Kairi Sane Admits WWE Release Came as a Massive Surprise, Reveals Her Biggest Regret & More

Kairi Sane has admitted that her WWE release was as much a surprise to her as to everyone else. As noted, Kairi was one of the many wrestlers who were let go by WWE as part of its post-WrestleMania budget cuts this past April. Kairi’s release, in particular, came as a huge shock to fans, as she was a prominent part of a storyline involving Asuka and IYO SKY.

During a recent conversation with Ring Plus [translated by KairiWrestling], Kairi admitted that the latest WWE release is the biggest setback of her career. She also revealed whether she considered retirement in its aftermath and whether she has received offers for other promotions now that she is a free agent. Here’s what Kairi Sane said:

Kairi Sane on Whether She Was Surprised by Her WWE Release

“It was just as much of a bolt out of the blue for me as it was for everyone else – my friends around me felt the same way. I was appearing on RAW almost every single week without missing a beat, and I was involved in storylines both inside and outside the ring. The storyline was reaching a turning point where my character was about to explode into action… I had been building up frustration and holding back for so long, and I was finally at the stage where I thought, ‘Now I can unleash my true potential!” So getting released right at that moment was a huge shock.'”

On Whether She Thought About Retiring

“To be honest, if the storyline with Asuka and me had reached a proper conclusion, I might not have had any regrets. That was how much resolve I had going into it, and I gave it everything to make it exciting. But as I mentioned, it ended right in the middle of everything, so the idea of retiring didn’t cross my mind right away.

“I wanted to give it one last push until the very end. That’s why I couldn’t retire halfway through like this—not until I felt within myself that I had truly given it my all and done everything I could….So retirement never crossed my mind. Though this release is probably the biggest setback of my entire career. But isn’t it great material for an autobiography?”

On Potential Offers From Other Promotions

“Right after the release, my head was an absolute jumble, so I tried not to think about it for a bit. But now, I’m extremely grateful… I’ve received offers from so many promotions around the world that I can’t even count them on both hands: both inside Japan and internationally. I actually met with the people who reached out from Japan.”