Double main event, five titles and a loaded San Jose card
A sold out San Jose Civic Saturday night will see the first major event of 2023 for NJPW in the US. A new chapter for NJPW STRONG sees a fully loaded card, topped with a stunning double main event.
Watch Battle in the Valley live in English on FITE!
Double Main event II: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
Singles record: 7-5-3 Okada
The 16th singles confrontation of a legendary rivalry sees Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada go head to head for the first time since September 2021, and the first time for the richest prize in professional wrestling since May of 2018. Hiroshi Tanahashi emerged victorious in Osaka this weekend over KENTA; with the retirement of his one time mentor Keiji Muto adding to an internal pressure to once again reach the top of the wrestling world, the Ace made his challenge by night’s end.
The history of the Rainmaker in NJPW and the history of he and Hiroshi Tanahashi is one and the same. From an explosive return from excursion that led to the Rainmaker Shock of 2012, through Okada’s struggles to finally defeat Tanahashi in the sacred ground of the Tokyo Dome, Okada and Tanahashi would trade wins and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Their Dallas Texas meeting that kicked off G1 Climax 29 was a key moment in defining Okada’s global superstar status, and two years later, represented the true ‘return of the Rainmaker’, and the solidifcation of Okada as the final boss of professional wrestling in the modern era.
Once the insurmountable obstacle to Okada where it mattered the most, Tanahashi is now the distinct underdog in the face of an indomitable champion. But 11 years removed from the Rainmaker Shock, could the Ace Shock see Tanahashi’s iron will once again be united with championship gold?
Double Main Event I: IWGP Women’s Championship- KAIRI vs Mercedes Moné
Singles record: 1-0 KAIRI
Mercedes Moné wrestles her first match in an NJPW ring, and her first bout since May 2022 as she challenges the first IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI. Moné was the talk of the wrestling world as she appeared in Tokyo Dome on January 4 and declared KAIRI the first victim of her ‘global domination tour’. Yet KAIRI’s big match record over the last year, with huge strides in her last year of competition in STARDOM has been something Moné has to acknowledge and be wary of.
Honed by a full year plus of training all the way around the world, the challenger presents a mysterious task for KAIRI to tackle; the CEO evolution of a woman who spearheaded WWE’s female division is hard to gameplan for indeed. Yet with KAIRI’s grappling ability, knockout backfists and proven conditioning make for a deadly combination. The most hotly anticipated match in professional wrestling this year may be its most competitive to boot.
6th Match: NJPW World TV Championship- Zack Sabre Jr. vs Clark Connors
The NJPW World TV Championship is on the line when Zack Sabre Jr. faces the challenge of Clark Connors. ZSJ’s first defence of the new title at New Beginning in Sapporo against Tomohiro Ishii certainly heavily ticked some boxes when it came to the philosophy behind this new championship, defended with 15 minutes on the clock. It was intense, high paced and immensely hard fought. In Connors, the title will tick another- that of younger contenders looking to make a huge break.
The Wild Rhino made great strides in 2022, from competing for STRONG Openweight gold at the start of the year to teaming with Ryusuke Taguchi at calendar’s end. That versatility could see the champion in trouble tonight if Sabre looks past Connors; could we see the second TV Champion crowned in San Jose?
5th Match: Filthy Rules Fight- Tom Lawlor vs Homicide
Singles record: 1-0 Homicide
An issue months in the making sees the first ever Filthy Rules Fight between Homicide and Tom Lawlor. Starting with an altercation in Las Vegas back in the autumn, and escalating through attempts by the Notorious 187 to stab Lawlor with a fork, Tom Lawlor and Homicide’s hatred for one another has escalated with each passing week, and factional warfare between Homicide’s rough fighting friends in Eddie Kingston, Wheeler Yuta and David Finlay, and the members of Team Filthy.
