Kairi Sane biography

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General info

• Ring names: Kairi Sane, Kairi Hojo, Doku, Kairi, Kairian, Kairian, Pirates Kaiser
• Height: 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
• Weight: 114 lbs (52 kg)
• Born: September 23, 1988
• Birth Place: Hikari, Yamaguchi, Japan
• Education: Hosei University
• Pro-wrestling trainer(s): Fuka Kakimoto
• Debut: January 7, 2012

Kaori Housako (宝迫 香織, Hōsako Kaori; born September 23, 1988) is a Japanese actress and professional wrestler.  She has won 15 championships across major promotions, including being the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion (won once); a one-time NXT Women’s Champion; and a three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.  She is most recognized for her two separate tenures in WWE, where she competed under the ring name Kairi Sane (カイリ・セイン, Kairi Sein).

From 2012 to 2017, she wrestled for the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom under the ring name Kairi Hojo (宝城 カイリ, Hōjō Kairi). Utilizing a “Pirate Princess” persona, she secured one reign as World of Stardom Champion, one as Wonder of Stardom Champion, three as Goddesses of Stardom Champion, and five as Artist of Stardom Champion. Additionally, she won the 2015 5Star Grand Prix Tournament and the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League.

In 2017, she signed with WWE, adopting the ring name Kairi Sane. That same year, she won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament before being assigned to the NXT brand. She captured the NXT Women’s Championship in 2018 and subsequently received the 2018 NXT Year-End Awards for both Female Competitor of the Year and Overall Competitor of the Year. In 2019, she debuted on WWE’s main roster, where she, alongside Asuka in the Kabuki Warriors, became a one-time and the longest-reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. The duo also earned the 2019 WWE Year-End Award for Women’s Tag Team of the Year. In 2020, she returned to Japan to join her husband, serving as a WWE ambassador and trainer in her home country until her contract expired in December 2021.

Following her time with WWE, she returned to World Wonder Ring Stardom in February 2022, performing under the ring name Kairi (stylized in all caps). She also competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where she became the inaugural and one-time IWGP Women’s Champion. She became a free agent in March 2023 and returned to WWE at Crown Jewel 2023 until her release in April 2026.

Early life

Kaori Housako was born on September 23, 1988, in Hikari, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She has an older sister by three years. She possessed an extensive sporting background in yachting, competing in national and intercollegiate competitions, including world championships, with the ambition of reaching the Olympics. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Japanese literature from Hosei University, Housako began a career in acting. During her theater work, one of her performances as a professional wrestling villain was observed by Fuka, the general manager of World Wonder Ring Stardom, who invited Housako to an event. She quickly became interested in the fusion of acting and athletics within professional wrestling and chose to become a wrestler.

World Wonder Ring Stardom (2011–2017)

Housako began training with Stardom in 2011. She passed her “pro test” on November 14, 2011, graduating with Stardom’s third class of trainees, including Act Yasukawa, Natsumi Showzuki, and Yuuri Haruka. Working under the name “Kairi Hojo,” she debuted for Stardom on January 7, 2012, in a loss to Yuzuki Aikawa. Drawing from her yachting experience, Hojo was given the nickname “Pirate Princess.” She became a founding member of the Zenryoku Joshi stable, led by Aikawa. In November 2012, Hojo and Natsumi Showzuki formed a tag team, placing second in the 2012 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League. Zenryoku Joshi disbanded in January 2013 following Hojo’s unsuccessful challenge to her stablemate Yuzuki Aikawa for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. Hojo secured her first title on April 29, 2013, at Ryōgoku Cinderella, when she and Showzuki (collectively known as “Ho-Show Tennyo”) defeated Kyoko Kimura and Hailey Hatred for the Goddesses of Stardom Championship. Their reign lasted one month before they were stripped of the title due to a cervical spine injury sustained by Showzuki, who subsequently resigned from Stardom.

