Mina Shirakawa and AZM will clash at NJPW Windy City Riot on April 11th.
The winner will earn a shot at the NJPW Strong Women's Championship, which is currently held by Mercedes Mone.
AZM vs Shirakawa set for Windy City Riot!
The next challenger for Mercedes Mone's NJPW STRONG Women's Championship will be determined April 11, as Mina Shirakawa will be facing AZM in a number one contender's match at Windy City Riot.
This meeting in the Wintrust Arena is shaped by significant defeat at the Tokyo Dome for both women. On January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 19, AZM sought international icon status when challenging the IWGP Women's Champion Mayu Iwatani, but fell short, as did Mina, who wrestled Mone with both the NJPW STRONG and RPW Women's Championships on the line, and was defeated by the CEO.
Shirakawa has not given up in pursuing Mone, and as she moves to America, has departed STARDOM to focus on AEW full time. A victory at Windy City Riot will give her a rematch she badly wants against Mercedes. Yet a board meeting with the CEO has long been on AZM's agenda as well. Back at Sakura Genesis 2023, her first challenge for the IWGP Women's gold was while the belt still sat with Mone, but a planned singles bout was transformed into a three way when Hazuki entered the mix. Later at Strong Style Evolved in Long Beach, Hazuki got her one on one match with Mercedes for the STRONG gold in what many considered to be the best women's match of 2024, but while AZM had her own challenge to the STRONG gold against then champion Stephanie Vaquer in Chicago last year, she has still yet to take on Mone one on one.
Woth both women having unfinished business with the champ, desire to seize the opportunity burns bright, but who will leave Chicago as number one contender?
Here is the current lineup for NJPW Windy City Riot:
NJPW Windy City Riot (4/11)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi's Last US Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- 30-Minute Iron Man Match for NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
- Zack Sabre vs. David Finlay
- NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson) (c) vs. Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight).
- Tetsuya Naito & Titan vs. Rocky Romero & El Phantasmo
- NJPW Strong Women's Number One Contenders Match: Mina Shirakawa vs. AZM
You can find results from around the wrestling world at Fightful's results section.
