“I was in the mindset of doing things away and outside the company,” Kai said. “That’s a big deal to try and fall into that space of being mentally out of there and then Hunter sent a message, I think it was the day before, basically confirming that he loved her idea and that it was going to be Bayley, IYO and myself. Holy s***, I need to pack, because it’s the day before, and get my hair done, there’s too much to do. The day of is very chaotic, just hiding in a bus. I’ve never been in that position where I’ve had to be hidden before. I thought that was so cool, because you always see it happen with others, where they have a surprise and they’ve been hiding in the bus or wherever during the day.”

During their period of hiding, Kai recalled the group eventually being brought to Gorilla position by way of a golf cart covered by black curtains. In their official reveal, Bayley firstly confronted Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, then introduced Kai and SKY as her new stablemates. For Bayley, it marked her first appearance since July 2021, when she sustained an ACL injury. For “The Genius of the SKY,” it marked a transformation from Io Shirai into IYO SKY.

Together, all three Damage CTRL members marched into the ring, with Belair locked as their first target. No physical action ensued, however, as Belair’s SummerSlam opponent, Becky Lynch, stepped in to even the odds.

In the months following, Kai and SKY captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships on two occasions. In 2023, Damage CTRL expanded to five member as Asuka and Kairi Sane came aboard.

As of May 2026, Damage CTRL has been disbanded, with Kai leaving WWE again in 2025 and Sane following suit last weekend.