All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival April 20th 2025

We’re in Saitama for this edition of the Champion Carnival, with a bit less than 600 in the Tokorozawa Sakura Town Japan Pavilion, which is a dark building with a full-crown and I think I’ve seen Marigold or Stardom run shows here before.

Atsuki Aoyagi & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Ryo Inoue & Ryuji Hijikata

Background: So the Aoyagi Brothers are facing brash rookie Ryo Inoue and former Voodoo Murders member Ryuji who was once the masked TOSHIZO and is now just a buzzcut junior with purple trunks. How the mighty have fallen. Yuma is both the only heavyweight and former Triple Crown champion in this match so uh, I’m not expecting this to be very competitive.

The Match: Ryuji and Yuma star with some standing grappling and the set up is mic’d weird, like you can hear the claps from the fans more than the bumps in the ring which is muted. Ryuji takes down the younger Yuma a few times before they tag out to bring the juniors in and we get a headlock sequence into an international and Ryo does a strut and taunts Yuma before we get a hiptoss and some kicks to keep Inoue in control. More strutting and stomping by Ryo but Yuma trips him up and Atsuki takes over with a dropkick and he does his own strutting before stomping Ryo. Yuma mocks Ryo’s hair by putting his own up in a top knot and stomps away in the corner and doing his own strutting. Man, the Aoyagi Brothers are kinda jerks. Double shoulderblock, double strut and Yuma kinda just stops doing a strut and just sorta prances around the ring, but hey, he’s having a good time. It’s all very, very deliberate stuff until Ryo ducks a superkick by Atsuki that wipes out Yuma but the heavyweight still has enough to keep on Inoue until a jump kick lets the youngster bring in Ryuji with his own kicks. Hijikata follows with a snap suplex and a fisherman’s something but Yuma counters out and we get a slugfest that Ryuji wins until Yuma gets a dragonscrew and Atsuki gets a missile dropkick that lets Ryo tag in for slugfest part 2. And Atsuki remembers he’s way more athletic so he does some handsprings and a springboard armdrag out of the corner to set up a dropkick and Yuma comes in to take out Hijikata again and the brothers isolate Ryo but the double-team is stifled and we get another miscommunication spot as Yuma eats a missile dropkick from lil bro. Hijikata back in and now it’s Atsuki getting doubled in the corner with strikes until Atsuki goes flippy with a back handspring kick and then Yuma comes in for a double dropkick on Ryo. Bridgining fisherman’s suplex by Atsuki for 2 and then Yuma with a diving elbow and an Atsuki moonsault gets 3.

**¼

Just a perfectly fine meat and potatoes match and then you had the Aoyagi Brothers being arrogant and amusing jerks that won with their superior teamwork. Fine with a little sauce on top.

Aigle Blanc [2] vs. Hokuto Omori [2] – B Block Match

Background: A first time match as outsider Aigle Blanc is our high-flying French babyface against our smug MMA-backgrounded heel Hokuto. Though at this point Omori is more mind-games weirdo than his MMA past. Both are relatively undersized for AJPW heavyweights though Aigle is much, much more lean than the somewhat pudgy Hokuto. It’ll be explosive athleticism vs. cunning and strikes I’d guess. Aigle is masked and in his white and gold gear while Hokuto has dark gray trunks.

