ever returns for a third run with the promotion.

    If you use quotes from the article, please credit Ring The Belle and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.