Dakota Kai

Evie made her professional wrestling debut on 15 December 2007 for the Auckland based company, Impact Pro Wrestling.[7] Her ring name is a reference to her favourite Pokémon, Eevee.[8]

In September 2011, she debuted in Sydney, Australia-based Pro Wrestling Alliance Australia (PWA Australia) for their annual PWWA show, where she defeated Kellie Skater. In August 2012, Evie became the first Impact Pro Wrestling NZ Women's Champion, defeating Britenay and Megan Fox in a triple threat match. A week later, she won the Interim PWWA Championship by defeating Jessie McKay in the finals. She retained the title during her first defense against Kellie Skater on 6 October.

After Impact Pro Wrestling returned after a few months from folding in mid-2013,[9] all the previous title holders were stripped of their championships. Evie won the IPW Women's Championship back in December 2013 and aligned herself with a new heel faction called 'The Investment'.[10]

Evie began 2014 in Japan working on a three-month contract awarded to her through Pro Wrestling Zero1. She was the first female to receive such a contract. She competed with the promotion Diana. During her stay, Evie also teamed with Madison Eagles in a losing effort against Global Green Gangsters (Kellie Skater and Tomoka Nakagawa) for the Shimmer Tag Team Championship as part of the Joshi4Hope show.

Evie wrestling for Shimmer Women Athletes in April 2013

Evie made her debut for the all-female American promotion Shimmer Women Athletes at Volume 53 on 6 April 2013, participating in a five-way match which she lost to Christina Von Eerie and also included Yuu Yamagata, Kalamity, and Rhia O'Reilly. At Volume 54, Evie defeated Kimber Lee to pick up her first win for the promotion, but she was defeated by Mia Yim the next day at Volume 56. She competed in a losing effort against Hikaru Shida at Shimmer Volume 62 in April 2014. At Volumes 63 and 64, Evie defeated Rhia O'Reilly and Nicole Matthews, respectively.

On 19 April 2013, Evie made her debut for Shine Wrestling at Shine 9, in a losing effort against Mercedes Martinez.[11] At the Shine 18 iPPV on 20 April 2014, Evie and Skater lost to defending champions the Lucha Sisters (Leva Bates and Mia Yim) for the Shine Tag Team Championship.[12]

On 6 December 2015, Evie made her debut for the Japanese World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. In her first match she won the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship alongside Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater.[13] They lost the title to Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani in their third defense on 28 February 2016.[14]

Crowley appeared on the 14 October 2015 episode of NXT under the ring name Evie, and losing to the debuting Nia Jax.[15] On 15 December 2016, Crowley signed a contract with WWE,[16] and few months later she was announced as a participant in the upcoming Mae Young Classic under the ring name Dakota Kai.[17] According to Crowley, she wanted her new ring name to be something that sounded tomboyish but still reflected her Samoan heritage. The word kai means sea in the Polynesian language, indicating her journey to get to WWE, and contrary to popular belief, is not a reference to Leilani Kai.[8] Kai entered the tournament on 13 July, defeating Kavita Devi in the first round[18] and Rhea Ripley in the second round, before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Kairi Sane.[19]

Kai (left) during her match with Nikki Cross in the WrestleMania Axxess tournament that she won in early 2018

On the 25 October 2017 episode of NXT, Kai made her television return competing in a women's battle royal, where she was eliminated by Sage Beckett.[20] On the 10 January episode of NXT, Kai lost to the debuting Shayna Baszler by referee stoppage after Baszler stomped and injured her arm. After the match, Baszler attacked and locked her in the Kirifuda Clutch until NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon saves her.[21] On the 14 March 2018 episode of NXT, Kai scored her first televised victory when she defeated Lacey Evans.[22] A month later, Kai made her WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania 34, competing along with several other NXT women in the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal, becoming the first female New Zealander to compete at WrestleMania.[23] Kai also participated in a WrestleMania Axxess tournament which she would go onto win, earning herself a match for the NXT Women's Championship but she was eventually defeated by newly crowned champion Shayna Baszler.[24] In May, Kai earned herself another shot at the championship but was once again unsuccessful in capturing it.[25][26] Throughout the rest of the year, Kai would continue to compete in singles competition, racking up various victories and losses against competitors like Santana Garrett,[27] Bianca Belair,[28] Lacey Evans [29] and Aliyah.[30]

