KAIRI preparing for ‘new voyage’ amid WWE return rumors

KAIRI is preparing for a “new voyage.” 

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the former IWGP Women’s Champion announced that she will be going on an “indefinite hiatus” as she prepares for a new chapter in her career. 

“I have made a decision. I can’t say it clearly, but in preparation for a new voyage, a voyage of determination, I would like to put my activities on indefinite hiatus as of the end of September 2023. Rest assured that this is a positive decision,” KAIRI said (via @EasternLariat.

“Lastly, I would like to thank President Rossy Ogawa for not giving up on me, who was said to have no talent, everyone at Stardom who supported me, wrestlers from other organisations, the media and the fans who have always supported me. Thank you very much.”

KAIRI is believed to be heading back to WWE later this year. Our own Dave Meltzer addressed the news on Sunday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. 

“Maybe November,” Meltzer said regarding a return. “She’s got two more dates in Japan I think she is scheduled for…she’s coming back.”

KAIRI is scheduled to perform on the 9/8 AJPW show. She will team with Saori Anou and wrestle Unagi Sayaka and a partner yet to be announced. 

Meltzer continued to address potential reasons KAIRI is leaving Stardom and returning to WWE. 

“She left [WWE] because she wanted to return to Japan and then when her contract was up, she started working at Stardom. She was going to be the big international star and New Japan was going to use her to come to the United States and things like that and I think what ended up happening is then they signed Mercedes, who ended up getting hurt, but they signed Mercedes to, kind of, take that spot,” Meltzer said. 

KAIRI started training with Stardom in 2011 and performed with the organization until signing with WWE in 2017. She won the Mae Young Classic that year and would go on to win the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver Brooklyn IV in 2018. KAIRI and Asuka won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the main roster in 2019. KAIRI announced in October 2020 that she had begun work as a WWE ambassador in Japan. Her contract then expired the following year and she returned to Stardom in February 2022 and then became the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion in November.