Tag: kairi sane

Why IYO Sky vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been announced yet

Posted on by Josh Nason

If you’re among those wondering why it’s taking so long to make the IYO SKY vs. Asuka match at next weekend’s WWE WrestleMania 42 official, there’s now an answer: the health status of The Bella Twins.

Our Bryan Alvarez is reporting that the reason is because if Nikki Bella isn’t medically cleared to team with sister Brie in the four-way Women’s Tag Team match at WrestleMania, Asuka & Kairi Sane will take their place. If Nikki gets cleared, the Sky vs. Asuka match will be booked.

It’s unclear what happens with SKY at that point if Asuka must be in the tag match instead.

The 42-year-old Bella was seen in a walking boot following a late-March SmackDown match, later saying she would be back in a week’s time. However, she hasn’t been given the clean bill of health on TV, leaving the door open.

Regardless, the match will take place on night one as the cards per night were announced earlier Tuesday:

WWE WrestleMania 42 night one lineup | Next Saturday

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Randy Orton (w/ Pat McAfee)
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan
  • Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee defends against Becky Lynch
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, The Bella Twins, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
  • Unsanctioned match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu (ESPN2)
  • Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs. The Usos & LA Knight (ESPN2)

WWE WrestleMania 42 night two lineup | Next Sunday

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley
  • Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • United States Champion Sami Zayn defends against Trick Williams
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (ESPN)
  • Ladder match: Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Rey Mysterio (ESPN)

IYO SKY calls out Asuka for WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

IYO SKY has had enough of Asuka and is ready to take action. 

Following Raw, SKY took to X calling out Asuka for her mistreatment towards Kairi Sane and labeling it to be out of love. SKY issued a challenge to settle their feud once and for all at WrestleMania 42. 

“Asuka….The achievements you’ve made in WWE have been truly brilliant. Kairi and I have always looked up to you. But the way you’re treating Kairi right now is changing all of that!! If dragging Kairi around and using her as a shield is your idea of “LOVE,” then my “LOVE” is to go anywhere and everywhere to be Rhea’s shield. I’m DEFINITELY NOT afraid to face You, my senior whom I once LOVED so dearly. Let’s settle this once and for all: which of our “LOVES” deserves to have it all. Hope to see you in Vegas.” posted SKY. 

SKY’s post is a response to Asuka’s message on Raw. She blamed SKY’s selfishness for the disrupted relationship with The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka instigated that once SKY broke away from them, she was trying to influence Sane’s decision to leave too, and vowed SKY would not take advantage of her kindness.

SKY has repeatedly shown support to Sane in the aftermath of Asuka’s actions. 

Last month, there were reports of a possible triple threat match among them for WrestleMania 42.  

WWE Hall of Famer praises Rhea Ripley, Kabuki Warriors

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Even with all of his decades of wrestling experience, Kevin Nash is still capable of reacting to matches like a fan.

The WWE Hall of Famer had high praise for Rhea Ripley and The Kabuki Warriors while recapping Raw on his Kliq This podcast. On the January 5 Raw episode, Ripley & IYO SKY defeated Asuka & Kairi Sane to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Nash was happy to see the babyfaces get the win — and the heels got genuine heat from him as well.

“I love Rhea, I think she’s great. I thought it was nice to reward her,” Nash said. “It’s funny, man — the f*cking Kabuki girls, they get heat with me. They actually — Asuka gets f*cking heat. I’ll give her credit. Like, I’m a grown f*cking man, I know it’s bullsh*t. But I’m glad that they got beat. It made me happy.”

Nash said he “really dug” the show overall, including the main event where CM Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship over Bron Breakker. Nash and Punk have had a bit of a back and forth lately, but Nash praised the work Punk did in helping his opponent, even with Breakker losing.

“Beat somebody and make them, that’s a special piece of booking,” Nash said. “It’s special on both the combatants, on their performances. I thought it was a really well done, ‘I enjoyed the f*ck out of it’ match.”

WWE will follow up on last week’s episode with Raw taking place in Germany this afternoon. The show will continue the build to the Royal Rumble ahead of the January 31 PLE.

Women’s Tag Team title match set for first WWE Raw of 2026

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A match for the Women’s Tag Team titles is set for the first Raw of the new year.

On Monday, it was confirmed that the Kabuki Warriors would be defending the titles against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY. The two teams have been feuding for the last few months after Asuka and Kairi Sane turned their backs on former friend SKY.

An angle took place on Raw further continuing the tensions. As Ripley and SKY made their way to the ring, they were ambushed by Asuka, who misted Ripley through the crowd. Sane then took out SKY as the Kabuki Warriors looked to take out Ripley with Sane’s Insane Elbow. Right as Sane launched off, SKY covered Ripley, taking the hit for her friend.

