NXT star Dakota Kai recently spoke with Pro Wrestling Sheet to discuss all things pro-wrestling. Highlights from the interview are below.
Her heel turn at WarGames:
It all started for me at WarGames, it was crazy and a little bit intimidating to me just because it’s so natural for me to play a babyface. It’s an easy role, but this was such a challenge. And with the addition of Raquel coming along a few months later, that added a whole new level to what I wanted to play with. So it’s been really, really fun and a lot of the coaches and producers have been giving me a lot of good feedback to sort of use to take my character to the next level. It’s been such a creative outlet for me. Before it was fine, but I really needed something to sort of take me to the next level and give me more to play with. It’s still scary to me, but it’s a lot of fun.
On being paired with Raquel Gonzalez:
Honestly, I’ve known Raquel for a long time. She was actually signed before I was. We get along so well. That aside, she has been waiting a long time for this opportunity and a lot of us backstage felt the same way because she’s so good. She’s got such a good attitude about everything. It was a long time coming for her, so I love it. I love being able to play off of her. She’s such a strong girl too, so being able to have her in my corner helps so much. In ring and outside, because she is such a good person. So myself and a lot of us are super stoked that she’s finally getting her break basically.
On Triple H having the idea to team Gonzalez and Kai together:
It was brought to me by Triple H himself. He really wanted to utilize Raquel in a way that would highlight everything that she has to offer. As soon as that was a thing that was told to me leading up to Tegan and my TakeOver match in Portland, when they told me that she would be getting involved at the end, I was – obviously it’s a surprise, cause everything that they tell you is like, ‘What?! Really?! Crazy!” – but as soon as I knew it was her, and I knew that we get along so well and she’s so talented, I was like, “This is great.” This gives me also as a performer another level to play with. Ya know? So, it’s cool. I was so happy.
Receiving input from Shawn Michaels:
Yeah! So he gave us ideas for our entrance and things like that. Everything I do to make Raquel look like this monster. And he gave us – kinda playing on him and Diesel when they used to tag and their entrance that they did – he kinda played on that by telling us to mimic some of the same. So … that’s cool! That was definitely something where I was like, “Are you crazy?! We’re literally Diesel and HBK. This is so cool.”
Being in this year’s Royal Rumble:
When we get told we’re going to be involved in anything like that, we usually get told at the last minute. You know, they want to keep everything on the down low. So, when it happened, I think it was after World’s Collide we went to rehearse that night. It was crazy. Watching the Royal Rumble when I was growing up it was one of my favorite pay-per-views. So, being involved in it myself, it was insane. I really had to take a moment, especially during the entrance and the little moment before then, to really absorb everything in the atmosphere and the feelings. It was overwhelming and I really didn’t want to let that moment just go by so quickly. Even though it did because when you’re out there it’s so crazy with all the fans. So I really did my best to try and take in everything before it was gone.
On the New Zealand Prime Minister’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak:
Oh, one-hundred percent. Our Prime Minister Jacinda [Ardern] really took action so quick on any of that before it had a chance to spike or the numbers to get too high. So it does give me peace of mind knowing my family and friends are safe back home. They’re more worried about me. But I have a sense of pride when I see news articles saying New Zealand really hasn’t just flattened the curve, they’ve squashed it.