Former WWE champion makes in-ring return after 168 days to compete in major match against Rhea Ripley

A former WWE champion made her in-ring return tonight on RAW. She competed against Rhea Ripley.

Kairi Sane has been one of the most impressive women in WWE. She began her journey in NXT, where she delivered several standout performances. Kairi also formed a successful tag team with Asuka called the Kabuki Warriors. Despite her successful run, she left the company in 2021 when her contract expired.

Kairi Sane made her WWE return in 2023 and joined her Japanese friends in Damage CTRL. As good as she has been in the ring, Kairi has had her fair share of injuries throughout her career. After competing against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on the December 2, 2024, episode of WWE RAW, it was announced that Kairi Sane had suffered a torn ligament in her thumb that required surgery. This sidelined her for 168 days.

Tonight on the red brand, she made her return to compete in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Zoey Stark and Rhea Ripley. The winner of this match will qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

It will be interesting to see how Kairi Sane will fare in this match against Rhea Ripley and Zoey Stark.

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