WWE Crown Jewel 2023 Results: Kairi Sane Returns

Kairi Sane returned at WWE Crown Jewel 2023, attacking Bianca Belair with a spinning back fist. Sane followed up with a flying knee on Belair into the post. Belair was ultimately defeated as Sky retained the WWE Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel.

Though Belair was away for several months, nothing has changed as she continues to get screwed any time she comes near a world title. Hopefully WWE comes to its senses and turns her heel.

Sane appears to have joined Damage CTRL, or at the very least, Iyo Sky. This could be a similar dynamic to Finn Balor and friend/Judgment Day ally JD McDonagh. Bayley, in the role of Damian Priest, was not pleased with this development. Michael Cole was sure to note that the last time Sane appeared on WWE TV, she was taken out by Bayley.

Sane’s return came after a hotly contested match between Belair and Sky, where Belair’s (kayfabe) injured knee was the focal point of the story.

Kari Sane last appeared on WWE programming in December 2021 in the midst of a feud with Pandemic MVP’s Bayley and Sasha Banks. Sane went on to make history, almost immediately, as she became NJPW’s inaugural IWGP Women’s champion at Historic X-Over in November 2022. Sane lost the IWGP Women’s Championship to Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) at Battle in the Valley in February 2023.

Sane returns to WWE’s deepest women’s roster in history, but one that WWE has not yet taken full advantage of. Between a new feud with Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley as a dominant world champion on Raw and Jade Cargill on her way, Sane will have no shortage of opponents during her second run with WWE.

Rumors of Sane’s return gave way to an always-entertaining wrestling media catfight, this time between WWE insiders WrestleVotes and PWInsider. On November 2, WrestleVotes reported Kairi Sane appeared on WWE’s internal Roster, and her return was imminent. Mike Johnson of PWInsider refuted this report with a “rumor killer,” but later admitted that Sane had, in fact, been added to the internal roster. This led to a one-sided Twitter war between WrestleVotes and PWInsider as the collectively cantankerous wrestling media continues to learn how to coexist. PWInsider (h/t Ringside News) went on to report that Sane is expected to appear at WWE Crown Jewel.

Sane will likely play a role in the inevitable breakup between Bayley and Iyo Sky. The question is, who will get kicked out of Damage CTRL?