When Mercedes Mon became a free agent, she quickly began to seek out what many believed she lacked in her previous promotion: gold. Over the past three years, Mon has claimed and held onto many championships, but one of the earliest titles she won has now slipped past her fingers, as AZM is the new NJPW STRONG Women's Champion.
Mon, AZM, and Mina Shirakawa took to the ring in Ontario, California Friday night in one of NJPW: Resurgence's two main events to contest Mon's title in a high-octane Triple Threat. Pictures from the evening posted onto social media show all women tousled and exhausted by the end of the contest, in which AZM pinned Shirakawa in a roll-up to dethrone Mon for the title. With her victory, AZM ended Mon's 313-day reign with the NJPW STRONG Women's title, which Mon first claimed after defeating Stephanie Vaquer in a winner-take-all match for both AEW's TBS Championship and the NJPW STRONG Women's Championship.
The loss comes at a shock to many in the professional wrestling sphere, as Mon has been booked incredibly strongly within AEW and its collaborators, such as NJPW. Mon herself seemed shocked at the title change, and took to social media to claim that she "didn't lose," but was rather the victim of referee incompetence. Mon is expected to compete in the Owen Hart Cup finals at AEW: Double or Nothing near the end of May for a chance at "Timeless" Toni Storm's AEW Women's World Championship.
AZM, one of Japan's rising female performers at just 22 years old, now holds both the NJPW Strong Women's Championship and the Artist of Stardom Championship with Miyu Amasaki and Starlight Kid as Neo Genesis. Shirakawa, who was pinned in the match, is expected to make her AEW debut at a currently undisclosed time.
