Rocky Romero Defends NJPW Creating New Women's Title, Praises Mercedes Mone

New Japan Pro-Wrestling will crown their first NJPW STRONG Women's Champion at NJPW Resurgence on May 21 when four women — Mercedes Moné, Willow Nightingale, Stephanie Vaquer, and Momo Kohgo — compete in a one-night tournament. While many would look at the introduction of a second women's title as a step in the right direction, there have seemingly been complaints online. During a recent interview with "Comedy Store Wrestling," Rocky Romero addressed the critics.

"It just seems like everybody was complaining two years ago that there wasn't a championship, there wasn't a division," Romero said. "'Where's the women? Where's the representation?' And now we've got two women's championships, one that's obviously being defended in Japan... I feel like we're trying to give women that representation and give them a great place to show professional wrestling in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, so I don't really understand where all the controversy is coming from."

NJPW and STARDOM teamed up to crown the first IWGP Women's Champion with a seven-woman tournament at the end of 2022, which resulted in KAIRI (formerly Kairi Sane) becoming the inaugural titleholder before eventually losing it to Moné in February. 

Romero also reflected on New Japan's investment in the former Sasha Banks and agrees that she's their biggest star currently. Likewise, he thinks the company is just now getting back on their feet following the lack of events as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and that the company's door is now open for other potentially disgruntled WWE talent to make the jump.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Comedy Store Wrestling" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.