The Match: Lockup that Hokuto wins and then blows a kiss at Aigle who is just confused and then offers a blown kiss back as Blanc’s Frenchness makes him immune to such weirdness. And Omori seems legitimately baffled and confused so he just stomps Aigle down and rips at the mask. Blanc with the SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION in response and a jump kick as Omori is just confused and baffled as he powders after a headscissors takedown. And when Aigle teases a dive Omori runs to the back and Blanc follows…and we immediately get a reversal of fortunes as Hokuto headlocks Aigle out of the back and then bounces the Frenchman’s head off the ringpost. Sacre bleu! More mask ripping, and some choking on the ropes as we go back inside. Blanc fires back a bit but one Omori forearm drops the gaijin and we get another blown kiss taunt and this one Aigle sells. Hokuto with a chinlock and more mask violence but we settle on a basic comeback spot as the Frenchman throws a few back elbows to break free…but they just reset instead? Odd. And now Blanc sets up the comeback with a floatover and a reverse crossbody, then a jump kick, whiplash neckbreaker and a springboard knee for 2. Blanc goes up but Hokuto pops up and lands another KO forearm and says SOMETHING that gets the crowd absolutely bothered, and then when Aigle tries a springboard Hokuto shoves him off for a good if safe bump. And then just slams his head on the apron…but a whip to the…well it’s not a barricade as the fans are just on an elevated platform surrounding the ring, but Blanc counters the whip by hopping up on the platform and responds with a flip senton onto Omori. Nice spot. Aigle tries to capitalize with a 450 but he misses and Hokuto gets the corner forearm that looks killer and then a brainbuster for 2.8. Slugfest again and a superman forearm by Omori sets up him blinding Aigle by twisting his mask and then getting a schoolboy for 2 and an inside cradle for 2, a Worst of the Worst (tornado elbow) staggers Aigle and Hokuto looks to set up something…but that contact lets Aigle turn Omori’s headlock into a jumping tombstone and then the Made in Paris (pumphandle fireman’s carry driver) gets 3 while AIgle is covering his face with his slipped-free mask.

**¾

Pretty solid and mostly based around Omori’s ability to carry the heel action. Not as strong of a showing of Aigle’s babyface capabilities, but I prefer when Omori reveals that behind the bloviating delusional generalissimo gimmick he can knock your lights out. Quality heeling, quality babyfacing, a bit clunky and not exactly an extra gear performance, but quality work.

Kengo Mashimo [2] vs. XYON [2] – A Block Match

Background: Kengo is the Assassin, a 2AW worker who loves ripping off arms and kicking peoples chests in, long blonde ponytail and baggy black pants complete the deal. XYON is an ex-NXT guy who is a back, jacked up Aussie of Samoan-ancestry, he’s got the tattoos, slicked back hair, and jeans.

The Match: Big lockup that’s won by XYON who follows with a taunt. Kengo goes for the wrist next and XYON is too strong but a few Mashimo strikes have the smaller vet in control. XYON gets an acrobatic reversal but Kengo slides back to the hammerlock and XYON is flummoxed, XYON reverses and Kengo reverses that. At some point the Australian just decides he’s had enough and whips Kengo and gets some strikes, but Mashimo gets his own and returns to the hammerlock. They work that for a while before XYON rolls forward sending Kengo through the ropes and we brawl outside with the larger Aussie abusing the vet. Kengo reverses a whip by sending XYON shoulder first into the post and continues the abuse with a few more shots to the arm. Back in and Mashimo gets a strike flurry as it’s XYON working from his back. XYON getting a few shots before dropping Kengo with a pump kick and then a spinning Samoan drop, but when XYON goes in for the cover Kengo gets an armbar and XYON squirms for a bit before he gets a powerbomb counter on his third attempt and we have a double-down. Both up and Kengo immediately stops XYON with a jump kick, but XYON responds with a decent strike flurry before Kengo gets another jump kick and XYON gets a running lariat and goes up. XYON misses the headbutt off the top though and Kengo wraps him up with an armbar and then gets his full Mudo hold and XYON taps.

**½

Look XYON has a ton of limitations and Kengo lead him through this the best he could. It was decently fine all things considered and that’s about as much as we can hope for.

Takashi Yoshida [0] vs. Kuma Arashi [2] – A Block Match

Background: Hokuto-Gun explodes! So the pair of beefy Hokuto-Gun brawlers meet in this match. Takashi is a scraggly-bearded old man who is much more prone to cheating than the rambunctious Kuma. We have two hosses, but Kuma is the chunky athlete and Takashi is the sadistic brawler. Kuma has the bear getup, Takashi has the gi.

