New Japan Pro-Wrestling will cap off a great day of wrestling on February 18th with one of the biggest shows they have ever performed in the United States, featuring the most important women’s match in the company’s short history in the women’s wrestling promotion.
Mercedes Mooney (Fka WWE’s Sasha Banks) vs. KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship is one of five matches for the title tonight. Battle in the valley View from San Jose, California. World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defends old rival Hiroshi Tanahashi. The lineup also includes Loser Leaves NJPW between Switchblade Jay White and AEW’s Eddie Kingston, and much more.
Battle in the valley will flow on FITE for $19.99. The main show starts at 10 p.m. ET, and the free-to-watch Kickoff show starts 40 minutes early. You can watch it here.
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results
• Alex Coughlin def. JR Kratos via pinfall after German Suplex (preview)
• David Finley def. Bobby Fish via Pin Up After Trash Panda (preview)
• The show is currently delayed due to persistent technical issues encountered during the pre-show in the PPV… It’s back at around 10:45. Well, the video anyway…
• Kushida, Volador Jr., Kevin Knight and DKC def. Mascara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Adrienne Quest, and Rocky Romero. Knight pinned DKC after a DDT while KUSHIDA had Alexander at Hoverboard Lock.
• Volador and Romero then brawled on the floor, and Volador challenged Rocky to a hair match
• I was def. Fred Rosser via pinfall after Go To Sleep to become the new UFC Openweight Champion. Rosser hit KENTA while the referee fell after blow, and Juice Robinson hit Rosser with a loaded punch to set up the finish.
• Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) def. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Issacs) via pinfall after dirt bomb on Issacs, holding strong Openweight title
• Eddie Kingston def. Jay White via hold after four backstays and two drivers in the Northern Lights. As per the stipulation, White could never wrestle in NJPW again. more here.
• A bitter David Finley knocked out White before he could cut a promo, yelling about how it made him feel sick that Jay had New Japan in the palm of his hand and pissed him off. Tired of being treated like an outsider wherever he goes, Finlay said that if anyone in a new Japanese episode was in any company, it had better be with his permission.
• Tom Lawlor def. Killing in battle dirty rules. Homicide passed his middle fingers in the air while in a rear naked choke that came after he was hit in the head with a door and headbutted off a ladder.
• Zack Saber Jr def. Clark Connors via submission with an armbar to retain the NJPW Television Championship. Connors became despondent as the match approached the 15-minute time limit for the TV title, and ZSJ grabbed him while they traded.
• Kevin Knight met Saber at the curtain looking for a shot, but the hero kept him away from him.
• KAIRI (c) vs. Mercedes Mooney for the IWGP Women’s Title
will come later
• Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
