Mina Shirakwaka Set For A Number One Contender's Match At NJPW's WINDY CITY RIOT

Will we get Mina Shirakawa vs. Mercedes Mone 2?

Next week, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will travel back to the United States to host Windy City Riot. The show features the last US match for Hiroshi Tanahashi as he’ll take on Konosuke Takeshita. There’s also a 30-Minute Iron Man Match for the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship between Gabe Kidd and Tomohiro Ishii. 

However, the next challenger for Mercedes Mone’s NJPW Strong Women’s Championship will be determined as Mina Shirakawa will take on AZM in a number one contender’s match. Now Mina has a better chance at Mone since she’s recently confirmed that she’s signing a deal with AEW, but AEW’s newest talent is making her rounds before she officially steps in All Elite Wrestling. 

This isn’t just a match. It’s the start of something.

One of my goals was always to have a singles match with AZM in the U.S.🇺🇸

You’ll be there to see it, right?#WeWantMina https://t.co/xQudsxFKHJ

— 白川未奈　Mina Shirakawa (@MinaShirakawa) March 31, 2025

Shirakawa and Mone had their first match at the joint Wrestle Dynasty show in January where the latter put up the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship and Shirakawa put her RevPro Undisputed British Women's Title on the line. 

Can you guess who won?

Should these two fight again, the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s title won’t be on the line, but it will be a chance for Shirakawa to avenge her previous loss. Of course, it would be silly to discount AZM as the 22-year-old has won multiple titles including the High Speed Championship and Artist Of Stardom Championship. 

This isn’t the first time these two have fought each other as Mina and AZM had a singles match back at STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2023 - Tag 13; AZM got the win over Shirakawa that night.

Can AZM pull out that victory again? We’ll find out at NJPW’s Windy City Riot show. Check out the advertised line-up below. Card is subject to change. 

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