New Japan Pro Wrestling is set to return to the U.S. this Saturday for Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California. The event might mark Jay White’s final appearance with the promotion.
The main highlight of the show is the debut match of Mercedes Moné, along with the latest chapter in the iconic rivalry between Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Yet, much of the attention will be on The Switchblade following the dramatic outcome of his Loser Leaves Japan match at The New Beginning.
Last week, Hikuleo defeated the Bullet Club leader, effectively exiling him from Japan. Accepting his fate, the New Zealand wrestler then set his sights on a showdown with AEW’s Eddie Kingston. This week on Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive, Kingston upped the ante by challenging White to a Loser Leaves NJPW match, which White accepted. While the stipulation doesn’t add much suspense, as many assume it will be White’s final NJPW match, it does add gravity to the event.
This match is expected to symbolize the end of the Cutthroat Era and position King Switch as wrestling’s most sought-after free agent. In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, White expressed a sense of closure about his NJPW journey.
“I don’t know if there is much more I could have done,” he stated. “I don’t feel like I left a bunch of boxes unchecked. I’ve been living it, so it can be hard to appreciate it in the moment, but as I move on, I’ve started to look back at the weight some of it holds. As time goes on, I hope people appreciate it even more.”
White, NJPW’s first grand slam champion, had a remarkable and influential run with the company. So, what’s next for the self-proclaimed Catalyst of Pro Wrestling?