Injuries are a workplace hazard of being a professional wrestler and all in-ring talent have to deal with them at one point or another. On the latest WWE Monday Night RAW, Kairi Sane was in action and suffered a gruesome injury to her eye during a match with some very high stakes.
Sane teamed with IYO SKY to take on the Unholy Union for a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. With new champions Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair at ringside, both teams held nothing back to get the win. During one spot in the match, Sane dove to the outside and hit Bianca Belair, but her face also hit the edge of the announce table.
Sane’s painful landing resulted in her bleeding from the eye but the Pirate Princess would not stay down. In the end though, it’d be the Unholy Union who got the win, earning another shot at the titles they lost at WWE Bash in Berlin. Post-match, Belair and Cargill stared down Damage CTRL, insinuating that the issues between the two teams are only getting started.
WWE NXT No Mercy 2024 is officially in the history books and proved once again to be another exciting night from WWE’s gold brand. Not only were titles on the line and the partnership with TNA Wrestling on full display, but the show also saw the long-awaited NXT arrival of Giulia!
Giulia’s arrival has had the wrestling world talking and for good reason. On Twitter, Kairi Sane, who has worked with Giulia in the past, made clear she’s keeping a close eye on WWE’s newest signing.
NXT General Manager Ava shared a photo of herself, WWE SVP of Talent Developmental Shawn Michaels, and Giulia. A single handshake emoji shows that fans can expect plenty of Giulia in NXT.
Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY is also pleased to see Giulia join WWE. The former WWE Women’s Champion shared a photo of herself and Giulia following the latter’s debut. Judging by the attires, this photo was taken at the Marigold Summer Destiny show SKY was a part of.
And Giulia herself has gotten in on the reactions. In a tweet of her own, the new signing made clear that she sees Roxanne Perez and the NXT Women’s Championship.
Rossy Ogawa is hoping to bring some of the top women of WWE to his new Marigold promotion in what could be the start of a long-term partnership.
Marigold was officially launched earlier this week and comes mere months after Ogawa’s departure from STARDOM, which he also founded. Ogawa has denied the claim from STARDOM’s parent company Bushiroad that he was ‘poaching’ talent from the all-female promotion.
In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Ogawa spoke about WWE and how the company is host to some of the names he worked with in STARDOM including Kairi Sane and IYO SKY. Ogawa added that he’d like to invite names from WWE to do something with MARIGOLD down the line. WrestleMania week was not kind to SKY or Sane as the former lost the WWE Women’s Championship to Bayley while the latter was on the losing-side of a six-woman tag-team match.
Ogawa even went on to tease that Marigold could become a feeder system for WWE in the future. He stated that perhaps Marigold will be a “ranch” for talent ahead of a move to WWE.
The idea of WWE and Ogawa working together isn’t all that farfetched. After all, Ogawa was present at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver and was seen alongside Giulia, who shared a photo of herself shaking hands with Triple H backstage. The former NJPW Strong Women’s Champion is expected to join WWE, but she will be appearing for Marigold first to help the company get off the ground.
For decades, WWE was vehemently against working with other promotions but that attitude has considerably softened in recent years. From Mickie James and Jordynne Grace being in Royal Rumble matches to talent like Charlie Dempsey, Shayna Baszler, and Shinsuke Nakamura being allowed the chance to compete outside of WWE’s confines, there is certainly a new stance on working with other companies.
WWE President Nick Khan is said to be seriously considering potential collaborations with other promotions, though nothing has been publicly confirmed just yet. Even AEW President Tony Khan isn’t against the idea as he told ComicBook.com that collaborating with WWE is an “interesting thought” and would “depend on the circumstance.”
Dakota Kai has shared her support for her Damage CTRL ally Kairi Sane following criticism by WWE Hall of Famer & AEW correspondent Mark Henry.
At WWE WrestleMania 40, Sane, Kai, and Asuka lost to Bianca Belair, Naomi, and Jade Cargill. During the entrance for the faces, Sane remained in the ring a few seconds longer than Asuka and Kai. You can check out hew delayed exit from the ring in the video clip below.
On Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry shared that he was livid watching WrestleMania 40 when he saw Sane taking slightly too long to exit the ring for his liking. The World’s Strongest Man even went as far as to say the Pirate Princess had shown a level of disrespect to the wrestling business.
“She should have got out the f*cking ring. I was so mad. You got to respect the business first. And she didn’t, but she would if I would have been in the ring.”
In a tweet, Dakota Kai didn’t address Henry’s comments directly but made it clear that she supports Sane who has a deep respect for the wrestling business. The former WWE NXT Women’s Champion responded by she loves and respects Kai and was thankful for everything her Damage CTRL ally has done for her.
I love and respect you too? Thank you for everything.
Ultimately, Sane would not have intended to have come across as disrespectful and it appears only Henry felt her actions at WrestleMania were out of line. In the comments, many supported Sane and some pointed out times that Henry has remained in the ring during the entrance of opponents.
The trio of Jade Cargill, Naomi, and Bianca Belair proved to be a force to be reckoned with by emerging victorious at WWE WrestleMania 40.
In the fifth match of WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the trio dispatched of Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka & Kairi Sane.) The finish of the match saw Asuka accidentally mist Kairi Sane before the Empress of Tomorrow was dispatched of by Bianca Belair. Cargill would then level Dakota Kai to get the win for her team.
You can check out some highlights from the match below.
Going into this six-woman tag-team match, there was a lot of interest in how Jade Cargill would fare at her first WrestleMania. It wasn’t long into the match that “We Want Jade” chants rumbled throughout the massive crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field. Cargill certainly looked like she belonged in the ring at WrestleMania 40 and fans can expect the Storm to be at many WrestleManias and other Premium Live Events to come.
Cargill signed with WWE in September 2023 and was immediately treated as a massive high-profile acquisition for the company. Before arriving in WWE, Cargill made her name in All Elite Wrestling, where she was the first AEW TBS Champion. Her 508-day reign with the gold remains the longest title reign of any champion in AEW history.
The road to WrestleMania 40 has been quite a ride so far. The Kabuki Warriors are still holding the company’s Women’s Tag Team Titles, as Kari Sane and Asuka are fighting champions. This may have caused a bit of an issue.
A new report has dropped saying that there is some frustration over having The Kabuki Warriors defending their titles on RAW next week after a brutal defense at NXT Roadblock.
Some Upset Over Title Picture
Asuka and Kairi Sane had a successful title defense at NXT Roadblock against Tatum Paxley and Lyra Valkyria. There is no rest for the champions, as they are already set to defend their titles on RAW.
Zoey Stark & Shayna Baszler have a title shot on the March 11th episode of the longest running weekly episode show in history. That is not being received too well by some backstage.
Sean Ross Sapp noted on Fightful Select that officials expressed their happiness with Asuka and Kairi Sane’s presence on the Roadblock show. That being said, some aren’t too happy that Sane and Asuka have to turn around to defend those titles again.
”Officials were very happy to have Asuka and Kairi Sane on the show. However, there was some frustration with the champions having a title defense booked for next week’s Raw during Monday’s show.”
What’s Next for the Kabuki Warriors
The Kabuki Warriors do not have a match booked for WrestleMania 40 yet. IYO Sky will defend her title against Bayley during the show of shows, and it’s anyone’s guess whether they will be around for that match.
Damage CTRL is covered in gold. It’s anyone’s guess how the faction will look after they leave the grandest stage of them all, but the road to WrestleMania has been a wild one for the stable so far.
SEScoops will have more on this story as additional details are made available.
The Superstars of WWE have weighed in as to whether it’ll be the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs who stand tall at Super Bowl LVIII.
The Big Game is mere hours away with excitement for the Super Bowl at a fever pitch. The match will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, which WWE fans will recognize as the host of SummerSlam 2021.
WWE Stars Give Their Picks for Super Bowl LVIII: 49ers or Chiefs?
Football fans have their picks for who’ll be winning Super Bowl LVIII, as do the WWE Superstars. In a recent video, the Superstars were asked for their predictions for the Big Game.
