All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival April 9th 2025

Welcome back to the Champion Carnival as I can’t believe I’ve been writing about All Japan for a year now! I’m not going to do as much of a big introduction as I did last year but I will break down the various feuds/characters as we get to them over the course of the tournament. But as a quick intro, All Japan Pro Wrestling, the company that gave us Jumbo, Stan Hansen, Misawa, Kobashi and then disappeared out of popular IWC consciousness for 25 years is still around and still producing butt-kicking wrestling, the Carnival is their two block round robin tournament for a title shot and I’m still not certain if they or New Japan did the round robin format first. Anyway it’s 1100 in Korakuen Hall to start this tournament off.

We start with the regular pomp and circumstance with a big trophy and then every member of the tournament comes out and poses in the ring for the big photoshoot. And we have a bit of a brawl as Davey Boy Smith Jr. rips at Takeshi Yoshida’s shirt and they have a staredown.

Ryuki Honda [0] vs. Rei Saito [0] – B Block Match

Background: Two similar wrestlers of rival factions. Ryuki is in the upstart babyface group ELPIDA where he’s the heel-ish brawling, cheating, but lovable and blue-collar bruiser of the group, full-bodied he has red hair in a punkish haircut, a metal skull mask, spiked-shoulders and red and silver trunks and a vest. Rei is also a guy with some heft to him and is the brother to Triple Crown champion Jun Saito. Rei is tall, wild haired (though he’s shaved his beard) and rocks a leather jacket, black tights and studded leather bracers like the best sort of 80s b-movie goon. He’s the brawling ‘comic’ half of his dominant brother tag-team and uses a lot of big fat heel offense as well as a number of strikes inspired by his sumo background. Rei has the t-shirt, his left shoulder taped up, and about 3-4 inches of height on Ryuki and they’re both going chest to chest before the bell rings.

The Match: Both guys just charge at each other with shoulders in a contest Rei easily wins and then kicks Ryuki outside and whips him into the barricade. Rei puts Ryuki against the ringpost and sets up a charge and Honda steps aside while the wildman hits his bad shoulder into the post so Ryuki can take over. Honda does his signature choke against the barricade now while the crowd rapidly chants 1-2-3-4 and they trade some uh…gentle forearms before Ryuki tosses Rei into the barricade…but the big man realizes he’s big, turns around, chops Ryuki and chokeslams him on the ring apron and NOW the ref is like “guys, please get back in the ring” but gets ignored. Rei shakes his shoulder out and now lands his “charge into the guy leaning on the post” spot and goes back inside with Ryuki for a two count. Ryuki back to his feet and throwing weak shots and Rei just drops him with chops while holding onto Ryuki’s arm so he can keep pulling him up for more abuse. A double goozle cover gets 2 but Saito stops to stretch his arm some more, so when Rei finally drags Honda up again the rookie blocks the discus chop and tries a spear…that gets stuffed by the big guy. A whip by Rei sets up a second spear though and Honda lands this one. Ryuki goes for a corner lariat and that stuns Rei for a second before Saito fires back, so Honda shifts tactics with an armbar attempt…but Rei turns that into a sidewalk slam as it’s been all Saito so far. Corner charges by Rei sets up another 2 count. Rei calls for the Eisbein (German for pig knuckle, it’s a running throat thrust that Rei makes super-charged by grabbing his wrist with the off-hand) but Ryuki counters into an armbar that is uh…let’s say it’s application is abstract. Rei makes his way to his feet and breaks and then goes back to the chops and cuts off a Ryuki charge with a big fat crossbody, but Ryuki gets a lariat, dodges a discus Rei lariat, and we have a German suplex…that Rei pops up from and lands a backdrop suplex. Crowd is banana here and Rei goes for his standing powerbomb, but instead puts Ryuki on the top-rope and goes for a superplex (?!) and even tries to subdue Ryuki with a headbutt, but Honda fires back with forearms! Ryuki wins the exchange, slips down and lands the Final Vent (a mix between a chokeslam and a Thunder Fire Powerbomb) but Rei pops up and gets a goozle slap before Ryuki answers with a monster lariat for 3.

