After months of speculation, Mercedes Mone will defend her IWGP Women’s Championship for the first time in Tokyo, Japan.
Ever since winning the title from KIARI at Battle in the Valley in February, one of STARDOM’s premier performers AZM lay down a championship challenge to Mone. During a press conference, the 20-year-old starlet and High-Speed Champion called out the former Sasha Banks
Mone responded to the challenge on social media seemingly accepting her as her first opponent for the title and appeared to set a time and place for the showdown. However, despite the champion welcoming the challenge, there was no confirmation surrounding the potential title bout, until now.
Mercedes Mone Defends Her Title At NJPW Sakura Genesis In A Three Way Match
In a vignette posted on NJPW’s official Twitter account, Mone revealed that her first title defence will be against not one but two opponents in a Three-Way match.
Her challengers will be AZM and Hazuki. At just 20 years of age, AZM has already established herself as one of the top female talents and of course, has a very bright future ahead of her. Hazuki is a 25-year-old former High Speed, Artist and Goddesses of STARDOM Champion.
BREAKING@mercedesvarnado has accepted the challenge of @azumikan1411 and @0929_hazuki for Sakura Genesis April 8!https://t.co/ZN8Z6QZk2G#njpw#njsgpic.twitter.com/bWKU83vy3W
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) March 24, 2023
The updated card of Sakura Genesis is:
- Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. SANADA – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- Mercedes Moné (c) vs. AZM vs. Hazuki – IWGP Women’s Championship
- Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Robbie Eagles – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Bishamon (YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto) (c) vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) – IWGP Tag Team Championships
- Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Shota Umino – NJPW World TV Championship
- United Empire (Francesco Akira, Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb) vs. House of Torture (SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
- Master Wato, Hikuleo & Tama Tonga vs. BULLET CLUB (David Finlay, KENTA & El Phantasmo)
- Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) vs. DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi
NJPW Sakura Genesis takes place on Saturday, April 8 at 4 am EST (1am PST).