In the 49ers’ corner, the team has Jey Uso, who made it clear he’s red and gold ’til he’s dead and cold and threw in a YEET for good measure. San Francisco’s own ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio is unsurprisingly backing the 49ers, as is the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match winner Bayley and Alpha Academy’s Otis.
The Kansas City Chiefs have some considerable star power of their own, in addition to Taylor Swift. R-Truth is backing the Chiefs, while Baron Corbin was practically offended anyone thought he wouldn’t be rooting for the team. Carlito is also backing the 49ers, as is WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. WWE Raw announcer Samantha Irvin is also backing the 49ers.
Not everyone had a clear-cut favorite, as Byron Saxton said that Taylor Swift was going to win the game herself. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane simply laughed off the question. When the pair were asked the question in 2020 (which again featured the 49ers and the Chiefs), the Kabuki Warriors made it clear that they didn’t care.
There’s some WWE involvement happening right now at Super Bowl LVIII…
Kairi Sane did a wild move to save herself from elimination from the Women’s Royal Rumble match and reminded everyone of a classic Spider-Man moment in the process.
The female pirate entered the battle royal at #11 and she started wreaking havoc with the help of her other Damage CTRL teammates immediately.
This momentum was halted however after Kayden Carter entered the match at #13. She and Katana Chance immediately started working as a tag team. At one point Carter almost eliminated Sane but she avoided elimination by a miracle.
The Damage CTRL member tucked her legs against the LED Board and hung on for a while, reminding people of the Spider-Man 2 scene with Tobey Maguire where the Friendly Neighbourhood hero stops a train using his webs:
Though Kairi Sane didn’t last for much longer after this and she was eliminated. Her Kabuki Warrior partner Asuka followed Sane and was eliminated by Chance right after.
At the end, the match was won by one of their teammates as Bayley last eliminated a returning Liv Morgan to win the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
This wasn’t the only newsworthy moment from the Women’s Rumble as a big debut during the bout got people talking. You can check out all about it here.
Kairi Sane made her return to WWE, and she joined Damage CTRL. That also meant that Sane reunited with her former tag team partner, Asuka, and now the two are the Kabuki Warriors once again. Of course, that name has some baggage attached, but Asuka isn’t afraid to take on her critics.
The Kabuki Warriors’ Return to WWE
Last month, Asuka turned heel on SmackDown, aligning herself with Damage CTRL, particularly due to her connection with Kairi Sane. Fans, naturally, expressed their desire to see The Kabuki Warriors return. They didn’t have to wait long for that to happen.
In the recent episode of Friday Night SmackDown, The Kabuki Warriors, consisting of Asuka and Kairi Sane, were in action for the first time in over three years, marking their reunion.
Asuka Shuts Down Critical WWE Fan
However, a fan on Twitter ridiculed the name of The Kabuki Warriors, suggesting that women don’t participate in traditional Kabuki plays. A private X account called, “SpineOnThePine” posted to say, “It’s funny because women don’t act in Kabuki plays.”
Asuka took to social to respond, shutting down the fan and emphasizing that the fan lacked Japanese knowledge.
It’s funny because Not that Kabuki.
We know more about Japanese culture than you do.
The Future of the Kabuki Warriors in WWE
The future booking of Asuka and Kairi Sane on Friday Night SmackDown remains uncertain, and fans are eagerly anticipating their continued presence on WWE television. The return of the duo has been well-received by the audience.
Asuka isn’t afraid of any opponent, she steps in the ring with. The same is true for haters online, or people who want to throw knowledge at her that she’s really not looking for.
Free agent Mercedes Moné and WWE talent Naomi will appear on the Bar season premiere of Bar Rescue this weekend.
Both Moné and Naomi are keeping themselves busy outside of professional wrestling. They stepped away from WWE on May 16 due to reportedly creative differences. Wrestling fans saw both participate in Fashion Week in New York last year in September. They’ve also been seen together for movie premieres and other events. However, they will soon be making their reality TV debut.
Bar Rescue will have its season 9 premiere on Feb. 26. In a clip to promote their upcoming premiere; the show put out a teaser. Wrestling fans have spotted Moné and Naomi in the episode, watching the host, Jon Taffer, berate a bar owner.
