Former ROH Champion Announces Retirement Match

Japanese wrestling veteran Sumie Sakai has announced her retirement match for an upcoming show, issuing a challenge to a current NJPW star.

Following previously hinting that she was planning to step away from the ring for good, the former ROH Women of Honor Champion has confirmed that her final match will take place at NJPW Battle in the Valley on January 11, 2025.

Sakai has now issued a challenge to World Tag League 2024 winner Hiromu Takahashi, approaching him backstage after his match at NJPW Strong Style Evolved.

The former ROH champion challenged Takahashi to a mixed six-person tag-team bout, with both stars to team with two partners.

Commenting on her upcoming retirement match, Sakai took to Twitter to write:

My retirement match will be on January 11th.(SAT) 2025 in San Jose #njbitv

Thank you so much NJPW and Hiromu😭🙏❤️

My Tag Partners…….. 🤔🤔🤔

One Men’s wrestler and One Women’s wrestler…….

While Sakai has been active since April 1997, she arrived on the radars of many US-based wrestling fans during her stint with ROH.

She became the inaugural Women of Honor Champion in April 2018, the promotion’s first women’s world title, which was replaced by the ROH Women’s World Championship in 2021.

Battle in the Valley will emanate from the San Jose Civic in California on January 11, 2025.

For the latest NJPW updates and news stories, click here.

Breaking@SumieSakai is set to retire at Battle in the Valley January 11- and will face @TIMEBOMB1105 in six person action for her last match!

But who will join them?#njpw #njbitv pic.twitter.com/uT1Teq9H6V

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 16, 2024

Inaugural #ROH Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai has challenged Hiromu Takahashi to a mixed six-person tag-team bout for her retirement match!

Sakai's retirement match will take place at #NJPW Battle in the Valley on January 11. pic.twitter.com/RKYqDE3MjT

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) December 16, 2024

 

 

 

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