Damage CTRL (pronounced "Damage Control") is a professional wrestlingstable that performs in WWE on the Rawbrand consisting of New Zealander Dakota Kai, and Japanese wrestlers Iyo Sky, Kairi SaneandAsuka. The group originally consisted Bayley, Kai and Sky, with the former serving as the group's leader upon its formation. Following the additions of Sane and Asuka, Bayley was kicked out of the group in February 2024.
All members have had successes as singles competitors and tag team competitors. Asuka and Sane are former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Kai and Sky are also former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. As singles competitors, Sky and Asuka have held the WWE Women's Championship (then known as the RAW Women's Championship during the latter's reign).
At Clash at the Castle, Bayley, Kai and Sky, now officially under the name Damage CTRL, defeated Belair, Alexa Bliss and Asuka, where Bayley pinned Belair, who was Raw Women's Champion at the time.[5] On the September 12 episode of Raw, Kai and Sky defeated Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.[6] With the win, Kai and Sky became two of three (the other being Rodriguez) to have won the WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships. Bayley continued her feud with Belair where she failed to win the Raw Women's Championship at Extreme Rules in a ladder match,[7] and at Crown Jewel in a Last Woman Standing match.[8] Despite Kai and Sky losing the Women's Tag Team Championship to Alexa Bliss and Asuka after a 49-day reign,[9] they reclaimed the titles at Crown Jewel 5 days later.[10][8] At Survivor Series WarGames, Damage CTRL competed in a WarGames match, teaming with Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley against Belair, Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and a returning Becky Lynch, but lost when Lynch pinned Kai after a diving legdrop from the top of the cage through a table.[11] On the December 16 episode of SmackDown, Kai and Sky retained their titles against Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox after interference from a masked individual, later revealed to be Xia Li.[12]
Damage CTRL then began a feud with Becky Lynch, with Bayley winning a one-on-one match against Lynch on the December 19 episode of Raw.[13] Two weeks later, Kai and Sky defeated Lynch and Michin in a non-title tag team match.[14] A rematch between Lynch and Bayley was scheduled to take place at Raw is XXX inside a steel cage,[15] but did not take place after Damage CTRL beat down Lynch before the match began.[16] At the Royal Rumble, all three members of Damage CTRL entered the women's Royal Rumble match and scored five eliminations each, four of which were done as a team. Kai and Sky were eliminated by Becky Lynch, while Bayley was eliminated by Liv Morgan.[17] The cage match was rescheduled for the February 6 episode of Raw after Lynch forced Bayley into accepting by physically threatening an injured Kai.[18] Lynch won the match after Lita prevented Kai and Sky from interfering.[19] On the February 20 episode of Raw, Lynch and Lita challenged Kai and Sky for the titles, which Bayley accepted on their behalf.[20] The following week, despite interference from Bayley, Kai and Sky lost the tag titles to Lynch and Lita after interference from the returning Trish Stratus, ending their second reign at 114 days.[21] The following week, Lynch, Lita and Stratus challenged Damage CTRL to a six-woman tag team match at WrestleMania 39, which Bayley accepted.[22] Damage CTRL would lose to Lynch, Lita and Stratus at WrestleMania.[23]
Kai's injury and Sky as WWE Women's Champion (2023–2024)
As part of the 2023 WWE Draft, Damage CTRL were drafted to the SmackDownbrand.[24] On the May 12 episode of SmackDown, Bayley and Kai failed to win the WWE 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.[25][26] Morgan and Rodriguez would relinquish the titles on the following week's episode of SmackDown due to Morgan's injury.[27] Bayley and Sky participated in a fatal four-way tag team match for the vacant title on the May 29 episode of Raw, but the match was won by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.[28]
On the June 9 episode of SmackDown, both Bayley and Sky qualified for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match.[29] At Money in the Bank, Bayley pushed Sky off the ladder when Sky was trying to grab the briefcase. Sky later handcuffed Bayley to Becky Lynch, another competitor in the match, to grab the briefcase and win the match.[30] On the July 8 episode of SmackDown, Sky attempted to cash in her Money in the Bank contract against Asuka for the WWE Women's Championship but was interrupted by Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair.[31] At SummerSlam on August 5, Sky successfully cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Belair to win the WWE Women's Championship for the first time. Kai made her first physical appearance since her injury to celebrate Sky's victory and from that point on made appearances in a managerial role while recovering from her ACL surgery.[32] On the August 25 episode of SmackDown, Sky successfully defended the title against Zelina Vega. She would also retain against Asuka on the September 22 episode of SmackDown, and against Charlotte Flair and Asuka in a triple threat match at Fastlane after interference from Bayley.
Addition of The Kabuki Warriors, kicking out Bayley and face turn (2024–present)
On November 4, 2023, at Crown Jewel, Kairi Sane made a surprise return to WWE after leaving the company in July 2020 to help Sky retain the WWE Women's Championship against Bianca Belair.[33] On the November 10 episode of SmackDown, Sane officially joined the group. Later that night, during a six-woman tag match pitting Damage CTRL against Belair, Flair and Sane's former Kabuki Warriors partner, Asuka, the latter betrayed her teammates to reunite with Sane,[34] and officially joined the group on the following week's episode of SmackDown. In the same episode, Sky issued a challenge to Belair, Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch to a WarGames match at Survivor Series: War Games.[35] Damage CTRL lost the WarGames match, with Bayley taking the pin after being put through a table by Lynch.[36]
On the January 26, 2024, episode of SmackDown, The Kabuki Warriors defeated Katana Chance and Kayden Carter to become the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.[37] This is The Kabuki Warriors' record-tying second reign as a team (their first reign under Damage CTRL) and Asuka's record-setting fourth reign individually as champion. The next night at Royal Rumble, Bayley, Asuka and Sane participated in the women's Royal Rumble match. Asuka and Sane were eliminated by Carter and Chance while Bayley won the match by last eliminating Liv Morgan.[38][39] The following week, on the February 2 episode of SmackDown, Asuka and Sane attacked Bayley and kicked her out of the group.[40] Afterwards, Bayley declared she will challenge Sky for the title at WrestleMania. On the February 9 episode of Smackdown, Kai seemingly left the group to side with Bayley. However, on the March 1 episode of SmackDown, Kai revealed it was a ruse after refusing to tag in with Bayley against Sane and Asuka, and joined the rest of the group in beating down Bayley.[41]
On Night 1 of WrestleMania XL on April 6, Kai, Sane and Asuka faced Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi in a six-woman tag team match in a losing effort. The next night, Sky lost her title to Bayley, ending her reign at 246 days.[42] As part of the 2024 WWE Draft, Damage CTRL were drafted to the Raw brand. At Backlash France on May 4, Sane and Asuka lost their titles to Belair and Cargill, ending their reign at 99 days.[43] The group turned face on the July 29, 2024 episode of WWE Raw when they began feuding with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark and their newfound ally, the returning Sonya Deville.
^Kai suffered an ACL tear in May 2023 and was sidelined after her surgery. From August 5th, 2023 to February 9th, 2024, she served as the stable's quasi manager while recovering from her injury.
^Asuka joined Damage CTRL as an unofficial member before becoming an official member the following week.
^Meltzer, Dave (May 22, 2023). "Injury updates: Dakota Kai, Mark Davis, more". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW results. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.