During the November 11th edition of WWE Raw, Dakota Kai made her surprise return in a backstage segment to reunite with Damage CTRL. The faction comprising – IYO SKY, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai has now set their sights on the gold.
Damage CTRL joined in for an interview with Byron Saxton in a Raw Exclusive. Kai said that it was very difficult for her to watch SKY and Sane from home during her injury hiatus. She then revealed that they have their sights set on the women’s tag team titles which is held by Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. Kai said:
“It was so difficult watching from home, you guys held it down for sure, but we’re here to show everyone Damage CTRL, we won our match tonight — Now, we have our eyes on gold, potentially those tag team titles, right?”
Dakota Kai’s comeback took place at a time when SKY is the Number 1 contender for the Women’s World Title, currently held by Liv Morgan. They are set to lock horns with the title on the line soon.
IYO SKY also vowed to become the Women’s World Champion and feels confident that every member of Damage CTRL will be a champion. She said:
“Yes and I need the Women’s World Championship. We will be all the champions.”
Last night, Kai also competed inside the squared circle when she teamed up with IYO SKY and Kairi Sane to face the Pure Fusion Collective (Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, and Sonya Deville). In the final moments of the match, SKY performed a moonsault on Baszler to earn the pinfall victory.
History was made at Saturday’s WWE Backlash premium live event from a sold-out LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. Not only was it the largest gate for an arena event in company history, but we also saw new Women’s Tag Team Champions crowned. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair captured the titles by defeating Asuka and Kairi Sane and ending their 99-day reign.
Backstage after their win, Cargill and Belair took a photo with Triple H. He congratulated them and hyped them as quite possibly the ‘biggEST storm’ to hit the women’s tag team division since it launched.
Quite possibly the biggEST storm to ever hit this division.
This marks Bianca Belair’s first time holding tag team in WWE and represents a new challenge for the 3-time Women’s Champion and (2021) Royal Rumble winner. It’s the first WWE championship for Jade Cargill, who previously had a long run with the AEW TBS Champion. Cargill has already made noticeable progress in the ring since joining WWE and will learn a great deal by teaming with a world-class worker like Belair.
After The Event
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair kicked off the WWE Backlash press conference. When asked about being role models, Cargill expressed that it means a great deal to her, especially as an example for her daughter. Belair highlighted the significance of representation for women and praised the NXT Women’s Division.
The pair were also asked about their experience winning in France. They both shared their happiness, with Cargill describing the victory as electrifying and unexpected, noting that their formation as a tag team was a surprise to many. They expressed ambitions to dominate the Women’s Division and discussed potential opponents from both the main roster and NXT.
When questioned about her switch from AEW to WWE, Cargill mentioned that the support from everyone has been overwhelming. She described the transition as unprecedented and expressed gratitude for the opportunities she has received in WWE.
????. I want to say this with my chest….and this is me being the most vulnerable…as a person who has a target on her back all the time. The ones who are happy for me. Thank you. This is such an amazing moment in my career…in 3 years. What I have accomplished. God is great.
The trio of Jade Cargill, Naomi, and Bianca Belair proved to be a force to be reckoned with by emerging victorious at WWE WrestleMania 40.
In the fifth match of WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the trio dispatched of Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka & Kairi Sane.) The finish of the match saw Asuka accidentally mist Kairi Sane before the Empress of Tomorrow was dispatched of by Bianca Belair. Cargill would then level Dakota Kai to get the win for her team.
You can check out some highlights from the match below.
Going into this six-woman tag-team match, there was a lot of interest in how Jade Cargill would fare at her first WrestleMania. It wasn’t long into the match that “We Want Jade” chants rumbled throughout the massive crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field. Cargill certainly looked like she belonged in the ring at WrestleMania 40 and fans can expect the Storm to be at many WrestleManias and other Premium Live Events to come.
