KAIRI’s return to WWE is a big opportunity for the women’s division

Kairi came back to help Iyo Sky and that move opens the door for some interesting storytelling over in the SmackDown women’s division. 

WWE Crown Jewel was a strong PLE with several great matches. One of the moments that fans will talk about the most is the return of KAIRI. She attacked Bianca Belair, helping IYO Sky retain the WWE Women’s Championship. This is an interesting development that should produce some excellent pro wrestling for the women’s division on WWE SmackDown.

There are a lot of things that can and should happen now that Kairi is back and paired with Sky. Not only are the doors sliding open for several stories from the pandemic era of WWE coming to a head but there’s a chance to give wrestling one of the biggest and most important matches in the industry.

First, Kairi comes back and immediately wedges herself between Sky and Bayley. Bayley’s served as Sky’s top cheerleader during her run to the championship. Most viewers were waiting for Bayley to turn on Sky, which makes sense in typical WWE fashion, as Bayley would want the championship back in her arms. But the idea that Sky would be the one to turn first and do so with a woman she has a deep history with in Japan is even more intriguing. They’ve been champions together and fought over titles as well, so there’s history to tell between the two.

But don’t forget, in WWE lore it is Bayley’s fault that Kairi was out of WWE. The last time she was seen, Bayley was attacking Kairi, injuring her during Asuka’s match against Mercedes Mone. More on that wrinkle later. Kairi would love to drive a wedge between Sky and Bayley, pushing the latter out of the picture. There’s a single match between those two women that must be a showcase attraction on an upcoming episode of SmackDown.

Then there’s the Asuka factor. Does she know about Kairi’s return and the plan to help Sky? Was she also kept in the “dark?” According to Fightful Select, there are discussions to add more wrestlers to the duo. While many would it claim its “lazy” to put these three women in a faction together, think about how powerful that would be from a representation standpoint. A faction built around three Asian women at the top of the WWE roster would be huge and something never seen before in North American professional wrestling.

And then, there’s also the opportunity to pit the three women against each other. Imagine Asuka versus Sky versus Kairi at WrestleMania. These three women have the potential to steal the show and putting them together in a match with proper booking and time would showcase them at the highest levels. The business needs that.

Kairi’s return to WWE is a big moment for the SmackDown women’s division. Triple H could do some amazing booking at the top of that roster, featuring women who don’t always get the shine in the spotlight. Here’s to hoping they get their time this time around.