On June 23, 2013, Hojo, Kaori Yoneyama, and Yuhi defeated Christina Von Eerie, Hailey Hatred, and Kyoko Kimura to win the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship. They lost the championship to Kimura, Alpha Female, and “Amazon” on November 4. In May 2014, Hojo represented Stardom in Mexico at the DragonMania 9 and Lucha Fan Fest 8 events. In August, the Stardom roster was divided during a storyline rivalry between Shōwa-era and Heisei-era wrestlers. Born in the Shōwa period, Hojo aligned with Nanae Takahashi and Miho Wakizawa. On August 10, Hojo and Takahashi regained the Goddesses of Stardom Championship by defeating Kyoko Kimura and Alpha Female. After an eight-month reign, they were again stripped of the title due to an ankle injury to Takahashi.

In February 2015, Hojo acted as an intermediary between wrestlers and management following an incident involving Act Yasukawa and Yoshiko. After the incident, the World of Stardom Championship was declared vacant, with a tournament set to crown a new champion. On March 29, Hojo defeated Kyoko Kimura and then Io Shirai to become the World of Stardom Champion for the first time. After four months, she lost the title to Meiko Satomura on July 26. Hojo recovered by winning the 5★Star GP tournament, defeating Hudson Envy in the finals on September 23. She was named Stardom’s 2015 MVP at the end of the year. In January 2016, Hojo joined former rivals Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani to form a new stable. On February 28, 2016, the trio, known as “Threedom,” defeated Evie, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Kellie Skater to win the Artist of Stardom Championship. In April, Hojo, alongside Iwatani and Shirai, traveled to the United States to participate in events hosted by Lucha Underground and Vendetta Pro Wrestling. On May 15, Hojo secured another title by defeating Santana Garrett for the Wonder of Stardom Championship during her fourth attempt. On August 8, Hojo made her debut for the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), defeating Jungle Kyona at an event in Shanghai. On September 3, Hojo defeated Io Shirai to assume leadership of the Red Stars block in the 2016 5★Star GP; however, she sustained a concussion during the match, which necessitated her withdrawal from the remainder of the tournament. On October 2, Threedom lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Kyoko Kimura during their third defense.

On November 11, Hojo and Yoko Bito defeated Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani in the finals to win the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League. Following this victory, Shirai turned on Iwatani, resulting in the disbandment of Threedom. On December 22, Hojo and Bito defeated Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura to become the new Goddesses of Stardom Champions. They subsequently lost the titles to Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona in their second defense on March 5, 2017. Also in March, reports indicated that Hojo had informed the Stardom office of her intention to join WWE the following month. On March 20, Hojo’s challenge for the World of Stardom Championship against Io Shirai was unsuccessful. On May 6, Hojo, Hiromi Mimura, and Konami defeated AZM, HZK, and Io Shirai to capture the Artist of Stardom Championship. Following the match, Hojo confirmed her forthcoming departure from Stardom, though she did not specifically mention WWE. Sane had considered retirement due to age and injury but elected to compete overseas following consultation with Bull Nakano. The following day, Threedom reunited for a final match, defeating Hiromi Mimura, HZK, and Jungle Kyona in a six-woman tag team contest. Hojo’s one-year reign as Wonder of Stardom Champion concluded on May 14 when she lost the title to Mayu Iwatani in her ninth defense, falling one defense short of matching Santana Garrett’s record. Hojo competed in her final Stardom matches on June 4. After Hojo, Mimura, and Konami lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to AZM, HZK, and Shirai in their second defense, Hojo participated in an unadvertised ten-match, one-minute time limit series against Stardom roster members, resulting in three wins, six draws, and one loss.

WWE (2016–2021)

• Signing and Mae Young Classic (2016–2017)

In October 2016, Housako was offered a WWE contract, intended to begin the following year. Reports suggested that while Housako had expressed interest in WWE, she had not yet reached a final decision. Concerns were also raised regarding whether she could pass the company’s physical examination given her two concussions over the preceding two years. In March 2017, Housako signed a three-year contract with WWE, reportedly valued at $60,000 annually, which was lower than her earnings in Japan.