Since the teaser came out, fans have wondered why Moné and Naomi were in that bar. In response to the Public Enemies Podcast, both superstars shared what led them there. It may be a joke, but they seemingly were there to get some drinks and food. It’s unclear if they will be featured more than what was shown in the teaser.
Naomi’s status is unclear. She is still doing work outside of WWE but is still listed on their website as a Friday Night Smackdown roster member. On Jan. 19, Fightful Select reported that a source within WWE has shared they are confident she will return to the company. However, the report didn’t share when she could return to WWE.
Both Moné and Naomi seem to be enjoying their time together and pursuing other opportunities. They will appear at the Emerald City Comic Con on March 4 and 5. Wrestling fans can look forward to seeing the two on TV again on Feb. 26 on the Paramount Network channel at 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PT.
New Japan Pro Wrestling held its event, Battle in the Valley, on Feb. 18 at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.
One of the featured matches was IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi defending her title against Mercedes Monè. The event marked Monè’s first wrestling match since leaving the WWE. Another match on the card was Jay White vs. Eddie Kingston in a Loser Leaves NJPW match. It’s rumored that White could leave the company when his contract expires.
NJPW: Battle in the Valley aired live on FITE TV for $19.99 at 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PT. Fans who missed the event can watch it on replay with an NJPW World subscription.
NJPW Battle In The Valley Results
Alex Coughlin def. JR Kratos
David Finlay def. Bobby Fish
Kushida, Volador Jr., Kevin Knight & The DKC def. Máscara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Adrian Quest & Rocky Romero
KENTA def. (C) Fred Rosser- Strong Openweight Championship match
(C) The Motor City Machine Guns(Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) def. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Issacs)- Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
Eddie Kingston def. Jay White- Loser Leaves NJPW match
Tom Lawler def. Homicide- Filthy Rules Fight match
(C) Zack Sabre Jr def. Clark Connors- NJPW World TV Championship match
Mercedes Monè def. (C) Kairi- IWGP Women’s Championship match
C) Kazuchika Okada def. Hiroshi Tanahashi- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
NJPW Battle in The Valley Highlights
Eddie Kingston def. Jay White- Loser Leaves NJPW match
Mercedes Mone’ may be mere weeks away from becoming the second-ever IWGP Women’s Champion now that her title match has been confirmed.
Mone’, who worked for years in WWE as Sasha Banks, made her New Japan Pro Wrestling debut at yesterday’s Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Banks attacked KAIRI, who had retained her title against Tam Nakano, and posed with the IWGP Women’s Title.
The Match
Banks made it clear in her attack that she wants to be the next IWGP Women’s Champion, and vowed to make KAIRI ‘bankrupt.’
On Twitter, the NJPW Global account confirmed that the two will face off the for the title, which will take place at NJPW Battle in the Valley on February 18.
The match will mark Mone’s first bout since a May 15, 2022 WWE Live event, where she and Naomi retained the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships against Shayna Baszler and Natalya.
In a video shared by NJPW Global, Mone’ encouraged fans to purchase the show on FITE.
Can't be in the San Jose Civic?
Battle in the Valley will be coming to you LIVE on @fiteTV February 18!
This will be the first time that Mone’ and KAIRI have faced off for the IWGP Women’s Championship, but the two are far from strangers.
KAIRI’s final weeks in WWE on TV would see her face Mone’ multiple times as part of the feud between the Kabuki Warriors against Bayley & Sasha Banks.
Speaking on the post-Wrestle Kingdom press conference, Mone’ said that her history with the IWGP Women’s Champion played a part in her decision to target her first.
Mone posed in the ring, and made it clear she wants a shot at the IWGP Women’s Championship.
The former Raw Women’s Champion dropped KAIRI with a modified Gory Bomb, and said she knows all about making history.
Calling herself the CEO of this women’s division, More vowed to make KAIRI bankrupt when they face off.
