KAIRI is heading out to sea with Chris Jericho, but anyone expecting her to lace up the boots on the cruise is going to be disappointed. The former WWE star has now made it clear that she won’t be wrestling at all during the trip, even as questions continue to swirl about her AEW future.
Speaking with Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine, KAIRI revealed that she’s already getting herself ready for an eventual return to the ring. She’s been training, working on her conditioning and even has some fresh gear almost ready to go.
“I’m continuing to train and work on my physical conditioning in preparation for my return. I’ve also started working on a new costume, and it’s almost finished.”
Then Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea came calling. For someone who spent years sailing into WWE as the “Pirate Princess,” KAIRI couldn’t resist the chance to take that character onto an actual ship.
“In the middle of all this, I received a truly wonderful offer from the Jericho Cruise. The idea of working aboard a ship as the ‘Pirate Princess’ really excites me! (laughs)”
KAIRI also wanted whatever she did first after WWE to actually mean something to her. The cruise checked that box immediately.
“After leaving WWE, I wanted my first wrestling-related activity to be something I genuinely wanted to do, and this was it.”
Here’s where things get interesting, especially with all the AEW talk surrounding her. KAIRI isn’t getting into the ring on the cruise, period.
“I won’t be wrestling in matches this time. We’re planning merchandise sales, autograph sessions, and things like that.”
So instead of throwing elbows and dropping Insane Elbows, KAIRI will be spending her time meeting fans. That’s actually a big part of why she wanted to do the cruise in the first place.
“More than anything, I want to cherish the opportunity to meet the overseas fans in person — the people who have continued supporting me since my WWE days. Being able to meet them directly is very important to me.”
That puts an interesting wrinkle into the recent talk about KAIRI’s visa situation. Dave Meltzer reported on October 18 that the belief was she was waiting for her visa to come through in connection with AEW, while noting that the Jericho Cruise wouldn’t necessarily present the same issue because it would be taking place at sea rather than on U.S. soil.
There has also been plenty of talk about KAIRI eventually landing in AEW, but nothing has been signed publicly. Sean Ross Sapp recently made that part clear when discussing where things stood.
“She has not yet though. Just has not yet.”
KAIRI’s comments clear up at least one piece of the puzzle. Whatever happens with AEW, nobody should be treating the Jericho Cruise as some sneaky way to get her back into a wrestling ring before everything else gets sorted out.
The more interesting tease might actually be that new costume sitting somewhere almost finished. KAIRI is clearly preparing to wrestle again, but she’s keeping everyone waiting when it comes to where — and when — the Pirate Princess will actually make that return.
What do you think about KAIRI ruling out wrestling on the Jericho Cruise while she continues preparing for her eventual in-ring return? Let us know in the comments below.
