NJPW Battle in the Valley 2024 Preview and Predictions
With Wrestle Kingdom 18 and New Year Dash!! in the books, NJPW travels over to the United States for the first time in 2024 for “Battle in the Valley.” Fans at the San Jose Civic Center will see stars from all over the world competing in a variety of matches that range from high-profile championship bouts, to blood-soaked brawls.
I didn’t get off the best of starts when it came to my Wrestle Kingdom 18 predictions, finishing with five correct answers out of 11. However, with another 11 matches on display at Battle in the Valley, let’s run down the card and see if I can fare any better.
Matt Vandagriff vs. Goldy:
The kick-off portion of Battle in the Valley will feature a “STRONG Survivor” match between two rising stars. Matt Vandagriff will have the hometown advantage being a California native, as well as the experience edge as he won two “STRONG Survivor” matches in 2023. His opponent will be Goldy, a product of the Monster Factory in New Jersey, and the current Monster Factory Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. Personally, I don’t know a lot about these two men so I can’t give a beat-by-beat breakdown of how this one will go, but given his past matches in NJPW STRONG in 2023, I’m going to give it to Vandergriff.
PREDICTION: Matt Vandergriff
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Viva Van:
A woman who had something of a breakthrough year in 2023 is Stephanie Vaquer. American fans will know her best from her work in NJPW STRONG, which included a match against Mercedes Mone at Resurgence in May. A veteran of 14 years, Vaquer will be taking on Viva Van, the much less experienced woman in the match, but has improved tremendously over the past few years, working matches for companies like AEW, ROH, AAA and TJPW. This match will determine who the next challenger for the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship will be, and given the wave of momentum she is on, I can see Vaquer securing the win.
PREDICTION: Stephanie Vaquer
Shota Umino, Jacob Fatu & Fred Rosser vs. Team Filthy:
It has not been confirmed what will open Battle in the Valley on Jan. 13, but if NJPW wanted to get the crowd going immediately, this trios match will be a great way to go. New Japan fans are already familiar with Shota Umino, Fred Rosser and Team Filthy, but it’s Jacob Fatu who could be the difference maker. If you recognize the name, it might be because he a member of the Anoa’i Family, being the son of The Tonga Kid and the cousin of Jimmy and Jey Uso.
Fatu will be making his NJPW debut in this match to the delight of everyone who has followed his career for years. He will add even more power to a match that already features Team Filthy, led by former UFC fighter Tom Lawlor. This one will be wild and chaotic at times, with many instances of big men doing things big men shouldn’t be physically able to do. However, when it comes to picking a winner, I can see Shota Umino picking up the win for his team.
PREDICTION: Shota Umino, Jacob Fatu & Fred Rosser
Rocky Romero & Soberano Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr.:
Fans of Lucha Libre will be pleased to see this one on the card as four men who stood out in CMLL in 2023 get the chance to strut their stuff in NJPW for the first time in 2024. Rocky Romero has had something of a career resurgence over the past two years thanks to his work in Mexico, with his feud with Volador Jr. being a true highlight of the early stages of last year. He has since gone on to feud with 22-year-old Mascara Dorada, formerly known as Mascara Dorada 2.0 before dropping the 2.0 last year, who will be one of the men to look out for in 2024.
Romero will team up with Soberano Jr., a man who has become one of Mexico’s star attractions in recent years and has always impressed NJPW fans when he is invited on to one of their shows. If you haven’t had the chance to follow CMLL, or any Lucha Libre for that matter in recent years, this match will be the perfect primer for you to get a glimpse of what you’re missing. This bout will be fast, athletic and a sight to behold, especially when Dorada gets the win for his team.
PREDICTION: Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr.
TJP vs. David Finlay:
A battle of champions is up next, but this is not about titles, it’s about vengeance. After Bullet Club and United Empire ripped apart Tokyo at New Year Dash!!, a 10-man steel cage match was confirmed for The New Beginning in Osaka event on Feb.11. In the build-up to this match, it seems as if multiple members of both factions will cross paths, with this bout between TJP and David Finlay being the first instance.
Finlay became the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18, while TJP secured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships with Francesco Akira, taking them from Bullet Club in the process. Bullet Club is known to play by its own rules, so expect one or two cameos from Finlay’s henchmen in this one, which will lead to the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion picking up the victory.
PREDICTION: David Finlay
Guerrillas of Destiny {c} vs. Bullet Club War Dogs [NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship]:
The first of three title matches on the Battle in the Valley card sees the newly crowned IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions defend the titles they have been holding for three months. El Phantasmo and Hikuleo defeated Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd in October to win the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships, and have since added another set of titles to their collection by defeating Bishamon at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Coughlin will be one of G.o.D’s opponents, with Clark Connors being the other.
Both Hikuleo and ELP have a long history with Bullet Club, with both men being members of the group in recent years. People like Coughlin and Connors have been brought into the group to replace the likes of ELP and Hikuleo, but the champions will have the experience edge in this one. The War Dog’s main problem has been that they are too emotional, and get too carried away with things. While you can make mistakes like those against younger talents and get away with it, you can’t when you’re facing the best duo in the company.
