All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Carnival May 12th 2024

Welcome back for the Champion Carnival finals and we have a doozy for you all today, we got title matches, we got tournament finals matches, we got tag matches, we got more tag matches, and we’ve got even more tag matches! We are in the spacious Yokohama BUNTAI with 2500+ in the building for this one. That’s I think pretty good for All Japan. This review is going to be a bit longer and most of that is me talking about the final match but I’m telling you it’s worth it.

Act & Riko Fukunaga vs. Marino Saihara & Yufa

Background: So Marino has short hair dyed blonde and a sorta jester-ish gear pattern of blue, maroon, and gold with some black in there. She seems peppy. Yufa has longer hair and is wearing some kaleidoscope rainbow vomit gear with a mess of patterns on it. She seems peppy. Act we know and has the blindfold and is this badass drunk ronin with black and red gear. Riko looks like she’s cosplaying as Mayumi Ozaki or Maya Yukihi and has a furry black jacket and black gear with a white frilly pattern on it. They’re clearly the heels.

The Match: The faces try the hot start to ambush the heel team, but Act has no time for such nonsense and just destroys Yufa. Act poses as she pins Yufa before bringing in Riko to continue the beating. But Yufa slips out of a Riko bodyslam and brings in Marino for her speed before Riko gets a sleeper and an armbar and this is just dance so far. Marino counters the armbar into a powerbomb on Riko but Riko gets up first (?!) and kicks her to tag in Act. We get some stuff and it ends with Yufa doing a stomp and then a double arm stretch on Act. Heels get the double dropkick (?!) and Act reverse something on Yufa and gets the powerslam for 2. Marino gets a weird slam off the top and all the other faces run-in to attack Act and Yufa gets an absolutely terrible move that I don’t know how to describe for 2. Act gets a reverse STO and brings in Riko and this is trash. Marino gets a judo throw and then an Argentine backbreaker drop and some more cool power stuff. Act breaks up an awkward move by Marino and Riko gets some big kicks. Riko and Marino brawl some more and Act comes in to bring in Yufa’s run-in and we get Act’s dope swinging guillotine choke and a missile dropkick on Marino but Marino somehow is up first (?!) against Riko but Fukunaga gets a cazadora for the win anyway.

DUD

That match didn’t make any more sense reading it than it did watching it. It was bad and ugly and nothing worked and the transitions were hideous. Bad stuff, don’t watch it.

Andy Wu & Seiki Yoshioka vs. Dan Tamura & MUSASHI

Background: So Andy Wu is new to us and he’s wearing a mask, is notably shorter than even Seiki and has swords and some Chinese-inspired fashion on. Seiki has the silver tights on and a hoodie as he comes out with a belt that I’m not sure where it’s from. Andy does a routine with his swords in the ring. Dan is fresh off a loss to Seigo for the Gaora TV Title and MUSASHI is another guy hungry for a title shot, they’re dressed in the regular. Anyway this match has three guys that could contend for midcard belts and also a guy named Andy Wu.

The Match: Tamura and Wu star and Andy stymies Dan with speed. MUSASHI comes in against Seiki next and man, Yoshioka is notably smaller than MUSASHI. Both guys pander to the audience a bit and Seiki has enough and goes in and they are OFF. Seiki is always fast but he’s running the ropes at a million miles an hour here before landing a kick. To credit MUSASHI he is keeping up and gets some generic cruiser stuff before the somersault plancha wipes out Seiki. Back in and Seiki dodges a MUSASHI jumping kick to set up his own offense and he’s just so insanely fast it’s unreal. Andy Wu comes in to do some stuff but Tamura is in now and just destroys everybody with his power. Andy cuts off Dan with a handstand rana off the ropes at least. Seiki pops in and hits a nice double-team tornado DDT and then a quebrada onto MUSASHI as Andy gets a shining wizard on Tamura for 2. Tornado kick (with egregious thigh slap) gets 2 again for Wu as he’s just going through all his stuff but a la magistral from Tamura gets 3.

**½

A lot of fun but still not much of a match. Still, Tamura working on non-brute force strategies to win matches is nice. Always a delight to see Seiki and Andy was better than I expected as well.

