Add as a preferred source on Google Kairi Sane was the biggest name in the latest wave of WWE releases last week, the first following WrestleMania 42.
The former NXT Women’s Champion was listed alongside Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Santos Escobar, and the Motor City Machine Guns as the name that sparked the most outrage among WWE fans on social media. Triple H was the main target of criticism over the Japanese star’s departure from the company.
However, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the decision to release Sane may not have come from WWE, but from the wrestler herself. The journalist noted that Sane reportedly asked to be released from the company so she could return to Japan. The information, however, has not yet been officially confirmed.
Sane was part of the ongoing rivalry between Asuka and IYO SKY, one of the top storylines on Monday Night RAW, which made her release even more shocking.
Meltzer commented on the rivalry, stating that keeping Sane on TV wouldn’t be expensive for TKO, since WWE and UFC together generate billions of dollars in revenue for the company each year.
“The reality is, this is not a money issue. You know what I mean? This company makes… whatever it is. The revenue between UFC and WWE and throwing everything in, the revenue’s in the billions of dollars. To keep a cohesive storyline, it’s not that expensive to do. They probably spend way, way more on things that are inconsequential compared to that.”
On the past Monday Night RAW, Sane was remembered by fans at the arena in Laredo, Texas, with several chants calling for her return, forcing WWE to make abrupt cuts during the broadcast on Netflix.