Kairi Sane’s WWE status has not changed despite a viral fan campaign pushing for her reinstatement, and reports suggesting otherwise are not accurate.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider has addressed subscriber questions about the possibility of Sane returning to WWE programming, shooting down speculation that her release had been rescinded or that she could appear on Raw in Laredo, Texas, on Monday night.
PWInsider.com has been asked by a number of readers about claims the Kairi Sane WWE release had been rescinded or whether she could appear on tonight’s Raw,” Johnson wrote. “Neither of those claims are correct.
The clarification puts to rest a wave of online reports suggesting the fan campaign had caused WWE to reverse its decision. Sane was among more than two dozen talents released in WWE’s post-WrestleMania roster cuts last Friday, a group that also included Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross, and all of the Wyatt Sicks. The departures drew immediate and significant backlash, with Sane’s release standing out as one of the more surprising given her central role in the ongoing rivalry between IYO SKY and Asuka.
The hashtag WeWantKairi has been consistently trending on social media since the news broke. However, Johnson also noted that any reinstatement is practically impossible in the short term, regardless of WWE’s internal deliberations, as Sane has already returned to Japan.
There is precedent for overwhelming fan support influencing WWE’s decisions. R-Truth was informed last summer that his contract would not be renewed before being brought back just a week later on a new deal following substantial fan backlash. He is now one-half of the WWE Tag Team Championships alongside Damian Priest.
Whether Sane’s situation follows a similar path remains unknown. For now, her release stands.