On June 30, a video from a WWE house show in Tokyo introduced Housako as “Kairi Sane” to WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, and the upcoming Mae Young Classic tournament. On July 13, she defeated Tessa Blanchard in the first round of the tournament during her WWE debut. The following day, Sane defeated Bianca Belair in the second round, followed by victories over Dakota Kai in the quarterfinals and Toni Storm in the semifinals to reach the tournament finals. It was reported that Sane suffered both a concussion and a neck injury during the tapings. On September 12, Sane defeated Shayna Baszler in the tournament finals, earning a title opportunity for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at the subsequent NXT TakeOver event.

• NXT (2017–2019)

In October 2017, Sane made her NXT television debut by defeating Aliyah. In November, at TakeOver: WarGames, Sane competed in a fatal four-way match for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship, but was unsuccessful as Ember Moon won the contest.

On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Sane participated in the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble match, entering at number 6 and lasting approximately five minutes before being eliminated by Dana Brooke. Months later, she also competed in the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34 alongside other NXT superstars, where she was eliminated by Sasha Banks.

In July, after defeating Candice LeRae and Nikki Cross in a triple-threat match to become the number one contender, Sane renewed her rivalry with Shayna Baszler. The two exchanged victories in the Mae Young Classic Finals and at NXT, eventually facing each other at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on August 18, where Sane defeated Baszler to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time. On October 28, at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view, Sane lost the championship to Baszler following interference from Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, ending her reign at 71 days. Three weeks later, at TakeOver: WarGames, Sane attempted to regain the title in a two-out-of-three falls match but failed due to further interference from Duke and Shafir. In response to these interferences, Sane eventually aligned with Io Shirai and Dakota Kai against Baszler, Duke, and Shafir. Shortly thereafter, Kai was sidelined by injury, leading Sane to continue teaming with Shirai as “The Sky Pirates” while securing various victories.

On April 5, 2019, at TakeOver: New York, Sane competed in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Women’s Championship but was unsuccessful in capturing the title as Baszler submitted Bianca Belair to retain. Six days later, on April 11 (airing on tape delay on April 17), Sane lost a rematch to Baszler after Io Shirai attacked Baszler, who had been attempting to injure Sane. Due to her defeat, Sane was prohibited from challenging for the NXT Women’s Championship, serving as a narrative device to write her off the brand.

• The Kabuki Warriors and WWE Ambassador (2019–2021)

During the April 16, 2019, episode of SmackDown Live, Paige announced she would manage a newly established women’s tag team composed of Asuka and Sane, the latter of whom was drafted to the main roster as a result. The duo, known as “The Kabuki Warriors,” defeated Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross to win the Women’s Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell after Asuka utilized green mist on Cross. The following night on Raw, the Kabuki Warriors transitioned into heel characters by cutting a promo on Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, subsequently defeating them in a non-title match through the repeated use of green mist. Following the 2019 Draft in mid-October, both Asuka and Sane were moved to the Raw brand. On the October 28, 2019, episode of Raw, the Kabuki Warriors turned on Paige by using green mist against her. Asuka and Sane returned to NXT on the October 30 episode to defend the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship against Team Kick (Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox), successfully retaining the titles.

Sane represented Team Raw in a 5-on-5-on-5 elimination tag team match at Survivor Series, where she was eliminated by Sasha Banks. At Starrcade, the Kabuki Warriors successfully defended their tag team titles against the teams of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, and Bayley and Sasha Banks, following a submission by Asuka on Cross. Sane and Asuka then challenged Lynch and Flair to a WWE Women’s Tag Team title match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, which was accepted. At the event, the Kabuki Warriors retained their championships in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match; however, Sane sustained a legitimate concussion during the bout, necessitating immediate in-ring adjustments. Sane returned to television on the January 20 episode of Raw. On March 2, she returned to competition in a losing effort against Shayna Baszler. During the first night of WrestleMania 36, the Kabuki Warriors lost the Women’s Tag Team Championships to Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, concluding a reign of 181 days, which was the longest in the titles’ history at that time.

