Dakota Kai Set To Return From Injury, Team With Bayley On WWE SmackDown

Dakota Kai will be making her return to the ring on next Friday's "WWE SmackDown," her first match since tearing her ACL in May 2023. Kai will team with former Damage CTRL stablemate Bayley against representatives of the current iteration of the group — reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka and Kairi Sane.

Several weeks ago, Damage CTRL turned on Bayley after Bayley overheard them plotting against her. The 2024 women's Royal Rumble winner then chose IYO SKY as her "WrestleMania 40" opponent. But while Bayley was being attacked in the middle of the ring, Dakota Kai was nowhere to be found. The following week, Kai said she wasn't in the arena due to a doctor's appointment. She swore that she didn't know Damage CTRL was going to attack Bayley. When Damage CTRL came down to the ring again, Kai grabbed a chair to fend them off.

This week, Kai was seen backstage getting help from Nick Aldis and a referee to walk into the trainer's room. Bayley came as soon as she heard and immediately blamed herself after Kai told her that Damage CTRL did it. Bayley thought they were using Kai to get back at her, and Kai told Bayley that "we are going to make them pay." The match was announced shortly thereafter.

There's some irony to the fact that Kai's first match back will see her team with Bayley against the women's tag team champions, considering she was injured in a very similar match 10 months ago, teaming with Bayley against then-champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Kai also previously held the tag titles as part of Damage CTRL, though her partner at the time was SKY while Bayley pursued singles gold.