Kenny Omega And Mercedes Mone Drive Record-Breaking Numbers For NJPW

With a stacked card of debuts, returns, and intriguing matches, Wrestle Kingdom 17 shattered records to become the most-streamed show ever for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. NJPW previously disclosed the sale of 26,085 tickets for Wrestle Kingdom 17, dramatically outpacing the event's attendance from the previous two years, which were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More notable is the fact that the event prompted a huge spike in new signups to the NJPW World streaming service, pulling in 92,409 first-time users in record-setting fashion. The presence of former WWE star Mercedes Moné (fka Sasha Banks) and current AEW star Kenny Omega also ensured that the event trended globally, becoming the 11th most searched topic on Google on January 4, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter — the first time a Japanese show had even entered the top 20 searches in a single day.

Despite it being "the worst kept secret," Moné officially debuted in NJPW, challenging the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion KAIRI — who had just retained her title against Tam Nakano — to a subsequent title defense at NJPW's Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California next month. Meanwhile, Omega already has his hands on championship gold, defeating familiar foe Will Ospreay to win the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship in his first appearance for the company in four years.

Following her appearance at Wrestle Kingdom, Moné declared her plans for a "world domination tour," noting NJPW was only just the beginning. After her title match against KAIRI in February, Moné is reportedly slated to take part in STARDOM's biggest event ever, the All-Star Grand Queendom, set for April 23

The original version of this story repeated a claim by the Wrestling Observer that Wrestle Kingdom 17 was "the largest non-WWE pro wrestling crowd in three years anywhere in the world." While technically true, this statement is misleading in the absence of broader context and has been removed.