During an interview with Ring the Belle, Dakota Kai has opened up about the persistent criticism that labels her injury-prone and candidly addressed how repeated setbacks affected her momentum in WWE. The New Zealander attributes much of it to sheer bad luck while admitting the perception occasionally frustrates her, especially given her self-belief as a tough, resilient competitor. Instead of letting doubt define her, Kai is channeling her energy into consistent in-ring performances, determined to silence critics through action and prove her durability.
“I did have a bout of injuries and things like that. So it was just bad luck on my end, and it’s one of those things that will just unfortunately always be there. It does tend to get to me sometimes, too, because I’m like, no, I’m not, I’m freaking strong or whatever. But I mean, that’s just the perception they have, and all I can do is go out there and continue to do matches, and hopefully change the perception of that.” – Dakota Kai
Throughout her WWE tenure, Dakota Kai has battled several significant injuries, particularly to her knees. She suffered a torn ACL in late 2018 that sidelined her for eight months, followed by a second ACL tear during a May 2023 SmackDown tag team title match. In August 2024, she underwent surgery for a torn meniscus and missed ten weeks. A concussion in early 2025 compounded her challenges and further fueled claims that she wasn’t built for the ring.
