The contract situation of IYO SKY with the WWE became a major topic of discussion for the WWE Universe back in the summer of 2022. After not appearing on NXT TV for a long time, there was speculation that the former champion of NXT to leave the WWE to go back to Japan to enjoy a wrestling stint in her home country.
It appears that things were complex back then around IYO SKY as she openly admitted to having the mindset to go back to Japan and offer something better than her initial days in the East region’s wrestling circuit. After honing her skills in the WWE, she thought perhaps it was the best time to leave the United States not because she didn’t like the place but because her WWE deal was up.
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IYO SKY reveals her WWE contract was set to expire in the 2022 summer
Recently, IYO SKY visited her home country Japan after getting a short recess period from her busy schedule. While speaking with Tokyo Sports, she talked about her WWE career so far and revealed that her WWE contract was set to expire in September of 2022. Eventually, she made a TV comeback and made it to the top of the Smackdown brand.
“I thought about it (returning to Japan). It wasn’t that I didn’t like America, but that if there was nothing I could do here, I thought that if I went to Japan, there would be more things I could do… and I have grown a lot since I left Japan, so I was confident that I could show a different kind of work in Japan this time,” IYO SKY mentioned.
“It was my policy not to give up… I set a goal to work hard until the contract was over, and I stayed there for about a year. I appeared at SummerSlam (2022) when my contract was about to end in one month.”
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After re-signing with the WWE, IYO SKY debuted on the main roster alongside Bayley and Dakota Kai as part of the DAMAGE CTRL faction. The heel trio ruled WWE Raw as the reigning tag team champions before arriving on Smackdown.
In a Triple Threat for the WWE Women’s Championship at Summerslam 2023, Bianca Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair to become the new titleholder. The winning celebrations for the top WWE Smackdown Superstar couldn’t be stretched as the 2023 Money in the Bank briefcase holder IYO SKY cashed in the contract and via help from Bayley, she ended up clinching her first title win on the main roster.