Cargill signed with WWE in September 2023 and was immediately treated as a massive high-profile acquisition for the company. Before arriving in WWE, Cargill made her name in All Elite Wrestling, where she was the first AEW TBS Champion. Her 508-day reign with the gold remains the longest title reign of any champion in AEW history.
WrestleMania is right around the corner, and Bayley got to call her shot for the grandest stage of them all after she won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. The breakup with Damage CTRL that followed was a long time coming.
WWE fans saw Damage CTRL break up as Bayley declared her shot at IYO Sky’s WWE Women’s Title. That split came in a hurry, but there were plans in motion already for the stable’s demise.
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select to explain that plans regarding Bayley and Damage CTRL’s breakup dates back to last year.
The split within Damage CTRL was strategically planned several months prior to the actual breakup, and Charlotte Flair was supposed to be involved as well. It was reported that, “the idea was for Charlotte to aid Bayley in fighting off Damage CTRL when the turn eventually happened.”
Mercedes Mone’s Involvement
Mercedes Mone and WWE were in talks, but they hit a financial roadblock. Her involvement in Bayley’s breakup with Damage CTRL was never factored into any plan.
It was also noted that things may have changed if Mercedes had worked out a deal with WWE. However, that never came to pass. It was also nothing that ever got far enough along to plan out.
One source in WWE said that Mercedes signing with WWE when they had talks definitely could have changed things, but that wasn’t the working plan and things didn’t get far enough for advanced creative pitches.
Bayley will battle IYO Sky for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 40, and that will be a crescendo for a long storyline. We will have to see if Bayley will be able to overcome her former faction on the grandest stage of them all.
Bayley won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match, and then she staked her claim against IYO Sky at the show of shows. It seemed that Bayley would have, at least, one ally for the showcase of the immortals, but that is not the case.
The Kabuki Warriors defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Bayley and Dakota Kai this week on SmackDown. Many fans wondered if a title change would be in the cards, but they got a lot more. This was not Bayley’s lucky moment, either.
Just as Bayley was crawling to her corner for a hot tag for Kai, she jumped off the apron. This was a big heel turn, and it left Bayley all alone.
It didn’t take much time for Asuka and Kairi Sane to take out Bayley in easy fashion. Then there was a four-on-one attack on Bayley.
It appears that Bayley is going into WrestleMania 40 as a huge underdog. She will have nobody in her corner from the look of it, but she also might thrive in that underdog role.
After the match, Damage CTRL was very happy with themselves backstage. Then Jade Cargill stepped around the corner to confront them. Nothing happened at that time, but that definitely planted the seeds of something big in the future.
As of today, SKY has reached 200 days as WWE Women’s Champion. The Damage CTRL member has now held the title for longer than some of WWE’s top stars who held the title when it was the Raw Women’s Champion. Superstars SKY has surpassed include Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross/A.S.H, Bayley, and current WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley.
IYO SKY’s Title Reign By the Numbers
Since capturing the gold at SummerSlam, SKY has defended the title 28 times. Six of these matches have taken place on TV or Premium Live Events with the rest being at untelevised live events. SKY’s most recent televised title match saw her retain against ‘Michin’ Mia Yim on the New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown last month.
As the WWE Royal Rumble approaches, Bayley is ready to show the wrestling world that 2024 will be her year. She helped make Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai) one of the dominant groups in the WWE. While she is proud of the success of her faction, ‘The Role Model’ wants to win gold and cement her legacy this year.
In an interview with Uproxx Sports, Bayley boasted that she believes she is on a different level than her peers and plans to prove it at the WWE Royal Rumble on January 27. Uproxx Sports’ Raj Prashad transcribed the following quotes.
“To me, this year in particular is about cementing my legacy and my career,” Bayley said. “I’ve done a lot up until this point. With Damage CTRL, I feel like I’m on a different level than everybody else, even the women that I came up with because it comes with a different responsibility.”
This year marks Bayley’s fifth attempt at winning the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. However, ‘The Role Model’ is seemingly one of the favorites to be victorious and challenging for a woman’s title.
