It was a sight to see this past Sunday, as Charlie (formerly known as WWE star Dakota Kai) made her in-ring return at EVE Wrestle Queendom 8 in London, 10 months after her WWE release.

In her return match, Charlie challenged the current EVE International Champion and former AEW Women’s World Champion, Kris Statlander. Despite earlier leverage on Charlie’s part, “Big Stat Daddy” retained her championship after executing three straight Saturday Night Fever tombstone piledrivers. Even though she was unsuccessful on Sunday, the reception she got from colleagues -former and possibly future – was enough for Charlie to feel like a champion. Some of those thoughtful messages came from former two-time WWE Women’s Champion Bianca Belair stating, “So happy you’re back in the ring! Wrestling needs you! [kissing emoji], and former-two time AEW International Champion and working producer/creative member of EVE, Will Ospreay, agreeing with a question proposed to him on whether Charlie should join the AEW women’s division.

Yes https://t.co/hv7ZPPOO98

— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) March 9, 2026

Charlie was one of several stars who was released in May of 2025 from WWE, concluding her second tenure at three years. Her first return came at SummerSlam in 2022, where she joined Bayley and IYO SKY under Damage CTRL. Never a single’s women’s champion, Charlie conquered the women’s tag team championships both on the main roster (twice) and twice in “WWE NXT.” She and Raquel Rodriguez were the first to win the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship five years ago to the day tomorrow (March 10, 2021). As of this report, Charlie hasn’t signed with any other major company outside of WWE yet.