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Asuka and Kairi Sane made a name for themselves in NXT, and both won the NXT Women’s Championship before transitioning to the main roster.
Asuka had one of the best storylines coming into the main roster, as she carried her impressive undefeated streak with her and only gave up her NXT Championship after an injury. Sane, on the other hand, moved to the main roster soon after winning and losing her NXT Champion at the hands of Shayna Baszler, but still managed to take her following with her while making the jump.
After Asuka achieved some success as a singles competitor on the main roster and even won the SmackDown Women’s Champion in the process, the company decided to pair both Japanese Superstars and turn them into a tag team.
The duo, called The Kabuki Warriors, are now WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and we could see them become even more successful in the months to come.
In this article, we will look at eight things you didn’t know about The Kabuki Warriors.
#8 Kairi Sane is an avid yachter
Sports Entertainment has never been short of men and women from different walks of life and those who have been part of various sports such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), football, and powerlifting.
Women like Alexa Bliss and Dana Brooke were professional bodybuilders before they transitioned into the world of wrestling, and have done a great job at making a name for themselves
Similarly, 'The Pirate Princess' has also been part of a different sport in the past. Kairi Sane was an avid yachter who competed at the national level while in college. She took part in many World Championship events for her native country and even dreamed of making it to the Olympics one day.
Even though she never managed to make it that far, she keeps the memory of her past achievements alive by bringing a piece of her passion to the ring, and working 'The Pirate Princess' persona.
#7 Kairi Sane pursued a career in acting
We’ve seen many WWE Superstars step into the squared circle after a career in modeling. Numerous Superstars, such as Dwyane 'The Rock' Johnson, John Cena, and Roman Reigns have stepped outside the ring and tried their hands at a career in acting too.
However, Kairi Sane has a different story, as she was discovered while pursuing a career in acting. After graduating from Hosei University, Sane immediately pursued theatre work and screenplay which earned her some attention.
One of the roles Sane undertook was that of a pro wrestling villain, which garnered attention from none other than Fuka, general manager of STARDOM. Fuka proceeded to invite Sane to one of Stardom’s shows and offered to start training as a wrestler, and the rest is history.
#6 Sane has appeared in Lucha Underground
While WWE may have been the first American promotion most wrestling fans first saw Kairi Sane, the first appearance she made for an American promotion was on Lucha Underground.
Sane wrestled under the name Doku in 2016 and appeared as part of the Pentagon Dark storyline. Along with Mayu Iwatani and Io Shirai (who is also part of WWE now), she was one of the few women chosen from STARDOM to appear in the promotion.
Sane was part of the Black Lotus Triad and faced the luchador Pentagon Dark a.k.a. Pentagon Jr. in a gauntlet match. Even though she lost the match, she left an indelible impression on wrestling fans.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura helped WWE sign Kairi Sane
Kairi Sane started training in 2011 and took to the wrestling ring in 2012 to kickstart her career. She worked hard and quickly became a sensation in Japan, garnering fame and success in the process.
This prompted WWE to attempt to sign Sane in 2016. However, Sane was afraid that she would not pass the company’s rigorous health screening, as she has had a history of concussions.
Shinsuke Nakamura played an instrumental role in convincing Sane to give it a shot and go through WWE’s medical testing routine. Sane listened to her fellow Japanese Superstar’s advice and managed to pass through the company’s strict medical tests without any issues.
She went on to win the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament and became one of the top female NXT Superstars before making it to the main roster.
#4 Asuka retired from wrestling in 2006
Asuka has always been one of the top wrestlers in the industry. She’s achieved what many Japanese Superstars can only dream of, and her undefeated streak in WWE allowed her to become one of the most talked about Superstars in the world.
However, a little known fact about Asuka is that she actually retired from the sport in 2006! Asuka began wrestling in 2004 when she joined the AtoZ promotion in Japan, but due to chronic nephritis, was forced to retire only two years later.
Asuka was out of action for over a year and a half, but managed to make it back to the wrestling ring and continued to rise by putting on stellar performances for many different promotions.
#3 Asuka is a gaming freak
WWE is not short on Superstars who are also gamers outside the ring. We already know of The New Day’s Xavier Woods’ addiction to gaming, and about his YouTube channel UpUp DownDown.
Asuka is as much into gaming as Woods, if not more so. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion is a graduate from the Osaka University of Arts Junior College and has her own graphic design agency. She’s even written for the Japanese version of Xbox Magazine, which has allowed her to receive a sponsorship from Microsoft.
The most surprising piece of information revealed from her interview with Gordman’s Game Treasure is that she has over 3000 games in her collection!
#2 Asuka owns a hair salon
Gaming isn’t the only thing Asuka is interested in, as 'The Empress of Tomorrow' also has a hair salon that allows her to express her art through physical transformation.
Asuka is seen as one of the most vibrant women in the ring, and she has always used masks, make-up, and colorful hair to ensure that her wrestling skills aren’t the only thing that’s talked about.
The WWE Superstar owns a Yokohama-based hair salon called Another Heaven. Wrestlers such as Kenny Omega have also visited her hair salon for a fresh new look, and this has allowed her to gain more publicity for her side business.
#1 What ‘The Kabuki Warriors’ means
When Asuka and Kairi Sane joined forces, and Paige started managing the duo, they were given the name The Kabuki Warriors.
At first, the name did not sit well with fans. Many began poking fun at the name on social media, but their manager Paige tried to defend her clients and their name by taking to Twitter.
Asuka then took to Twitter and decided to explain the meaning behind the Kabuki by stating the following:
Kabukimono 傾奇者 Sengoku or Edo-period eccentric who attracted public attention with their eye-catching clothes, peculiar hairstyle, and weird behavior,
This made more sense, as Asuka has always been looked up to as a fashionable Superstar with a distinct persona, and Kairi Sane’s ‘Pirate Princess’ gimmick has also proved to be unique and successful. Therefore, wild behavior and colorful clothing are something that can describe both Asuka and Sane, and the team name makes much more sense after 'The Empress of Tomorrow' explained its true meaning.
Even though the duo have since parted ways with Paige, they have proven to be as successful as fans would have hoped to see them become in just a short span of time.
Both Asuka and Sane are arguably the best international talent that the Women’s Division has today, and their future in WWE is limitless.
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