Stephanie Vaquer Reflects On Her Match With Mercedes Mone At NJPW Resurgence

Stephanie Vaquer battled Mercedes Mone at NJPW Resurgence in May, and she recently looked back at the bout. Vaquer spoke with Denise Salcedo for a new interview and talked about the match, which was a semifinal bout in the NJPW STRONG Women’s Title Tournament. You can see some highlights below (per Fightful and Luis Pulido):

On her match with Mone at NJPW Resurgence: “Fighting was a unique experience, eh? I think it was one of the best fights I’ve had in my career, not only because it was with a great, uh, opponent like Mercedes Monet, but also because it was a very special event for me. On that day I became the first Latina to fight in New Japan. So for me it was something very, very important. I had a lot of pressure because it was like opening a door for all the Amazons in CMLL.”

On getting an ovation from the fans after the match: “So many things depended on me. That day was really spectacular and I remember very well when the fight was over. In my head. I was just thinking. I could not win. I could not win. I couldn’t win. But the moment I got up, I was on my way to the locker room. People started clapping. Then they started to stand up and I turned around thinking Mercedes was in the hallway, but I turned around and saw that Mercedes Mone was there and I realized they were applauding me. So for me I really almost cried with emotion because I said wow, it’s an audience that is not, does not know me. It’s a place where it’s not my home, it’s not my arena, that’s what I’m used to, maybe feel it. The arena Mexico that people know me, that in my home, but in the United States they didn’t know me, I was losing the fight. I felt very bad because I had lost that fight and the people still stood up, applauded me and I think that is also something I will never forget in my life.”