Battle in the Valley (2023)

Promotional poster featuring Kazuchika Okada and Jay White

**Battle in the Valley (2023)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). The event took place on February 18, 2023, at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California, United Sates. The show was headlined by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi.

This was the second event under the Battle in the Valley name, with the first occuring in November 2021. The event featured the in-ring debut of Mercedes Moné (formerly known as Sasha Banks) in NJPW after making an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17, as well as wrestlers from NJPW partner promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and Impact Wrestling.

## 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 October 28, 2022 at Rumble on 44th Street, taking place on February 18, 2023 at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California. Tickets went on sale on November 14 with a the presale being on November 2, costing from $29 to $299. On January 9, 2023, tickets for the event officaily sold out after Mercedes Mone match announcement. On January 11, it was announced that winner of IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Kazuchika Okada and Shingo Takagi at The New Beginning in Osaka would defend the title at the event.

### Storylines

Battle in the Valley (2023) 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 (2023) was main evented by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi. On February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka, Kazuchika Okada successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Shingo Takagi. Following the match, Okada called out his longtime rival Hiroshi Tanahashi to be his next challenger for the title at Battle in the Valley, which Tanahashi accepted. This will be their first match against each other in America since the first night of 2019 G1 Climax in Dallas, and their first match for the title since 2018 Wrestling Dontaku.

On January 4, 2023, on the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Tokyo Dome, KAIRI successfuly defended the IWGP Women's Championship against Tam Nakano. As KAIRI was celebrating, she would be interrupted by the arrival of the debuting Mercedes Moné (formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE). As soon as she hit the ring, both women stared at each other with KAIRI raising her belt, teasing a match between the two. However, Mercedes went for a handshake, which KAIRI accepted. The handshake was set to be a trap, with Mercedes pushing KAIRI and hitting her with the *Statement Maker* with Mercedes reciting her past with KAIRI and with herself regarding as "making history" and challenging KAIRI for the IWGP Women's Championship at the event with the match being made offcial on January 5.

Their story dates back during their time with WWE, with their first encounter being at Women's Royal Rumble match at the 2018 Royal Rumble, where Mercedes and KAIRI took on one another during the match. They later got involved on each partners' feud with both KAIRI (alongside Asuka) and Mercedes (alongside Bayley) feuding with each other during the summer of 2020. Their last encounter occured when Bayley viciously assulted KAIRI with Asuka then coming to her aid, leading Mercedes to win the Raw Women's Championship for her fifth time after Asuka was counted out. This marked their last encounter until Wrestle Kingdom 17.

A match between Jay White and Eddie Kingston was announced for Battle in the Valley on January 19, following an altercation the two had on an episode of *NJPW Strong*. At The New Beginning in Osaka, White lost a Loser Leaves Japan match to Hikuleo, forcing White out of NJPW's Japanese operations. During the February 16 edition of *Wrestling Observer Live*, where both White and Kingston were guests on the show, the two agreed to add a Loser Leaves NJPW stipulation to their match after a heated exchange of words. The stipulation specifically states that should White lose he would be forced to leave NJPW and if Kingston should lose, he would not be allowed to wrestle for NJPW again without Jay White's permission.

## Event

### Pre-show

**Other on-screen personnel**
 Taito Nakabyashi

There were two matches contested on the pre-show. In the opener, Alex Coughlin faced JR Kratos. Coughlin won after a Deadlift German Suplex to get the victory. In the main event of the pre-show, Bobby Fish faced David Finlay. After an insane back-and-forth match, Finlay won after hitting the *Trash Panda* to get the victory.

### Preliminary matches

The opening contest was an eight-man tag team match between KUSHIDA, Kevin Knight, Volador Jr. and The DKC taking on Máscara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Rocky Romero and Adrian Quest. The end saw Knight hitting a Pendulum DDT on Quest, while Alexander was trapped in the *Hoverboard Lock* to get win the win for his team.

The next match saw a Strong Openweight Championship between the champion Fred Rosser and the challenged, the Strong Survivor winner, KENTA. The end saw, Rosser trapping KENTA in the *Crossface Chickenwing*, with KENTA at the same time bumping into the referee. KENTA tapped out, although the referee did not saw KENTA tapping as the referee was down. This allowed Juice Robinson, who was at the outside, interfering on KENTA's behalf, with Robinson hitting Rosser with the *Left Hand of God*, leading KENTA to hit the *Go 2 Sleep* for the win to become the new champion. With the win, KENTA became the third wrestler to hold and title and the first Japanese wrestler to do so.

The third match saw a Strong Tag Team Championship match between the champions, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) and the challengers, Team Filthy's West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaccs). The end saw after a hard-fought hitting match, The Gunns hitting Nelson with the *Dream Sequence* followed by the *Dirty Bomb* for the win to retain the titles.