On the May 11, 2020, episode of Raw, the reigning Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, vacated her title for maternity leave, noting that Asuka had secured the championship the previous night by winning the Money in the Bank ladder match. During the subsequent episode of Raw, Sane was observed backstage congratulating Lynch, marking a face turn for the Kabuki Warriors as she celebrated Asuka’s victory before being interrupted by Nia Jax, initiating a feud. On the June 6 episode of Raw (taped in May), Sane suffered a significant head laceration. She returned to televised action on the July 6 episode of Raw, facing Sasha Banks in a match that ended in disqualification due to interference by Bayley. Subsequently, the Kabuki Warriors were unsuccessful in their challenge against Banks and Bayley for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. On the July 20 episode of Raw, Sane defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match. The following week, Sane was attacked by Bayley backstage during the Raw Women’s Championship match between Asuka and Banks. This incident served to write her out of storylines, coinciding with Sane’s announcement on Twitter regarding her departure from WWE to return to Japan to be with her husband. WWE later officially confirmed her departure on their website. On July 29, 2020, WWE’s YouTube channel released a video documenting Sane’s final week with the company.

On October 2, 2020, Sane announced she had begun working as an ambassador and trainer for WWE’s Japanese branch. On October 25, she served on the Japanese-language commentary team for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. In December 2021, she departed WWE following the expiration of her contract.

Return to World Wonder Ring Stardom (2022–2023)

On February 18, 2022, Housako returned to Stardom under the ring name Kairi. Her in-ring return occurred at the World Climax event in March. At World Climax: The Best, she teamed with Mayu Iwatani to defeat the Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka). At World Climax: The Top, she defeated Starlight Kid, though she revealed in a post-match interview that she had ruptured her eardrum during the contest. She returned on May 28 at Stardom Flashing Champions, teaming with Tam Nakano as “White Knights” to defeat Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita and Miyu Amasaki).

In April 2023, the team of Kairi, Natsupoi, and Saori Anou (REStart) defeated Hiragi Kurumi, Risa Sera, and Suzu Suzuki (Prominence) to win the Artist of Stardom Championship at Stardom All Star Grand Queendom. At Flashing Champions, REStart lost the titles to the Baribari Bombers (Giulia, Mai Sakurai, and Thekla), ending a 34-day reign. Kairi’s final match in Stardom was a six-woman tag team match at Stardom Nagoya Golden Fight.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2022–2023)

In November 2022, Kairi defeated Mayu Iwatani in the main event of Historic X-Over, a co-promoted event by Stardom and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), becoming the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion. In 2023, Kairi defended her championship against Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Following the match, she was confronted and attacked by Mercedes Moné (formerly Sasha Banks), who subsequently challenged Kairi to a title match at Battle in the Valley. During the event, Kairi was defeated by Moné, concluding her 90-day reign.

Return to WWE (2023–2026)

• Damage CTRL (2023–2025)

Damage CTRL entrance at WrestleMania XL in 2024
On March 24, 2023, Housako confirmed her status as a free agent. By August 5, reports indicated she had reached an agreement with WWE to return to the company. On November 2, it was reported that she had been added to WWE’s internal roster. She made her return at Crown Jewel, adopting her former WWE ring name, Kairi Sane, and assisted Iyo Sky in retaining the WWE Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair, thereby re-establishing herself as a heel. During the subsequent episode of SmackDown, Sane confronted Bayley, offered forgiveness for her 2020 actions, and joined Damage CTRL. In a six-woman tag team match involving Asuka, Belair, and Charlotte Flair against Damage CTRL (Bayley, Sky, and Sane), Asuka turned on her teammates to reunite with Sane and join Damage CTRL, effectively reforming the Kabuki Warriors. At Survivor Series WarGames, Damage CTRL was defeated by Belair, Flair, Becky Lynch, and Shotzi in a WarGames match.

