The 10 Best Matches Of Her Career
Daniel Cobb 
2020 has been a banner year for Dakota Kai. She competed on three separate NXT TakeOver events, earned a marquee shot at the NXT Women's Title, and is blossoming in her heel role. Kai has been part of the WWE roster for a few years now but she's finally standing out.
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To be fair, Dakota Kai was pretty great before coming to WWE, shining on the indies and internationally as Evie. She arrived in WWE as a lovable, pure-hearted babyface. While she was fantastic like that, she has kind of taken off since becoming a cunning villain. Regardless, Dakota Kai delivers great matches once the bell rings.
10 Dakota Kai vs. Toni Storm - NXT UK 11/7/18
When NXT UK first got going, a lot of episodes were taped, so they would put two per week on the schedule. That's when this happened. You can consider this something of a hidden gem because a lot of people overlook the early days of the brand.
This was only the sixth episode. It opened with NXT UK mainstay Toni Storm taking on rising NXT star Dakota Kai. The two put on a heck of a match, though the ending was a bit abrupt. Either way, Toni got the pick up a win ahead of the NXT UK Women's Title Tournament and Dakota looked strong in defeat.
9 Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae - NXT 11/27/19
At TakeOver: War Games 2019, Dakota Kai changed the course of her career. She brutally attacked her best friend Tegan Nox and put her on the shelf. The following Wednesday, Candice LeRae, a close friend to both, stepped up to get revenge for Tegan.
Dakota got the opportunity to showcase how vicious she would be in her new role. Meanwhile, Candice was always tremendous as a fiery babyface, so the two personalities worked well together. Candice won by DQ when Dakota clocked her with Tegan's knee brace.
8 Dakota Kai vs. Shayna Baszler - NXT 11/6/19
A lot of Dakota Kai's story in NXT saw her connected to Shayna Baszler. It was Dakota's arm that Shayna destroyed in one of her first matches. From that point forward, Dakota was legitimately terrified of her. She finally stood up to her in an NXT Women's Title match where she came up short.
Heading into TakeOver: War Games, Dakota Kai was out to prove that she belonged on Team Rhea Ripley. She faced the other team captain, Shayna, and took her to the limit in a spirited performance. Dakota didn't win and despite the heart she showed, Rhea Ripley chose Mia Yim for her team over Dakota, which helped trigger Dakota's eventual turn.
7 Dakota Kai vs. Kairi Sane - Mae Young Classic
People sometimes forget that Dakota Kai had a strong run in the inaugural Mae Young Classic. She bested Kavita Devi and Rhea Ripley in the first two rounds before coming up against future NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane.
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These two had some history in Stardom and their chemistry was clear. They came off as being evenly matched and the crowd was invested in both ladies. However, Kai damaged her knee during the match and when she missed the double stomp, it all came crashing down for her.
6 Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox - NXT 3/4/20
WWE doesn't have the strongest track record with steel cage matches. They get it right on occasion but often put out bouts that don't utilize the stipulation all that well. Thankfully, Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox had one of the best women's cage matches ever.
Their hatred spilled over in what was ultimately their final singles match of the rivalry. Tegan got a measure of revenge and had it won but the involvement of Raquel Gonzalez was the difference-maker. A creative finish led to Dakota's first win on this list.
5 Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley - NXT 8/5/20
As noted earlier, Dakota Kai bested Rhea Ripley in the Mae Young Classic. Three years later, they were in very different parts of their careers. Kai was a hated villain on the rise while Ripley was a former NXT Women's Champion who was coming off of a major push at the end of 2019.
When Kai made her intentions for the NXT Women's Title clear, Ripley challenged her in a number one contender's match. The two put on a hard-hitting contest that showed how much they each wanted it. Interference from Mercedes Martinez helped Kai hit the Go to Kick to earn a title shot.
4 Dakota Kai & Tegan Nox vs. The Kabuki Warriors - NXT 10/30/19
A month before Dakota Kai turned her back on Tegan Nox, the two got to live out a dream. The best friends joined forces for a shot at the Women's Tag Team Titles on live television against The Kabuki Warriors.
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This was given way more time than it probably would've gotten on a pay-per-view. The four incredible ladies put on a stellar performance that lasted just over 24 minutes. There was a lot of drama, twists and turns, and close calls. Alas, Kairi Sane and Asuka were victorious but this was special for Tegan and Dakota.
3 Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim vs. Tegan Nox - NXT The Great American Bash
Soon after Io Shirai became NXT Women's Champion, NXT held it's The Great American Bash special. Four of the brand's top women competed in an elimination match to determine a new contender.
Candice LeRae was eliminated first and then Mia Yim was sent packing. That left it down to Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox, allowing them to relive their heated feud from earlier in the year. The two continued to show why they're special and Tegan finally got a huge win over her former friend in a classic.
2 Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai - NXT TakeOver XXX
It was the biggest match of Dakota Kai's career. The NXT women's division is the most talented in all of wrestling history. Being chosen to have a singles match for the title on a major show is an accomplishment in itself. It proves that the company believes in you.
Dakota Kai facing Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Title was huge for Kai. She displayed her new trademark viciousness as she picked apart the champion. There was some interference from Raquel Gonzalez but it was kept to a minimum. This was all about Dakota's skills and the way that Io rallied to win.
1 Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox - NXT TakeOver: Portland
The rivalry between Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox remained intense at the start of 2020. They were then scheduled for a Street Fight at TakeOver: Portland, giving both their first official match on a TakeOver stage.
They went out and stole the show on a loaded card. It felt like a true fight between two people who hated each other. Tegan seemed to have a victory in hand until Raquel Gonzalez showed up and brutally launched her off the top onto a table, opening the door for Dakota to win.
