“I’ve reached my limit” – Mercedes Mone’s former rival issues heartbreaking statement; announces sudden wrestling hiatus

AEW star Mercedes Mone’s former opponent, Momo Watanabe, recently made a heartbreaking announcement about her wrestling career. Since joining AEW, Mercedes Mone has been a dominant force in the ring, facing off against competitors from various wrestling promotions and securing an impressive 12 titles. One of the standout matches in her career was against Momo Watanabe, a talented wrestler from STARDOM.

The two stars have clashed twice in the past, once in NJPW in 2024 and again in AEW at Revolution earlier this year. Despite Momo Watanabe putting up a strong fight, she was unable to defeat the TBS Champion. However, Momo recently revealed that she will be taking some time off to recover from a knee injury before setting her sights on the World of STARDOM Champion, Saya Kamitani.

In an interview with Mera Wrestling, Momo expressed her determination to bounce back from the injury and challenge for the World of STARDOM Championship. She stated, “I’m not crying anymore. I’m strong-willed, and I’m not the kind of person to get discouraged here. I’ll never give up. I won’t give up until I take the belt from Kamitani. I’ve been trying to manage it, but it seems I’ve reached my limit. I’m not at my best right now. That’s why, even though I’ve been giving my all with this knee, I don’t think I can become the strongest until I fix this knee. So I’m going to take a break for a while, and then I’ll come back stronger.”

Momo Watanabe had hoped to defend a title against Mercedes Mone in the future. The former NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion recently fell short in her quest to capture the same title from Saya Kamitani. In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Momo expressed her desire to defend the NJPW title against Mercedes Mone if she were to win the championship. She boldly declared, “Kamitani says STRONG is just for show, but that purple belt is cute. I will defend both belts all over the world. Also, that belt is strongly associated with Mercedes Mone, so I want to beat that belt collector for the belt. I don’t mind being busy.”

It remains uncertain when Momo Watanabe will make her return to the ring, but fans are eagerly awaiting her comeback. The wrestling world will undoubtedly be watching to see how she overcomes her injury and pursues her goal of becoming the strongest competitor in the ring once again.

This article was edited by Angana Roy.