Mercedes Mone has challenged Kairi for the IWGP Women’s Championship at Battle In The Valley on February 18th. "I'm going to leave you bankrupt, bitch!" pic.twitter.com/1eV7FZwswD
Kairi Sane signed with WWE in 2016 and competed in the Mae Young Classic. She won the NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Shayna Baszler at TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
She formed the Kabuki Warriors tag team with Asuka on the main roster in 2019. The team was briefly managed by former WWE Superstar Paige, now known as Saraya in All Elite Wrestling.
Sane exited WWE in December 2021 after her contract expired and has since returned to Stardom. The 34-year-old also recently became the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion in the historic X-Over event between Stardown and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
FIRST EVER IWGP Women's Champion, KAIRI!
(WWEs Kairi Sane) for those who don’t know.#NJPWxSTARDOM
During a recent interview, the IWGP Women’s Champion explained the differences between wrestling in America and in Japan. Sane noted that the talent usually didn’t know the card until the day of the show.
In particular, I felt the card isn’t fixed until the day of. It’s really right up until we go on air. If you know the card beforehand, you can put it together or plan out a strategy, right?
Kairi added that wrestlers in the states oftentimes don’t have the opportunity to prepare for their opponent’s moves.
You find out when you get there. There were people you were facing for the first time too and it was all done live.
That is why you can’t practice or prepare for your opponent’s moves. Moreover, you had a time limit. You couldn’t go over time.
KAIRI, formerly known as Kairi Sane, is the first-ever IWGP Women’s Champion.
In the main event of Sunday morning’s NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over event, she defeated Mayu Iwantani to become the champ. The back and forth match ended when KAIRI defeated Iwatani after hitting the Insane Elbow off the top rope.
Post-match, Iwatani, and KAIRI were emotional while waiting for NJPW president Noaki Sugabayashi to get into the ring to give KAIRI the title as she posed with Bushiroad president Takaai Kiwani.
Tam Nakano came out and challenged KAIRI to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 17, which she accepted. Sane commented on the big win by writing the following on Twitter:
“Four days before the match, during ring practice, I sprained myself in a flashy fall. I was told that it would take three weeks for a full recovery, and I almost gave up because it hurt to walk. However, with the support of many people, I was able to fight through the two battles with my willpower. Really really thank you very much.”
How We Got Here
Kairi Sane
Iwatanai had defeated Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashishita to advance to the finals while Kairi defeated Jazzy Gabert on October 23 to advance to the finals.
The championship was introduced by NJPW back in August and is slated to be defended both in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling as well as worldwide on shows such as NJPW Strong.
Former WWE Superstar KAIRI (Kairi Sane) has opened up about joining and leaving Vince McMahon’s promotion.
KAIRI began wrestling for WWE in 2017 and captured the NXT Women’s Championship and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the latter with Asuka.
In an interview with ENTAME Next, KAIRI recalled her reasons for leaving Japan and signing with WWE.
“I decided to go to WWE because I wanted to experience the top level and grow… I often traveled to the United States and Europe with Mayu (Iwatani) and Io (Shirai). When I saw how excited the audience was there, it made me want to compete overseas. I also had a fundamental sense of urgency that I could not just maintain the status quo.”
Speaking about her formative years in NXT, KAIRI said she struggled with promo class which was done entirely in English, but appreciated the language classes given twice a week to her by WWE.
In 2020, KAIRI requested to return to Japan and WWE granted her request, writing her off TV with a backstage attack by Bayley.
The former Superstar explained that a promise made upon her departure from Japan fueled her reason to return.
“When I left Japan in 2017, I promised my fans that I would go on a long journey, but that I would come back grown up. I told that to President Rossy Ogawa (now Executive Producer). In the first place, my goal was to learn first-class professional wrestling, and I didn’t really intend to live permanently in the US.”
The COVID-19 Pandemic also proved to be a pivotal point in KAIRI’s decision.
“[When the Pandemic hit] I thought, “Where am I going to go from here? I had a sense of accomplishment that I had fulfilled my promise to my best friend and that I had done everything I could in my three years with WWE, and after several consultations with WWE, I decided to leave.”
KAIRI remained with WWE, serving as an ambassador for the company in Japan until her contract expired in December 2021.
Kairi Sane has returned to wrestling for the first time since 2020. On Stardom’s World Climax Show earlier today in Tokyo, Sane returned using the ring name KAIRI.
