Professional wrestling is an industry built on factions and stables. Several stars made their way to the top after being a part of a powerful group. Rumors are swirling about WWE breaking up a popular stable on Monday Night Raw, leaving fans wondering how things will play out for Auska, Kairi Sane, and IYO Sky now that Damage CTRL is no more.
Fightful Select reported that Damage CTRL was “quietly disbanded,” and the group is no more. According to the report, the decision was made back in May in alignment with Dakota Kai’s release.
At its height, Damage CTRL should have been the top group booked across WWE programming. A faction that included Bayley, Asuka, Kairi Sane, IYO Sky, and Dakota Kai has “super group” written all over it. While Kai and Sky did capture the women’s tag team titles two times, and Sky picked up the WWE Women’s Championship, they never felt like the central group fans wanted them to be.
Injuries would plague the group, with Asuka, Kai, and Sane being forced out of action for various reasons. Now, thanks to the latest roster cuts, the group is no more. Where will the ladies go from here?
Asuka set to return in Women’s Queen of the Ring Tournament
Asuka has been out of action for a year, last competing in a tag team match back at Backlash 2024. Her return was “spoiled” in a way by WWE themselves, when her graphic appeared in the 2025 Queen of the Ring Tournament bracket. Minutes later, WWE would drop a video package of her return, seemingly out of order.
This could have been used as an opportunity to make a surprise appearance in the match, generating some buzz around it and the show. Asuka’s status wasn’t widely reported, and media outlets hadn’t broken the news of her being cleared to return to action.
Asuka remains one of the most popular women on the roster. However, WWE consistently booked her at a level just below the main event players in the division. With new names like Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and Roxanne Perez breaking through, one must wonder if Asuka will get the same type of push now that she’s back on the roster.
Kairi Sane: Perhaps a heel turn is on the horizon?
Kairi Sane returned just a few weeks prior and has picked up some strong wins since. Sane was frequently used as the one to take the fall when Damage CTRL would lose, but she’s already defeated Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez since coming back.
Sane and Sky shared an interesting moment during the June 9 episode of WWE Raw. Sane was pinned during the Queen of the Ring Qualifying match by Roxanne Perez. Backstage, Sane and Sky were talking before Nikki Bella walked up to talk to Sky. Sane walked away, but not before looking over her shoulder and cutting her eye at the two women. While this may be reading too much into the matter, perhaps it could be the start of Sane’s eventual turn against Sky, which brings the conversation to the current champion.
IYO Sky needs some momentum and she needs it fast
IYO Sky won the WWE Women’s World Championship in one of the best matches of the year at WrestleMania 41. Since then, she’s defended the championship zero times. While she’s participated in some interesting matches since, she has not put the title on the line. Instead, the only storyline development has involved Rhea Ripley, which upsets fans because it puts Sky in a holding pattern once again.
WWE has perhaps the best women’s wrestler in the world on its roster, and it has positioned her as the top champion on the show. Not using her as such is a gross example of promotional malpractice. Expectations are that Ripley will eventually take the title back at Crown Jewel in Australia, which makes sense from a booking perspective. Until then, give Sky something substantial to do, such as a feud against someone like Sane, with whom she has decades' worth of history.
IYO Sky, Kairi Sane, and Asuka are three of the best performers across wrestling. Since Damage CTRL is no longer a thing, WWE needs to find a way to make sure each woman is used in a way that allows them to flourish, while continuing to build the division around them.