WrestleMania 41 comes to Las Vegas. Mercedes Mone battles Athena in a dream match. Alexxis Falcon chats with WrestleZone and more!
WWE WrestleMania 41 Preview
Wrestling fans have finally arrived at their Super Bowl weekend, stacked with shows from across the independent wrestling landscape and of course, WWE. The biggest of them all is WrestleMania 41, which will emanate from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on April 19 and 20.
Between the two nights, representatives from the WWE women’s division will fill four matches, three of which will involve championships. Firstly, Tiffany Stratton will defend the WWE Women’s Championship against the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair. Recent weeks have seen Flair and Stratton engage in battles of words and blows, with one reportedly going off script. At WrestleMania, though, they will have to stay on top of their game in order to walk out with the respective title in hand.
Elsewhere on night one, Jade Cargill and Naomi will face off in the first non-title singles women’s match on the grand stage in 19 years. The last pitted Candice Michelle against Torrie Wilson in a Playboy pillow fight at WrestleMania 22. This go-around, Jade Cargill looks to avenge the attack she suffered at the hands of Naomi back in Naomi. Naomi, now a heel, is looking to stand out on her own, aside from Cargill, whom she labeled as a “snake.”
The night two festivities will include two more matches for the women’s division, with one giving Bayley and Lyra Valkyria an opportunity to claim the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. The duo earned this title shot by a winning six-team gauntlet match on WWE SmackDown last week. Now, they will challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, the current champions, for the very titles at WrestleMania.
Finally, IYO SKY will defend the WWE Women’s World Championship against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley on night two. SKY defeated Ripley for the championship on WWE Raw last month. Ever since, Ripley has called for a proper rematch (her first ended in a double DQ), with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce finally penciling it for WrestleMania 41. Belair claimed her respective spot by winning the 2025 Women’s Elimination Chamber.
Ahead of WrestleMania 41, the WWE NXT roster will appear at Stand & Deliver, which is set to make history with 18 women competing on the card.
RELATED: Two More Women Qualify For North American Title Ladder Match at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver
Athena Fulfills Dream Match Against Mercedes Mone
For years, Athena has craved a singles match with Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks. Last night, she finally got it.
In the semi-finals of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament on AEW Dynamite, Athena took on Mone. During the previous round, Mone bested Julia Hart, while Athena defeated Harley Cameron. Now on this occasion, Athena and Mone delivered a certified banger before the latter’s hometown of Boston.
PLANTED on the apron!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 17, 2025
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & MAX@MercedesVarnado | @AthenaPalmer_FG pic.twitter.com/k1cDWTMZ6m
In the bout’s closing moments, Athena dropkicked Mone into an LED screen at ringside, then dumped her back into the ring. From there, Athena climbed the turnbuckle, intent on finishing off “The CEO” with the O-Face. Upon her descent however, Mone caught Athena and reversed into a jackknife pin for a three count. As such, Mone will move on the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament finals, in which the winner will earn an AEW Women’s Championship match at AEW All In. Her opponent? That will either by Jamie Hayter or Kris Statlander, who are slated to do battle on next week’s episode of Dynamite.
Mone currently holds the TBS, NJPW STRONG Women’s, and RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship all at once. Meanwhile, Toni Storm reigns as the AEW Women’s Champion.
RELATED: Toni Storm Threatens To Drain Mercedes Moné’s 401K And Make Her Drink Her Bath Water
Masha Slamovich And Tessa Blanchard To Face Off At TNA Unbreakable & Rebellion
Amidst the WrestleMania festivities, TNA Wrestling will host Unbreakable, an event set to air on TNA+, later tonight.
Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich will be in action, but not in a title match. Instead, she will team with the current TNA World Champion, Joe Hendry, to take on Tessa Blanchard and Frankie Kazarian in a mixed tag bout. This will set to stage for next week, in which Blanchard and Kazarian challenge Slamovich and Hendry for their respective titles at TNA Rebellion in Los Angeles.
Following her return at TNA Final Resolution, Blanchard vowed to take back what she claimed to be her Knockouts division, beginning with the destruction of former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. Next, Blanchard targeted Slamovich, the reigning champion, evening go so far as attacking Slamovich alongside WWE NXT’s Jacy Jayne. Shortly thereafter, Blanchard pinned Slamovich in six-woman tag competition, which led to the announcement of their title match at Rebellion on April 27.
Blanchard previously held the Knockouts championship from August 2018 until January 2019. Slamovich gained the title by beating Jordynne Grace at Bound For Glory last October.
RELATED: Masha Slamovich Comments On Winning TNA Knockouts Title, Names Dream Match
INTERVIEWS
Former PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Alexxis Falcon spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about her recovery from a shoulder and trap injury, venture into ring announcing, her in-ring return at Progress Unboxing and the Disney princess-inspired ring gear that came with it, potentially sporting cheeseburger-like gear, her adventures in the Philadelphia during WrestleMania 40 week, Mercedes Mone defending her RevPro title against Kanji at High Stakes, John Cena’s heel turn and WrestleMania 41 challenge to Cody Rhodes, and more.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Saraya sat down with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard to talk about her new book, Hell In Boots, wanting to train with Natalya, rumors she’s coming back to WWE, her Friends fandom, and more.
WWE Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green chatted with TV Insider about her first WrestleMania experience on WWE’s main roster, plans for the WWE Hall of Fame, her hot takes on WrestleMania 41, being grateful for fan support, her six-woman tag team match on WWE SmackDown, and more.
Former WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley joined The Takedown On SI to talk about the pressure of WrestleMania season, her rivalry with Bianca Belair, her upcoming triple threat match at WrestleMania 41, her history on the grand stage, and more.
“The Center of Attention” Brittnie Brooks appeared on Casual Conversations with The Classic to discuss her return from her ACL injury, an update on Chris Bey, her return to DREAMWAVE, her peers being signed to major companies, the WWE ID program, her plate for WrestleMania weekend, John Cena’s heel turn and more.
