Mercedes Moné is your new IWGP Women’s Champion.
The co-main event of tonight’s NJPW Battle In The Valley pay-per-view saw Moné make her NJPW in-ring debut with a win over KAIRI to capture the IWGP Women’s Title.
After the lengthy match, the former Sasha Banks and the former Kairi Sane shook hands and embraced in the middle of the ring. They said a few private words and then KAIRI presented Moné as the new champion.
This is Moné’s first title reign in NJPW as this was her in-ring debut. KAIRI became the inaugural champion on November 20, 2022 by winning tournament finals over Mayu Iwatani at NJPW and Stardom’s Historic X-Over event. KAIRI held the strap for 91 recognized days. KAIRI only defended the title once, and that was when she defeated Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, the same show Moné made her NJPW debut to confront KAIRI.
Moné paid tribute to the late Hana Kimura with her attire. The match was fought in and out of the ring by the former WWE Superstars, and included a spot where Moné was powerbombed through a table. Moné also paid tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero during the bout, as seen below.
Below are several shots of tonight’s title change from the San Jose Civic Center in San Jose, CA:
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
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