Battle in the Valley (2024)

Promotional poster featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**Battle in the Valley (2024)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). The event will take place on January 13, 2024, at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California, United Sates. The show will be headlined by Kazuchika Okada facing Will Ospreay.

This is the third event under the Battle in the Valley name, with the first occuring in November 2021. The event featured the in-ring debut of Matt Riddle in NJPW, as well as wrestlers from NJPW partner promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and Major League Wrestling (MLW).

The show was also notable for the unannounced NJPW debut of AEW performer Jack Perry, who had not appeared in a wrestling ring since his AEW suspension from his backstage brawl with CM Punk at All In 2023. At the event, he attacked Shota Umino following the main card's opening six-man tag team match; after laying Umino out, he tore up his AEW contract in the ring and donned an armband reading "scapegoat".

## Production

### Background

In October 2019, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) announced their expansion into the United States with their new American division, New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). Since February 2020, due to restrictions COVID-19 pandemic imposed in the United States, NJPW began promting events under closed doors, as part of the *NJPW Strong*. The event was announced on September 29, 2023, taking place on January 13, 2024 at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California. Tickets went on sale on October 5 with prices ranging from $29 to $299.

### Storylines

Battle in the Valley (2024) features professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

   Battle in the Valley (2024) was main evented by Kazuchika Okada facing Will Ospreay. On December 25, in interview before Wrestle Kingdom 18, Opsreay challenged Okada to a match at Battle in the Valley. Initially, Ospreay hoped to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against him, however, he failed to win the match to crown the inaugural champion.

On October 3, 2015, in a Revolution Pro Wrestling event, Ospreay faced Okada but lost the match. However, Okada was impressed with Ospreay's performance and recommended him to NJPW officials. This eventually led to Ospreay being signed by NJPW. Subsequently, Ospreay was announced as the newest member of Okada's stable, CHAOS. In the following years, Ospreay established himself as a fan favorite in NJPW's junior heavyweight division, before turning on Okada to form his own stable the United Empire and eventually winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and main eventing Wrestle Kingdom 16 and reaching the 2022 G1 Climax, always losing to Okada, before getting a win over him in the following G1 Climax.

On January 5, 2024 at *New Year Dash*, during a post-match interview, Shingo Takagi challenged Jon Moxley to a match at Battle in the Valley. Moxley accepted only on the condition that it was no disqualification match, setting up the match for the event.

On November 10, 2023 at Lonestar Shootout, Gabe Kidd attacked Eddie Kingston, after he had successfully defended the Strong Openweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima. Meanwhile, Alex Coughlin and Clark Connors attacked Hikuleo and El Phantasmo after their successfully defended the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship. At *New Year Dash*, in a post-match interview, Coughlin and Connors challenged Phantasmo and Hikuleo to a title match at Battle in the Valley, while Kidd challenged Kingston for the Continental Crown Championship. In the same interview, David Finlay also challenged TJP to a match at the event.

On October 28 at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, after Giulia successfully retained the Strong Women's Championship defeating Hyan, Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Trish Adora asked why had Giulia had not challenged her to match and requested a title match in the future. Following another title defense against Megan Bayne at Stardom Dream Queendom on December 29, Adora appeared in a in a pre-taped vignette, challenging Giulia to a title match at Battle in the Valley, which she accepted setting up the match for the event.

## Results

### Kickoff

 2P | Stephanie Vaquer defeated Viva Van
 3P | Jacob Fatu, Fred Rosser, and Shota Umino defeated Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson, and Royce Isaacs)

* (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
* – refers to the video of that match
* **P** – indicates the match took place on the pre-show