***

Okay, this was a great way to set the tone for the Carnival as we got two chunky, sloppy, not very technical meatheads just throwing big moves and big emotions. I was about to get REALLY mad at the finish as Ryuki’s Final Vent is one of the most protected finishes in the company but when Rei popped up he used all his energy and a lariat was enough to put him down. A good brawl and a quality big/little setup where the feisty Ryuki survived Rei’s monstrous offense and gutted out a win. I’m very possibly overrating this out of my affection for both guys, but this is just a fantastic example of what All Japan is good at and that I don’t personally care about perfect technical execution if it makes sense for the characters.

Hokuto Omori [0] vs. Yuma Anzai [0] – B Block Match

Background: So Hokuto Omori is kinda hard to explain as he’s been the man of a million gimmicks. He’s a curly haired, undersized, goateed guy who has some legit martial arts training, they’ve tried getting him over as a KO artist, they’ve tried him as a trickster with a horse mask and a body-double, they’ve tried him as Nakajima’s stooge, and now they’re trying him as a Nobuhiko Takada cosplaying generalissimo with a military outfit and an army of monsters called Hokuto-Gun. One thing they’ve never tried is having him win a lot. He’s a comedy goof jobber at times but also the leader of a midcard heel stable and sometimes they really try to emphasize him as a clever and vicious wrestler with brutal strikes. Yuma Anzai on the other hand is clearly presented as the future of All Japan, he is from the same school that former All Japan greats Suwama and Jumbo Tsuruta attended and like them he has a pretty well established amateur wrestling pedigree, he’s tall, handsome, has fantastically well-coiffed movie star hair, is a suplex master that will bust out the Jumbo jumping knee, and is the erstwhile leader of ELPIDA. I’m not sure it’s all working quite as it’s supposed to, but he’s the sort of talent a company is going to push and push them they have. Youngest Triple Crown champion ever and current All-Asia (secondary tag-title) champions, the future is bright for him but it’s also important he shows he’s not just a company pet tribute act. Yuma has the starter jacket and black trunks (though they’re made of strips of different patterned material, perhaps showing he’s more than just a plain-jane generic Ace).

The Match: Hokuto offers a handshake and Yuma accepts it reluctantly, and then when he turns to remove his jacket he spins back to realize Omori is now asking to pinkie-swear, and Anzai agrees to that, and then Hokuto wants to pinkie swear with the ref, who is fine, and when Hokuto has the ref and Anzai pinkie swear Omori goes for the uppercut to the family jewels. Hokuto puts Yuma on the top rope for a superplex and that gets 2.8 and Omori flies to the top rope for a frog splash…that eats knees from Yuma. They duke it out and Yuma is still in his jacket here, roaring elbow from Omori staggers Yuma, but the Ace of the Future (seriously they are ALL in on Anzai) gets one, then two Jumbo-style knees and loads up the German suplex, but Hokuto grabs at the ref and then mule kicks Yuma in the block and tackle to set up the Muso Issen (cross-legged Fisherman’s driver) for 2.9. Hokuto doesn’t let this stop him and he goes up again for a frog splash that eats another set of knees and Yuma rolls that into an inside cradle for 3 while still in his jacket.

**½

Ha! Okay, I laughed a few times and I don’t mind a character heavy sprint while the dirty heel outplayed. Fun if disposable. I also love low blows, personally the height of comedy is somebody getting hit in the balls.

Mike D Vecchio [0] vs. Aigle Blanc [0] – B Block Match

Background: The gaijin showdown! So Aigle has done a tour of All Japan before (though he was a junior then) and while he’s still very, very lean, he does have some height. He’s a masked French high-flyer who has gotten some buzz and even wrestled guys like Mustafa Ali. He’s rocking gold and white and is quite toned with long blonde hair coming out the sides and back of the mask. Mike is also an European, being Belgian and holds gold in wXw (they of the 16 Carat Gold Tournament fame and uh, I don’t think anything else people would know). He’s beefy, tanned, tatted, and looks like a guy that would have had a shot in 2006 OVW, to maximize the gymbro deal he has the perma-stubble, a short-haired mullet and has white trunks with a gold and red pattern on them. He flexes and poses for a fan on his way to the ring and then gives the Blue Steel the rest of the way…well he’s got a character!

