Dakota Kai dealt a heavy blow to Team Rhea Ripley at NXT Takeover War Games two weeks ago. She turned on her longtime friend and partner Tegan Nox, before being taken away from ringside. This left Rhea Ripley & Candice LeRae in a 4 on 2 scenario in the cage mayhem of War Games. They were able to overcome, but there is bad blood in the NXT womens division.
Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai
Last week on NXT, Candice LeRae took the first shot at Kai, giving her all she could handle in a heated singles match. It concluded with LeRae the victor, but via disqualification as Kai would use Tegan Nox’s kneebrace as a weapon in plain sight of the referee. Kai hit LeRae with her best shots, but was unable to put her down, even with her finisher the Kai-Ropractor (Front Flip Backstabber).
Following the match, Kai decided to continue the assault with a steel chair, but Rhea Ripley ran in and kicked it from her hands, before checking on the status of Candice LeRae.
Rhea Ripley
Ripley was one of the driving forces of the NXT invasion on RAW & Smackdown, and at Survivor Series weekend, she pinned Shayna Baszler to win War Games, and Sasha Banks to win the 5 v 5 v 5 match between the three brands womens divisions. She was one of the biggest stars of that weekend, second only to Keith Lee.
A front runner for the NXT Womens Championship, a victory over Kai would only further push her towards championship glory. Kai is more than likely to try some tactics to get herself disqualified again, but Rhea isn’t scared of brutality. If anything, once weapons get involved, NXT General Manager William Regal should intervene. Simply declare the match No Disqualification and let Rhea have her pound of flesh. The fans would absolutely love it.
Tegan Nox
The reason all this fighting is happening lies on Tegan Nox, the one Kai attacked and injured at War Games. While Candice & Rhea are rightfully mad with Dakota Kai, Tegan Nox is the one who likely wants to remove her head from her shoulders. If Kai is unable to put away either of Candice & Rhea, it’s unclear how she she will put down someone who will be hungry for revenge.
Ripley vs. Kai should be another fantastic match for the NXT Womens Division. Watch closely as it’s all connected to possibly the best overall story on the brand today.
