Independent circuit (2007–2017) Crowley made her
professional wrestling debut on 15 December 2007 for
Auckland based company
Impact Pro Wrestling under the
ring name Evie, a reference to her favourite
Pokémon,
Eevee. 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. in 2013After Impact Pro Wrestling returned after a few months from folding in mid-2013, all the previous title holders were stripped of their championships. 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. On 19 April 2013, Evie made her debut for
Shine Wrestling at
Shine 9, in a losing effort against
Mercedes Martinez. Evie won the
IPW New Zealand Women's Championship back in December 2013 and aligned herself with a new heel faction called 'The Investment'.
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2015–2016) On 6 December 2015, Evie made her debut for the Japanese
World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, winning the vacant
Artist of Stardom Championship alongside
Hiroyo Matsumoto and
Kellie Skater. They lost the title to
Io Shirai,
Kairi Hojo, and
Mayu Iwatani in their third defense on 28 February 2016.
WWE Early appearances (2015–2017) Crowley appeared on 14 October 2015 episode of
NXT as Evie, losing to the debuting
Nia Jax. On 15 December 2016, Crowley signed a contract with
WWE, and in June 2017, she was announced as a participant in the upcoming
Mae Young Classic under the new
ring name Dakota Kai. According to Crowley, she wanted her new ring name to sound tomboyish but still reflect 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.
Beginnings in NXT (2017–2020) in 2018 On 25 October 2017 episode of
NXT, Kai returned to television, competing in a women's battle royal won by
Nikki Cross. On 10 January 2018 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 saved her. On 14 March episode of
NXT, Kai scored her first televised victory, defeating
Lacey Evans. Kai made her
WrestleMania debut at
WrestleMania 34 on 8 April, competing in the
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal and becoming the first female New Zealander to compete at WrestleMania. Kai also won a
WrestleMania Axxess tournament for an NXT Women's Championship match, but was defeated by newly crowned champion Baszler. In May, Kai earned another shot at the title, but again failed to win. Throughout the rest of the year, Kai racked up victories and losses against competitors like
Santana Garrett,
Bianca Belair, Lacey Evans and
Aliyah. In parallel to her activities in NXT, Kai also appeared in the newly created
NXT UK brand. At
Evolution on 28 October, the first all women's pay-per-view, Kai unsuccessfully challenged
Rhea Ripley (in a
dark match) for the
NXT UK Women's Championship. Before the match, Kai took part in a tournament (which was
taped in the summer but aired in November) for the vacant championship, defeating
Nina Samuels in the first round but was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winner Ripley. At
NXT TakeOver: WarGames on 17 November, Kai and
Io Shirai helped
Kairi Sane during her match with Shayna Baszler by attacking Baszler's allies
Jessamyn Duke and
Marina Shafir. 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. Kai defeated
Taynara Conti in her return match on 25 September episode of
NXT. Shortly after, Kai's long-time tag team partner
Tegan Nox returned to NXT and the two reunited their
tag team dubbed "Team Kick". On 30 October episode of
NXT, Team Kick unsuccessfully challenged The Kabuki Warriors (
Asuka and Kairi Sane) for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. 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.
Mia Yim was chosen over Kai as part of Rhea Ripley's team for the first-ever women's
WarGames match against Shayna Baszler's team. 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 Nox, turning
heel. Upon her return in December, Yim revealed that Kai attacked her backstage, leading to a grudge match between the two, which Kai won. On 26 January 2020, at
Royal Rumble, Kai entered her first
Royal Rumble match at #15, but was eliminated by
Chelsea Green.
Storyline with Raquel González (2020–2022) On 29 January episode of
NXT, Kai lost to Nox after she used a knee brace following a distraction from
Candice LeRae. She then defeated Nox twice: in a street fight on 16 February at
NXT TakeOver: Portland, and in a steel cage match, both after interference from González. At
TakeOver: In Your House on 7 June, Kai, González and LeRae lost to Nox, Yim and
Shotzi Blackheart in a
six-woman tag team match. At
NXT TakeOver XXX on 22 August, Kai failed to win the NXT Women's Championship from Io Shirai. On 6 December, she and González aligned with LeRae and
Toni Storm to defeat Blackheart,
Ember Moon, Shirai and Ripley in a
WarGames match. Kai and González participated in the inaugural
Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and won by defeating Blackheart and Moon in the finals at
Vengeance Day on 14 February. With this win, they earned a shot at
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and
Shayna Baszler, a match that would end in controversy on 3 March episode of
NXT, after Kai was submitted by Baszler despite not being the legal competitor in the match. The following week, they were awarded the newly created
NXT Women's Tag Team Championship by General Manager
William Regal, marking Kai's first championship in WWE. However, the two lost the titles to Blackheart and Moon later that night. After González won the
NXT Women's Championship at
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, tension began to show between the two as González began displaying more face tactics. On 27 July episode of
NXT, Kai turned on González, ending their alliance. At
NXT TakeOver 36 on 22 August, Kai unsuccessfully challenged González for the title. On 26 October, at
Halloween Havoc, she returned as the mysterious person to cost González the title to
Mandy Rose in a Trick or Street Fight. At
WarGames on 5 December, Kai and
Toxic Attraction (
Gigi Dolin,
Jacy Jayne, and Rose) lost to González, Shirai,
Cora Jade, and
Kay Lee Ray in a WarGames match. Kai then competed in the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with
Wendy Choo, defeating
Indi Hartwell and
Persia Pirotta in the first round, González and Jade in the semifinals on 8 March at
Roadblock, but lost to Shirai and Kay Lee Ray in the finals. On 29 March episode of
NXT, after Toxic Attraction took out Choo, Kai attacked the group and was assisted by a returning Raquel González, whom Kai embraced afterwards, turning
face. At the
NXT Stand & Deliver pre-show on 2 April, Kai and González defeated Toxic Attraction members Dolin and Jayne to win the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship. However, they dropped the titles back to Toxic Attraction on the following episode of
NXT after interference from Rose. The following week, Kai failed to win the NXT Women's Championship from Rose in what would be her final appearance in NXT. On 29 April 2022, Kai was released from her WWE contract, ending her seven-year tenure with the company. She had reportedly expressed to the company that she was not planning on renewing her contract prior to her release.