Hartley Jackson & Lord Crewe vs. Hokuto Omori & Kuma Arashi

Background: So Hartley and Crewe are both gaijin with questionable hair. Hokuto is a scumbag who likes kicking people in the balls and Kuma Arashi is a chunky heroic brawler who dresses like a barbarian. Lets see what happens next.

The Match: Kuma and Hartley start with some big fat guy stuff, Hartley knocks Kuma down and we get “JACKSON NUMBER ONE!” and then Crewe and Hokuto come in. Omori tries some stuff but Lord gets the advantage and tags in Hartley to keep the beating going with some chops. Back in and Crewe gets the nervehold of restholdery and we go at it at a very house show pace. Hokuto gets a missile dropkick though and in comes Kuma to do some big guy stuff against Crewe. Senton! Argentine backbreak rack! No sell the Hartley chops and toss Crewe at him! Okay that was good. Crewe gets some kicks after Kuma’s arrogant cover and with a “Hurry up! Hurry up!” to Hartley the gaijin double team Arashi before he gets a dropkick to bring in Omori. Omori gets a brainbuster after some work and then him and Arashi set up a tower of doom that’s cut off by Crewe so Kuma just powerbombs Hokuto. That was cute. It’s breaking down in Yokohama and a Hartley lariat sets up a Death Valley Driver to pin Omori.

**¼

Clunky with some blown spots and awkward sequences but it had a hot finishing sequence as Hokuto again faces cosmic justice on his way to a loss.

AKIRA, Shiro Koshinaka & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, Seigo Tachibana & Shotaro Ashino

Background: We know KTJ, Seigo, and Shotaro. We know Yuma, but AKIRA and Shiro are two old-timers (and I mean OLD). SHiro has a headband and is balding. AKIRA still has his hair and kind of looks like Broken Matt Hardy.

The Match: Kuroshio tries to do the double entrance but the ref drags him to the ring and makes him get ready. Very goofy stuff as Kuroshio dodges the ref and runs out amongst the crowd to do his entrance routine. Yuma has decided to honor his teammates and comes out in a gi and headband and does some martial arts poses. And it doesn’t last long as the youngsters jump them and go to work with chokes outside the ring. We got back in and while AKIRA hits a shockingly agile jumping kick, Seigo and Shotaro take him apart. We get some submissions on AKIRA and then Shotaro comes in and has a pretty funny spot where he gutwrenches AKIRA over to his corner to taunt them into tagging him before tossing the old man around. AKIRA finally comes back with a flying clothesline and in comes Shiro who is…much less agile but he styles around and gets a double flying butt with Yuma who is having fun with his role. Yuma keeps spamming hip checks into the air but Shotaro catches it for a German Suplex. KTJ comes in and kicks Yuma around. But when Shotaro holds Yuma for a dive from his teammates Seigo and Kuroshio bicker and it’s Shotaro who eats a pescado from AKIRA. Yuma comes in with more ferocious hip checks but Kuroshio grabs him before heel miscommunication between him and Seigo let AKIRA get a crossbody, Shiro get a diving hip check, and Yuma get a diving elbow to pin Kuroshio.

**½

Nonsense but amusing nonsense. AKIRA could maybe have an one-off against the Junior champ as well since he still seems like he can still go.

Post-match Yuma steals Kuroshio’s jacket and KTJ responds by wiping out Aoyagi with a chair and just kicking the heck out of him. Yuma continues the taunt and Kuroshio puts on Yuma’s gi to chase him some more. Well then.

Ren Ayabe vs. Rei Saito

Background: Different blocks and now meeting in a dream match of sorts. Rei is a rude, rotund, bearded ugly brute. Ren is a tall, gangly, erstwhile face. This could be weird so let’s check it out.

