Kairi Sane has broken her silence on the unexpected end of her latest WWE run.
Released by WWE in April despite being regularly featured on Raw alongside Asuka and IYO SKY, Sane admitted the decision caught her completely off guard.
Speaking with Ring Plus, she explained that she was heavily involved in television storylines and believed her character was on the verge of a major turning point.
“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.”
Sane, who first departed WWE in December 2021 before returning in November 2023, said she headed back to Japan roughly two weeks after being released. While reflecting on the abrupt ending, she admitted she may have considered retirement had her storyline with Asuka reached its intended conclusion.
“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.”
She added that the unfinished nature of the angle only strengthened her desire to continue wrestling.
“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? (laughs)”
Looking ahead, Sane revealed she has no shortage of opportunities after becoming a free agent, noting that promotions from around the world have already expressed interest.
“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.”
Kairi Sane's Interview Translation as best as I could will be down Below:: pic.twitter.com/9Ix1DNzzN8
— KairisWrestling (@KairisIdiots) August 4, 2026
