Various: NJPW Announces 2025 International Schedule & Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Final US Match, NEVER Openweight Title Match Set for NJPW Battle in the Valley, ROH Women’s World Title Match Set for 1/13 Stardom Event

Jan 5, 2025

NJPW Announces International Schedule for 2025 & Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Final US Match Date

New Japan Pro Wrestling recently announced their and Stardom’s current schedule of international events for 2025. It was also announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi will be having his final match in the United States at their Windy City Riot 2024 event this April in Chicago, Illinois.

Current 2025 NJPW & Stardom International schedule:

January 11th – Battle in the Valley 2024 at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California
April 11th – Windy City Riot 2024 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
TBA (Mid-April) – Stardom event in Las Vegas, Nevada
May 9th – Resurgence 2024 at the Toyota Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
August 24th – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 in London, England

Major events happening internationally in 2025!

Stay tuned for more news, and join us in San Jose January 11 for Battle in the Valley!https://t.co/y4PeEAA04Z #njpw #njriot #njbitv pic.twitter.com/xVkDTuj5CY
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 5, 2025

NJPW returns to the Wintrust Arena in Chicago For Windy City Riot!
Watch Hiroshi Tanahashi wrestle in the USA for the FINAL TIME!#njpw #njriot pic.twitter.com/XLuOGOH2tF
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 5, 2025

KUSHIDA vs. Konosuke Takeshita for NEVER Openweight Title Match Announced for NJPW Battle in the Valley 2025

NJPW recently announced one new match for the card of their Battle in the Valley 2025 event, which takes place on January 11th at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.

This new match announced was a NEVER Openweight Championship match of KUSHIDA vs. Konosuke Takeshita (c).

Current card for NJPW Battle in the Valley 2025:

NJPW Strong Openweight Championship – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd (c)
NJPW NEVER Openweight Championship – KUSHIDA vs. Konosuke Takeshita (c)
NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship – Roppongi ReVice (YOH & Rocky Romero) vs. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) (c)
Sumie Sakai Retirement Six-Person Tag Team match – Sumie Sakai & House of Torture (EVIL & SHO) vs. Hiromu Takahashi, Mayu Iwanatni, & Yuka Sakazaki
Matt Vandagriff & Fred Rosser vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito)
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero

Thelka vs. Athena for ROH Women’s World Title Announced for Jan. 13th Stardom Show

Sunday’s NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty event at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan featured Momo Watanabe defeating Athena, Persephone, and Willow Nightingale in a Four-way match to become the winner of the International Women’s Cup. This match was notable for Thelka interfering in the match and costing Athena the chance at the victory.

Following the match, Athena was involved in a backstage “altercation” with Thelka and granted Thelka a shot at her ROH Women’s World Championship at Stardom’s event on January 13th in Japan.

It’s official!

Athena will defend the ROH Women’s World Championship against Thekla at Stardom’s Korakuen Hall show on January 13th!

Backstage comments with ROH Women’s World Champion Athena.@elpep23 📷#njpw #njwd #wrestledynasty #aew @njpw1972 @njpwglobal #stardom #cmll… pic.twitter.com/Nog3X7E1GG
— Pep S. Caro (@ElPep23) January 5, 2025

This match was initially setup following Athena and Thelka teaming up together to defeat Tay Melo & Mina Shirakawa at Stardom’s New Year Dream 2025 event this past Friday in Tokyo. In a backstage press conference, Thelka issued a challenge to Athena for her title, which Athena refused and Thelka responding back with ominous statement.