Bayley’s Chances Of Winning The 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match
She is currently involved in a storyline where her group is counting on her to win and challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April. She also aims for all members of Damage CTRL to hold titles at the same time this year.
“Let me just say it, this is the last time I’m gonna say it. IYO is champion, right? And in Damage CTRL, that means we’re all kind of a champion,” said Bayley.
She explains, “She deserves to have that all to her own. Kabuki Warriors, we’re gonna get them those tag titles because it’s what they deserve. If I get a title from Rhea Ripley, how cool would that look?”
She added that she wants Kai to win the NXT Women’s Championship when she is cleared to wrestle again. This would mark a rare achievement, with an all-female faction in WWE simultaneously holding all the women’s titles in the company.
“…We’re about making history. We’re about never before seen, and we’re about taking over the world. So, the only way we could do that is by knocking Mami off her little high horse. She thinks she’s the stuff right now. Wait til I get my hands on her,” said Bayley.
It’s unclear if Bayley will ultimately win, as she has 29 other opponents vying to defeat her in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. That said, the former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion remains confident that she will shock the world and have her moment this weekend.
The future of Damage CTRL may be looking increasingly uncertain, but Bayley hopes to bring an NXT Superstar on board when the time is right.
Damage CTRL debuted at SummerSlam 2022, which marked the return of Bayley after an injury that kept her out of the ring for over a year. The Role Model showed up in Nashville with Dakota Kai (who had been released earlier that year) and Io Shirai (since renamed IYO SKY) whose contract was close to expiring.
A New Member?
In November of last year, Kairi Sane and Asuka joined the faction, despite the Empress’ previous battles with Damage CTRL. On Instagram this week, Bayley threw out an offer to WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade who is currently out of action with an ACL injury.
Cora Jade joined WWE in 2021. She has previously competed under the name Elyanna Black and has made appearances for TNA Wrestling (IMPACT Wrestling) at the time, as well as AEW.
Cora Jade’s efforts in the ring haven’t gone unnoticed by one of WWE’s veteran performers…
Damage CTRL led by Bayley has been a formidable faction in the women’s division. The faction originally had Dakota Kai and IYO SKY and later Asuka and Kairi Sane joined the group.
Bayley recently posted a new photo with herself, Kairi Sane, Asuka, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai. The former Women’s Champion wrote the following in the caption:
“They said we won’t. I bet we will.”
CM Punk jokes about wanting to join Damage CTRL
CM Punk took note of the photo and wrote an amusing comment. He joked that he applied to join Damage CTRL.
“I sent in my application to join but haven’t heard anything yet,” he said.
Bayley and CM Punk will compete in respective Royal Rumble 2024 matches
Royal Rumble 2024 WWE Premium Live Event which will emanate live from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida is less than a week away. The show takes place on January 27.
Damage CTRL’s Bayley is certainly among the
favorites to win this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. With Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley seemingly locked for a title bout for WrestleMania 40, ‘The Role Model’ could win the high-stakes match and go after IYO SKY’s WWE Women’s title, adding a new layer to their storyline.
Meanwhile, CM Punk who made a blockbuster return in November last year has made a major impact. He had been the talk of the town for quite some time and if he wins the Royal Rumble match, he could even go on to main event WrestleMania 40.
Dakota Kai has been recovering from a torn ACL since last May, but some fans may not realize she is injured by the amount of screen time she gets in WWE. She recently shared an update on her recovery progress.
Dakota Kai Speaks on her Injury
Despite being part of the Damage CTRL stable and making appearances on television with her stablemates, Dakota Kai is only cleared to stand at ringside during matches. Some fans mistakenly believed she was already cleared for in-ring action.
During a recent Twitch stream, Kai clarified that although she can move normally, she hasn’t received the necessary medical clearance. Currently, she is still waiting on the green light for her return to the ring.
In the meantime, Dakota Kai is really enjoying all the time she’s having with Damage CTRL on WWE television.
