Following a more than three-year absence, Kairi Sane returned triumphantly to WWE at Crown Jewel this past weekend. During the waning moments of IYO SKY’s WWE Women’s Championship defense against Bianca Belair, Sane sneakily attacked The EST of WWE on the outside. That attack led to a weakened Belair quickly being descended upon back in the ring by SKY, who picked up the victory not long after.
For good measure, SKY and Sane continued their attack on Belair after the match, with Sane delivering one of her sky-high elbow drops. SKY’s Damage CTRL stablemate, Bayley, did not participate in the post-match antics and seemed surprised by Sane’s return. Her perplexed reaction appears to indicate Sane is not formally part of Damage CTRL, at least not yet.
Fightful reports that Sane’s new deal with WWE was wrapped up months ago. Sane, along with Nia Jax and Lexis King, were the first talents to be signed to new deals following a prolonged “hiring freeze” that was in place during Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE. It was noted that WWE had interest in Sane last year but could not make a deal with her happen “for whatever reason.”
The report also confirmed a backstage story that was floated by Reddit user KERMIT, indicating there have been talks about more names joining the budding SKY and Sane stable. If true, that would indicate Damage CTRL could end or have their ranks reshuffled. It is also possible that SKY and Sane will start a sub-stable within Damage CTRL, like the NWO’s WolfPac or Bullet Club Gold.
As it stands, Damage CTRL remains a WWE SmackDown act, and with Sane not appearing on WWE Raw last night, it would seem the returning star will be a part of the blue brand. Interestingly, Sane’s final WWE match was against Bayley on the July 20, 2020, episode of WWE Raw, which she won. While the two women do not look to be on the same page, Sane’s return match may see her face her final WWE opponent three years later.