The Match: Both guys preen a bit and play to the crowd before anything happens. Lockup is won by Rei but Ren reverses it in the ropes and musses up Saito’s hair. Rei laughs about it but slaps Ren and tosses him outside to beat on him there. Ren counters Rei’s charge into the ringpost though with a big boot and just tosses Saito around and he’s way looser than he normally is. Ren relaxes in the ring while Rei eats the count. Back in and Ayabe can’t get the slam cause Rei is just too fat and Saito takes over with his own slam and then the corner chop business. Ren eventually comes back with his hooking clothesline but when he goes up Rei gets a superplex that Ren no-sells as he pops up to hit a dropkick before collapsing. They both get up and slug it out and they’re both lighting each other up. Ren gets the slam and he smells blood. Rei stuffs the tornado buster attempt and gets the goozle slap, the clubbing lariat and a few more slaps. Rei drops a “C’MON!” and he gets the running palm thrust for the win.

**¾

Lord help me but I love Rei’s whole schtick. He has absolutely zero athleticism but he’s a big charming weirdo who has a ton of weird creative spots that get monster reactions as he just lumbers around the ring and slaps folks. Ren is showing flashes of personality and this actually was one of his best matches as…sometimes two awkward guys with some charisma just being large and running into each other can be fun to watch.

Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono vs. Hideki Suzuki & Suwama

Background: Hideki and Suwama are whacky tag-team partners who hated each other but are now kinda cool with each other. Kono is an ex-Voodoo Murders guy trying to make it as a straight babyface and Funaki is of course a MMA legend with the tannest skin and the whitest teeth in wrestling. Funaki has a marvelous vest with big white fur on the back of it. Kono is in the t-shirt of shame.

The Match: We get Funaki and Hideki locking up to start and they trade some amateur stuff and nobody bumps or looks weak. Suwama comes in to liven things up. We get more gentle grappling and then Kono comes in and we get more…gentle grappling. Look, I get these guys are all old but c’mon now. Suwama gets a keylock on Kono and works that a while. Suwama gets an elbow out of a break and we start the slugfest which is emphatically won by Suwama with a double chop. Hideki comes in to keep it going but runs into a Kono boot and that lets Funaki tag in for some big kicks on Suzuki. Hideki is on his backfoot but he hits a desperation Cradle Tombstone. Suwama comes with his running corner lariat and belly-to-belly suplex and counters a Fuanki kick with an ankle lock that Masakatsu reverses into his own. Well done on that. Rope break for Suwama but Funaki keeps the beating on with some kicks before tagging in Kono to do his budget Jumbo offense. Jumping knee and backdrop driver from Kono. Hideki breaks up Kono’s chokeslam, but they mistime their double dropkick and it’s back to Suwama getting stomped on. Suwama stuffs Kono’s brainbuster attempt and a Hideki enzuigiri sets up the double dropkick which the crowd explodes for. Suzuki gets the manji-gatame on Funaki and Suwama gets the choke sleeper on Kono who taps.

**½

Well It picked up a lot, I remain not a big fan of any of these guys but Suwama but the chemistry with him and Hideki is fun and they know to let Suzuki mostly stay on the ring apron while Suwama works the match. Funaki is fine and Kono is kind of a slug. If the match didn’t have a totally pointless first 3 minutes I’d have gone higher but that opening technical bit was pretty whatever.

Post-match Hideki and Suwama bicker some more and fight over the towel and who gets to raise it in victory.

Cyrus & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. New Period (Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai)

Background: Cyrus and Davey Boy were in A Block and Ryuki and Yuma were in B Block. If you couldn’t tell, Ryuki and Yuma are a tag team in the delightfully named New Period where the clean-cut super babyface ace Yuma Anzai is best buds with the ugly, brawling last-of-his-class Ryuki Honda. So we got scrappy Japanese faces against evil big foreign guys.

