NJPW BATTLE IN THE VALLEY 2023 REVIEW
After running 5 consistently sold out shows to 500+ capacity rowdy family audiences, it’s safe to say that launching Slam Pro in Canberra was a choice that is paying off. Canberra as a market is wildly under-served for live wrestling, and Slam’s sleek presentation, central venue, and effective marketing have paid dividends. Even more impressive, they’ve built this audience without once booking international talent.
While not promoted as such, this show was a de facto 1-year Anniversary event. The card demonstrates some of the best things that Slam does, highlights its areas for development, and establishes several new directions.
At the time of writing, Slam Pro’s events are not available for streaming outside of piecemeal matches popping up on YouTube. However, there have been cameras filming every show, so I imagine it’s a matter of time.
Match #1 – Adrian Quest, Josh Alexander, Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero vs. Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA, The DKC & Volador Jr.
This was standard opening NJPW fare but achieved a LOT of things in a short time. Built up the Rocky/Volador feud in CMLL, previewed the KUSHIDA/Alexander match for IMPACT, and gave the young lions (or recent YL graduates) some shine.
I originally wrote down all the performances that impressed me, but the list of names that didn’t stand out ended up being much shorter – The DKC and Josh Alexander were bit-players in a match where everyone else got their shit in.
3 stars – Nice table setting for future work.
Match #2 – Fred Rosser vs KENTA
Fred Rosser is the unsung hero of NJPW Strong, having sneaky-good matches under the radar in his reign as STRONG Openweight Champion. His time as Ace of the sub-brand, and steady development along the way, will hopefully earn him a recurring spot on the Japan-facing arm of the roster.
The start of the match felt like another mailed-in KENTA performance but Rosser didn’t take his foot off the gas pedal, lighting a fire under KENTA with some fighting in the crowd. This was a solidly worked professional match with a fun finishing sequence of strikes, nearfalls and counters. Following some Juice interference, Rosser’s admirable title reign has come to an end as the brand transitions to a new era.
3 ¼ stars – A solid-as-hell ending to a solid-as-hell title reign.
Match #3 – The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) (c) vs. The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
This was good, not great. MCMG are an all-time team and WCWC has been entertaining for quite a while, but this match was kneecapped by the time restraints – it felt like as soon as the match started to get out of second gear it was already over. Some fun double-teaming but didn’t stick around long enough to make an impact.
2 ¾ stars – Good potential struck down by timing issues.
Match #4 – Jay White vs Eddie Kingston - Loser Leaves NJPW
The story here was simple and beautiful – over the course of the match you watch Jay White grow a spine.
It begins with the typical Jay White avoidance to engage, taking a powder to the floor at every available opportunity. However, he slowly gets goaded into strike battles and tests of willpower by Kingston, who gives an incredible babyface performance here waking up a flaccid crowd.
In an inversion to expectation, any time Jaw White comes to the table with strikes, suplexes and no-selling showdowns, he gets the upper hand. It’s when he falls back into bad habits (eye rakes, low blows) that he loses momentum and quickly pays for it. In contrast, Kingston’s usual fortitude isn’t enough here, and he only comes out on top when playing Jay’s typical dirty game.
This match lays bare the claim that Jay White, if wrestling on the basis of his own skills and heart, can withstand the toughest and best – it’s his own insecurity and cowardice that costs him everything, time and again. To become the man, the dominant world champion he was always positioned to be, he must confront his own vulnerabilities and embrace his dormant fighting spirit.
After many months of verbal and online barbs thrown at each other, White succumbs after an incredible finishing sequence featuring multiple backhands, northern light drivers, and one last defiant act of spitting in Kingston’s face.
Few can win over a crowd as a babyface like Eddie Kingston.
But no one plays the role of a fallen Icarus like Jay White.
4 ½ stars – The purest expression of in-ring storytelling. Highly Recommended.
Match #5 - Homicide vs Tom Lawlor - Filthy Rules Match
This site’s motto is “Death to Dull Wrestling.” This match embodies that motto.
Lawlor was gearing up for a no-rope, MMA style fight and had his rules quickly turned against him with a steel chair at terminal velocity right to the head. From there, this was a dumb parade of weapons, headshots galore, gimmicky spots, awkward bumps, and I loved every damn second.
The Death Valley Driver through a door from the rope-less ring to the floor was the biggest highlight but the finish sequence involved a diving headbutt from the top of a ladder from Lawlor onto a prone Homicide with a chair on his face, then a NKOTB and a choke out victory.
3 ¾ stars – Fun, dumb wrestling that is a breath of fresh air in 2023.
Match #6 – Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Clark Connors
The crowd were absolutely dead for this after the previous two matches and it’s a crying shame. ZSJ employed typically fantastic limb work and Connors convincingly played the naïve young upstart who kept getting caught due to inexperience. However it was to no avail. Oh well.
2 ¾ stars – Competent work for a complacent crowd.
Match #7 - KAIRI vs. Mercedes Mone - IWGP Women’s Championship
No matter what the match ended up looking like, bringing in Mercedes Mone is a clear positive business move. Mercedes was the only consistent ratings draw on Smackdown in her last run, and she managed to capture the conversation and almost single-handedly sell out this show when she debuted at Wrestle Kingdom. It was the right move.
In the ring? It was good, not great.
As expected this one started slower than you’d hope for, but it seems the match was structured to account for a molten-hot crowd that never eventuated. Mercedes gets to do some great character work, and KAIRI is in the driver’s seat in terms of the workrate and skill.
Mercedes hasn’t been an active competitor for quite some time at this point - yes she’s been training in various promotions, but there was definitely some ring rust and it came through in the slightly lethargic pacing in this one.
That’s not to say there wasn’t a lot of good here. KAIRI’s offence looks as fantastic as ever, the spinning backfist, strikes, and variety of slams all look crisp and convincing. Mercedes incorporates a nice variety of new submissions and springboards into her tired old bag of tricks to bring some contrast and excitement.
The match picks up with the unfortunate decision to go with a Western-style ref bump leading to a table powerbomb spot by the entranceway. This is followed up by a wildly impressive Insane Elbow counter, with Mercedes getting pinpoint precision kicking the elbow midair. They trade dive reversals, finishers, and rollup attempts until Mercedes gets the Mone Maker for the win and the title.
A good match that falls toward the middle of the pack when looking at Joshi wrestling more broadly. But definitely one of the more fun matches of the night.
3.75 stars – A worthy return for a star with a bit of ring rust. Recommended.
Match #8 - Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - IWGP Heavyweight Championship
If there’s ever a pairing that is more reliable to have a reliable, worthy main event in Japanese wrestling then it is Okada and Tanahashi. Both of their character arcs are so intrinsically tied together, and they’re responsible for the past and current booms of the industry. Even when they are just ‘playing the hits’, it’s still always at least good.
And play the hits they did. Tanahashi working over Okada’s kneww, Okada looking to secure wrist control, Okada trying to prove he’s the man to the evergreen Ace in strike exchanges. Everything you’d expect from this pairing came together nicely.
Was this the best match these two have had together? No. Is it the worst they’ve had together? Probably. Is it still good? Yep.
Okada predictably gets the Rainmaker for the win in a feel-good main event that never crested too high but never felt uninteresting.
3.75 stars – A satisfying re-running of the hits at a bit of a slower pace.
AVERAGE RATING: 3.44 of 5 stars (or 6.88 of 10)
SUMMARY: This was a really solid show, full of good work and a mix of Japanese stars, Western stars, and rising talent from both sides. It was let down by a quiet crowd and shoddy production, but still a fun show very much worth your time.
