Willow Nightingale Becomes Inaugural NJPW STRONG Women's Champion At Resurgence

New Japan Pro-Wrestling have crowned their first ever STRONG Women’s Champion after Willow Nightingale overcame Mercedes Moné at Resurgence on May 21.

Nightingale and Moné met in the main event tournament final for the vacant title, colliding in a match seemingly cut short due to a possible injury to Mercedes, with Nightingale capitalising on Moné’s state to leave with the gold.

The former IWGP Women’s Champion seemed to hurt her right leg after hitting a dropping hangman to Willow on the top rope, with Moné landing awkwardly on the floor as a result. Not long after, Willow got Mercedes in the ring for the Babe With The Power-Bomb, the ref stopping his count despite Mercedes not kicking out, before Willow hit a second powerbomb for the win.

The win capped off a remarkable evening for AEW star Willow who earlier in the night defeated Momo Kohgo in the tournament semi-final, with both matches occurring on Nightingale’s first-ever appearance on an NJPW show. Moné to her credit also pulled double duty at Resurgence, having defeated Stephanie Vaquer earlier on the show.