The two teams previously battled at Crown Jewel back in October, with Sky and Ripley picking up the win in Ripley’s home country of Australia.

WWE Raw (January 6)

  • World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk defends against Bron Breakker
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team titles: The Kabuki Warriors defend against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY

AJ Lee forces ex-champion to tap, wins Women’s WarGames at Survivor Series 2025

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

AJ Lee has secured the victory for her team at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025.

In the first match of the night at Petco Park in San Diego, California, fans witnessed one of the best women’s matches in recent memory. In only her second bout in almost a decade, AJ Lee trapped Becky Lynch in the Black Widow, forcing her to tap out and sealing the win in a match lasting nearly 41-minutes.

The match also featured several violent moments, which is common in a steel cage environment. All six women pushed each other to their absolute limits. Nia Jax and Lash Legend brutally powerbombed Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair against the cage, while later in the match, Asuka fired friendly shots as she accidentally misted Legend with poison mist, taking her out of the action for the remainder of the bout.

In the final moments, IYO Sky performed her iconic trash can dive from the top of the cage onto four other women, opening the opening Lee needed. AJ Lee then swiftly locked in the Black Widow on Becky Lynch to secure the victory.

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 results

Here is the updated match card for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025:

  • Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and AJ Lee defeated Nia Jax, Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane), and Becky Lynch – Women’s WarGames match
  • John Cena (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio – WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Nikki Bella – WWE Women’s World Championship
  • CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), and Roman Reigns vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed), Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar – Men’s WarGames match

Kabuki Warriors win Women’s Tag Team titles on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Asuka and Kairi Sane are Women’s Tag Team Champions once again.

The Kabuki Warriors won the titles in the main event of Monday’s Raw, defeating Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The finish came when Lash Legend and Nia Jax came in through the crowd and interfered. The distraction allowed Asuka to hit Charlotte from behind, allowing Sane to hit the insane elbow for the win.

This is the Kabuki Warriors’ third reign with the titles. Flair & Bliss had held the titles since SummerSlam, where they defeated Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez.

After the match Legend, Jax, Asuka, and Kairi continued to attack Bliss & Charlotte until both IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley made their returns, evening the odds for the faces. Raw ended with Rhea Ripley yelling out WarGames, confirming the eight women will meet in San Diego on November 29. 

At Crown Jewel last month, The Kabuki Warriors defeated Ripley & SKY, breaking Ripley’s nose in the process. In the weeks since, they set their sights on the now former champions. On this past Friday’s SmackDown, they disguised themselves as nurses while Bliss was being checked on by medical, giving Asuka the opportunity to mist both women.

Another WWE star gets old theme music back on Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Monday’s WWE Raw episode from Australia continued the trend of wrestlers getting their old theme songs back.

Kairi Sane returned to using “The Next Voyage” as her entrance music as she faced Rhea Ripley in a singles match on Raw. The change comes days after Shinsuke Nakamura and The Street Profits also got their old themes back on SmackDown.

The Sane vs. Ripley match was a chance for Sane to avenge The Kabuki Warriors’ loss to Ripley & IYO SKY from Crown Jewel: Perth. Sane took another loss, though, with Ripley hitting a headbutt and Riptide for the victory. Asuka had tried to help Sane get the win, but SKY was able to neutralize her interference at ringside.

Sane and Asuka did end up laying out Ripley and SKY after the match, including Sane striking Ripley with a kendo stick and Asuka giving Ripley a DDT onto the announce table.

Sane was using the song “Voyager” prior to this switch back to her original music.

WrestleVotes reported last Friday that there are several acts in WWE who have been requesting to have their themes changed.

“Source indicate several superstars have been requesting music changes for some time now, including outspoken names such as Sheamus & Drew McIntyre,” the report said. “Time will tell if all those requests are eventually granted.”

WWE has been using production company Def Rebel for its music since 2019, though the group has received widespread criticism for the quality of their themes from WWE fans — along with the reported talent unhappiness.

WWE Raw lineup: Two new matches added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two new matches have been added to the card for today’s WWE Raw in Paris, France.

Following Clash in Paris, WWE is back at Paris La Defense Arena this afternoon for the final stop on its European tour. It was already known that an Intercontinental Championship bout between Dominik Mysterio and AJ Styles would be taking place on the episode. Now, two more matches have been confirmed.

The Kabuki Warriors will team up against Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez. Plus, there will be a six-man tag match pitting New Day and their new ally Grayson Waller against The War Raiders & Penta.

