Mercedes Mone was on an incredible run in NJPW/STARDOM until she was injured.
The former WWE star made her promotional debut at Wrestle Kingdom by confronting KAIRI, and she subsequently defeated her for the IWGP Women’s Title, which she lost to Mayu Iwatani in late April.
Money suffered an injury in the main event of NJPW Resurgence while wrestling Willow Nightingale in a bout to crown the first-ever NJPW Strong Women’s Champion. Mone was expected to win the match and become the inaugural champion, but when she slipped and fractured her ankle while going for code red off the top rope, plans had to be adjusted on the fly.
Nightingale moved over to capture the title, only to lose it to Giulia recently. The injury also put an end to Mone’s plans to work on AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door.
Dave Meltzer revealed in the newest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that while there is no timetable for Mone’s comeback, when she does, she would challenge Giulia for the title.
Meltzer wrote, “Even people who you would think need to know don’t know the exact time line for a Mercedes Mone return. The plan right now is that when she returns, she will face Giulia for the New Japan Strong title.”
There are no exact plans or dates as of this writing because there has been no word about Mone’s return. Meltzer predicted that Mone might win the title because it was made for her.
