Dakota Kai returns to in-ring action. Kendal Grey vacates the EVOLVE Women’s Championship. WWE signs two popular indie stars, and more.
Dakota Kai (Charlie) Returns To Action At EVE’s Wrestle Queendom 8
For the first time in nearly a year, former WWE star Dakota Kai competed inside a pro wrestling ring, with EVE‘s Wrestle Queendom 8 in London as the backdrop.
Now performing as Charlie, she challenged AEW star and reigning EVE International Champion Kris Statlander. Charlie put up a valiant effort, even seeming on the verge of a victory as she hit a big boot and Kai-ropractor on Statlander. Still, it wasn’t enough to overcome the series of piledrivers that Statlander unleashed to retain her title.
Elsewhere at Wrestle Queendom 8, Alex Windsor dethroned Syuri as the NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion. After a grueling 30-minute battle with Rhio, Session Moth Martina captured the EVE Championship as well. AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale defeated Nina Samuels to retain her respective title.
The full results of Wrestle Queendom 8 are as follows:
- Sudden Death 16: Alexxis Falcon defeated Abi Cartwright, Aluna, Anita Vaughan, Charlie Morgan, DASH Chisako, Emersyn Jayne, Jamie Hayter, Lil Marz, Lucy Sky, Miyu Yamashita, Molly Spartan, Nightshade, Nyla Rose, Princesse Lauriana, and Yuu
- AZM defeated Safire Reed
- Harley Cameron defeated Amira
- EVE Tag Team Championships: LALLIE (Hollie Barlow & Lana Austin) (c) defeat Charli Evans & Jessica Troy
- AEW TBS Championship: Willow Nightingale (c) defeated Nina Samuels
- NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship: Alex Windsor defeated Syuri (c)
- EVE International Championship: Kris Statlander (c) defeated Charlie
- EVE Championship: Session Moth Martina defeated Rhio (c)
Wrestle Queendom 8 emanated from the Indigo at the O2 on March 8, also known as International Women’s Day.
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Kendal Grey Vacates EVOVLE Title
This week’s episode of WWE EVOLVE saw a major shake-up in the women’s division as Kendal Grey officially vacated the EVOLVE Women’s Championship.
In the show’s main event, Grey retained the EVOLVE Women’s Championship with a victory against Tyra Mae Steele. Afterward, Grey revealed that it would be her last defense with the title as she was relinquishing it for an opportunity to ascend to the WWE NXT brand.
“I’m speechless,” Grey said. “I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you for coming out here and supporting me since day one. EVOLVE gave me a place to find myself, to find confidence inside and outside of the ring, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without any of you guys. So thank you. And just like I’ve been taking over EVOLVE, I’m gonna be taking over NXT every Tuesday. Thank you guys, truthfully, thank you.”
Grey claimed the EVOLVE Women’s Championship by defeating Kali Armstrong in September 2025 (aired October 15) at WWE EVOLVE: Succession. Amidst her EVOLVE reign, Grey then pulled double duty by aligning herself with Wren Sinclair and appearing on NXT. Looking ahead, Grey will be a full-time member of the NXT roster, where she recently challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Prior to signing with WWE, Grey performed as an amateur wrestler at Life University.
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WWE Signs Top Indie Stars
A pair of top indie stars have signed with WWE.
Earlier this week, WWE confirmed that four new recruits had joined the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida: Ahmed Essam Samy Twfiq, Ellen Akesson, Rayne Leat, and Delia Schweizer. Rayne Leat, of course, may already be familiar to wrestling fans as she built an in-ring career as Rayne Leverkusen, “The Maiden Of Metal,” across the European scene.
Last year, Leat participated in two WWE tryouts, the latter of which resulted in her being named the MVP. She most recently wrestled at Hustle Wrestling on February 5 in London, where she dropped the Hustle Championship to Alexander Roth.
Elsewhere, WWE has also reportedly signed Nikki Blackheart, who is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center in the near future. Blackheart emerged as a regular fixture at Coastal Championship Wrestling, even going on to capture the CCW Women’s Championship.
Last December, Blackheart took part in the 2025 Lodestone seminar, led by former WWE Women’s Champion Bayley. In February, WWE then invited Blackheart to a tryout, where she evidently impressed them.
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INTERVIEWS
Indie standout Gabby Forza spoke with Joel Pearl of Fightful about the all-women’s event at C4 Wrestling, her dream matches, a one-of-a-kind experience at WWE Superstar Bayley’s Lodestone seminar, and advice she received from 17-time world champion John Cena.
Former WWE Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green appeared on The Nikki & Brie Show to talk about starting her wrestling journey after Googling “how to be a WWE Diva,” finding her power through character work, learning that there’s room for every woman at the top, being a “type A” woman in a male-dominated industry, The Undertaker putting her over, why that moment meant more than the world, and more.
Former WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri chatted with Impaulsive about cheerleading for Kevin Durant in the NBA, strange WWE fan encounters, marrying NXT star Anthony Luke, losing her brother in a car accident, winning the WWE Women’s IC Championship, hatred for the WWE twitter community, and more.
Canadian indie star Ava Lawless joined A Wrestling Gal to talk about Winnipeg Pro Wrestling’s Voyageur Cup, what a potential title match with Mercedes Mone would mean, adventures during WrestleMania 41 week, wrestling in front of former WWE Women’s Champion Bayley, meeting Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P and Sebestian Bach of Skid Row, appearing in the “Dark Match” movie, her signature orange hair and more.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Kris Statlander sat down with Chris Van Vliet to discuss winning the AEW Women’s Championship and if she felt she was ready, her nickname “The Galaxy’s Greatest Alien,” her violent match with Willow Nightingale at All Out, landing on a bed of nails in Blood and Guts, her WWE appearance and why it didn’t lead to more, bringing Jade Cargill’s TBS Title reign to an end, and more.
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