Tony Khan ‘Very Intrigued’ by Possible Kairi Sane Signing

Tony Khan isn’t hiding his interest in Kairi Sane. Speaking during AEW WrestleDream’s post-show media scrum, the AEW president addressed questions about the former WWE star’s free agency, saying he’s “very aware and excited” that she’s available and calling the possibility of an AEW deal “very, very interesting.”

Sane became a free agent in July after exiting WWE in April, a departure that caught plenty of fans off guard given she was in the middle of an active storyline with Asuka and IYO SKY on Raw at the time. Both Asuka and SKY publicly reacted to the release, with Asuka saying she’d always be in Sane’s corner and SKY noting how loved her former ally was. Sane’s last match came on April 20, and she hasn’t wrestled anywhere since.

After the release, Sane hinted that a desire to return to Japan played into the decision, saying she truly loves “this work,” her teammates, and her fans. That matters here because Sane has deep history overseas — she called Stardom home both before her 2016 WWE debut and during the gap between her 2021 WWE exit and 2022 return, and in between she made history in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the first-ever IWGP Women’s Champion, a reign that ended when she dropped the title to Mercedes Mone at Battle in the Valley in 2023.

That Mone connection is part of why Khan’s comments carry extra weight. AEW already has Mone holding a women’s title, and a Sane program built around their old NJPW rivalry would be an easy story for the promotion to pick up right where it left off. Khan also touched on the idea of a Timeless Toni Storm return during the same scrum, suggesting the AEW women’s division could be in for a reshuffling in the coming months regardless of what happens with Sane.

For now, nothing is official. Khan was careful to say he “can’t speak to” specifics, and reports have indicated that while talks with AEW have continued, there’s also strong interest from Japan that’s reportedly held up partly because of those same discussions. In other words, Sane’s next move is still genuinely up in the air, with Japan — whether Stardom, NJPW, or elsewhere — remaining a real competing option.

If AEW does land her, the timing lines up with two obvious landing spots on the fall calendar: Full Gear on November 14 and Worlds End on December 19. A surprise pay-per-view debut would fit the mold AEW has used for recent free-agent arrivals, including Ilja Dragunov’s appearance at WrestleDream, though nothing rules out a first appearance on Dynamite or Collision either.

Sane would add another recognizable name to an AEW roster that’s been steadily absorbing talent cut loose elsewhere, and her history with Mone alone gives Khan a built-in storyline if the deal comes together. Whether that happens in Japan or in AEW remains the real question, and it’s one worth watching closely as Full Gear approaches.