Lawlor eventually issued a challenge to settle this feud once and for all. In a Filthy Rules Fight, ring ropes will be taken down, the ropes not confining the two competitors. No ropes means no rope breaks to act as an escape, and nor will either man receive reprieve from the bell from a disqualification. The referee is only present to count a pinfall or determine a submission or knockout in what’s sure to be a dramatic and violent affair.
4th Match: Eddie Kingston vs Jay White
Another feud that was sparked in Las Vegas last autumn, Jay White has been calling out Eddie Kingston ever since the Mad King was forced to pull out from Autumn Action due to illness. With the two men continuing to snipe at one another in comments, social media and press conferences, they eventually met at Rumble on 44th Street back in October in tag team action. That night Kingston and Kazuchika Okada’s defeat at the hands of Jay White and Juice Robinson only served to further boil ill tempers for Kingston, with that fury resulting in him challenging White to a Loser Leaves Japan bout.
A one time formidable empire for Jay White has collapsed in 2023. The year started with a defeat at the hands of Okada and the loss of his world title in the Tokyo Dome, and continued with a defeat to Hikuleo, forcing him out of Japanese competition. White heads into this bout without BULLET CLUB allies and with future uncertain. Yet is this the ultimate situation for wrestling’s ultimate counter puncher to snuff out Kingston’s NJPW career?
3rd Match: STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
The NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships are on the line when Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Motor City Machineguns face the challenge of Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson of the West Coast Wrecking Crew. Since picking up the titles in a surprise three way victory back at Rumble on 44th Street, the Guns have gone on to become double tag champions, adding IMPACT gold to their collection. The veterans continue to spearhead tag team wrestling deep into their third decade of teaming together, but Nelson and Isaacs are not going to wait their turn. Flying the flag for tag team wrestling on STRONG before there were tag titles or even people in the venues, the West Coast Wrecking Crew are bringing a lot of pride with them to San Jose; will they leave with the belts as well?
2nd Match: STRONG Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser vs KENTA
Mr. No Days Off Fred Rosser has been the embodiment of that catchphrase through his STRONG Openweight Championship reign. With seven defences in as many months, this fighting champion has bravely carried the standard for NJPW STRONG but now faces the toughest challenge of his run so far in KENTA. Defeated in Osaka by the man who will challenge Okada in the second main event, KENTA will be doubly motivated not to let this opportunity slip through his fingers, and with a focus on US competition in the coming weeks, could be representing NJPW in the US at large.
1st Match: Volador Jr., Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA & The DKC vs Rocky Romero, Josh Alexander, Adrian Quest & Mascara Dorada
An all star eight man kicks off the main card at Battle in the Valley, with focus on a pair of key issues. As Volador Jr. and Rocky Romero’s rivalry south of the border in CMLL escalates, what will come from their interactions? And with KUSHIDA set to wrestle IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander March 30 at Multiverse United, what will come from this tag team preview?
Kickoff Match 2: Bobby Fish vs David Finlay
Singles record: 2-0 Fish
The second of two free kickoff bouts, David Finlay goes head to head against Bobby Fish in San Jose. When Finlay came to the aid of Homicide against Team Filthy, and Tom Lawlor’s training partner Bobby Fish joined the group on NJPW STRONG, Fish and Finlay were on a collision course. Fish holds a 2-0 record over the Rebel, but a lot has changed for both men since their last meeting way back in 2016. After Finlay had breakout performances in 2022, can we expect him to start his 2023 US campaign with a win?
Kickoff Match 1: JR Kratos vs Alex Coughlin
Singles record: 1-1
A rematch over a year in the making will start the night when Alex Coughlin faces JR Kratos. When Coughin was looking to graduate from Young Lion status in the LA DOjo, he set himself an open challenge series to further himself- a series that ended with an immense upset win over super heavyweight Kratos. The victory saw Coughlin transform into the Android and move up the ranks, but Kratos was eager to avenge the loss. As tensions brewed, a rematch was put together, but when injuries and fate stepped in the way, it seemed as if the two couldn’t settle their differences- until tonight.
