Mercedes Moné beats 34-year-old star to win her first championship since leaving WWE

Modified Feb 19, 2023 07:24 GMT

Mercedes Moné has made history at Battle in the Valley

Mercedes Moné (fka Sasha Banks) has won her first championship since leaving WWE. At NJPW Battle in the Valley, she became the new IWGP Women's Champion.

She defeated KAIRI in the first of the double main events, as the two women took each other to the absolute limit. The new champion was also put through a table midway through the match.

The closing moments of the match saw Mercedes hit The Monè Maker to secure a pinfall victory. Post-match, the Champion and KAIRI also shared a moment of respect.

Check out the heartfelt moment between the two superstars:

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Moné made her NJPW x STARDOM debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17. She confronted KAIRI moments after her win over Tam Nakano, as she retained the IWGP Women's Championship.

This led to her challenging the Japanese sensation to a match at Battle in the Valley in San Jose. With the win, the Boston-based wrestler has now become the second-ever IWGP Women's Champion in history.

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Expect Mercedes Moné to make waves around the world of pro wrestling, including World Wonder Ring Stardom, where numerous top talent will aim to challenge for the IWGP Women’s Title.

Who would you like to see Mercedes face in her first title defense? Sound off in the comment section

About the author

Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.

In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.

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Edited by Neda Ali