“I’m so sick of seeing people saying, ‘She can run and jump, but she’s not cleared still? No, that’s not how this works. Obviously, I can run and jump because I’ve been doing it for the last few months, but they have a set date for when you actually get cleared because I have to still do matches, and they have to check all the boxes of when I’m actually cleared. I’m not going to be in a wheelchair for nine months and then suddenly stand up and go, ‘I’m cured.’ That’s not how it works.”
How Dakota Kai Was Injured
On the May 12th episode of SmackDown, Dakota Kai and Bayley faced defeat in their Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Both Kai and Morgan sustained injuries during the match, with Kai tearing her ACL and Morgan injuring her shoulder.
Kai reappeared physically for the first time at SummerSlam, celebrating Sky’s WWE Women’s Championship victory. Subsequently, Kai has consistently taken on a managerial role for Damage CTRL until she receives medical clearance for in-ring competition.
WWE Superstars are prone to get tattoos, and then they get extra love by sharing their new ink on social media. Now, two WWE Superstars have new art in their skin, and they got those pieces for a good reason.
Zelina Vega has been making waves in WWE since her return in 2022. Apart from WWE, she extends her influence beyond wrestling as she embraces the role of a budding YouTube personality along with Twitch streamer.
Zelina Vega & Dakota Kai’s New Tattoos
Recently, Zelina Vega, in collaboration with Dakota Kai, set a bold target for their YouTube channel. They put their eyes on a goal to reach 15,000 subscribers. Upon successfully attaining this significant milestone, the duo opted for a unique celebration by getting matching tattoos.
In a video shared on Zelina Vega’s Instagram, the two chronicle their tattoo experience. Their new tattoos matched their passions and personalities to a tee, as they got some Pokémon ink.
Choosing Pokemon-themed tattoos to mark the 15k subscriber achievement, Dakota Kai selects a Vulpix tattoo, while Zelina Vega opts for a Seel tattoo.
Happy 15k!! Thank you all for getting @zelvxandcharliegirl to our new milestone! What should our 20k be?? thank you @ownyoursummer for the dope #Pokemon tattoos!
Beyond her YouTube accomplishments, Zelina Vega solidified her commitment to WWE by recently signing a long-term deal. That ensured her continued presence with the company for years to come.
Fans can anticipate with excitement the future ventures from the LWO member. She has also been receiving rave reviews for her character work on WWE television.
Dakota Kai is still going strong as a member of Damage CTRL. Although she may still be waiting out her knee injury, she was still featured on WWE television practically every week, which kept her face out there and her brand relevant. Obviously, both Vega and Kai are connecting with fans in a big way, as evidence by their latest subscriber accomplishment.
Bayley has stood apart from the rest of the women’s roster after tarting out in NXT. She gained popularity for her authentic and relatable character, hugging fans everywhere she went. She morphed her character in to a heel years later, after forging a spot for herself on the WWE main roster, and she hasn’t looked back. Now, she will be with WWE for years to come.
After moving to the WWE main roster, Bayley continued to thrive, evolving her character and maintaining a strong connection with the audience. She achieved the historic accomplishment of becoming the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Sasha Banks.
Mercedes Mone and Bayley are still great friends, after traveling the world with each other. Given Bayley’s recent tease on social media, and the fact that she begs Sasha Banks to return all the time, she may just work with her friend again soon.
Given Bayley’s recent contract renewal, and Mercedes Mone’s current situation, those could be interesting ingredients to the formula which could result in The Boss’ return.
What’s Next For Bayley In WWE
Bayley’s current run in Damage CTRL elevated her to a new level. That faction is still going strong, as they captivate fans about the plan for their next steps. Now, it appears that Bayley will be around for the long-haul to see that angle through.
WWE has several contracts running up in 2024 for top Superstars including Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus. Bayley’s contract situation is now locked in, and she’s not leaving WWE.
Damage CTRL’s Bayley will achieve a lifelong dream when she faces Lita at WrestleMania 39, and this is a match the Role Model has been preparing for decades.
