Momo Watanabe Set To Take A Break From Wrestling To Fix Her Injured Knee

Japanese pro wrestler Momo Watanabe has announced that she will be taking a step back from in-ring duties to recover from injury.

The 25-year-old challenged Saya Kamitani in a Winner Takes All Match for the World of STARDOM and the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship at the Crimson Nightmare event on November 3. Despite a valiant effort, Momo Watanabe failed to dethrone Saya Kamitani.

In a backstage interview following her defeat, the talented wrestler admitted that she seems to have reached her limit when it comes to managing her injured knee, adding that she is not at her best currently. Watanabe said that while she is ‘strong-willed,’ she can’t manage until she fixes her knee.

Here’s what she said:

“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 and definitely take the belt from Kamitani. I’ve decided that now. With H.A.T.E. as it is now, they’ll dominate STARDOM, right? So I’ll leave it to them. I’m going to rest for a bit.” [H/T: MeraWrestling]

Before announcing her hiatus, Watanabe vowed to take the World of STARDOM Championship from Saya following her return to the squared circle.

Saya Kamitani and Momo Watanabe had a great World of Stardom Championship match, matching the expectation of what they could always do once the bell rang.

The story itself was unfortunately not there in the lead up, forcing the match to lack the drama or hopefulness you'd want… pic.twitter.com/YUt6bOUYeK

— Scott E. Wrestling (@ScottEWrestling) November 3, 2025