The Match: Mike immediately runs Blanc into the corner and when the Frenchmen gets a kick out of the ropes and does some dodging while peppering the Belgian with strikes, one shot from Vecchio drops the masked man and the crowd pops pretty crazy for it. All Japan loves their beef after all. Gutwrench attempt by Mike is flipped out of, and when Aigle’s headscissors is caught and MIke tries to convert it into a powerbomb the agile…Aigle slips out of that as well. They then turn into a pretty choreographed junior evasion sequence with kip-ups, leapfrogs, and float-overs until Mike hits his OWN flying headscissors on Aigle…argh. Reset and a missed Mike charge sets up a few flying headscissors by Aigle and then when Vecchio rolls to the outside we get a Blanc tope…but a followup somersault plancha is caught by Mike and turned into an apron powerbomb for 2. Double-arm stretch by Mike is slipped out of and Aigle tries a brainbuster but his back gives out, but he immediately then backdrops out of a powerbomb attempt…and then Mike pops up to gourdbuster Blanc onto the top rope. Immediate reset and Blanc gets a springboard reverse crossbody, a hammerlock gamengiri, a lifting spinning neckbreaker, and then a springboard knee strike (with a pretty good falling log sell from Mike) for 2. Aigle goes up again but gets cut off by Mike hopping to the top rope, and then Aigle slips out and Mike backflips off the top rope to hit a gorilla press drop, and then that sets up a Best Moonsault Ever attempt by Mike who eats mat as Aigle powders, but the wXw champ still has enough to pop up and hit a no-hands plancha as the ringboys fly in to catch the big Belgian. Back in and Vecchio gets a 3/4ths across the ring diving splash (okay that looked fantastic). Powerbomb by Mike is…fallen out of by Aigle (like he just hopped backwards but wasn’t slammed down but still landed on his buttocks) and Mike follows with a jumping knee and then a springboard attempt into an Aigle German (French Suplex?) and when Mike powders Aigle follows and gets a DDT on the apron over the ropes. 450 afterwards but Mike ducks and then gets a big ole lariat. Aigle staggers to the ropes and Mike hits another big ole lariat, but Aigle gets a forearm and then an inside cradle out of a brainbuster attempt. Blanc follows with a springboard Codebreaker (sure why not) but Mike catches, turns that into a powerbomb…and Aigle turns that into a frankenstiener for 2. But Mike immediately gets a feint roundhouse discus kick and places the Frenchman on the top rope, a…running headbutt to the midsection (looked botched but maybe that’s the move) knocks Blanc onto the apron and MIke goes up onto the top turnbuckle and after a ton of contrivances we get a top-rope German suplex from Aigle and then a 450 splash and Mike kicks out at 2…okay whatever sure. Aigle does the big shocked kickout face and then places Mike on the top rope to set up an Argentine rack something, but Mike slips out and gets a poison rana (why not) and then goes up for a shooting star press and that gets 3 (even though Aigle was too close and Mike landed legs first on him).

*

I hated this, but they hit everything clean. There were vestiges of something here, but it just reeked of two guys that have worked each other a ton doing all their stuff together no matter what to show off what they can do and I uh, do not care for that. I do like supporting a variety of matches on a card but this was just a self-indulgent ridiculous overly cooperative bit of silliness. Hopefully both guys work better when not working with somebody they know well and feel the need to do…this with.