The Match: Ryuki is absolutely giddy during his entrance waving around a light stick and doing cartwheels on his way to the ring while Yuma is just his stoic self. Cyrus with an “I WANT YEW” to Anzai and we get a lockup easily won by Cyrus. Yuma does a bit better in the second attempt but is still bull-rushed to the ropes where Cyrus goes for the dirty shot that Yuma dodges and fires back with his own forearms before his jumping knee is blocked and countered into a massive chokeslam/powerbomb by Cyrus, absolutely nasty stuff. Davey and Ryuki come in and DBSJ also wins a lockup but after acting like he’ll give a clean break, he nails Honda in the ropes and we have an immediate hockey fight. Ryuki gets the 1-2-3-4 choke on the ropes but a Davey big boot has the Canadian back in control as Cyrus abuses Anzai outside. The gaijin focus on Ryuki’s back with powerslams, some buttdrops to the back, kidney shots, and overall violence. Ryuki fires back before a screaming lariat from Cyrus demolishes him. Davey comes in and keeps taunting Yuma while working Honda over with a leg drop and then a chinlock. Ryuki keeps getting these mini-comebacks but DBSJ immediately cuts him off and mixes up the abuse with some backbreakers while the crowd is roaring for Ryuki. Honda finally manages to get space when he backdrops out of Davey’s Bulldog Bomb and in comes Yuma! We get a dropkick! We get a suplex! We get his…kinda ugly looking squatting chinlock! Davey gets the ropes and gets a bridging German for 2.9 and then a scoop slam dropped into an inverted DDT. Well that’s new. They slug it out and Davey is throwing some hard shots here, like, my goodness. They trade German suplexes and tag in their partners. Ryuki gets flattened twice by Cyrus but he dodges the senton and a Yuma jumping knee sets up Honda’s spear. Ryuki loads up his lariat but Cyrus ducks it (?!) and hits a savate kick (?!?) and then suplexes Ryuki in the corner to set up the Vader Bomb. Anzai cuts him off with a jumping knee and New Period hit a double-team Final Vent for 2.9! Yuma then takes out Davey with a jumping knee off the apron and Ryuki’s lariat gets the 3 on Cyrus.

***¾

That was tons of fun and the chemistry between New Period is undeniable. Especially love the finish where Yuma is running interference and assisting with his tag partner, even if he’s champ he can still back his buddy up and do the dirty work.

Post-match and Cyrus has a fit, demolishing the ringside area and tossing chunks of barricade and the steps in the ring and savaging ring boys and refs.

Rising HAYATO (c) vs. Kaz Hayashi – AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title

Background: HAYATO is champion, Kaz wants to be champion. Kaz is a vet who I think believes in tradition and the promo package draws attention to HAYATO’s unconventional dress and renegade demeanor so I think we might be getting a youthful rebellion vs. veteran traditionalist thing maybe. I dunno, in their matches Kaz has done well when he’s done savvy vet stuff but HAYATO has superior physical traits.

The Match: Kaz goes for a wristlock and HAYATO quickly rolls out of it and hits Kaz with one of his stiff downward chops as both guys are not wasting time here. Low-bridge to Kaz lets HAYATO hit his fakeout dive into the backflip taunt which baits in Kaz and it looks like there’s either some miscommunication or they’re working clunky. Anyway Kaz dodges a springboard plancha from HAYATO who lands chest first on the barricade and that was a gnarly sounding bump. Kaz keeps it up with a reverse STO against the barricade. Back inside and we a drop toehold on the ropes for HAYATO and Kaz gets a triangle moonsault to his back. Now we get some restholds from Kaz, a double knee backbreaker and then the crossface. Kaz stomps away at HAYATO in the corner but HAYATO comes back with a few dropkicks and high back elbow. HAYATO finally gets the springboard plancha and then a springboard leg drop halfway across the ring. They both fire up and HAYATO is winning the strike exchange until a desperate thrust kick from Kaz catches him and they both collapse. Kaz gets some stuff going before HAYATO gets a slingshot DDT on the ring apron but his springboard moonsault catches knees from Hayashi and Kaz gets his handspring jumping kick with like…half a foot of elevation there. Cazadora from HAYATO though and he gets the springboard moonsault press before Kaz gets the Vertebreaker for a very close 2.9. Kaz sets up the spinning headlock elbow drop but HAYATO counters into a kneeling wheelbarrow driver instead. Well they certainly are busting out the movez here. We get the springboard moonsault from HAYATO and that’s enough for 3.

