All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Carnival April 27th 2024

Welcome back for some more scintillating Champion Carnival action, we’re definitely in the thick of it these days and I guess I should do something resembling standings so we can understand the stakes involved.

MUSASHI, Seigo Tachibana & Shotaro Ashino vs. Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato & Lord Crewe

Background: Shotaro and Crewe are in the Carnival but they aren’t in the same block. The other guys are part of the endless All Japan mid card circus. Dan really wants Seigo’s singles title and Tamura and Hikaru are the mid-card tag champs.

The Match: Shotaro and Crewe start to a stand-still. We get Seigo and Tamura next and Tachibana is irked and wrestles angry and violent against the guy who has whooped him frequently the last couple weeks. Seigo’s team takes apart Tamura and Seigo makes them all squat to mock Dan. Musashi in solo leads to Tamura taking over and we get to Dan’s crew piecing apart MUSASHI until Shotaro comes in for another showdown with Crewe who takes over until a Shotaro suplex brings in Seigo and Dan. Both sides interfere but a Seigo lariat puts Dan down for 3.

**¼

Fun ending as Seigo finally has a leg up on Tamura, but most of the match was pretty paint-by-numbers.

A Block Match: Hokuto Omori vs. Ren Ayabe

Background: While neither guy has quite had the Carnival run they were hoping for, Ren has stood on his own two feet and had an incredible upset against Kento. Hokuto meanwhile has cheated every match and lost because of it.

The Match: Omori still has his horse-masked second with him but he reveals himself during his entrance and doesn’t sneak attack Ren pre-match. Ayabe wins the lockup battle and does a mocking break, and Hokuto just goes at him with forearms. Ayabe shrugs the offense off and tosses his smaller opponent around. Big boots and slams interspersed with arrogant covers from Ren have Hokuto playing outmatched underdog against his taller opponent. Omori keeps with the forearms but they do nothing until he finally reverses a suplex into his own brainbuster and then a DDT. Hokuto’s keylock gets control until Ren has a ropebreak as Omori sells his back from the beating he suffered. Back to trading shots and Ren wins that again. Ren hits his own brainbuster and then locks in a full-nelson, trapped, Hokuto kicks backwards for the low-blow but Ren is JUST TOO TALL and the dick-kicks miss. Dragon Suplex from Ayabe but Hokuto pulls the ref in front of him to kick Ren low and hits a flying headscissors for the upset pin.

**¾

Good story, as Ren got cocky, and Hokuto only cheated at the very end to set up a flash-pin for the win. Omori might have potential as an underdog babyface and Ren definitely could be an arrogant heel.

B Block Match: Hartley Jackson vs. Hideki Suzuki

Background: I think there is absolutely zero background between these guys at all. This is a total “huh okay” match in the tournament which can be very fun. Let’s see what these two weirdos can pull off.

The Match: Immediate shoulderblock from Hartley, but Hideki gets the Australian into the ropes and goes to work as they both slapfight a bit and then go to the mat. Stand-up and some strikes and it’s all very meandering so far. And Hideki gets the grounded Cobra Twist for the submission win.

*

…that’s it? I get it, I don’t like Hideki but man, what even is this supposed to be, it’s I guess some shoot style stuff, but nothing is done with intensity or like any of it matters. There are guys that can pull of the submission out of nowhere stuff and it works but what is any of this? Bad match and I don’t blame Hartley. Even a flash submission out of nowhere would have…I said I wasn’t going to say more, so I won’t.

A Block Match: Kento Miyahara vs. Cyrus

Background: So these guys have actually faced each other before, and in the Carnival to boot. So we have Kento as his Hogan-y best, domestic hero vs. big fat ugly foreign villain. Lets get it. Oh, and Cyrus has a singlet with a cool flame pattern on it.

