Dakota Kai is quickly becoming an indispensable piece of NXT’s success.
The New Zealand-born NXT star is forging a new identity. She played the underdog babyface exceptionally well, but she just turned on longtime partner Tegan Nox and is now showing off her ability as an antagonist. The character change allows her to work a different style, which is especially important in NXT, which offers perhaps the most talented collection of female stars in all of wrestling.
Kai wrestles Mia Yim on Wednesday night’s episode of NXT on USA Network. She spoke with Sports Illustrated about the decision to work as a heel, her recovery from ACL surgery, and shared insight onto who she believes will be the next breakout stars in NXT.