Today’s show has a special start time of 2 p.m. Eastern, streaming live on Netflix worldwide. Here is everything that has been announced:

WWE Raw (Monday, September 1) —

  • Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
  • The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) vs. Judgment Day (Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez)
  • The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) & Grayson Waller vs. War Raiders (Erik & Ivar) & Penta
  • We’ll get an update on Roman Reigns following the stretcher angle at Clash in Paris
  • There will be an update on the vacant Women’s World Championship

Kairi Sane: ‘Knowing that someone was hurt in a match with me is something I carry deeply’

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE wrestler Kairi Sane has commented on wrestlers suffering injuries during matches with her following a pair of recent incidents.

Sane was involved in two matches on WWE Raw in recent weeks where wrestlers have suffered catastrophic injuries — Zoey Stark suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in a Money in the Bank qualifier against Sane and Rhea Ripley last month, then Liv Morgan suffered a dislocated shoulder in a Queen of the Ring qualifier on this week’s Raw against Sane, Raquel Rodriguez, and Ivy Nile.

In a social media post Wednesday, Sane stated that the health of her opponents “…is something I carry deeply.”

Sane wrote:

“One of the most painful things for me is when a match is decided not by wrestling, but because of an injury. I always step into the ring with deep respect for my opponent, and I train hard every day to give the audience something they can truly enjoy. Even if it was never intentional, knowing that someone was hurt in a match with me is something I carry deeply. It breaks my heart. I hope with all my heart for a full and speedy recovery. I will continue to give my all, hoping to bring excitement—not pain—to the ring.“

Stark is currently rehabbing her knee injuries at the UFC Performance Institute. A torn ACL in wrestling typically presents a 9-12 month recovery time. Morgan is expected to undergo surgery for her injury, but a recovery timetable has not been confirmed.

Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane, Bayley appearance set for WWE Raw

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce has announced additions to the lineup for Monday’s episode of WWE Raw.

Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane is now scheduled for the show. Both wrestlers were in the fatal four-way Queen of the Ring qualifier last week that was won by Roxanne Perez. Rhea Ripley was the other competitor in the match.

Morgan will also address her attack on Nikki Bella from last week. Bella was promoting Evolution 2 when Morgan confronted her, taking offense to not being included when Bella listed off the top women in the company. The segment ended with Morgan hitting Bella with an ObLIVian.

“Following her attack on the Hall of Famer Nikki Bella, Liv Morgan will both address her actions and be in action. It’s Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane one-on-one Monday night,” Pearce said in a video posted on Sunday.

Bayley will also be back on Monday’s show after returning last week. She had been gone from WWE since being attacked backstage by a mystery assailant (later revealed to be Becky Lynch), which caused her to miss WrestleMania.

“Bayley is back. Why’d she jump on The Man Becky Lynch last week? Tune in Monday night to find out,” Pearce said.

Pearce also revealed that he is on vacation and will not be at tomorrow’s show. He’ll be replaced by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis.

This week’s Raw is set for the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

WWE Raw, Monday, June 16 lineup:

  • King of the Ring first round: Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed vs. Rusev vs. a mystery opponent
  • Queen of the Ring first round: Asuka vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ivy Nile
  • Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane
  • Liv Morgan to address her attack on Nikki Bella
  • Nikki Bella returns
  • Bayley returns

Two Money in the Bank qualifying matches official for WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Money in the Bank qualifying will continue with two more triple threat matches on Raw tonight.

Both of the qualifiers that have been announced for tonight are women’s division matches. The returning Kairi Sane will face Rhea Ripley and Zoey Stark in one of the triple threat bouts. The other qualifier will feature Becky Lynch, Roxanne Perez, and Natalya.

Sane is competing for the first time since suffering a torn thumb ligament in December 2024. Earlier this afternoon, WWE posted a social media video teasing that she would be returning tonight.

Tonight’s winners will join Alexa Bliss as the first three names confirmed for the women’s MITB ladder match. Bliss defeated Michin and Chelsea Green on SmackDown last Friday to qualify. Solo Sikoa also became the first wrestler to qualify for the men’s ladder match with a victory over Rey Fenix and Jimmy Uso.

Money in the Bank is taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Saturday, June 7.

Here is everything that’s been announced for tonight’s Raw:

WWE Raw (Monday, May 19) —

  • Non-title match: World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker
  • Money in the Bank qualifying match: Kairi Sane vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Zoey Stark
  • Money in the Bank qualifying match: Becky Lynch vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Natalya
  • Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller
  • AJ Styles & Penta vs. Finn Balor & JD McDonagh
  • Logan Paul appears

Kairi Sane returning for WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After five months on the shelf, it looks like Kairi Sane is ready to get back into the ring.