The Match: Yoshida has his chisel and seems intent on using it before the ref tells him to knock it off. So Kuma howls…and Takashi howls in response and we have a howl off. Big monster lockup takes some time and Kuma eventually wins and we got the clean break and a howl….and then Takashi howls as well. Handshake of respect and then we get the Greco-Roman knucklelock and the test of strength! Takashi wins at first but Kuma fires back and then Yoshida comes back…and breaks for a throat thrust and then fails a shoulderblock…and Kuma hits his own and we get some chops versus forearms. They pause and Takashi goes for another handshake and Kuma isn’t buying it, so Yoshida shakes the refs hand, Hokuto’s hand, and then goes again for Kuma who agrees…only to get immediately throat thrusted and tossed outside. Okay, Yoshida amuses me. Kuma gets posted, crossfaced across the post, and then Yoshida straight up does a ‘got your nose’ spot, I’m dying here. Yoshida then unwraps his wrist-tape for a blatant choke while Hokuto distracts the ref. The ref finally wises up and is like “what’s this wrist-tape” and Yoshida plays dumb and then grinds Kuma’s eyes across the rope and the ref interrupts again. A fist drop follows and then more eye raking sets up a camel clutch. Another nose yank and Yoshida is feeling himself…but Kuma just unleashes some forearms and a headbutt…but as he drops Yoshida the gi-clad man gets an ‘inadvertent’ low-blow when he falls backwards. Double-down and Yoshida making Yano-face before he’s up first and cockily goes for a brainbuster…and it of course gets reversed Kuma fires back with a standing senton for 2 an Yoshida begs off in the corner only for Kuma to have NO MERCY and gets a corner charge, a slam, grinds the boot in and goes up for a second-rope senton for 2.6. Kuma tries to get Yoshida up but the former Cyber Kong is playing dead, when Arashi finally gets his opponent up it’s for a rack…but Takashi goes BACK to the eyes with the most blatant gouge ever to counter the hold. Yoshida is selling the back but he gets some throat thrusts…and I mean a LOT when I say some, like 12 straight. Then Yoshida does Muta’s framing taunt, lands a dropkick, and goes back to the brainbuster but Kuma stuffs it…but Yoshida pulls it off while selling his back. They fight over powerbomb positon for a while before Kuma gets the backdrop cause Yoshida’s back is messed up, and then the bear enthusiast tries his own powerbomb and Yoshida backdrops out of that as this match is leaning towards farce. Both guys charge each other and we get a slugfest but Kuma gets a running crossbody (okay more like standing) and then the overhead gutwrench dominator gets 2 and the top-rope senton gets 3.

***

Okay, this was amusing enough just based on Yoshida’s nonstop nonsense and chicanery. I think if Kuma was a bit more performative with his comebacks and indignation we may have crept towards greatness but a ton of ridiculous cheating and fiery offense from the beat-man is enough for me to thoroughly enjoy that match.

Post-match Kuma howls and they all hug and shake hands and Hokuto-Gun is FINE.

Davey Boy Smith Jr., Kento Miyahara, MUSASHI & Shotaro Ashino vs. Dan Tamura, Hideki Suzuki, Jun Saito & Rising HAYATO

Background: We got 5 guys in the blocks and 3 juniors on each team. Of course MUSASHI is the junior champ and HAYATO is a former champ who wants another shot at the gold, so we have heat here. DBSJ and Kento are regular tag-partners and Shotaro is a rival to both. Hideki and Jun are opposed by stable alignment, Dan is friendly with Hideki and also a junior but not quite in contention…and HAYATO is a former partner to Kento. So a nice spicy bit of soap opera drama as presented in an 8-man tag.

