Who should feature in the Mercedes Mone World Tour?
She's going to conquer the world, but who should she set her sights on?
Mercedes Mone and KAIRI demonstrated the prestige professional wrestling can posses when it’s done at it’s highest level. The two women were presented like Greek Gods heading into their final battle. The wrestling was spectacular, and the entire thing felt both emotional and revolutionary. It was one of those moments where, once it’s ended, you sit back and realise that you just witnessed history. However, the wrestling world moves fast and AZM is already lined up to face Mercedes Mone for the IWGP Women’s Title. Speculation is one of the fundamental aspects of this sport nowadays, and now seems like a good time to do just that. It’s worth mentioning that whilst some of these are obvious contenders, there will be certain people on this list that will more than likely not face Mercedes, but they’re all immensely talented and are worthy of being mentioned in this conversation.
JAMIE HAYTER
A candidate that's been suggested by many and it's clear to see why. Hayter has competed in Japan, England, Ireland and America to mold herself into what we see today. She's aggressive in the ring and wouldn't hold back against Mercedes. It really just comes down to whether you believe Mercedes is willing to work in AEW. That being said, if there is a Forbidden Door event this year then this would most definitely be a possibility at the very least.
MAYU IWATANI
Mercedes has expressed her desire to work with Stardom talent, so surely the most iconic performer in the promotions history has to be on her radar. Mayu would undoubtedly be willing to take some rambunctious bumps in order to make this truly breathtaking. Your have to imagine NJPW would be trying their very best to make this possible too considering how notorious both are in this industry.
ALEX WINDSOR
Fans of TJPW and the British Wrestling scene will be familiar with Windsor and can recognise how brilliant she is. During her stint in TJPW, Windsor had an excellent bout with Miu Watanabe that played to her strengths. Give her roughly 10 minutes with Mercedes and they could create magic.
STARLIGHT KID
Starlight Kid has a presence that could engage with any audience. She's got the look of a mega-star and the ability to back it up. Considering Mercedes brings a large portion of attention from the American audience, Starlight Kid could really benefit from this and resonate with them. A full-fledged feud would be a wonderful dynamic and is something that would revolutionise the career of Starlight Kid.
MICKIE JAMES
This feels inevitable considering the relationship Mickie and Mercedes have with one another, but there are some implications that could derail this from taking place. Mickie James is currently undergoing a storyline where the next match she loses will be her last. Impact and Mickie would likely have something planned out already regarding how this happens, so the Mercedes bout could be in jeopardy. Both women do seem keen on making this a reality though so let's see what happens.
SYURI
Coming off of what was an extraordinary reign as World of Stardom champion in 2022, Syuri has established herself as one of the most consistent performers to grace a Stardom ring. A Syuri vs. Mercedes match-up particularly does seem suitable for an event like Dominion, where scars and bruises will be left upon both competitors as a reminder as to what they endured.
ATHENA
Athena is someone that has suffered from being criminally underrated her entire career, whether that be by bookers or fans. She's at the peak of her powers now though and her current persona fits her like a glove. You could potentially build a programme where Athena feels a sense of jealousy towards Mercedes, as the latter had the career she could only dream of. Having this headline an ROH show could be just as successful as Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn, at least in terms of quality.
MASHA SLAMOVICH
Masha Slamovich had her breakout moment just last year at Impact Bound For Glory against Jordynne Grace, where the pair fought viciously in a magnificent contest that many consider to be one of the shining lights of American Women’s wrestling from 2022. At just 24 years old, Masha is already quite versatile and rarely delivers a sub-par match. She's still got some things to learn but she's more than worthy of standing across from Mercedes Mone.