– NJPW confirmed several more matchups for next month’s Battle in the Valley event. It’s scheduled for January 11 in San Jose, California at the San Jose Civic. In a special singles bout, Zack Sabre Jr. faces Hechicero. Here’s the full announcement:
More matches official for Battle in the Valley!
More matches have been made official for January 11 in San Jose, as the Battle in the Valley lineup continues to build.
Zack Sabre Jr. will face Hechicero in a special singles match in San Jose. In 2024, the llave alchemist Hechicero reunited in ring with ZSJ after six years apart, and the result was a win for the maestro on home turf in Mexico. Then Sabre would get a victory back on his own home ground in London later in the summer. That has led to the need for a rubber match on the neutral territory of the San Jose Civic, as all eyes will be on perhaps the two finest technicians in the world.
The teams are now set for Sumie Sakai’s last ever match in San Jose. With Sakai being such a loved and respected figure in pro-wrestling, Hiromu Takahashi took the task of finding partners for this mixed 6 person tag very seriously. Needing to find two women, he found two of the best in STARDOM’s Icon Mayu Iwatani, and the ever colourful Yuka Sakazaki. Yet after a backstage attack on Hiromu Takahashi, Sumie’s partners were revealed as EVIL and SHO of HOUSE OF TORTURE! Sumie’s last match has seen her try to bring SHO and EVIL back around to the kinds of people who she aided in their respective US excursions; will they see the light before her career comes to an end?
The NJPW STRONG Tag Team Championships will be on the line when new champions the West Coast Wrecking Crew seek their first defence. Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs finally clinched the STRONG Tag gold from the Grizzled Young Veterans at Strong Style Evolved in Long Beach this December. Rocky Romero was quick to congratulate the new champs- and to issue a challenge on behalf of himself and YOH. Roppongi ReVice had an impressive run in Super Jr. Tag League, but will they be able to claim the STRONG titles?
More tag team action will see a TMDK side fielded by Shane Haste and Bad Dude Tito to take on Fred Rosser and Matt Vandagriff. STRONG Survivor for well over a year, Vandagriff lost that spot in the kickoff to Strong Style Evolved against Zane Jay. Later that night, Tom Lawlor took a Tequila Screwdriver from Bad Dude Tito that left he and Rosser eager for revenge against TMDK. Yet with Lawlor indisposed, Vandagriff saw an opportunity to move up the card. Will the brash and arguably disrespectful Vandagriff be able to gel with the Academy coach?
Here’s the updated lineup for NJPW Battle in the Valley on January 11:
* NJPW Strong Openweight Championship Match: Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships Match: West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. Rocky Romero & YOH
* Sumie Sakai, EVIL, & SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi, Mayu Iwatani, & Yuka Sakazaki
* Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero
* TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito) vs. Fred Rosser & Matt Vandagriff
Official for Battle in the Valley!
🦈The international rubber match!
Hechicero vs Zack Sabre Jr!🦈HOUSE OF TORTURE crash Sumie Sakai's retirement match!
🦈#njpwSTRONG Tag titles!
Roppongi ReVice vs WCWC!https://t.co/LQ0ZnrIkxBTIX; https://t.co/y4PeEAzsfr#njpw #njbitv pic.twitter.com/Yvmmj01O5a
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 25, 2024