KAIRI left WWE back in July 2020 to be with her husband in Japan. She was an ambassador for WWE upon her return to the country. When the deal expired, she was free to sign with any other wrestling promotion.
KAIRI announced back in February that she would be joining Stardom. And for the first time since 2020, the 33-year-old returned to in-ring action at the promotion’s World Climax Show.
KAIRI teamed up with Mayu Iwatani to defeat the team of Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka in a tag team match. She took her team to victory by hitting her signature elbow drop. She looked in great shape and impressed fans with her incredible moves. She also made a post on Twitter to announce her return to wrestling, aptly writing, “I am back!!”
KAIRI has previously wrestled for Stardom under the ring name of Kairi Hojo from 2012 to 2017. She became a one-time World of Stardom Champion, a one-time Wonder of Stardom Champion, a three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a four-time Artist of Stardom Champion. This was her first match for the promotion in five years. KAIRI will have her first singles match for Stardom since her return on Saturday where she will face Starlight Kid.
KAIRI signed with WWE in 2017, also the year when she won the Mae Young Classic. She would go on to win the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, and the Women’s Tag Team Championships once with Asuka. KAIRI’s fans would be interested to see what’s in store for “The Pirate Princess” next, as Stardom was her home before she arrived in WWE.
The WWE contract of Kairi Sane has not expired yet and she is actually expected to become a free agent next month.
The Japanese star removed all references of the promotion from her social profile last month. Wrestling Observer had reported at the time that her contract with the company had expired already.
However, Dave Meltzer corrected this report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He now reports that Sane’s deal actually ends next month.
The female star was part of the WWE roster from 2016 to 2020. She left The US and returned to Japan to be with her husband back in July 2020. Though she has continued working for WWE as an ambassador.
WWE officials apparently want Kairi Sane to renew her contract and return to the US in a wrestling role but the former NXT star has refused the offer.
Kairi had teased an in-ring return recently. Reports suggest that Stardom is also interested in bringing the former Artist of Stardom champion back to the company. No word on if AEW has any interest in signing her
It’s likely that Kairi Sane’s contract forbids her to talk to other promotions. We should get a better idea about her future once her deal has officially expired.
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provided some update on the female star. It confirms that her contract with WWE has expired.
According to the Newsletter, WWE officials not only wanted her to renew her deal but they wanted Sane to re-join the roster as an active member.
However, the female star didn’t want to live in US and travel around amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. So she chose to let her deal expire.
Regarding her future, it was noted how the 33-year-old has shown interest in making an in-ring return. Stardom is interested in bringing her back but nothing is set in that direction yet.
Kairi Sane signed a WWE contract back in March 2017. She won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament after defeating Shayna Baszler.
The Japanese star had a run with the NXT women’s title before moving to the main roster. There she formed a tag team with Asuka and the two became known as The Kabuki Warriors.
Sane decided to leave WWE and head back to Japan to be with her husband in July 2020. She was made an ambassador for WWE upon her return to the country. Now that her deal has expired, she is free to sign with any other promotion.
With WWE closing its offices in “The Land of the Rising Sun,” it left many wondering if Kairi’s time with the company would truly come to an end.
Kairi Sane Gone From WWE?
While nothing has been made official, there have been a couple of interesting changes to Kairi’s social media. She has changed her Instagram handle from “kairi_wwe” to “official_kairi.”
Kairi’s Twitter handle remains “@KairiSaneWWE” but she now calls herself a “former WWE superstar.” When a fan said that Kairi Sane is missed inside a wrestling ring, she had the following response.
It definitely appears that all signs are pointing to Kairi being free of her WWE deal but nothing is official at this time. If that is the case, it would allow her to return to the Stardom promotion.
Sane, who is known as Kairi Hojo in Japan, recently opened her own gym in Kanagawa. She has moved back to Japan with her husband after being on the road during her time with WWE.
It appears that Monday’s episode of RAW was the final appearance for Kairi Sane in WWE for now.
Leading up to this show, it had been reported for several weeks that Sane had decided to return to Japan in order to live there full-time with her husband.
