Moné moves to V1
First of five championship matches at Sakura Genesis on April 8 had the IWGP Women’s Championship on the line, Mercedes Moné defending for the first time in a three way with AZM and Hazuki.
In quick action from the start, all three competitors attempted speedy pinning attempts only to find themselves caught. Hazuki landed the first big blow of the match, bouncing off the top rope to hit a double arm drag and dropkick before taking Moné out of action with a full nelson buster and senton. A counter from Mercedes ended in a pin only for AZM to soar from the skies with a deadly double stomp. The action spilling to the outside, AZM’s speed stunned yet again as she dived from the top rope to the outside to take out both Moné and Hazuki. Back in the ring AZM landed yet another double stomp, this time on Hazuki, for a close two count.
As she rejoined the fray, Moné would find herself trapped in a double cross face; the champion literally biting her way out of trouble and following up with a double bulldog. Momentum finally on her side, Moné unleashed a series of double knees to her downed opponents in the corners. Hazuki was finally able to halt Moné’s run with a codebreaker and locked in another crossface on AZM, the IWGP Women’s Championship looking set to change hands, but AZM slickly slid out and was once again able to temporarily lock in dual Numero Uno submissions on both Hazuki and Moné.
A struggle on the top rope was to the benefit of Moné, the champion hitting a remarkable springboard powerbomb that agonised both Hazuki and AZM. Consecutive backstabbers had Moné in pole position, a devastating Meteora somehow only earning her a two count. With Moné and AZM in a battle of fiery forearms, Hazuki took advantage by springing in with a dropkick and hammering forearms onto the vulnerable champion, drawing some concerns that Moné may have been knocked out. Hazuki’s offence only got stronger, another codebreaker from the middle rope followed up by another from the top rope looked sure to earn victory, so much so that AZM had to break up the pin before the referee could count to three. With each competitor in a tussle to earn the victory, Moné had AZM trapped and finally hit the Moné Maker, dropping AZM onto Hazuki in the process and securing the first defence of her IWGP Women’s Championship.
Immediately following the match, Mayu Iwatani entered the ring to give some strong words ahead of her title challenge at All Star Grand Queendom, but Moné got the last word with a stiff slap to Iwatani’s face.