Damage CTRL (2022–2025) in 2023 On 30 July 2022, Kai re-signed with WWE and returned at
SummerSlam alongside
Bayley and
Iyo Sky (formerly known as Io Shirai), confronting
Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair. She officially joined the
Raw brand as a
heel and made her debut for the brand the following night. On 8 August episode of
Raw, the trio challenged Belair,
Alexa Bliss and
Asuka to a six-woman tag team match at
Clash at the Castle. Kai and Sky then participated in a
tournament for the vacant
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship and made it to the finals, where they lost to
Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez, albeit controversially as Aliyah pinned Kai even though she was not the legal competitor. On 3 September, at Clash at the Castle, the stable of Kai, Sky and Bayley was named as
Damage CTRL, defeating Belair's team. On 12 September episode of
Raw, Kai and Sky defeated Aliyah and Rodriguez in a rematch to win the Women's Tag Team Championship for the first time. With the win, Kai and Sky became two of three (the other being Rodriguez) wrestlers to have won the WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships. Kai and Sky lost the titles on 31 October episode of
Raw to Bliss and Asuka, ending their reign at 48 days. At
Crown Jewel on 5 November, they won back the titles in a rematch, marking the first time a women's championship changed hands in the
Middle East. At
Survivor Series WarGames on 26 November, Damage CTRL,
Rhea Ripley and
Nikki Cross lost to Belair, Asuka, Bliss,
Mia Yim and
Becky Lynch, who pinned Kai, in a WarGames match. On 16 December episode of
SmackDown, Kai and Sky retained their titles against
Liv Morgan and
Tegan Nox. On 28 January 2023, Kai entered the women's
Royal Rumble match at the
titular event. She eliminated five wrestlers before being eliminated by Lynch. On 27 February episode of
Raw, Kai and Sky lost the Women's Tag Team Championship to Lynch and
Lita after interference from
Trish Stratus, ending their second reign at 114 days. The feud resulted in a six-woman tag team match at
WrestleMania 39 on 1 April, where Damage CTRL lost to Lynch, Lita, and Stratus. As part of the
2023 WWE Draft, Damage CTRL was drafted to the
SmackDown brand. On 12 May episode of
SmackDown, Kai and Bayley failed to win the Women's Tag Team Championship from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. During the match, both Kai and Morgan suffered injuries, with Kai
tearing her ACL and Morgan injuring her shoulder. On 5 August, Kai made a physical appearance for the first time since her injury at
SummerSlam to celebrate Sky's
WWE Women's Championship victory. She began to appear regularly in a manager role for Damage CTRL until she was medically cleared for in-ring competition. On 9 February episode of
SmackDown, Kai saved Bayley from an attack by Damage CTRL and was briefly kicked out of the stable. On 1 March episode of
SmackDown, Kai and Bayley were set in a match against
The Kabuki Warriors (whom had subsequently joined Damage CTRL), however, Kai attacked Bayley and rejoined the stable. At Night 1 of
WrestleMania XL on 6 April, Kai, Asuka and Sane lost to Belair,
Naomi and
Jade Cargill in a six-woman tag team match. in 2024 As part of the
2024 WWE Draft on 29 April, Kai was drafted to the Raw brand with the rest of Damage CTRL. On 6 May episode of
Raw, Kai competed in the first round of the
Queen of the Ring tournament, replacing Asuka, who was not medically cleared to compete, but lost to
Lyra Valkyria. The group turned
face on 29 July episode of
Raw, when they began feuding with
Pure Fusion Collective (
Shayna Baszler,
Zoey Stark and
Sonya Deville). In August, it was reported that Kai had to undergo surgery after suffering another knee injury, this time a torn meniscus. A backstage attack on Kai by PFC was used to write her off television. Kai returned on the November 11 episode of
Raw, where Damage CTRL defeated PFC in a six-woman tag team match. In late 2024, Kai entered the
tournament to crown the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion, challenging
Lyra Valkyria in the finals on the 13 January 2025 episode of
Raw, which she lost. On 27 January, it was reported that Kai had suffered another injury, this time a
concussion. On the 27 March episode of
Main Event, Kai defeated
Ivy Nile in what would be her final match in WWE. On 2 May, Kai was once again released from her WWE contract, ending her second tenure of three years with the company.
Return to independent circuit (2026–present) On 8 March 2026, Crowley, wrestling under the ring name
Charlie, made her first post-WWE appearance at
Pro-Wrestling: EVE's event
Wrestle Queendom VIII, where she unsuccessfully challenged
Kris Statlander for the
Pro-Wrestling: EVE International Championship. On 16 April 2026, at
Culture Clash 2026, Charlie made her
House of Glory (HOG) debut and unsuccessfully challenged
Shotzi Blackheart for the
HOG Women's Championship. == Other media ==