San Jose Civic to see stacked lineup live on FITE and NJPW World
After Resurgence hit the Torch at LA Coliseum this past August, Battle in the Valley sees NJPW host its second big match scale event in the San Jose Civic, with the debut of Buddy Murphy as he faces Kazuchika Okada, the NEVER Championship on the line and much more.
San Jose Civic Tickets (P1 almost gone, P6 sold out)
Or watch live in Japanese on NJPW World (English on demand after event)
Main event: NEVER Openweight Championship: Jay white vs Tomohiro Ishii
Singles record: 2-1 Ishii
If Ishii loses, he can never challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship again
Tomohiro Ishii has been at the very center of Switchblade Jay White’s 2021 narrative since New Year Dash on January 6. With White distraught at a Tokyo Dome main event loss to Kota Ibushi on January 5, White’s career seemed to be uncertain the next night, and the Switchblade left the ring defeated by a Vertical Drop Brainbuster from Ishii. In backstage comments, Ishii, 2-0 at the time against White after putting him out of contention in the G1 Climax months earlier, offered rare encouragement to the BULLET CLUB leader, telling him he’d be ready to fight when White had his head right.
Jay White’s trip away from NJPW rings was shorter than many anticipated, as he returned with a seething hatred for Ishii, and a burning desire to get past him and back to the top. Defeating the Stone Pitbull at Castle Attack in February, White put himself on the path to the NEVER Openweight Championship, a title Ishii helped make famous, by the end of the spring.
Ishii felt that business was left undone, and after defeating Moose at Resurgence, was quick to make a challenge to the new champion. Jay would turn Ishii down in violent form in LA, but had a change of heart in Philadelphia a month later. Declaring that the Stone Pitbull ‘keeps nipping at my heels’, White said that before he issued an open challenge to anyone else in the world of professional wrestling, he would end things with Ishii. Now the CHAOS challenger must win in San Jose, or will never again be able to compete for the openweight title.
7th Match: Buddy Matthews vs Kazuchika Okada
The Secret No More, Buddy Matthews makes his long awaited NJPW debut Saturday at Battle in the Valley, and against immense competition in the G1 Climax 31 Champion, Kazuchika Okada. After picking up the W over Tama Tonga at Power Struggle Saturday, Okada singled out Matthews in his backstage comments, responding to Matthews’ desire to compete against the very best New Japan Pro-Wrestling has to offer. The Rainmaker represents just that; can Matthews make the impact of a lifetime with a win in his NJPW debut in San Jose?
6th Match: Juice Robinson vs Moose
A first time singles matchup will see Juice Robinson face IMPACT’s World Heavyweight Champion Moose in non-title action. Robinson has been making waves over on IMPACT throughout the year in between appearances in Japan and on NJPW STRONG, and has come to respect Moose’s immense talents, power and athleticism. Yet Moose’s glaims to being a ‘wrestling god’, as well as his arguably ill-gotten title attained at the expense of Josh Alexander at Bound For Glory, have angered the Flamboyant one. Juice issued a challenge in Philadelphia that Moose and IMPACT have agreed to, creating a huge interpromotional heavyweight clash in San Jose.
5th Match: Ren Narita vs Will Ospreay
When Will Ospreay returned to NJPW rings at Resurgence back in August, it was with a title that he called the ‘real’ IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and with a lot of vitriol for the LA Dojo. As Ospreay made his home on NJPW STRONG for the foreseeable future he also called out the next generation of talent that has made their name on the broadcast, stating that Katsuyori Shibata’s trainees lacked the killer instinct necessary to become champions.
Yet Ren Narita stands in stark contrast to Ospreay. With every bit of The Wrestler’s fighting spirit, Narita came close to the STRONG Openweight Championship in October, and just this past week landed hard and heavy boots to the self proclaimed champion en route to tag team victory. Declaring that he had no interest in Ospreay’s ‘phony title’, Narita stated that he only has eyes on the biggest win of his career over the Commonwealth Kingpin. Can he secure that win in San Jose?
4th Match: LA Dojo (Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks) vs United Empire (TJP & Jeff Cobb)
United Empire’s campaign against the LA Dojo will continue when new recruit TJP and Imperial Unit Jeff Cobb will face TJP’s former partner and protege in Clark Connors alongside the current Dojo’s first graduate Karl Fredericks. Cobb has proven nigh on unstoppable in tag team matches through 2021, but can Connors and Fredericks, desperate to strike at the empire, shock the world?
3rd Match: Fred Rosser, David Finlay, Rocky Romero, Alex Coughlin & Alex Zayne vs Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos, Danny Limelight, Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson)
Ever since they first met in an NJPW STRONG ring in 2020, Fred Rosser has been desperate for a rematch against Filthy Tom Lawlor, something the STRONG Openweight Champion has repeatedly refused Mr. No Days Off. Now though, the bout is finally set for Riverside California and Detonation tapings on November 15, and a ten man preview in San Jose tonight will see Rosser lead an all star team to war against Team Filthy.
2nd Match: Violence Unlimited (Brody King & Chris Dickinson) vs Stray Dog Army (Bateman & Misterioso)
Tom Lawlor’s is not the only faction or team on NJPW STRONG, and the second match of the night will see two other forces engaging in a power struggle in San Jose. The new force of the Stray Dog Army has made their presence felt on STRONG in the past, but Bateman’s former friend Brody King and Violence Unlimited partner Chris Dickinson are only seeking to increase their footprint on NJPW on both sides of the Pacific.
1st Match: Yuya Uemura vs Josh Alexander
A big singles match opener will see Yuya Uemura take on Josh Alexander. Uemura has had an impressive US excursion to date already, with great matches on STRONG and independents across the US. But now he faces his biggest challenge yet. IMPACT’s Walking Weapon is a former X Division and World Champion, and currently has his sights set on Moose after a controversial end to his brief world title reign at Bound For Glory. Uemura has all the motivation in the world, but is it enough to rattle an angry and hungry Alexander?
