Scott D'Amore Pays Compliments To KAIRI And Mercedes Mone Over Their NJPW Battle

KAIRI and Mercedes Mone competed in the second to last match at New Japan Pro-Wrestling Battle In The Valley — with their contest marking the first time the IWGP Women's Championship had been defended on American soil. In her first match in over nine months, as she walked out of "WWE Raw" in May 2022, Mone captured the title by defeating KAIRI. Following their nearly 27-minute contest, both women received much praise for their efforts from wrestling personalities and fans alike, with Executive Vice President of Impact Wrestling Scott D'Amore getting in on the admiration.

"It was great to be there in San Jose," D'Amore said appearing on "Busted Open Radio." "Got to meet Mercedes. You know, our paths never crossed. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of her and everything she's done and it was a great opportunity to get to meet her and chat with her after an unbelievable match between her and KAIRI. I think KAIRI has never gotten the love and respect that she deserves ... Her and Mercedes went out there in front of a packed crowd and they went out there and put on a world title match that I just thought was outstanding. I thought the wrestling was amazing and I thought the emotion, I thought the emotion was fantastic."

While Mone just won the IWGP Women's Championship, "The CEO" does not have plans to remain in Japan, as she has stated that she would like to defend the title all around the world. She and Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James have expressed interest in facing each other for the first time outside of WWE.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.