Yuma Aoyagi [0] vs. Madoka Kikuta [0] – B Block Match

Background: Yuma is a former two-time Triple Crown champion and a bit of a man between worlds. He’s a ten year veteran, but is still in his 20s, he’s partnered with guys like Kento (and is the current tag team champions with him), but is still close in age and status to The Other Yuma (Anzai) in terms of being a relatively new champion. Aoyagi is both an Insidious Fighter, full of tricks and strategies, and also The Fool, an arrogant preening jerk who likes to taunt and mock his opponents and get in over his head due to his too cool for school nature. Madoka Kikuta is a Dragon Gate guy who has held the top title before and is known for his hip attacks.

The Match: They dance around a bit with Yuma touching Madoka’s hip and then waving his own hips as a weapon at Kikuta. They lockup, Madoka wins and drives Aoyagi into the ropes but Yuma grabs Madoka’s hip to break and Kikuta complains about the…handsy nature of his opponent. Headlock, shoulderblock and that’s a stalemate into an international and Yuma goes for the hip check…so Madoka goes for his own and we have a hip check battle that Madoka wins (with Yuma taking a ridiculous bump on to powder) and then Madoka follows with a hip check off the apron and Yuma acts like just got shot in the chest. Kikuta follows with chops and Yuma just sells like a cartoon…but takes the chance to hit Ryuki Honda who is on commentary at ringside. Madoka just continues to whoop on Yuma around the ring until he rolls The Fool back inside…and Yuma keeps rolling and powders again. Aoyagi was playing possum though and now he sends Madoka into the barricade, then Yuma hits a springboard guillotine leg drop off the barricade, whips Madoka into the barricade a few more times, and then uh…hits a kancho, which is a Japanese prank where you shove your fingers into a persons…okay please don’t google it is all I’m saying. Anyway, after some more posterior punishment, it’s back inside and Yuma beats on Madoka in the ropes, but veteran referee Kyohei Wada wants no part of this malarkey and tells Aoyagi to knock it off and even smacks him on the butt. Madoka fires back with chops, Yuma gets some uppercuts, Madoka gets some double chops to drop Aoyagi, Kikuta is now hipping up and he gets a rope-run shoulderblock and a jumping leg drop to set up a figure-four headscissors on Aoyagi. Yuma rolls to the ropes and they meet in the center of the ring for a brainbuster that gets stuffed, Madoka back to the chops but an international sets up a Yuma dropkick and then the Insidious Fighter goes up for a diving crossbody into an attempt at the End Game choke. Madoka makes the ropes and Yuma gets a running corner forearm smash, but Madoka gets a running body avalanche, more duking it out, Madoka chops Yuma into oblivion and gets a running hip check to the corner and then lands the brainbuster for 2.6. Madoka loads up a discus…something but Yuma turns it into a backslide for 2. They run the ropes and Madoka goes for another jumping hip check but Yuma gets another kancho! And then follows with an atomic drop! Running lariat from Yuma for 2.8, Aoyagi brainbuster for 2.9! Yuma loads something up but Madoka cuts him off with a hip check! A second hip check! A monster lariat for 2.9! Aoyagi is out on his feet and the discus lariat from Kikuta gets 3!

**½

Yuma was definitely in goofball mode here with all the butt stuff (wait), but sometimes you need that. Madoka seems okay and his hip checks are at least really good so it does make sense for the gimmick. Totally fine match.

Dan Tamura, Kuma Arashi, MUSASHI, Ryo Inoue & Shotaro Ashino vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Ren Ayabe, Rising HAYATO, Taishin Nagao & XYON

Background: A mix of tournament guys (Kuma, Shotaro, Ren, Xyon) rookies, and juniors (the rest). Dan Tamura is a beefy junior who just clobbers guys, Kuma is guy who dresses like a barbarian and howls like a bear, he’s part of Hokuto-Gun, MUSASHI is the Junior champ and has white and black woodblock print pants, Ryo is doing a KENTA impression as a cocky kickboxing rookie, Shotaro Ashino is a beefy guy who likes suplexing guys, Atsuki is Yuma’s little brother a flippy fellow, Rey is in ELPIDA and is tall and aloof, Rising HAYATO is a tatted up goth junior who is Anzai’s partner with the All Asia titles, Taishin is tiny rookie, and XYON is TAFKA Xyon Quinn and he’s a big tatted up Aussie. Just a random tag from what I gather but there is beef among some guys.

