Former WWE wrestler Kairi Sane did not appear at AEW All Out on Saturday in Chicago, and the main obstacle to a possible appearance has now come to light.
Ahead of the pay-per-view, Fightful Select reported that Sane had yet to sign with AEW and was not even part of the plans for All Out. One AEW source went so far as to tell the outlet it would be “nearly legally impossible” to get her on the show at that point, though talks were ongoing.
During a recent Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp was asked directly whether the legal issue referenced in the earlier report was tied to Sane’s visa, and he confirmed that it was.
“Yeah, it is. But there have been conversations going on,” Sapp said.
In other words, the lack of a contract was not the only thing standing in the way. Sane’s visa situation also ruled out any chance of a surprise debut at All Out.
Persephone’s mystery challenger for the TBS Championship turned out to be Dani Luna, who made her AEW debut and lost after interference from Britt Baker.
Sane left WWE as part of the company’s major round of releases in April. Her final match came on the April 20 episode of Raw, where she and Asuka lost to Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY. She has not been back in the ring since.
Another link between Sane and AEW is her current agent, Barry Bloom, whose clients also include Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and The Young Bucks.