On this week’s Raw, a six-woman tag-team match was made official for WrestleMania 39, pitting new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Lita and Becky Lynch, as well as Trish Stratus, against Damage CTRL.
During an edition of the Broken Skull Sessions, Bayley named Lita as her dream opponent from any era of wrestling.
Studying
Before becoming the heel Role Model we know today, Bayley was WWE’s premiere Super-Fan, and this wasn’t just her character.
A lifelong WWE fan, Bayley grew up watching Lita, and (according to the former SmackDown Women’s Champion) knows her weaknesses.
Taking to Twitter, Bayley shared an essay she wrote in her youth, showing that she has been studying the WWE Hall of Famer for decades.
The dream team of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Becky Lynch and Lita, and Trish Stratus, are looking to shut Damage CTRL up for good at WrestleMania 39.
Last month, Lita made her return to WWE to aid Lynch in a steel cage match against Bayley, which had originally been scheduled for the Raw is XXX event.
On last week’s Raw, Lynch and Lita dethroned Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the first title for Lita since 2006.
While Bayley tried to interfere in that match, the returning Trish Stratus (who had been scheduled for the previous week’s Raw but didn’t appear) neutralized the Role Model.
WrestleMania 39
On this week’s Raw, the new champions and Stratus celebrated the victory but were quickly interrupted by Damage CTRL
Stratus then challenged Damage CTRL to a six-woman-tag team match and made it clear that she wanted to shut Bayley up once and for all.
Bayley accepted the challenge on behalf of her team.
The WrestleMania match will mark Stratus’ first match since SummerSlam 2019, when she lost to Charlotte Flair in Canada.
Surprisingly, this will mark the second in-ring WrestleMania appearance for Lita, after she challenged for the WWF Women’s Championship at WrestleMania X8.
Double-Booked?
The announcement of Lynch, Lita and Stratus against Damage CTRL at WrestleMania is an interesting one, given that this isn’t the match many expected.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan initially was for Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at the two-night event in April.
Despite Rousey aggravating an injury (which is why she was in a sling on last Friday’s SmackDown,) she is expected to be fully healed in time for WrestleMania.
There is the possibility that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions could compete on both nights, a feat Tamina Snuka and Natalya achieved at WrestleMania 37 in 2021.
If it were up to Bayley, there would be even more members of Damage CTRL right now.
Since aligning at SummerSlam 2022, the trio of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY have established themselves as major players in the women’s locker room. Kai and SKY have dominated the women’s tag team division with two title reigns, while Bayley has tackled multiple singles stars, including Becky Lynch and RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. As it turns out, though, Bayley — the leader of the group — wanted some additional figures to join her in the formation of the faction.
In a new interview with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani, Bayley revealed that she pitched the group concept “a couple years” before it finally panned out.
“[The idea] had a different group of people as the time went on,” she said. “Peyton Royce was someone that I really wanted in there. Tegan Nox was someone that I wanted in there. There were a lot of people that it just kind of changed throughout time and as people left the company and things like that, but Dakota was always — she’s one of the OG’s that I always envisioned in this group.”
Planting The Seeds
(WWE)
Bayley later explained that she brought the idea up to Paul “Triple H” Levesque a few WrestleMania’s ago, but after receiving feedback, she made some tweaks. And after trading “a million” different name ideas with creative, “The Role Model” said they couldn’t get on the same page. One of the stable names she pitched was called “The Now.”
“To me, I didn’t care about the championships I won in the past, I don’t care about what happens next, these girls right here and what we’re about to do, the present is all that matters. So, ‘The Now’ was my first idea.”
Due to legal matters, however, that name didn’t work out, but eventually, they landed on Damage CTRL. “To me, Damage CTRL is just kind of showing the world how much more there is to offer than what you just see on TV every week,” Bayley said.
Bayley will go through anything to make her presence felt at WrestleMania 39, after missing out on a match at the previous two events.
