Mercedes Moné Talks Moving Past NJPW Injury vs. Willow Nightingale
Mercedes Moné reflects on the injury she suffered against Willow Nightingale at NJPW Resurgence in 2023.
The injury in question came not in AEW or WWE, but in New Japan, when Mercedes was reestablishing herself after walking out of WWE. She had already won the New Japan women’s title before entering the tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion in 2023, where she was scheduled to face Willow Nightingale in the final. However, Mercedes suffered an injury during the match, forcing an audible that saw Willow win the title.
In the latest issue of Moné Mag, Mercedes discussed what it took to stop blaming Willow for the injury that put her on the shelf for months.
“I was hurt, and when you’re hurt, you have A LOT of time to think. Willow and I had already crossed paths in 2023, and for a long time, I carried feelings about what happened to me in that match. It’s taken a lot of therapy for me to stop putting the blame on her. It was a freak accident. But I’m not going to pretend there weren’t moments where I replayed everything in my head. Her positioning. Her hands on the ropes and turnbuckle. Not having enough room to fully get my foot onto that top turnbuckle. Over, and over, and over again. That’s what happens when you’re injured. Your body stops, but your mind doesn’t. Eventually, though, I started asking myself a different question. Maybe God wasn’t telling me to stop wrestling. Maybe God was telling me to slow down. To heal, and not just physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. Because at that point in my life, I was putting on the strongest face I could possibly find within myself.”
-Mercedes Moné
It’s no exaggeration to say that Moné lost significant time following that injury, and many wondered what would come next for her until she finally signed with AEW in 2024. Her first match was for the TBS Championship at Double or Nothing 2024, where she faced the reigning champion, Willow Nightingale.
Since that PPV, the two have become major rivals, with Willow defeating Mercedes to end her record-setting TBS Championship reign and reclaim the title. Now, the two are set to face each other at Wembley Stadium at All In: London for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Mercedes undoubtedly wants the victory to further cement her status as one of the greatest of all time, but Willow is not going to make it easy for her.
You can find more on the latest AEW news here.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on everything heading into AEW All In: London, including all of the key matches on the card as soon as we hear more.