The Match: Cyrus actually wrestles a bit to start, winning a lockup and then shoulderblocking Kento down. Miyahara low-bridges the American outside and tries to brawl with the big man. This obviously doesn’t work. After an extended if hilarious heat sequence on the outside Kento tries to comeback by slipping out of a lawn dart into the ring post but a powerbomb onto the ring apron cuts that off and we get a countout tease. Another mini-comeback from Miyahara is stymied until a missed senton sets up a failed Irish whip attempt from Miyahara (with tons of shrieks) finally lets him get the roll into the two dropkicks, but Cyrus works him in the corner and finishes with a savate kick (?!), Kento gets feet up for the Vader Bomb, but Cyrus gets his scoop powerbomb and a Vader Bomb…which misses outright. Sunset flip, Blackout Knee, schoolboy into a jackknife pin and Kento steals it!

***½

Classic big vs. little stuff with Kento selling the size difference fantastically and just being incapable of getting anything going at all for any length of time. I honestly could used 5+ more minutes of this.

Post-match Cyrus tears the ringside area apart and throws things into the ring while Kento plays to the crowd.

Naruki Doi, Ryo Inoue & Suwama vs. Rising HAYATO, The Bodyguard & Yuma Aoyagi

Background: This is mostly a mishmash of guys that we mostly know, but The Bodyguard is a big, roided, tatted up guy that has teamed with All Japan legend Zeus (not that one) in the past. Yuma and Suwama have wrestled in the past as well.

The Match: We get a circling, a staredown, and then a big lockup from Bodyguard and Suwama that’s a tie, and then we get the big Greco-Roman knucklelock test of strength won by Bodyguard…until Suwama kicks and gets a headlock. They posture some more and do some shoulderblocks and then they tag in Doi and HAYATO…who Doi immediately takes control. HAYATO comes back and does the backflip into a pose as he gets going and gets the vet down with a pescado. Yuma comes in and does some bully heel stuff on Naruki who reverses it and Aoyagi starts selling for Doi and Ryo (?!). Alright, this is weird. They drag Aoyagi outside and beat on him there, but Suwama quickly finds a Yuma fangirl in the front row and he proceeds to absolutely abuse her, he fakes swinging a chair on her and then grabs a Yuma towel to choke him with. Alright, this is really fun and the crow is having a blast. Suwma continues to beat Yuma’s butt and he’s having a blast just tearing him apart. Yuma gets a dropkick and we get Doi and HAYATO back at with Rising doing much better this time. Bodyguard and Ryo come in next and Ryo is getting agented strangely competently this match…and then I figure out why as Bodyguard gets a Steiner Recliner for the win.

**¼

Just A Match but Suwama had a fun segment with Yuma on the outside for a quarter star bonus. Yay!

A Block Match: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Kuroshio TOKYO Japan

Background: So, Davey Boy Smith Jr. is one of the most serious pro wrestlers alive, he hates goofy stuff and has repeatedly complained about it and really likes the Bloodsport style of worked shoot matches. Kuroshio is one of the silliest pro wrestlers alive.

The match: Kuroshio does the double entrance and brings out some cutouts of himself. DBSJ comes out scowling but does throw in a bicep flex for fun. Kuroshio puts the cutout in the ring and insists that it’s him and it should wrestle in his stead. After some more hotdogging from Kuroshio the match finally starts and Davey immediately tosses him down. Kuroshio will get temporary control with drop downs or eyepokes but Davey just destroys him with power stuff in response. Kuroshio wins a strike exchange with speed and gets a slingshot moonsault, but Kuroshio tries to get the Canadian in a fireman’s carry and collapses. Kuroshio stays in control however until DBSJ blocks a running enzuigiri and throws the smaller man around with suplexes and powerslams. Kuroshio gets a few more close rollups but he goes for a huracanrana that gets blocked into the powerbomb by Davey for 3.

***¼

Really fun big vs. little stuff and a serious vs. silly vibe as well. Good stuff and I like that Davey won by baiting out the rana and countering it, showing he learned.