On the January 26, 2024 episode of SmackDown, Sane and Asuka defeated Kayden Carter and Katana Chance to secure the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships for a second time as a team and a second time for Sane individually. Sane subsequently participated in the 2024 Royal Rumble, entering at number 11, where she eliminated Candice LeRae before being eliminated by Carter. At the Elimination Chamber: Perth pre-show, Sane and Asuka defended their titles against Indi Hartwell and LeRae. At NXT Roadblock, they defeated the team of Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley to retain their championships. On Night 1 of WrestleMania XL, Damage CTRL (Sane, Asuka, and Kai) lost to Belair, Naomi, and Jade Cargill in a six-woman tag team match. During the 2024 WWE Draft, Sane was assigned to the Raw brand as a member of Damage CTRL. At Backlash France, Sane and Asuka lost their titles to Belair and Cargill, ending their second reign at 99 days. On the July 29 episode of Raw, Sane and Damage CTRL transitioned to a face role while feuding with the Pure Fusion Collective (Baszler, Zoey Stark, and Sonya Deville). She attempted to reclaim the titles at Crown Jewel alongside Iyo Sky but was unsuccessful.

In January 2025, reports suggested Sane had sustained an arm injury; however, in April 2025, Sane clarified via social media that the injury was actually a torn thumb ligament requiring surgery. During her absence, Damage CTRL disbanded following the release of Dakota Kai.

• Kabuki Warriors reunion and departure (2025–2026)

Sane returned on the May 19 episode of Raw, where she failed to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. On the following episode of Raw, Sane defeated Liv Morgan, achieving her first televised singles victory in WWE since July 2020. On the July 7 episode of Raw, the Kabuki Warriors reunited after Asuka aided Sane during an attack by WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. At Evolution, the Kabuki Warriors competed in a fatal four-way tag team match for the titles but were unsuccessful. On the September 22 episode of Raw, following weeks of tension involving Asuka, Iyo Sky, and Rhea Ripley, Sane and Asuka attacked Ripley and Sky, turning heel. At Crown Jewel on October 11, Sane and Asuka faced Sky and Ripley in a losing effort. On the November 10 episode of Raw, Sane and Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship for a third time. At Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, Sane, Asuka, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and Becky Lynch lost to Ripley, Sky, Bliss, Flair, and AJ Lee in a WarGames match.

On the January 5, 2026, episode of Raw, Sane and Asuka lost their titles to Ripley and Sky, ending their third reign at 56 days. At the Royal Rumble on January 31, Sane entered at number 28, eliminating Asuka before being eliminated by Iyo Sky. On April 20, following WrestleMania 42, The Kabuki Warriors lost to Ripley and Sky in what served as Sane’s final match in WWE. Four days later, on April 24, it was reported that Sane had been released by WWE.

Other Kairi info

• Finishing moves
  • Insane Elbow / Seven Seas (Diving elbow drop, with theatrics)
  • Ikari / The Anchor (Bridging cross-legged Boston crab)
• Signature moves
  • 4173 (Bridging Gedo clutch)
  • Alabama Slam / Tokyo Slam (Double leg slam)
  • FKE / Flying Kabuki Elbow (Springboard forearm smash)
  • High-impact elbow smash, with theatrics
  • Interceptor (Spear)
  • Marine Spike (Diving double foot stomp to a tree of woe-hung opponent)
  • Sliding D (Sliding forearm smash to an opponent seated in the corner, with marching theatrics) – adopted from Masato Tanaka
  • Flying Headscissors
  • Axe Kick
  • Uraken
  • Dropkick
  • Running Blockbuster
• Nicknames
  • “Onna Kaizoku”
  • “People’s Champ”
  • “Pirate Princess”
• Tag teams and stables
  • The Kabuki Warriors (with Asuka)
  • Damage CTRL
• Entrance themes
  • “The Last Voyage” (Stardom)
  • “The Next Voyage” by CFO$ (2017-2019)
  • “Warriors” by DJDTP (2019-2020)