WWE cut over 20 wrestlers in its latest round of mass releases that saw the likes of Wyatt Sicks, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, and others ending up on the chopping block.
The list also included Kairi Sane, whose release triggered massive online unrest, and it led to several accounts running the #WeWantKairi hashtag and getting it trending too for a while.
Amid the downpour of support from her fans, Sane recently took to X and revealed being cognizant of a ton of speculation regarding her departure from WWE. She added that she truly loves this business, her teammates, and her supporters. 'The Pirate Princess' stressed that she has never walked away and given her all in everything she does.
The wording from Sane in her latest social media post sparked speculation of its own among several fans as to what she might be implying by that. Some believe that she could be referring to Dave Meltzer claiming on Wrestling Observer Radio that the reason behind WWE letting her go was her indicating to them that she wanted to move back to Japan.
Meltzer said it's definitely not a money-related issue with the kind of revenue WWE has been generating. His co-host, Bryan Alvarez, mentioned how this week's Raw crowd in Laredo chanted 'We want Kairi' at Asuka ambushing Iyo Sky. Alvarez couldn't understand why WWE couldn't keep Sane around for a couple more weeks until the Backlash PLE on which Asuka and Sky will finally take each other on.
Alvarez thought that even if Sane were to leave WWE based on Meltzer's understanding, she could have stayed to get to the climax of her role in the feud between Asuka and Sky. Alvarez said during the aforementioned conversation that WWE has to bring Sane back and have her cost 'The Empress of Tomorrow' at Backlash.
It does have a precedent from last year when R-Truth got fired by WWE and was re-hired within days after fans went berserk. Truth cost John Cena the tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso in his stunning return at Money in the Bank. Would WWE repeat it with Kairi Sane? It remains to be seen.
There were initial rumors about TKO being responsible for these recent WWE firings. However, it was later reported by Fightful that those departing the company were decided upon by Triple H, Nick Khan, and the company's talent relations department only. The outlet also flagged the internal frustration within WWE for specifically axing Kairi Sane when she was in the midst of a storyline that deserved a payoff.
The first post that the Japanese wrestler made after getting released from WWE is currently sitting at over 122k likes on X, indicating the backing she has received from a fanbase that was rooting for her on-screen alliance with Iyo Sky after separating from Asuka. Her senpai commented underneath Sane's post and said that she'll forever be in her corner no matter what.
'The Empress of Tomorrow' stated that she'll never leave 'The Pirate Princess' feeling alone. Jade Cargill also made it in there and called Sane one of the sweetest women in the locker room. Even Jacob Fatu left some kind words for the former NXT Women's Champion, thanking her for her love and kindness.
Fatu wrote that he enjoyed meeting Sane's family. It couldn't be more evident how adored she was backstage among her peers in WWE. As things stand, the 37-year-old is reportedly back in Japan, and there's no update on her immediate future.
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