During a recent media scrum at Starrcast VI, Willow Nightingale reflected on her match with Mercedes Mone at NJPW Strong Resurgence 2023 and beating the former WWE Superstar to become the inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On facing Mercedes Mone in NJPW: “It was very exciting. I think any time you get the opportunity to work outside, I don’t wanna say your comfort zone, because AEW definitely — I wouldn’t say is a comfort zone, I’m constantly wanting to push myself and be the best version of myself. The women within there, I’m a little bit more used to, working with their styles, the way that they think and having the opportunity to work with Mercedes [Mone], somebody who has had a big imprint on the way women’s wrestling is today — first, it was a little bit shocking when I found out. Secondly, it was very much an honor. I think working with her was awesome, I would love to do it again if I were to have the opportunity.”
On beating Mone to become the NJPW Strong Women’s Champion: “Wrestling her, and winning the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship, set me up for a very exciting few months. Being able to defend that, being a champion is constantly putting yourself out and defending that, showing why you are a champion and why you’re worthy of it and I believe that I did that. I had a great time going over to Japan to wrestle Guila, who is an amazing competitor. She’s somebody else that I’d really love to wrestle again. I had that momentum going into the Owen Hart Cup Tournament, main eventing against Athena and it was really these big moments one after the other and I feel like that set that stone into motion.”
Mone was in attendance at AEW All In 2023 and is currently recovering from the injury she sustained in her main event title match with Nightingale at NJPW Resurgence.