In parallel to her activities in NXT, Kai also appeared in the newly created NXT UK brand.[31][32] In October, Kai took part of the first ever all women's pay-per-view, Evolution, where she unsuccessfully challenged Rhea Ripley (in a dark match) for the NXT UK Women's Championship.[33] Before the title match, Kai took part of a tournament (that was taped back in the summer but aired in November) for the vacant championship, where she defeated Nina Samuels in the first round,[34] but was eliminated in the semi finals by the eventual winner Ripley.[35] After spending a few months away, Kai returned at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on 17 November, where she and Io Shirai helped Kairi Sane during her match with Shayna Baszler by attacking Baszler's allies Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir who would interfere earlier on.[36][37] Shortly after the event, the trio would continue to feud with Baszler, Duke and Shafir in the following weeks.[38][39][40] On 17 January 2019, Kai announced on her Twitter page that she sustained a torn ACL, during an NXT live event in December, which would sideline her from in-ring competition for the next few months.[41][42]

Return and Heel turn (2019-present)

After over nine months of inactivity and a couple of vignettes,[43][44] Kai defeated Taynara Conti on the 25 September episode of NXT in her in-ring return match.[45][46] Shortly after, Kai's long-time tag team partner Tegan Nox also returned to NXT and the two quickly reunited their tag team dubbed "Team Kick".[47][48] On the 30 October episode of NXT, Team Kick unsuccessfully challenged The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.[49][50] In November, Kai made her main roster debut as part of the NXT talent that were placed in an invasion angle with Raw and SmackDown as part of the Survivor Series pay-per-view.[51][52] During that time, Kai was chosen over by Mia Yim as part of Rhea Ripley's team for the first-ever women's WarGames match against Shayna Baszler's team.[53][54][55][56] On 23 November at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, just before the match took place, Kai replaced Yim, who was attacked backstage. However, before she entered the ring, Kai attacked her tag team partner, Tegan Nox, turning heel for the first time in her WWE career.[57][58] Upon her return in December, Mia Yim revealed that Kai attacked Yim backstage and this led to a grudge match between the two, which Kai won.[59][60][61] On 26 January 2020, at the Royal Rumble, Kai entered her first Royal Rumble match, entering at number 15, but was unsuccessful after being eliminated by Chelsea Green.[62] On the 29 January episode of NXT, Kai lost to Nox after she used a knee brace following a distraction from Candice LeRae.[63] On 16 February at NXT Takeover: Portland, Kai defeated Nox in a street fight after interference from the debuting Raquel González.[64] On the 4 March episode of NXT, Kai defeated Nox in a steel cage match after interference from González.[65] On 7 June at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Kai teamed up with González and Candice LeRae in a losing effort against Nox, Mia Yim and Shotzi Blackheart in a six-woman tag team match.[66] On the 1 July episode of NXT The Great American Bash, Kai, LeRae and Yim lost to Nox in a number one contender's fatal four-way elimination match for the NXT Women's Championship.[67] Two weeks later on the 15 July episode of NXT, Kai attacked Io Shirai, after Shirai had successfully defended her title match against Nox.[68] On the 5 August episode of NXT, Kai defeated Ripley to become number one contender for Shirai's title at NXT TakeOver XXX.[69] On 22 August at the aforementioned event, Kai was defeated by Shirai.[70] Into November, Kai began feuding with the returning Ember Moon, resulting in a match on the 4 November episode of NXT, which Kai won after interference from González. [71] Afterwards, Kai and González aligned with LeRae and Toni Storm, resulting in a WarGames match against Blackheart, Moon, Shirai, and Ripley at NXT TakeOver: Wargames on 6 December, where Kai's team won after González pinned Shirai. She and Gonzalez were recently announced as competitors in the first ever Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.