The Match: Ryo and Taishin start, both young, undersized dudes though Nagao is in plain green gear and Inoue has a bit of swagger to him. Headlock sequence and an international and Ryo gets the shoulderblock, blocks a dropdown and then struts a bit before Taishin throws some elbows and gets a flying headscissors and dropkick as he humbles the cocky Inoue. Atsuki and Tamura tag in and the younger Aoyagi tries to take it to the mat but Tamura just lays on him with a headlock…but Atsuki gets a hammerlock on and works that for a while transitioning between stuff but staying on the arm. Tamura goes back to the headlock but Atsuki slips out again and keeps on the arm and then we tag in HAYATO and MUSASHI in a battle of all-caps junior champions. All technical stuff as the champ latches on a wristlock but Rising gets the overhand chop and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors to set up the fakeout dive into a backflip and taunt. MUSASHI flies back in with a low dropkick and then his own fakeout dive but it’s all breaking down as Ren runs in to stomp out MUSASHI and that squad all beat down the junior champ. Everybody does a corner charge on MUSASHI and then Taishin and HAYATO hit a double dropkick and it’s back to Atsuki but MUSASHI reverses the double teams and gets an exploder on Aoyagi and that sets up a hot tag to Kuma Arashi. Jumping senton gets 2, and then Kuma picks up Atsuki for a torture rack but Ren steps in to break that up with a big boot and then a hooking lariat, and then a Yakuza kick for 2. Kuma blocks the brainbuster attempt and they slug it out before Arashi goes for another torture rack on the tall guy and it gets stuffed…but the dropkick doesn’t and that lets Kuma get Ren up for the rack. Kuma drops Ayabe for 2 but he runs into a full-nelson slam by Ren and now it’s a double tag to Shotaro and XYON. Ashino with a flurry of uppercuts but XYON gets a leapfrog and an out of alignment corkscrew uppercut. XYON with a corner charge but Shotaro blocks, gets a few more uppercuts and then easily Karelin lifts XYON up for a gutwrench suplex…oooh that feels too early to have Shotaro just suplex him around like that. That gets 2 and Shotaro follows up with a German attempt…and now XYON is just too strong and breaks the grip, bicycle kick by XYON sets up a spinebuster and then when Shotaro’s allies run into the ring XYON drops them all until Kuma, who drops XYON with a running crossbody. Okay, I can deal with that. Taishin withs ome dropkicks to Kuma and then a Tiger Feint Kick (?!) to set up a springboard missile dropkick (?!?) from Nagao and Kuma bumps big for that. Ryo drops Taishin and then Ayabe runs in and the little guy gets a flurry of kicks, lowbridges Ren and dropkicks him off the apron but now Atsuki flies in with his handspring gamengiri to drop Inoue. Tamura flies in to lariat Atsuki! HAYATO runs in to moonsault Tamura! MUSASHI superkicks HAYATO and then gets a somersault plancha on everybody. And we reset back to XYON and Shotaro. The two guys slug it out but Shotaro finally lands the German for 2 and then immediately goes to an ankle lock. XYON rolls and boots Shotaro away, gets a flying forearm and then a sloppy Death Valley Driver/Samoan Drop to set up a…Pounce for 3? Huh.

**¾

Just a fun multi-man TV car crash. I guess it got over XYON. It was fine, built some feuds, established some dynamics between people, it all worked but it’s not like you’ll remember it in a week.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. [0] vs. Takashi Yoshida [0] – A Block Match

Background: So Takashi Yoshida is the former Cyber Kong of Dragon Gate and now is an aged, wispy-bearded, stringy-haired old bruising cheater, a member of Hokuto-Gun, with Omori and Kuma even in his corner for this match. Takashi’s coming down to the ring in gi pants, a jacket, sneakers, and a screwdriver/chisel he’s biting at. Davey Boy Smith Jr. is the tanned, giant, jacked up, bleach-blonde haired son of the former British Bulldog in his Union Jack tights. They had a dust-up earlier in the show during the big showcase and I think one is gonna be a slobberknocker bah gawd!

