New Japan Pro-Wrestling crowned the inaugural NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion at NJPW Resurgence, as Willow Nightingale won the gold.
The May 21 event featured a one-night tournament where the winner would be crowned the first NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion. In the first round, Mercedes Moné defeated Stephanie Vaquer, and Willow Nightingale beat Momo Kohgo.
In the main event of the show, Nightingale faced Moné, and the crowd was buzzing before the bell even rang. The fan-favorite stars battled it out, but the match took a concerning turn when Moné fell to the floor after she fell off the top rope and landed on the floor. She got back in the ring, and Nightingale hit her with a Doctor Bomb. A second Doctor Bomb kept Moné down for the count.
seemingly suffered an injury during the match, and she was carried to the back after the bell.
Nightingale currently competes for AEW and ROH. Moné debuted in NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, and she won the IWGP Women’s Championship at NJPW Battle in the Valley. Mayu Iwatani beat her to win the title at STARDOM All Star Grand Queendom on April 23.
Click here to catch up on our coverage of NJPW Resurgence.
