A couple weeks ago, reports came out that Kairi Sane - winner of the first Mae Young Classic, and a former NXT Women’s & WWE Women’s Tag Team champion - would be leaving the company to return to Japan.
WWE allegedly had plans to write her off at the end of her contract, and a big match with her tag partner Asuka that could be a fitting send-off for the Pirate Princess has been teased. But there were also rumors that negotiations were ongoing, so fans were holding out hope that Sane’s time in the States wasn’t ending four years after it began.
PWInsider has bad news for anyone who was hoping to see much more of Kairi in WWE, however. Today (July 20) is Sane’s final date with the company, which means the two episodes of Raw (tonight’s and next Monday’s) being taped at the Performance Center are the last we’ll see of her for a while.
Kairi is said to be leaving on good terms and “will remain part of WWE’s extended family.” There was supposedly talk she could serve as an ambassador for the company in Japan, but if that’s the plan, we’ll likely have to wait until after a COVID vaccine is available to find out.
For now, the joshi legend will settle into life as a newlywed in her home country.
We wish her the best, and look forward to seeing what she does next. And how WWE explains her departure over the next two Mondays.