This episode of RAW saw Sasha Banks beat Asuka to win the WWE RAW Women’s Title by count out when Bayley was attacking Sane in the backstage area. Asuka lost the title as she was walking to the backstage area to make the save for her friend. As a result of the stipulation heading into the contest, she lost the title.
After the segment, Sane took to her official Twitter account where she issued the following statement:
“My time in the NXT & WWE locker rooms was incredible. Everyone was kind, funny, & talented, so every day was full of happiness. Also, I was saved by the supportive staff behind the scenes. I will forever love & respect all these professionals I had the pleasure of working with.”
I was able to accomplish so much in the last three years, but it wasn’t because of my ability or my strength. It was because of all of the constant, warm support from the fans. I am so thankful I could meet you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Kairi Sane☺️⚓️ pic.twitter.com/BaH2UBi9wn
Sane ended her current tenure with WWE on good terms. There have even been reports about how WWE officials have pitched her different ideas to keep her with the company by being in various roles.
There have been numerous reports lately regarding Kairi Sane’s WWE status. According to a recent report from Tokyo Sports, Sane is likely returning to Japan by the end of the summer.
According to the article, Sane recently was married and the couple plans to move back to Japan. The report continues to say that Sane is hopeful to maintain some type of relationship with WWE, however. Earlier reports had suggested Sane could be involved with a potential NXT Japan developmental territory. Plans for a Performance Center and brand in the country have been shelved, however, due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Tokyo Sports’ report continues to say that there should be some type of announcement regarding Sane’s status by SummerSlam. They also noted that WWE Japan representatives stated they had not heard anything on the matter.
“It seems that there will be some announcement by the summer festival ‘Summer Slam’ (August 23). WWE Japan said, ‘We have not received any information here,'” a translation of the report reads.
Sane’ status was also addressed in a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Sane, 31, is returning to Japan to be with her husband. This has been in the works for a while and the company has known about it since May if not earlier,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
It appears as though WWE is teasing a future matchup between Kabuki Warrior members Kairi Sane and WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka.
Both Sane and Asuka appeared on RAW Talk following this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. The team lost a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match to defending champions Sasha Banks and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.
At one point during the show, Sane turned to her partner. She declared her interest in a matchup if Asuka were to emerge victorious from her upcoming championship match at Extreme Rules.
Sane shared how “If you want that match, I am ready for…Asuka.”
After embracing her partner, Asuka responded: “I want to face you, I want to face you.”
Kairi Sane then revealed how a match with Asuka is her “dream.”
ask and you shall receive:
@KairiSaneWWE will face @WWEAsuka for the RAW women’s championship if asuka retains at extreme rules.
It is rumored Sane is preparing to leave WWE following the end of her contract. However, WWE is reportedly expected to make another, lucrative offer in its attempts to keep her on its roster. Prior to her recent singles matchup on the July 6 episode of RAW, Sane had been away from WWE programming following a match with Nia Jax in June.
Asuka will defend her WWE RAW Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks at WWE’s next pay-per-view. The two clash at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on Sunday, July 19.
Kairi Sane has not wrestled since taking a nasty bump into the steel steps during a match taped on May 26th, 2020. Sane was thrown into the steps by Nia Jax during the bout, which aired on the June 1st episode of RAW. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sane is headed back to Japan and there had been plans in place to do a career-ending angle with her before she left.
“Sane, 31, is returning to Japan to be with her husband. This has been in the works for a while and the company has known about it since May if not earlier,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The report continues to say that had Sane not been injured in the match against Nia, the idea was to do a career-ending injury angle. This could have possibly involved Charlotte Flair, Shayna Baszler, or another wrestler injuring Sane before then facing Asuka at SummerSlam.
A report was also released by Fightful recently, stating that Sane’s situation with WWE is complicated. At one point, she had been talked about for an ambassador role with NXT Japan. Plans to start a developmental territory in the country have since been scrapped due to the ongoing pandemic, however.
“While there’s been no talk about it of late, there had been talk that once her contract with WWE was up that she would wrestle one more year in Japan and then retire,” Meltzer continued.
