Stardom Star Challenges AEW's Mercedes Mone For Upcoming NJPW Event
Mercedes Mone currently has her sights set on Wembley Stadium, where she will defend the AEW TBS Championship against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. at AEW All in on August 25, but as "The CEO" gleefully points out at every opportunity, the TBS Championship isn't the only title in her possession. Less than one week after All In, NJPW will return to the United States for the Capital Collision pay-per-view in Washington D.C. on August 30, where it has been confirmed that Mone will defend the NJPW STRONG Women's Championship, and her challenger seems to have presented herself. Following her match at STARDOM's recent event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Momo Watanabe had some words for "The CEO," and challenged her to a match for the NJPW STRONG Women's Championship.
【8・15 後楽園大会 試合後コメント】
渡辺桃「こんな暑くて、地震もあって、台風もある日本で試合するよりアメリカで試合してやるよ。6月にな、モネが私の試合みてたらしくてよ、いつかやりてぇんだって。見る目あんじゃねぇかよメルセデス・モネ。ワシントンでモネやってやるよ。待ってろよ」... pic.twitter.com/9ylxEWJ2KE
— スターダム✪STARDOM (@wwr_stardom) August 15, 2024
"Rather than fighting in Japan where it's so hot, there's been earthquakes and typhoons, I'll fight in America. Apparently Mone watched my fight in June, and said she wanted to fight me someday. Mercedes Mone has a good eye for this. I'll fight Mone in Washington. Just wait for me," Watanabe said.
Watanabe is currently competing in STARDOM's 5Star Grand Prix tournament in Japan, which concludes on August 31. However, Watanabe has lost all four of her block matches since the start of the tournament, making it very unlikely she will qualify for the finals, freeing her schedule up for NJPW's return to the US. Watanabe was featured on AEW and NJPW's Forbidden Door pay-per-view, where she and Kris Statlander were defeated by Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano. However, Watanabe did enjoy some success shortly after her return to Japan, as she and her Odeo Tai stablemate Thekla won the Goddesses of STARDOM Championships from Konami and Syuri on July 23.