The Damage CTRL member took to Twitter this week to make her promise and reminded fans of her recent bad luck with WWE’s biggest show of the year.
I haven’t competed in the last two Wrestlemanias. Last year, I had no control of due to injury. But I will never forget the feeling of not having a match on WM 37, and I will never let that happen again. I’m going to Hollywood one way or another!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/gRyamrsOcn
On this week’s Raw, Bayley faced Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a match with potential WrestleMania stakes.
Had either Lynch or Bayley won, they would have been added to tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber match, in which the winner will face Belair for the title at WrestleMania.
Unfortunately for Lynch and Bayley, it was the EST who emerged victorious on Raw.
Bayley-Mania
Bayley hasn’t competed at the last two WrestleManias, though last year’s event WrestleMania 38 wasn’t down to WWE’s creative plans.
In July 2021, days before the return of live fans, Bayley suffered a serious ACL injury that led to her being out of action for over a year.
For WrestleMania 37, Bayley was simply not booked for a match, which angered fans who appreciated what she had done during the crowd-less Pandemic era.
Instead, Bayley was used for a few skits involving The Bella Twins, Hulk Hogan, and Titus O’Neil.
What’s Next for Bayley?
With the Role Model being blocked from entering the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, any bout for Bayley at WrestleMania is unlikely to be for a championship.
Earlier this month, WWE Hall of Famer Lita appeared on Raw to cost Bayley her steel cage match with Lynch, seemingly setting up a feud between them.
While it had been rumored that Elimination Chamber 2023 would see Damage CTRL face Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus, no match has been announced, but could be saved for WrestleMania.
With that said, it has been reported that WWE is planning for Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to defend the WWE Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
Dakota Kai made her shocking return to WWE at Summerslam 2022 as part of Damage CTRl, but plans for the group were originally much different.
Damage CTRL, consisting of Kai, IYO SKY, and Bayley, debuted at the July 30 event, in Bayley’s first appearance on WWE TV in over a year.
Since debuting, the group has captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships twice and Bayley has challenged for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Original Plans
Bayley had planned on a stable for years, but the Role Model’s plans were only realized earlier this year.
Appearing on the Getting Over podcast, Kai explained how the original line-up for the group had many different members.
“When she [Bayley first mentioned it to me a couple of years…it was myself, Candice LeRae and Tegan [Nox.] Those were the ones that were from the start. And obviously things that happened from then until now, everything changes.”
Dakota Kai.
Kai later explained how a more recent roster for Damage CTRL included herself, SKY, Alba Fyre, and Raquel Rodriguez.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion said that this group would have been “epic” but she is equally pleased to team with Bayley and SKY.
What’s Next for Damage CTRL?
After the group’s debut, Bayley set her sights on Bianca Belair, but failed to dethrone the Raw Women’s Champion.
At Survivor Series: WarGames, Team Damage lost to Team Bianca, seemingly marking the end of the feud.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai brawled with Becky Lynch, starting the group’s newest feud.
Lynch returned to WWE after four months away as the fifth member of Team Bianca and scored the pinfall for her team inside WarGames.
Bayley, Dakota, IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Cross battled Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Mia Yim, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss last night in the Women’s WarGames match at WWE Survivor Series.
Becky Lynch was revealed as the 5th superstar on Bianca Belair’s team this past Friday on WWE SmackDown and she was the difference maker in the match.
Lynch scaled to the top of the cage and connected with a Leg Drop on IYO and Dakota below for the pinfall victory.
IYO SKY sent out a Tweet last night after the premium live event and joked that she has perfect attendance for WarGames matches.
After finishing the big match, the long day is finally over. I already have bruises all over my body, poisonous mist and cuts all over my body. Participated in #WarGames for 4 years in a row. Perfect attendance award.
Nikki Cross may be aligned with Damage CTRL, but the group isn’t ready to welcome her as a member just yet.
Cross returned to WWE programming on the October 24, 2022 Raw, reverting to the unhinged persona she had used in NXT.
