Former WWE Star Wrestles First Match In Nearly A Year

A former WWE star has returned to the ring for the first time since their release from the company nearly a year ago.

Now competing under the name Charlie, the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, who competed under the name Dakota Kai, wrestled Kris Statlander for the EVE International Championship at Pro Wrestling EVE’s Wrestle Queendom 8 event on Sunday in London.

The show took place at Indigo at The O2, where Statlander successfully defended the championship after pinning Charlie following a series of Tombstone piledrivers.

During the broadcast, the commentary team noted that Statlander’s repeated use of the move may have been excessive.

The bout marked Charlie’s first match since the March 24, 2025, tapings of WWE Main Event, which were held at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. She was later among several wrestlers released by WWE on May 2, 2025, as part of roster cuts.

What Did The Former Dakota Kai Say About Staying Out Of The Ring After Her WWE Release?

Speaking last month on Busted Open Radio, Charlie explained that she had intentionally stepped away from wrestling following her WWE departure.

“I think I just really needed to take a step back and sort of rebuild myself in terms of confidence and what I thought about myself as a wrestler in this world,” she said. “I didn’t really know if I still had a place in this world.”

Her appearance at Wrestle Queendom 8 marks the first step in what could be a new chapter of her career on the independent wrestling scene.