Kairi Sane showing up at AEW All Out was never as simple as Tony Khan keeping one more surprise hidden behind the curtain. There was a real issue standing in the way, and now it’s been confirmed that Kairi’s visa situation was the legal problem that made an appearance at the pay-per-view basically impossible.
That clears up a major part of the mystery surrounding Kairi’s absence from All Out. Fightful Select had already revealed before the show that Kairi was still unsigned despite holding conversations with AEW, Stardom and other wrestling companies, but one AEW source went even further by saying it would be “nearly legally impossible” for her to appear under the circumstances.
Sapp was asked directly during his latest Fightful Select Q&A whether the legal issue being referenced was actually a visa problem. He didn’t dance around the question, and he also made it clear that the AEW discussions didn’t die just because All Out came and went.
“Yeah, it is. But there have been conversations going on.”
That changes the picture quite a bit. Kairi wasn’t secretly sitting backstage waiting for her music to hit, and this wasn’t simply AEW changing its mind at the last second. She wasn’t signed, there was a visa issue in play, and the pieces simply weren’t there to make an All Out appearance happen.
Fightful Select had already laid out just how far things were from being completed heading into the pay-per-view. As of that Friday, Kairi had not signed an AEW contract and was not in the plans for All Out.
“Not so imminently would be Kairi. She’s been a free agent for quite some time and has had conversations with AEW, Stardom and other wrestling companies. However, it was confirmed to us by AEW sources as of Friday, Kairi was not signed and not planned for AEW All Out.”
One AEW source made the roadblock sound even more serious. While the door between AEW and Kairi remained open, actually getting her onto the show under those conditions was another story.
“One source said it would be nearly legally impossible for her to appear at AEW All Out as things stand, but that conversations are ongoing and AEW does maintain interest in her.”
Now Sapp has filled in the blank. The legal problem wasn’t some mysterious contract clause or a last-minute disagreement between Kairi and AEW — it was tied to her visa. That still doesn’t mean AEW has Kairi locked down. Later in the same Q&A, Sapp was asked whether the company was feeling optimistic about eventually signing her, and he made sure not to oversell where things currently stand.
“I don’t know about optimistic, but conversations have been going on. Conversations has been going on.”
So AEW and Kairi are still talking, but there’s a big difference between talking and having a contract ready to go. Sapp did not say a deal is close, and he did not say AEW believes it has her in the bag. There’s another twist if those conversations actually turn into a deal. Kairi may not end up becoming a full-time AEW-exclusive talent at all, because the expectation has been that any agreement could allow her to continue working elsewhere.
“It’s expected she would be on a dual contract if the deal does occur.”
That would fit everything Kairi has said about her options since becoming a free agent. She previously revealed that she had received more wrestling offers than she could count, so AEW has never been the only company trying to land her.
The AEW speculation also picked up when Kairi listed Barry Bloom as her representative for business inquiries. Bloom has worked with several major names in wrestling, but that move still hasn’t produced an AEW signature.
All Out is now in the rearview mirror, and the surprise appearance never happened. The reason is a lot clearer now: Kairi wasn’t signed, her visa situation created a major legal obstacle, and AEW wasn’t in a position to simply throw her onto the show for a shock debut.
The interesting part is that the story isn’t over. AEW and Kairi are still talking, and while Tony Khan didn’t get to pull that rabbit out of the hat at All Out, the possibility of Kairi eventually walking into AEW is still sitting on the table.
Where do you think Kairi Sane should land next, and would a dual contract with AEW be the smartest move for her? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
