Dakota Kai Is Focused On Staying Healthy, Being Mindful After Return From ACL Injury

Dakota Kai is staying on top of things.

Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai and IYO SKY spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard. Kai returned to the ring earlier this year after being sidelined with an ACL injury since May 2023.

Dakota returned to WWE TV prior to being cleared and made her first in-ring appearance on March 1. She has competed in 17 other matches since then, including Damage CTRL’s (Kai, Asuka and Kairi Sane) loss to Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill & Naomi on night one of WrestleMania 40.

Dakota needed to make some changes and take care of herself after returning from injury, but is there an unexpected change she had to make after her first match back?

“I think just in terms of like, my rehab and stuff. Even after I’d been cleared to wrestle, I still want to stay on top of that. If that means doing the same things I did while i was rehabbing,” she explained, “in terms of working out and certain things — dynamic movements and stuff — just taking the time to actually do that, so I do stay on top of it. Stay healthy. That’s the main thing.”

Watch our full interview with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY below: