AEW's Mercedes Mone Opens Up About Bond With Pending Opponent Mina Shirakawa

At AEW x NJPW Wrestle Dynasty, Mercedes Mone will raise up her NJPW STRONG Women's Championship against RevPro Undisputed British Women's Champion Mina Shirakawa in a title-for-title match. This will mark the first ever in-ring meeting between the two, but as Mone points out, it is far from the first time they've crossed paths in general.

"When I first touched down in Japan in 2018/2019, Rey Mysterio's gear maker reached out to me, saying, "You need to meet Mina; she'll show you around!" And from that moment, we just clicked," Mone wrote in the "Mone Mag" newsletter. "Mina was such a sweet soul, and she took me on an amazing tour of Japan, opening her world to me. Every time I return, she's right there, introducing me to new experiences, new sights, and new adventures.

"So, when I threw down the challenge, I was over the moon when she accepted! Mina made it clear: everyone wants a piece of her, and she's gunning for my championship. But here's the twist—she's got a title that I want too. January 5 is going to be monumental as we go title-for-title at the Tokyo Dome."

Mone's aforementioned challenge was laid out at NJPW's Strong Style Evolved event, just moments after she successfully defended her championship against Hazuki. Shirakawa gleefully accepted this challenge, which initially only involved Mone's NJPW STRONG Women's Championship. Mone, however, raised the stakes to also include Shirakawa's RevPro title, which she won back in August. 

Elsewhere at Wrestle Dynasty, four women across CMLL, AEW, STARDOM, and ROH will vie for the International Women's Cup.