The Match: We get the big lockup that DBSJ wins and offers a clean break from but Yoshida kicks the hand away. Lockup number two is also won by Davey but Yoshida reverses it into the ropes and gives a reluctantly clean break and offers his own handshake and Davey is nervous about it so Takashi shakes the refs hand, Kuma’s hand, and Hokuto’s hand before offering it again to Davey. And when DBSJ accepts Takashi gets him with a throat thrust and then an eye gouge. THAT SAP! Yoshida gets a rake across the top rope and then Hokuto distracts the ref so Takashi can choke out DBSJ with a rope. The ref finally catches on so Takashi breaks, only to grab the nose and attempt a body slam but Davey is too big so Yoshida does another throat thrust…but Davey is too big again and gets a shoulder and sends Yoshida outside. DBSJ beats the tar out of Yoshida with basic stuff. And Takashi is doing some pretty funny sells as he’s not really pinballing but his body stiffens up and he winces and does big abou- faces to the camera so the fans can see his agony. More cartoon sells from Yoshida and we finally go back inside as Davey goes for some rollups and then a big vertical suplex for 2. Sidewalk slam for 2 and then a nerve hold into a chinlock as Davey is bringing back all the classic 1993 WWF offense. Headscissors next while Davey kinda goes for an armbar to draw out an ankle hold and Takashi eventually slips free only to end up being covered by Davey for 2. Junior continues and smashes Yoshida’s head into the turnbuckle repeatedly but Takashi blocks the third smash and gets another eye rake, a throat thrust, and his own turnbuckle smash before setting up more throat thrusts, and I mean a LOT of throat thrusts, while Davey responds with his own goofy selling. They fight over a brainbuster and Takashi actually wins the exchange for a 2 count. Davey with a big shot and a backdrop driver attempt, but Yoshida gets the headlock and then pulls at Davey’s nose to stagger the big Canadian, eye poke of doom from Yoshida is blocked and Smith gets the backdrop driver and Takashi jolts up and makes a great bug-eyed, puffed-out-cheeks reaction before dropping back for a 2 count. Powerbomb attempt by Davey but Yoshida backdrops out of it. Scoop slam by Yoshida sets up a jumping senton for 2 and then a framing taunt preludes a Yoshida gamengiri that Davey Boy does mega-cartoon windmill arm selling for without dropping, and a followup charge by Takashi is cutoff with a Davey Boy high knee. Another desperate charge by Yoshida results in a lariat and the former Cyber Kong goes up…only for Smith to cut him off and land the running powerslam and he follows with a diving headbutt for 3.

**

Okay, Yoshida’s cheap heeling stuff cracked me up, but there’s only so excited I can be for main-event butt kicking babyface Davey Boy Smith Jr. While Yoshida’s cartoonish heel sells and reactions were hilarious, Davey really needed to make his selling somewhat more realistic and the finish being “I guess I go up and win now” is sorta lame to me. Still, it wasn’t bad.

Kengo Mashimo [0] vs. Jun Saito [0] – A Block Match

Background: So Kengo is a top guy from Active Advance Pro Wrestling/2AW, which is what Kaientai became after they had to kick TAKA out due to his scandals. He’s in his mid-40s and has 20+ years of experience, he’s rocking a ponytail and baggy pants and is short and squat. Jun of course is the Triple Crown champion, tall and big if not particularly cut, he also is rocking the ponytail and goatee combo and has black pleather pants and a red leather jacket. He’s an odd pick for a top champion as he’s both the archetype of a big monster heel doing power moves but him and his brother (Rei) have gotten over as goofball babyfaces with their eating random food show and just being sorta big, lovable oafs. That said, Jun has legit main-event charisma and isn’t just a Bob Sapp-esque one-off champion.