***

Good heat on HAYATO to start the match, but ultimately I don’t really know if Kaz is quite up to doing this long a match this frequently. Still, HAYATO basically proving that he’s Kaz’s superior across the board was a nice story even if there were some dead spots. Regardless HAYATO is a good babyface and a good champion but his next challenger should maybe be a guy a bit more spry.

Champion Carnival Finals: Kento Miyahara vs. Jun Saito

Background: Jun won the B Block, Kento won the A Block. Kento of course has been there before, having won a ton of titles in the past and the Carnival itself in 2019. Jun is still new to wrestling though he’s older than Kento with a sumo and football background. Jun is stronger, bigger, and has a deeper arsenal of power offense. Kento is a winner, a survivor, and the biggest star in the company.

The Match: Before the match we get a video promo from both guys and I will say it does make AJPW appear more big-league to get that. We get the lockup that Jun wins easily and gives the clean break (with hair smoothing taunt). Jun gets a headlock next and just grinds at Kento and we have an international into a stalemate. Test of strength into a wristlock by Jun but Kento reverses and tries to get an armwrench but Jun just clobbers him with a forearm. Kento tries some sneaky stuff on the apron but Jun gets a big boot to knock Kento outside and Jun goes to work with the usual. Kento comes back with a hotshot onto the barricade and the headbutts as he’s fired up. But Jun whips Kento into the barricade and chokes him with a towel that Saito then hands to a Kento fan, well done. I will say, I have liked this so far but it still kind of feels like just another Jun match. The ref breaks up the choking so Jun wipes the ref’s brow. Okay they’re having fun with the towel.

Back inside and we get the Jun body slam into the Jun elbow drop and he has unleashed the hair to a big roar from the crowd. We get Jun stepping on Kento’s chest and a few running boots before Kento gets his rolling dodge and the two dropkick comeback, but when Kento goes up Jun boots him off the top and Saito sets up a chokeslam on the apron but Kento reverses to a piledriver and we get a countout tease. Kento starts with the Blackout Knee, but Jun breaks the Shutdown German and clocks Kento good. Slugfest that Jun wins while Kento does the wobble-leg sell. Kento comes back with a brainbuster but Jun cuts that off with his reverse Bomaye. Jun puts Kento on top for a superplex that Kento tries to reverse into a Michinoku Driver?!? But Jun gets the superplex and when Kento pops up for the heroic no-sell Jun cuts him in half with a spear. Kento ducks the followup lariat and gets a German, Kento starts to roll with a Blackout Knee but the second is cutoff by Jun’s chokeslam. Jun goes for the Jackhammer but we get a Kento small package and then an O’Connor Roll, but a second small package is reversed into Jun’s Jackhammer. Okay, this is popping and the crowd is super hot for all of it. The Jun of a year ago, or even six months ago wouldn’t have been capable of this. Kento gets a Blackout after reversing Jun’s Psycho Break but eats Jun’s lariat and a sliding knee to just keep the pressure on Kento’s constant comebacks. Psycho Break for 2.99 and Jun is frustrated here. A second attempt at a Psycho Break is foiled and they trade Blackout Knees and Lariats and Kento goes back to the Shutdown…and Jun kicks out! Wow. Kento goes back to the well for the Shutdown and Jun stops it, Psycho Break countered, second Shutdown German and Kento wins!

****¼

The best singles of Jun’s career and it was more than just being against Kento. Obviously the stakes helped, and the atmosphere, but they were up for it and Jun has a pretty complete offensive kit to throw at a guy like Kento who is just the best in the world at eating a beating again and again. Really hot finishing sequence and the crowd was absolutely electric for the whole thing.

Post-match Kento offers Jun a fistbump that Saito eventually accepts. We get Kento hotdogging and grandstanding to the crowd and he cuts a promo and we get the staredown with Yuma Anzai.

Anyway, that was the Champion Carnival, I hope you folks had a good time and I’d love to do this again for you. Might even review more big All Japan shows in the future and maybe some other puro stuff that gets less buzz like NOAH or maybe even Marigold? Let me know in the comment section below and I hope you’ve had a quarter as much fun reading this as I had writing it. See you on the other side.