We all know by now how good the NXT Womenʼs Division is, but lately, it has seemed like they have needed something to spice it up.
Of course by something I mean someone, that being Dakota Kai. Many fans know Kaiʼs worth, but we just havenʼt seen this come through on TV. With the fall out from TakeOver War Games, I donʼt think Dakota Kai is going to let anyone forget her worth again.
What Dakota Kai did at War Games, to her best friend, has sparked a monumental attitude change. Kai no longer cares about any friendships she has made in this business because she is looking out for number one. Some may find Kaiʼs actions a surprise and unforgivable, but what else was she supposed to do? Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley didnʼt think she was good enough to enter War Games. Her best friend, Tegan Nox couldnʼt even stand up for her. Dakota Kai was a fed up woman and made everyone take notice in the only way she saw fit, destruction.
If we look back on Dakotaʼs history, sheʼs the good girl or the girl next door type. By turning heel we get to see a whole new side of her, that honestly seems to be working out a lot better for her. Before this sudden change of attitude, was Dakota Kai a name fans wanted on their TV every week? Maybe not. Turning on your very best friend makes people want to figure out the story.
Overlooking Kai now would be a mistake. Those like Ripley and Baszler now canʼt deny that Kai will do what it takes to get a match and win. On the other side, friends like Candice LeRae and Mia Yim are questioning everything they knew about Kai. No matter which way you look at this Kai needed this change, the womenʼs roster needed it.
Shayna Baszler and her fellow horsewomen may be fantastic heels, but it is getting a little stale. A shakeup was needed, Kai is that shakeup. She is the reminder to everyone on the roster and even in the WWE Universe, that things can change at the drop of a dime.
Much like Tommaso Ciampa, Kai seized her moment. She was called the weak link, she was the second choice, and she watched all of her friends get these opportunities while she had to sit back. One can only sit back for so long, Kai could take Baszlerʼs spot when she gets called to the main roster. If Kai continued to sit back who knows what she would have been left out of next.
Weʼve seen in the past few weeks that Kai going heel has lit a fire under some of the women. For example, Candice LeRae was extremely fired up for her match with Kai. We havenʼt gotten to see a lot of the feistiness of LeRae in a while, but a pissed off Candice is good for business. WWE Universe got to see more of what makes LeRae her. From the promo to getting her mouth busted open in the match, Dakota Kaiʼs turn has elevated her former friends.
The best part about this heel turn is very few saw this coming or believed it would. Dakota is shocking people left and right, there is no telling what she will do next and thatʼs the exciting part. Dakota has the element of surprise in her back pocket because no one knows this side of her. Friends like Tegan Nox and Mia Yim, the ones who had known her the best, are at a disadvantage now. The unpredictability of Kai is her greatest weapon, even more so than Noxʼs knee brace.
With a new look, a new attitude, and even a new entrance video Dakota Kai is a force to be reckoned with. This is her time to shine, however, she sees fit to. While she tries to show this new side of her, she breathes new life to a womenʼs division that has been stagnant. The division has been put on notice and honestly should be afraid. Welcome to the new era of the NXT Womenʼs Division, Dakota Kai is just getting started.
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