Dakota Kai On WWE Release, Damage CTRL, Return To Wrestling, IYO SKY, Training Stephanie McMahon

Wrestling

Year2026

Duration1h 5m

Watch Now

7.2

See you at the next Insight LIVE in Tampa on May 8th! Get tickets here: Dakota Kai (Charlie) is a professional wrestler best known for her time in WWE. She sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Las Vegas to discuss being released from WWE, her first match in over a year against Kris Statlander at Pro Wrestling EVE in London, being a part of the Damage CTRL faction with IYO SKY and Bayley, Wrestling Trish Stratus, Lita and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania, training with Stephanie McMahon for her match with Ronda Rousey, what's next for her in wrestling, dream opponents, and more! SEAT GEEK: Use my code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount CALDERA LAB: Go to and use code CHRIS for 20% off your first order. 00:00 Intro 01:10 This is her first ever podcast interview 01:55 Becoming a cat mom of 3 04:20 Having her 1st match in a year 06:35 What she's been up to since her WWE release 08:55 Her 2022 release vs 2025 release 11:45 Signing with WWE 13:35 Getting interested in wrestling 15:33 How she came up with the Dakota Kai name 16:05 Not all Samoans are related! 17:33 Becoming a tag team specialist 18:35 Pre match rituals 21:54 Turning on her tag partner, Tegan Nox 23:26 Being Nia Jax's opponent in her NXT debut 25:16 Being in Shayna Baszler's debut NXT match 26:43 Her multiple knee injuries 28:36 Surprise return at SummerSlam 2022 32:06 Friendship with IYO SKY 35:06 Pitched ideas that never happened 36:06 Wrestlers in WWE she wanted to face/favorite opponents 37:29 Her view on wrestling now almost 20 years in 39:11 Opponents she'd like to face now 43:41 Reaction to her natural curly hair 48:06 WrestleMania memories 51:53 Helping train Stephanie McMahon for WrestleMania 34 54:46 Moving to the United States and losing her accent 01:00:51 Starting a podcast with Zelina Vega 01:02:26 Yelling at Pat McAfee in WWE 01:03:56 Is she open to a WWE return? 01:04:46 3 things Dakota Kai is grateful for Subscribe to Listen to "Insight with Chris Van Vliet": Get awesome CVV t-shir