Fans Chant 'We Want Kairi' At WWE Raw

Chants in support of Kairi Sane following her WWE release took place during the April 27 edition of Monday Night Raw at the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas.

The chants emerged on Raw during an angle between IYO SKY and Asuka. SKY was challenging Becky Lynch for the Women's Intercontinental Championship on Raw when Asuka distracted her former Damage CTRL stablemate to cost her the match. Asuka then attacked SKY after the match, which led to loud "We want Kairi" chants that could be heard during the live broadcast of Raw.

Kairi Sane was released by WWE on Friday, April 24 as part of roster cuts in the aftermath of WrestleMania 42. There was immediate fan support for WWE bringing back Kairi, similar to fan campaigns for R-Truth and Killer Kross, with '#WeWantKairi' being posted on social media, including by WWE's Jackie Redmond in a tweet that was swiftly deleted.

PWInsider reported on Monday there has been no change in Kairi's WWE status since her release. The former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion is back in Japan, but Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer noted this may not be related to her release as she has travelled back to Japan at least once or twice per month since she first signed with the company back in 2017.

The backstage reaction to Kairi Sane's WWE release was one of shock and frustration within the company, particularly as she was involved in the Asuka vs. IYO SKY programme and there was no payoff to her involvement.