KAIRI becomes the inaugural IWGP Women’s champion

KAIRI, the former WWE star known as Kairi Sane, became the first IWGP Women’s champion after she defeated Mayu Iwantani in the main event of NJPW x STARDOM: Historic X-Over show held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The pirate princess won the match with her Insane Elbow finishing move after a 25-minute match. The match was the final of a tournament which started on October 2.

KAIRI, who received a first-round bye, defeated Jazzy Gabert in the semi final match while Iwatani went through Mono Watanabe in the first round and Utami Hayashishita in the semi final.

The former NXT Women’s champion left WWE in 2020 and assumed an ambassadorial role for WWE in Japan after she wanted to return home. Her contract with WWE expired late last year and in February of this year, she returned to STARDOM.

.@KAIRI_official "Insane Elbow"

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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 20, 2022