PREDICTION: Guerrillas of Destiny
Giulia {c} vs. Trish Adora [NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship]:
If there is one person everyone needs to keep an eye on in 2024, it’s Giulia. The STARDOM performer has become one of the most talked about wrestlers in the world in recent years thanks to her hard-hitting style, her championship victories, and the fact that she could be on her way to WWE later this year.
For fans who have yet to get a taste of her yet, this will be a great chance to get familiar with a woman who has all the tools to be one of the greatest wrestlers of her generation. But she doesn’t have it all her own way as her opponent is certainly no slouch.
Fans of AEW and ROH will be familiar with Trish Adora, a woman who hasn’t been given the chance to show what she’s made of on the biggest stages as of yet. If you need any reason why she is a worthy challenger, check out her matches in Beyond Wrestling against the likes of Suge D and Megan Bayne, as well as her 2022 bout with Thunder Rosa in Mission Pro Wrestling.
However, Giulia will be coming to San Jose as the clear favorite, and while Trish has what it takes to be a champion one day, Giulia will head back to Japan as the NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion.
PREDICTION: Giulia
TMDK vs. Matt Riddle & A Mystery Partner:
Fans were shocked to see former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle issue a challenge to NJPWWorld Television Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi at New Year Dash!!. They were even more shocked to learn that his New Japan debut would be taking place a week after his challenge as the former WWE United States Champion will be teaming up with a mystery partner to take on TMDK’s Bad Dude Tito and Zack Sabre Jr. at Battle in the Valley.
Riddle and ZSJ go back a long way as they have battered the life out of each other on multiple occasions in companies like EVOLVE, PWG and RevPro. However, a lot of things have changed since their last meeting, with Zack becoming the first-ever NJPWWorld Television Champion last year, holding the belt for one whole year. This is something Riddle will have in the back of his mind as he will be looking to grab Hiroshi Tanahashi’s attention. As far as his mystery partner goes, there is every chance it will be another former WWE Superstar coming to help Matt out. Whoever it is, I can see a Riddle victory, with Bad Dude Tito eating the pin.
PREDICTION: Matt Riddle & ???
Eddie Kingston {c} vs. Gabe Kidd [AEW Continental Crown Championship]:
At AEW Worlds End on Dec. 30, 2023, Eddie Kingston followed in the footsteps of his heroes by winning the Western equivalent of the famed Triple Crown Championship: the Continental Crown. The crown consisting of the AEW Continental Championship, the ROH World Championship and the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship is something that the Mad King has vowed to defend regularly, with this bout being his second defense of the year already.
We have already mentioned Bullet Club War Dogs a lot already, but if there’s anyone who personifies the word “war” quite like Gabe Kidd. He’s unhinged, unapologetic and unpredictable, a perfect opponent for someone like Kingston as Eddie will most likely chop Gabe’s nipples off and then throw him on them. It’s going to be the hardest-hitting bout of the entire show, lots of bruised chests and sore necks, but Eddie Kingston will be heading back to AEW with all three of his belts still in possession.
PREDICTION: Eddie Kingston
Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi [No Disqualification Match]:
The co-main event of Battle in the Valley is set to be the most violent of the entire event as Jon Moxley takes on Shingo Takagi. The Dragon interrupted Moxley’s post-match interview after New Year Dash!! to challenge him to a match, but not just any match, a No Disqualification match. These two men have only faced each other once before, that being in the G1 Climax in 2019, which saw Moxley pick up the win. However, this one will be very different.
Moxley has become known for being able to bleed on demand, so expect a lot of the red stuff to start flowing fairly early. Shingo isn’t really known for being a ‘weapons guy’ but considering that he has been able to withstand punishment from some of the best wrestlers in the world since the start of his career, a few chairs to the head probably won’t phase him. This match is one of, if not the most unpredictable on the entire show as it could go either way, but for my money, I think Moxley will be the one to get his hand raised, no matter how much blood he loses.
PREDICTION: Jon Moxley
Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay:
One of the greatest series of matches is hitting the United States for the very first time. This will most likely be the final time these two men will cross paths in New Japan Pro Wrestling, so both men will want to end this legendary feud with a win. The question is: Who will win?
Okada is coming off a big win at Wrestle Kingdom 18 over Bryan Danielson, but this will be Ospreay’s final match for New Japan in the United States, so he will have extra motivation coming into the bout.
When looking at the history books, Ospreay has beaten Okada during his time in NJPW. Both of the wins came in the G1 Climax in 2020 and 202, respectively, meaning that Will can get the job done over The Rainmaker, just not on the biggest stages.
With that being said, given that Ospreay will be leaving New Japan next month to join AEW, it’s more than likely that he will get the win over The Rainmaker. However, with this being his final NJPW in the US before he joins All Elite Wrestling, it wouldn’t surprise me if an AEW name challenged Ospreay to a match later down the line as the event draws to a close.
PREDICTION: Will Ospreay
AND THAT IS THAT! Are you looking forward to NJPW Battle in the Valley? Let us know in the comments section below! Don’t forget to follow myself and Vendetta Sports Media on all your favorite social media platforms.
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