Sane was forced out of action in December 2024 due to a torn ligament in her thumb. She underwent surgery to repair the injury and has been progressing toward a return. WWE is teasing that she’ll be back on Raw tonight, sharing a social media video of Sane arriving in Greenville, South Carolina for the episode.

The status of Damage CTRL has been in doubt with Sane and Asuka both injured and Dakota Kai now released by WWE. IYO SKY is the only Damage CTRL member who has been actively competing. She is the current Women’s World Champion on Raw. In last week’s main event, SKY & Rhea Ripley defeated Roxanne Perez & Giulia.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is hosting Raw tonight. Money in the Bank qualifying will continue on the episode, though the participants have not been confirmed yet. Alexa Bliss and Solo Sikoa are the first participants to qualify for the respective MITB ladder matches.

WWE Raw (Monday, May 19) —

  • Non-title match: World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker
  • Money in the Bank qualifying continues
  • Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller
  • AJ Styles & Penta vs. Finn Balor & JD McDonagh
  • Logan Paul appears
  • Kairi Sane return teased

Meiko Satomura retires from the ring, WWE stars send video messages

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Meiko Satomura’s 30-year journey in the ring came to an end at Korakuen Hall on Tuesday.

In her official retirement match, Satomura & Manami defeated Aja Kong & Sendai Girls Champion Chihiro Hashimoto. A Scorpio Rising kick from Satomura to Kong was the finish. There was then an impromptu five-minute handicap match where — at Kong’s request — the two legends Satomura & Kong teamed together against Hashimoto, Mika Iwata, Takumi Iroha, Senka Akatsuki & YUNA.

The show was named “Meiko Satomura The Final” and was produced by Satomura’s Sendai Girls promotion. WWE stars Kairi Sane, IYO SKY, Asuka, and Shinsuke Nakamura sent in video messages that were played for Satomura. There were also messages from NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi and joshi legend Devil Masami. Among those in attendance at the show were The Crush Gals, Bull Nakano, Akira Hokuto, and Kenta Kobashi.

Fans showered Satomura with streamers after the bell rang 10 times and her name was called out by the announcer one final time. She gave a speech promising to continue devoting her life to pro wrestling through Sendai Girls.

The 45-year-old Satomura echoed that sentiment in a tweet, vowing to help make the next era of wrestling even more amazing. She thanked everyone who came to today’s show and said she was happy to be surrounded by so many people who played a part in her career.

Satomura’s journey took her from Japan to rings across the world, including wrestling for WCW in the 1990s, becoming an attraction on the European indies, and a stint with WWE as a wrestler, coach, and champion in NXT UK.

Kairi Sane shares injury update, says she’s ‘even stronger than before’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Kairi Sane says she’s “even stronger than before” after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in her thumb.

Sane has been out of action since December and first addressed the injury in January, revealing only that she was dealing with an arm issue. Early Sunday morning, the Damage CTRL member shared more details on social media and thanked the doctor who performed her surgery.

Sane wrote:

“Three months ago, I tore a ligament in my thumb and couldn’t even open a bottle cap. Now, I’ve fully regained my grip strength—and I’m even stronger than before. I’m truly grateful from the bottom of my heart to Dr. Hirsch, who performed my surgery. He was such a kind and wonderful doctor. I wish I had taken a photo with him to remember that moment.”

Sane hasn’t wrestled since the December 2 edition of Raw, where she teamed with IYO SKY in a loss to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. She was later written off television through an angle involving an attack from Pure Fusion Collective.

Last week, PWInsider reported that Sane is nearing a return to the ring. Her Kabuki Warriors tag partner, Asuka, has also been out of action since undergoing knee surgery in June 2024. Asuka’s last match was at Backlash 2024, where she and Sane dropped the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Kairi Sane out of action with arm injury

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Kairi Sane is out of action.

The Damage CTRL member posted on Instagram that she is currently dealing with an arm injury. In the post, a photo could be seen of her arm in a cast in what appears to be a hospital.

“I’ll get an arm of iron…” she wrote in the caption.

Sane last wrestled on the December 2 edition of Raw, teaming with IYO SKY in a losing effort against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. She was initially scheduled to compete in the Women’s Intercontinental title tournament, but was written out after being attacked by Pure Fusion Collective. SKY replaced her and made it to the semifinals before being eliminated. Dakota Kai has reached the finals and will meet Lyra Valkyria on the January 13 edition of Raw to determine the first champion.

This follows a string of injuries Damage CTRL have suffered in 2024. Asuka has been out of action for most of the year after suffering a knee injury. Kai recently returned to action after suffering a torn meniscus in August.