The former Raw Women’s Champion has ditched her Superhero character and the Nikki A.S.H. name.
Damage CTRL
Despite attacking Bayley during her return, Cross has been on the same side as the Role Model and Damage CTRL since then.
At WWE Crown Jewel, Cross interfered to help Dakota Kai and IYO SKY recapture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
Fightful Select reports that on WWE’s internal listings before this week’s Raw, Cross was not listed as a member of the stable.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY defeated Dana Brooke, while Bayley, Kai, and Cross were ringside, though Cross did not seem interested in what was going on in the ring.
WarGames
Cross is not an official member of the Damage CTRL stable, but she will soon be entering WarGames with Bayley, Kai, and SKY.
On Raw, it was confirmed that Rhea Ripley will be joining the four for WWE’s upcoming Premium Live Event.
The group will face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and one final teammate yet to be named.
While it is believed that Candice LeRae will be the final member of the group, that has yet to be confirmed on TV.
Dakota Kai named a WWE Superstar she would like to team up with Damage CTRL in a WarGames match.
The WarGames match will be returning to the main roster at WWE Survivor Series next month at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. In previous years, Survivor Series pitted RAW versus SmackDown in a battle for brand supremacy. In 2019, NXT was a part of Survivor Series and was the victorious brand.
Speaking with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Dakota revealed that she would pick Rhea Ripley to join the group for a WarGames match.
Obviously, the three of us but I think someone I’d really like to be on our side would be Rhea (Ripley). I know she’s kind of tied up with a lot of other things right now. But we could just be like, ‘Hey, can we just like use you for one day.’
Because she’s also someone that’s been in the WarGames cage a couple of times too. So I think with her experience and she’s so strong and she’s so like brutal and all the stuff. I think she’d be an awesome person to have on our side, for sure. [To] be the muscle.
Dakota added that NXT star Alba Fyre would a great addition to the group on a full-time basis.
“Kay Lee Ray, oh sorry, Alba Fyre. Sorry, my bad. I think Alba would be such a good addition. She is so ruthless and reckless. I’ve known her for a very long time. I think she’d be such a great addition to Damage CTRL. She’d bring a lot to us as a group and help us to evolve a little bit more, and take that next step. I think she’d be awesome.”
Dakota Kai was released by WWE earlier this year in April. She returned alongside Bayley and IYO SKY at SummerSlam. Dakota and IYO have already established themselves on the main roster and are currently the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Bayley has named three WWE Hall of Famers that her group Damage CTRL would like to face one day inside the squared circle.
The Role Model returned to WWE at SummerSlam alongside Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. The group of heels have become known as Damage CTRL. On Monday’s edition of RAW, Dakota and IYO captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships from Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez. Bayley defeated Raquel on this past Friday’s edition of SmackDown.
Damage CTRL defeated RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss at Clash at the Castle. Bayley pinned the champion to win the match and appears to be in line for a shot at The EST’s title.
Bayley recently was interviewed on Casual Conversations and revealed three WWE Hall of Famers that she would like to battle with Damage CTRL.
“Lita, Trish [Stratus], and Beth Phoenix. Get them out of here. This is our place. Don’t come back,” said Bayley. [13:22 – 13:32]
Trish Stratus recently confronted Bayley and Damage CTRL during a recent WWE Live Event in Canada.
Bayley on how “Macho Man” Randy Savage Drew Her to Wrestling
During the interview, Bayley discussed how “Macho Man” caught her attention and started her interest in wrestling. The 33-year-old stated that he was the first person that drew her into wrestling and noted the way he carried himself as the reason. She claimed that nothing in wrestling had caught her eye like Macho Man did up until that point.
“He was the first person that drew me to wrestling. It was the way he looked, the way he carried himself, and his charisma. I literally just saw him walk down the aisle in one of his outfits and I was like ‘oooh what is that?’ Nothing in wrestling until that point caught my eye like Macho Man did.” [13:49 – 14:06]
You can check out the entire interview in the video below.