The Match: Shotaro and Jun start with a big lockup Jun easily win and gives a clean break on, Shotaro loses a shouldrblock war and then tries a go-behind that gets blocked as well. Jun’s own shoulder is followed by Shotaro getting some grappling going and we get a double-tag to HAYATO and MUSASHI. Both juniors trade wristlocks before HAYATO unleashes a monster chop and then a classic junior sequence that has HAYATO does his fakeout dive to finish it. An actual dive by HAYATO finishes and we get some run-ins and then a big brawl outside. We reset to Jun getting a slam, elbow and unleashing the hair on MUSASHI. Saito reluctantly tags Hideki in and the purple-man works over the junior champ with basic offense. MUSASHI comes back with an enzuigiri and that lets him tag in Kento for the double dropkick and pose. Suzuki dodges a corner charge and gets a Finlay Roll and the match breaks down and everybody gets a corner attack on Miyahara before Hideki calls in young boy Taishin to go at Kento and he feels conflicted before Hideki’s encouragement gets him to throw an uppercut. Hideki gets an exploder for 2 but Kento gets a big boot off a whip and then slides outside to headbutt Taishin for MASSIVE boos and rolls back and acts all perplexed. And unless I missed something, Kento is right here, Nagao was provoked into attacking him despite not being in the match and then Kento righted that wrong by giving him a receipt. #MiyaharIsNotAHeelAndIsJustified. Kento tags in Davey to do his boring routine against Hideki but Suzuki backdrops out of a powerbomb and brings in Tamura via diving shoulderblock for 2. Tamura lifts up Davey in a fireman’s carry but Davey is JUST TOO BIG so the junior settles for a spear instead for 2 and Dan goes up again but he went to the well too often and Davey catches him for a scoop powerslam. Jun runs in next but MUSASHI takes him down with speed, HAYATO drops the champ with a chop and an Asai moonsault but Kento and Shotaro run in to land a double elbow and Kento celebrates…only for Shotaro to drop him with a suplex, teammates be damned I guess. We reset to Tamura and Davey and the Canadian can’t land a powerbomb, HIdeki comes in to help his Baka no Jidai partner but Davey gets a double clothesline and now lands the powerbomb for 3.

**½

Just a bog-standard tag-match but they were trying and had some clever spots.

Ren Ayabe [0] vs. Rei Saito [0] – B Block Match

Background: Both with goose eggs, these two giants are on the opposite side of the size scale. Ren is very tall but lanky, and Rei is a big round bulky man with wild hair. Ren is in ELPIDA and they’ve been rivals with the Saito Brothers for a while, they’re also split at 1-1 in singles matches, with Rei beating Ren in last years Carnival and Ren beating Rei in the Royal Road tournament. Oh, and Rei’s left shoulder is taped pretty heavily as it’s been getting worked over basically every match.

The Match: Big lockup for a stalemate and they try again with both of them evenly matched for a while before Rei wins but Ren reverses into the ropes and gives a clean break by mussing Rei’s hair. Rei heats it up with a shoulderblock challenge that they stalemate on as well before Rei eventually wins and they head outside where Rei slams Ayabe’s head against various objects. Rei props up Ren against the ring post and charges at him…and Ayabe sidesteps, sending Rei’s injured arm into the post and Ren takes over. Back inside and Ren tries a slam but say it with me folks, REI IS JUST TOO FAT! Saito reverses in a kinda scary spot as he basically gourdbusters Ayabe over the top rope and the tall man stumbles outside and we get more ringside brawling as Rei now LANDS the shoulderblock into the post. Back inside and that gets 2 as Rei busts out his methodical heel work, stepping on the face, body shots into the corner, just using his bulk and size to wear Ren out. We get a big elbow drop, some axehandles, and then Rei goes for a piledriver and we get a big back body drop and a double-down. Ren gets a hooking clothesline and then a Yakuza kick for 2. Another attempt at a slam by Ayabe and he settles for a slugfest instead. Ren FINALLY gets the slam for 2 and goes for his Iron Maiden submission but Rei makes the ropes. Ren goes for the Death Roulette but Rei is still too big, Ren gets the hooking clothesline again and then goes for the Roulette again but Rei reverses into a brainbuster and we get a double-down and another slugfest, Rei wins with chops but a whip is turned into a running boot by Ayabe, a dropkick, and the tall man finally gets the brainbuster…but on a corner charge attempt Rei ‘explodes’ with a crossbody for 2 and then Rei attempts the standing powerbomb but Ayabe slips out and we get another slugfest that Ren wins with a dropkick for 2.8. Ren goes for the Iron Maiden and Rei immediately submits with the pressure on his bad arm.

**½

I feel like Ren and Rei have both gotten better, but this match was SLUDGY, they kinda kept going back to the same sequences, which tells a story I guess, but also I think it very much dragged in the middle. I think both guys need somebody else calling the matches cause Ren has improved tremendously as a seller, I think they just didn’t have the courage or creativity to mix it up other than “Ren fails power spot, they slug it out.” Still, totally fine, just disappointing I guess.

