Published: 7 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 13 hours ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE/AEW
A former WWE star is a current free agent, and Tony Khan revealed he is “very intrigued” about the possibilities for an AEW signing.
Kairi Sane was among a number of stars to exit WWE back in April of this year, with her free agency coming in July.
Speaking after becoming a free agent, Sane stated, simply and to the point:
“How Far I’ll Go… See you soon.❤️”
If Tony Khan can manifest his interest into something more substantial, Sane may find her way into AEW:
A WWE departure that surprised many
At the point of her release in April, Sane was involved in a storyline with Asuka and IYO SKY on WWE Raw, with reports emerging that there was shock that she had been released.
Asuka would react to Sane’s release on social media, saying she will “always be in (her) corner”, with SKY shared her own thoughts and noting that the former star was “truly loved“.
With Sane’s last match on April 20, mere days before her release, the star is yet to return to the ring in any competitive capacity.
“Very, very interesting”
During the AEW WrestleDream post-show media scrum, Tony Khan was asked about the possibility of signing Kairi Sane, responding:
“I can’t speak to that at this time, but I am very aware and excited to see that she is a free agent. I think that’s very, very interesting and I’m very intrigued by the possibility of that.”
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For Khan, it would be another former WWE star to add to his already deep roster that now includes Ilja Dragunov.
Where is Kairi Sane?
Fightful Select shared an insight into the current status of Sane, noting that the former WWE star had now, as of the weekend, signed with AEW.
The report would go on to note that “light discussions have continued”, although “there is heavy interest in Japan that is being held up by the AEW talks.”
A return to Japan
Following her WWE release, it was reported that Sane’s desire to return to Japan was a contributing factor to the business decision, with the star herself commenting:
“What I can say is I know there’s been a lot of speculation, but I truly love this work, my teammates, and my fans.”
Prior to her WWE debut in 2016 and during the period between her 2021 departure (due to contract expiry) and return in February the following year, Sane competed in Japan, calling Stardom her home during both periods.
An NJPW run in 2022 would see the star become the first-ever IWGP Women’s Champion, losing the title to Mercedes Mone the following year at Battle in the Valley.
Two major stops for a Sane debut
With the end of 2026 approaching, there are two pay-per-views left on the AEW calendar that could see Sane make her debut.
Full Gear takes place on November 14, with Worlds End following on December 19, both of which could see an AEW debut for Sane.
There’s also already stories in the back pocket that AEW could adopt, with Sane’s loss to Mercedes Mone being an obvious choice, and the potential return of Timeless Toni Storm being a topic covered by Khan during the WrestleDream media scrum.
This isn’t to say that Sane wouldn’t be able to debut on Dynamite (or Collision), it’s just a moment that may be best saved for a pay-per-view.
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