B Block Match: Ryuki Honda vs. Jun Saito

Background: Both brawlers, they haven’t interacted much outside of a few tag bouts. But I imagine this is going to be about Jun being bigger, stronger, and calmer versus the wilder, younger, and more energetic Ryuki.

The Match: They circle and trade wristlocks and headlocks as this is a bit more calm than I would have expected but I guess neither guy wants to go crazy yet. They jaw in the ropes and both disrespect each other and Jun wins the shoulder block battle. They roll outside and Ryuki gets a lariat into the illegal choke on the ring barricade. Back inside and a Saito body slam and elbow drop have the big man in control. Countout tease while Jun poses in the corner and then gets back to clubbering. Ryuki finally comes back with a spinebuster that Jun did NOT go up for at all. They struggle over a brainbuster and Ryuki wins and gets a chinlock. Ryuki’s lariat gets blocked and Jun takes control with some corner punches and his own brainbuster, they slug it out and this is pretty lifeless so far. And just as I say that Ryuki fires back with some stuff and hits a spear and sets up Final Vent only for Jun to get his own spear. More run and gun stuff until a Jun chokeslam slows down Ryuki. Jun then gets a Bomaye Knee (?!?!) and the Jackhammer gets the win.

**¾

A bit sluggish in the middle but when it was just two ugly brawlers throwing haymakers it was pretty fun, Jun does need to improve as a seller and bumper though.

Fun moment as Jun and Rei pass each other on the way to the next match.

B Block Match: Rei Saito vs. Yuma Anzai

Background: Yuma and Rei have battled for the tag belts a few times and Yuma beat Jun earlier in this tournament. We got the clean-cut wrestler vs the big, sloppy brawler.

The Match: Nice lockup to start with Yuma getting Rei in the ropes. Second lockup is won by Rei who gives a very reluctant clean break. Shoulder block battle won by Rei but Yuma uses his speed and agility to try to get a sleeper but Rei dumps Yuma out of the ring and it’s time for Saito to abuse the champ, we get the choke with the towel and a few whips into barricades. Cute spot as Rei grabs a poster of himself and fans himself with it before clobbering Anzai and the youngster taking some pretty hilarious bumps as he’s thrown through stuff. A choke against the ring post and a shoulderblock into it has Yuma in serious trouble. Back inside and we get Rei stepping on Yuma with the help of the ropes and then his lick chop in the corner, Yuma fires back but a series of palm thrusts from the ex-sumo man have Anzai reeling. Yuma finally comes back with a missile dropkick, a jumping corner forearm, and a belly-to-belly on Rei. Yuma’s German is blocked and Saito tosses the champ around some more. Yuma ducks a running crossbody and a few knees let him hit the German. Both guys slug it out but Saito gets the crossbody and sets up his running palm thrust but Yuma ducks and gets the kneeling chinlock. Rope break, but Yuma gets a few knees and the kneeling chinlock again, Rei Samoan drops out. Both men are wobbling and they trade strikes in the center of the ring, they trade headbutts, but Rei wins the battle and gets a chokeslam for 2.9. Yuma struggles to his feet and Rei gets his running palm thrust that Anzai does a beautiful somersault sell for and Rei wins.

***½

Sometimes the monster wins. I really like Rei’s energy, and his ugly, brutal ugly brawling is perfect for the clean, honorable, and classic babyface style of Yuma. Should be a fun rematch post-Carnival as well.

So I broke down and I did the standings. These tournaments are 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.

A Block:

Kento Miyahara 6
Shotaro Ashino 6
Davey Boy Smith Jr. 4
Kuroshiro TOKYO Japan 4
Yuma Aoyagi 4
Cyrus 2
Hokuto Omori 2
Ren Ayabe 2

B Block:

Jun Saito 8
Yuma Anzai 6
Hideki Suzuki 4
Rei Saito 4
Suwama 4
Lord Crewe 2
Ryuki Honda 2
Hartley Jackson 0

Well that’s all tonight folks. Catch you on the other side.