The Match: We get a pretty significant amount of mean-mugging before they fly into a lockup with Jun easily winning and giving a clean break and then posing. Jun follows up with a headlock but Kengo reverses into his own before we get a shoulderblock standoff. It’s a stalemate until Kengo goes for the hair, throws a kick and goes back to a headlock…only for Jun to immediately turn that into a back suplex and Kengo powders. Mashimo gets one whip before Jun reverses into a shoulderblock and then a towel-assisted choke, and he makes sure to wipe his brow before handing the towel back to a fan. Jun continues to dominate a brawl outside and then throws the 2AW guy in the ring for an elbow drop and pin for 2. Jun poses and preens while Kengo gets fired up and Jun throws shots before he gets low-bridged, Kengo’s followup kick gets him dragged outside and both guys duke it out on the apron. Jun’s chokeslam is blocked and Kengo gets a running bulldog off the apron to drive Jun’s shoulder into the turnbuckle and then rips up the mats. Kengo follows with a knee drop bulldog to the shoulder onto the exposed floor and Jun is selling the arm big and blustering while Kengo is just chomping at the big inside. Mashimo is too hungry and runs into a series of kicks from Jun but Saito slips up and Kengo takes the champ down with an armbar and gives us some small joint manipulation on top of it before Jun grabs the ropes. An one-armed Jun eats kicks from Kengo. Jun shakes out his arm and tries to get to his feet and Kengo immediately gets an armwringer and just laughs off the weak forearms as Jun’s arm is toast. Kengo puts his hands up to bait out more strikes and goes for another armbar takedown but Jun stands up in the hold and slams Kengo. More boots from the champ and a Yakuza kick into the corner gives Jun a breather until he guts it out and lands a delayed brainbuster for 2 and continues to flex out his busted arm. Jun goes for a goozle but Kengo immediately turns that into an armbar takedown and wraps up Jun into increasingly ornate stretches until Kengo gets into a full seated armbar and just rips at Jun’s fingers. Saito eventually uses his foot to reach the ropes but Kengo is full of life and Jun is being checked over by the ref. Kengo charges in, Jun reverses and both trade corner boots before they go up and Mashimo loads up another diving kneedrop to the arm…but Jun gets a headbutt to stay alive and follows with a Bomaye. Jun shakes his arm out and grits his teeth as he loads up the Psycho Break, Kengo tries to reverse into another armbar but Jun stays steady…but Kengo twists that into a double-knee armbreaker, the 2AW wrestler smells blood and rebounds back…into a spear from Jun for 2. Saito loads up something but Kengo slips out and lands a jump kick, but Jun gets his hands up for a goozle and gets a slap and falling lariat for 2. Jun still sells the arm even in dominance and gets a Jackhammer for 1 (?!). Another Jun boot lets him place Kengo on the top turnbuckle but Kengo goes back to an armbar, but Jun turns that into a second-rope Samoan drop and then another Bomaye gets 3.

***¾

If Jun was a great seller and not just an okay one that would be a great match, as is, it was just very good. Kengo did a fantastic job wearing out his more physically dominant rival and Jun had to consistently dig deep to pull something out to keep him alive. I have been impressed by Kengo in the past but this was a very good showcase for him and I hope he can be this good the rest of the Carnival.

Kento Miyahara [0] vs. Hideki Suzuki [0] – A Block Match

Background: Kento is the top guy in All Japan, loud, boisterous, arrogant, tremendously sympathetic and remarkably hateable at the same time, he’s one half of the current tag-champs and awash with energy as he makes his way to the ring with his red and gold tights, red hair, and a robe that’s predominately black at this point in a way that always makes me scratch my head. Hideki Suzuki is a tall, impressively built shoot-fighter guy that never actually fought in any shoots. Hideki is the last disciple of Billy Robinson and even was in NXT for a hot minute as he’s freelanced as an arrogant, physical shoot fighter. In All Japan he’s involved himself in the Baka no Jidai stable of shoot-y goofs, and is definitely a lot siller in All Japan than he’s normally been. Hideki rocks purple trunks and looks irritated before the bell rings.