The fourth match saw Eddie Kingston taking on Jay White, where if White lost he would have to leave NJPW, while should Kingston lost he would need White's permission to wrestle in NJPW. In the closing stages, White went for the *Blade Runner*; however, as the referee was trying to get control of match after being blindsided, White hit a low blow followed by the *Blade Runner*. As White went for the pin, Kingston rolled out of the ring to getting pinned, much to White's dispair. As Kingston got back in the ring, Kingston hit a sudden *Uraken* for a big near-fall. As Kingston went to greet White with a fist bump, White rejected it, leading Kingston to hit two more *Uraken*s, followed by an *Half-and-half Suplex* followed by a *Northern Lights Bomb* for very big near-fall. Kingston then hit White with another *Northern Lights Bomb* for the win, thus forcing White to leave NJPW. Kingston then left the arena, leading White to recover and speak. As White was about to speak, David Finlay appeared from behind and brutally hit White with his signature shillelagh. Finlay went to the microphone and denigrated White's era. Finlay then affirmed that for years he had prayed to have the opportunities White had created for himself. Finlay then proclaimed to be his time now, claiming to be Irish in America, American in Ireland and *gaijin* in Japan, with Finlay stating that he was there "out for blood". Finlay then teased a major statement that he was going to make in the first round of the upcoming New Japan Cup.

The next match saw a Filthy Rules Fight between Tom Lawlor and Homicide. The end saw, Homicide going for the *Cop Killa*, only to get hit by a back bodydrop onto a ladder followed by the *Penalty Kick* for a two-count. Lawlor then tossed a pile of chairs across the head of Homicide, only to hit a *Diving Headbutt* from the top of a ladder for another near-fall. Lawlor hit the *NKOTB* with Lawlor trapping Homicide in a *Rear Naked Choke*. Homicide refused to submit, giving Lawlor the middle finger before passing out to give Lawlor the win.

The fifth match saw a NJPW World Television Championship match between the champion Zack Sabre Jr. and the challenger Clark Connors. In the closing moments, Connors performed different pinning variations followed by a *Trophy Kill* attempt, with Sabre countering it with an *European Clutch* attempt, only to Connors trap Sabre in the *Sleeper Hold*. Connors went to another *Trophy Kill*, only to Sabre reverse and transition it into a *Fujiwara Armbar*, forcing Connors to submit for the win to retain the title. After the match, as Sabre was leaving the arena, Sabre was confronted by Kevin Knight, who proceded to challenge Sabre, with Sabre considering the challenge.

In the semifinal saw, the IWGP Women's Championship match between the champion KAIRI and the challenger Mercedes Moné. In a hard fought battle, the closing moments saw, Mercedes going for a Superplex attempt on the apron, only to KAIRI hit a Diving Foot Stomp on Mercedes. Mercedes hit a Corner Clothesline followed by a Flying forearm smash for a near-fall. At the 15 minute mark, KAIRI went for a move, only to Mercedes hit two consecutive *Meteora*s for a two-count. Mercedes went for another, only to KAIRI counter into an *Ikari* with Mercedes reaching the ropes. She eventually got on her feet, only to KAIRI hit the *Cutlass* to set up the *Insane Elbow*. As KAIRI was reaching the top turnbuckle pad, Mercedes hit a Belly-to-belly Suplex for a near-fall. Mercedes went for the *Three Amigos*, only to KAIRI counter with a DDT. As she was going for another *Cutlass*, Mercedes pulled the referee, hitting the referee instead. As the referee recovered, both women went to the entrance area, as both women fought each other, KAIRI hit Mercedes with a *Powerbomb* through a table. Back inside the ring, KAIRI went for the *Insane Elbow*, only to Mercedes avoid it, with KAIRI also avoiding a *Frog Splash* from Mercedes. As both women began a desperate exchange of strikes, they also went for multiple *Backslide* attempts, leading Mercedes to counter into the *Moné Maker* for the win to become the new champion. After the match, both women embraced, with KAIRI putting the IWGP Women's Championship belt on Mercedes' waist and raising her arm, with KAIRI leaving and letting Mercedes to celebrate the victory.

### Main event

In the main-event saw, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Kazuchika Okada and the challenger Hiroshi Tanahashi in a rematch from the first night of 2019 G1 Climax in Dallas, Texas, and their first title rematch since 2018 Wrestling Dontaku. In the closing moments, both men began exchanging high-impact elbow strikes, only to Okada hit a *Dropkick* followed by a *Landslide*. As Okada was going for the *Rainmaker*, Tanahashi countered it with a big slap into his body. Tanahashi then hit the *Sling Blade* followed by a *High Fly Flow* attempt, only to Okada hit Tanahashi with a *Dropkick*. Okada went for the *Rainmaker*, only to be countered with an *Inside Cradle* for a two count. On his third attempt, Okada would hit the *Cobra Flowsion* followed by the *Rainmaker* for the win to retain the title. After the match, Okada addressed the crowd and, on the behalf of Tanahashi, challenged for the IWGP Tag Team Champions, as Okada was leaving, he was interrupted by the recently crowned IWGP Women's Champion Mercedes Moné, who also remembered that she knew how to make history and teased a future match alongside Okada, citing them as the dream team. Okada closed the show with his catchphrase, with both persons celebrating afterwards and leaving the ring, thus closing the show.