During New Japan’s Strong Style Evolved event, main-evented by the blistering match between Mercedes Mone and Hazuki, Sumie Sakai announced that she would be retiring from professional wrestling on January 11th at Battle in the Valley.
Meeting with Hiromu Takahashi backstage during his post-match comments, Sumie asked if Hiromu would be her final match before retirement. Though flattered and immediately accepting the invitation, Takahashi did proffer the suggestion that perhaps it shouldn’t be a singles match, and more of Sumie’s friends and allies from over the years should be allowed to participate in the match. With that, a 6-person tag team match for Battle in the Valley on January 11th at the San Jose Civic Center between ‘Team Hiromu’ and ‘Team Sumie’ was made official.
It's official!@MayuIwatani will join Hiromu Takahashi as part of @SumieSakai's last match January 11!
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 19, 2024
Battle in the Valley TICKETS: https://t.co/y4PeEAzsfr#njpw #njbitv pic.twitter.com/u3voaKjvRJ
あの澄江さんが引退！！！？
— 岩谷麻優 MayuIwatani (@MayuIwatani) December 16, 2024
本当に引退？！
ヒロムさんが言う通り何度引退するって聞いたか😂
でも、こうやって引退試合があるなら、私は何処にでも行きます。
いや、行かせて下さい！
アメリカの母ちゃん、澄江さんと闘いたいです。
高橋ヒロム選手！
是非お友達になっていただけないでしょうか？ https://t.co/sPmHiNckwO
Hiromu has been the first to announce a member of his team, taking into account that Mayu Iwatani had taken to Twitter the moment the retirement had been announced to express her desire to be on Hiromu’s team, and to have the chance to wrestle her ‘American mother’ Sumie Sakai. Via a video on the New Japan official Twitter page, Hiromu confirmed that Mayu will be the first announced member of his team, with further announcements on the final member, and Sumie’s two partners, expected soon.
NJPW Battle in the Valley will air on PPV on 11th January 2025 with purchase information to be announced soon.
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