The Match: Both are very reluctant to do anything at first before Kento grabs a lockup and immediately forces Hideki into the ropes and gives a clean break. Suzuki then responds with a rapid takedown and a few covers before Kento bridges out for a pop. More dancing around and careful grappling sets up Kento’s back control but Hideki pretty easily turns that into an ankle pick and then his own back control. Suzuki gets a pinning combination out of this and then they both reset and staredown before they lockup again and Hideki gets back control into a full nelson and then a double-arm stretch. They fight over that for a while and Kento finally gets a big boot to knock Hideki outside and Miyahara follows with some headbutts. And uh, some more headbutts. Hideki gets his footing though and whips Kento into the barricade and Miyahara sells big. Hideki gets some Kawada kicks and more strikes before Kento comes back with his own and they just duke it out with Kento selling crazy and Hideki selling like he got told it’ll be 5 more minutes before his burger is ready. Suzuki jaws with the ref and they tease a countout as Kento very slowly returns to his feet and limps back inside. Hideki grabs a front facelock, works that for a while, and then grabs a chinlock and yeah, works that for a while. Kento breaks free, starts his comeback sequence, and Hideki just breaks it and goes back to a headscissors and continues to twist Kento into knots and strike at him. Kento is caught up and gets absolutely plastered and can’t even make his feet, so Suzuki goes back in to stomp at Kento who can’t even make his feet. Another extended, lengthy, elongated, fully-timed heat segment continues as Hideki grinds out Kento. Miyahara gets all stumble-legged to his feet sometimes but gets immediately cut down again and again until he FINALLY lands his high and low dropkick combo and regains some energy while still selling. Corner charge is totally no-sold by Hideki but Kento breaks out his Snake Limit (triangle choke with an armbar) and Hideki almost tries to act perturbed for a second before they just lie in the hold for a while. Hideki is in the hold still and Kento is screaming and repositioning constantly before Suzuki makes the ropes. We get a pretty lengthy bit where Hideki just rests in the ropes and finally Kento gets so irritated he drags Suzuki to the apron and lands a piledriver there! No real big tease of a reversal either, that’s the fastest I’ve ever seen him hit that move. They tease a countout for a while while Hideki just kinda breathes on the outside and then slowly gets up and shuffles inside. Blackout knee by Kento! But Hideki just picks up the Best of the Best for a rolling fireman’s carry slam and now Kento basically does the worm on his way to the corner. Hideki hammerlocks Kento’s arm against the turnbuckle and just hammers Miyahara with body shots in the corner and then gets a standing butterfly manji-gatame thing before Kento breaks and gets another Blackout and a double down. Kento goes back for another but Hideki ducks and gets some liver shots and then takes Kento down and lands some hammer and anvil elbows and then a punt. The double-arm suplex is backdropped out of though and Kento keeps it up with ANOTHER Blackout but he doesn’t cover and instead just glares and yells at Hideki who is just laying stock still by the ropes. Suzuki eventually gets up to his knees and Kento gets a 5th (6th?) Blackout and then goes for the Shutdown German but Suzuki breaks and then goes back to the body with strikes and lands a pair of double-arm suplexes and that’s 3.

**¼

Man this is testing how much I have faith in Kento’s floor. Guy is incredible, Hideki just…I dunno. I don’t like his selling. I don’t like his charisma, his offense I guess is fine and he’s…different, but I don’t like him! ** for Kento’s yeoman work, ¼ for the finish being the bigger Suzuki just destroying Kento’s ribs and crushing him with a suplex at the end. That kinda tied the match together.

Post-match Hideki talks a bit. Whatever.

Overall a pretty solid showcase of what All Japan is about. There is a variety of styles and characters, the production is what it is, and not every match is a winner! I hope you follow me on this journey to the end and as always I’ll love to answer any questions you have about the fed in the comments below.