An AEW star has expressed interest in facing a recently released WWE talent, who was let go on May 2nd. Among those released that day were Dakota Kai, Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, Kayden Carter, and Katana Chance.
Willow Nightingale from AEW is keen on competing against Kai, referring to her as a free agent ready to step into the ring. During an appearance on the Gabby AF podcast, the former AEW TBS Champion shared that she has been a longtime admirer of Kai, formerly known as Evie. Nightingale said, “I was a big fan of wrestlers I’d known under the name Evie for years. Some fans now know her as King Kota, but I remember her from her team kicks as Evie.”
She also added, “I never had the opportunity to wrestle her because she was in a different place before I joined Shimmer. I hope all of them land on their feet because I understand how this business works.”
Kai, during her time at Shimmer as Evie, held the Heidi Love Race and Tag Team Championship. Heidi Loveless later became WWE’s Ruby SoHo. Kai initially signed with WWE in December 2016 and remained until she was released in April 2022. She was re-signed in July 2022 and appeared at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and Iyo Sky, where they attacked Damage CTRL.
During her WWE tenure, Dakota Kai became a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion and a two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Raquel Gonzalez and Iyo Sky. Following her release, a TNA Wrestling star extended invites to Kai and two other former WWE talents to join him.
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Fan Take: This potential matchup is thrilling news for AEW fans as it not only brings fresh rivalry possibilities but also highlights AEW’s growing appeal as a platform for top wrestling talents across promotions. Bringing in a well-known name like Dakota Kai could elevate AEW’s women’s division and shake up the wrestling scene in exciting ways.
