Former WWE superstar Dakota Kai has applied for a new trademark, which could signal what her new name will be once she hits the squared circle once again. The filing could also indicate that fans will see her back in the ring soon after her 30-day non-compete with WWE expires towards the end of May.
Kai was released along with nine other performers on April 29 after spending more than half a decade with the promotion. Initially entering NXT as a hard-kicking babyface, she turned on Tegan Nox at NXT: WarGames, setting up a memorable feud with her former friend. This turn resulted in some excellent matches, including a street fight and steel cage match. Kai would also turn on Raquel González later on in her NXT career, again setting her up as the heel in a high-end feud in the women's division. She eventually slid down the card as NXT's focus began to change.
With NXT shifting towards NXT 2.0, Kai made it clear that she wasn't planning on re-signing with the WWE, which eventually lead to her release at the end of April. Now Steven Fernandes of PWInsider.com is reporting that the veteran has applied to trademark the name "King Kota," which could turn out to be her new ring name once she debuts in a new promotion. The patent is for "Hats; Shirts; Sweatshirts; Bandanas; Hooded sweatshirts" for "(e)ntertainment in the nature of wrestling contests."
Where Kai, or King Kota, shows up remains to be seen. While it seems evident that she'll re-debut in front of audiences sooner rather than later, it's not clear exactly what she has planned. She hasn't shared any ideas for her future on Twitter, instead spending time streaming on Twitch as a partner. It seems like Kai would be perfect for AEW's blossoming women's division, where the likes of Toni Storm and Ruby Soho are starting to pick up steam in the mid-card.
What AEW's women's division is lacking is heels who can cut a good promo, which is why Kai seems like such a smart and natural fit. It'd be fair to point out that their roster is getting pretty stuffed, but it's better to have too much talent than too little. AEW has also proven that it is willing to allow talent to work on other side projects, such as Twitch, without interfering as WWE does. That would allow Kai to continue to stream to her more than 37,000 followers on Twitch while also wrestling for AEW. There are several ready-made feuds waiting for her there, and audiences could even see her work with Nox again, should she end up with the promotion. Kai's non-compete is up on May 29, the same day as AEW Double Or Nothing.
Sources: PWInsider.com