Ryuki Honda [4] vs. Yuma Anzai [4] – B Block Match

Background: Tons of history here as Ryuki and Yuma are both in the same stable, regular tag-partners as New Period, and they’ve faced plenty of times as well. Yuma is the former Triple Crown champ and the handsome future ace, while Ryuki is a chunky punky brawler with red hair buzzed into a fauxhawk while Yuma has his perfectly coiffed 1950s movie star do. Despite Yuma being more established Ryuki has a few wins against him as well so they’re evenly matched with Ryuki’s brawling and ferocity being a counter to Yuma’s technical wrestling and athleticism.

The Match: Yuma gets a wristlock but Ryuki immediately backs him into the ropes and gives a clean break. Yuma follows and gets Ryuki in the ropes and gives a more reluctant clean break. We get some standing grappling before Ryuki screams and gets a wristlock but Anzai easily slips out of it and we stalemate and staredown. They heat it up though and trade shoulders and forearms and Yuma wins with a dropkick while Honda powders. Yuma follows and they brawl outside with Yuma having the upperhand. They brawl throughout the crowd and Yuma wins (?!) and then go back for Yuma to knee Ryuki on the apron and then they go back in for Anzai to do Ryuki’s own choke on the ropes against him, that cad! This fires Honda up who gets a shoulderblock, tosses Yuma outside, and beats the holy heck out of him and Yuma just pinballs around bouncing off of various things. Yuma tries to fight back but Ryuki slams the former Triple Crown champ’s head off the ringpost and Yuma is dead. Ryuki goes for the countout but Anzai slides back in to get stomped out again. Ryuki just bludgeoning him and then he lands the rope choke and the ref chastises him for a comedy spot. A back elbow drops Yuma again as Honda is just obliterating his partner. Ryuki slows it down with a chinlock. Yuma makes the ropes but gets battered around some more, but he finally gets his knees up in the corner and comes back with a second-rope dropkick to set up a double-down and give him a breather. Corner forearm sets up a belly-to-belly for 2 and Anzai is getting into the flow of his offense…Honda tries to come back but eats a dropkick. Yuma goes for a brainbuster but Honda stuffs it and reverses into his own. Honda with his own corner charge and a spinesbuter gets 2 and he locks in a camel clutch and Yuma makes the ropes. Anzai tries the knees counter again but Ryuki sniffs it out and just lariats Yuma to the outside and halfway through a countout tease Ryuki drags his partner back in and goes for a suplex on the ring apron, Yuma fights outs though and gets a dragon suplex on the apron and both guys tumble to the outside. Yuma gets inside first and seems content to go for the cout out but an exhausted Ryuki crawls back inside at 9. Yuma with a corner charge but Ryuki fires up and gets a corner lariat and they brawl and trade Germans. Yuma blocks a lariat with a jumping knee but Honda follows with a lariat…and Yuma follows with a knee. Now we get a double-down. Both guys return to their feet and throw wobbly strikes as they sell their exhaustion. Yuma backflips out of a lariat and turns it into a butterfly suplex but Ryuki fires back and spears Yuma out of mid-air. Ryuki follows with an exploder out of the corner and another spear for 2.8. Ryuki goes for another corner charge, Anzai dodges, gets a jumping knee to the back and then a German suplex. Another jumping knee gets 2.7. Gimlet is attempted by Yuma, Honda slips out but Anzai gets a headbutt and another German with a bridge for 2.9. Yuma gets another jumping knee, and another but Ryuki catches it for the Final Vent…but he’s too exhausted he can’t cover. Both make it back to their feet and Ryuki calls for the lariat, Anzai blocks the first but can’t block the second, and a running lariat gets 2.99. Honda just gets up and goes for another FInal Vent but Yuma slips out and gets a German before Honda gets ANOTHER running lariat for 2.9 and another Final Vent gets 3.

****

Just a great match between two guys with incredible chemistry. You can tell they really like each other as they’re just bouncing around for each other with Anzai’s athleticism in perfect usage as a bumping machine. The ugly brawling of Honda winning the day (again!) for him sets up a fun rivalry as the future is bright with these two stars.

Post-match Honda dances a bit and cuts a promo.

Sorry about the delay for this but I lost power for a week and it’s been…a thing. Anyway, I’m going to try to slam these out to catch up, thanks for still reading!