All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival May 6th 2025

Back in Korakuen Hall with almost 1200 people in attendance we have some big matches booked. Oh and we have comms tonight!

Aigle Blanc, Mike D Vecchio & XYON vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Taishin Nagao & Yuma Aoyagi

Background: Aigle, Mike, and XYON are all ‘outsiders’ and in the Carnival though all three have no future matches together. Atsuki and Yuma are brothers and Taishin is a rookie, also Nagao and Atsuki are both juniors. Aigle and Mike are junior-esque but in the heavyweight division and more credible.

The Match: Atsuki and Aigle start and it’s very fast as they do a junior sequence to applause. Standstill and Atsuki stands his own and in comes Yuma and Mike. Yuma immediately heels it up with a handshake offer into a kick but MIke gets a springboard armdrag before his dive attempt gets cut off…and Mike just knocks down Yuma regardless. I will say that Aoyagi is showing tons of butt in this carnival. Mike tags in Aigle who gets his fancy kicks and then a headscissors takedown. Yuma is sent into the corner and now XYON tags in to deliver some methodical strikes. Aoyagi with an attempted comeback but XYON gets a spinning elbow for 2, Yuma finally gets a Rock Bottom and then in comes Taishin with a flurry of dropkicks that XYON totally no-sells until Nagao gets a missile dropkick out of the corner and now the Aoyagis help triple-team XYON. But Atsuki and Yuma’s missile dropkicks are shut down and Taishin gets a diving crossbody…that gets snatched out of the air and turned into a spinning Samoan drop. And now XYON’s teammates show up with their own dives and a pair of topes. Back in and they kinda botch a corner charge but Taishin gets a schoolboy and then a sunset flip but XYON just obliterates the young boy with a pump kick for 2.9. The running high-shoulder seals it for XYON afterwards.

**¼

Just sorta whatever but XYON TRUCKING guys for the finish was fun.

Post-match all the gaijin do XYON’s taunt. That’s fun.

Dan Tamura, MUSASHI & Ryo Inoue vs. ELPIDA (Rising HAYATO, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai)

Background: So Dan, MUSASHI, Ryo, and HAYATO are all juniors and MUSHASHI is the champ. I’m going to favor the team with heavyweights I think though.

The Match: Ryo and Anzai start with grappling and Ryo uses his speed to do okay before the bigger Yuma just eats the youngster up and gets a shoulder. But Ryo tries to unleash the kicks before Anzai ties him up again with a headlock and in comes HAYATO and MUSASHI and they do their sequence. Chops, armdrags, headscissors, powder, fakeout dive. But Ryo runs in to blast HAYATO with a kick and does the Fargo strut and Tamura adds a stomp so MUSASHI takes over before tagging in Tamura legit. Dan gets his big guy (relatively) spots and gourdbusters HAYATO on the apron but a powerbomb is evaded and HAYATO’s leg lariat lets him tag in Ryuki who does his high-impact moves and then chokes Dan on the ropes and then a spinebuster gets 2. More run and gun until Dan gets a loose Samoan drop and in comes MUSASHI who is fast and gets his kicks and such on Honda. MUSASHI follows with a dropkick and stomp combo but a brainbuster attempt ends in Honda lariating MUSASHi…only to setup MUSASHI finally landing the brainbuster. Anzai and Ryo are in and the rookie gets the better of the…okay Yuma technically has wrestled for less but y’know, world title win. Inoue kicks the heck out of Anzai and his squad triple-teams Romance Dawn. Back to Ryo and Yuma and Anzai ducks the buzzsaw kick and gets a butterfly suplex, Gimlet attempt is fought out of and Ryo gets a slugfest into a snap DDT, but he eats a drop toehold in the ropes, HAYATO gets a slingshot DDT onto the apron, and we get Ryuki running in for a lariat/German combo…but Tamura breaks it up. More brawling and HAYATO gets a springboard plancha and it’s back to Yuma/Ryo, Inoue slips through a jumping knee for a schoolboy, but a second knee gets 2.8 and now the Gimlet lands for 3.

**½

This was fun! Look these matches are what they are but these kids were definitely trying harder and Ryo and Yuma have some real chemistry.

Hokuto Omori [4] vs. Ren Ayabe [4] – B Block Match

Background; Two very different performers. Hokuto is a silly heel cheating dirtbag who looks like an idiot all the time and has legit real-fighter cred. Ren is a very tall pretty boy who is always too cool for school and heels it up through his arrogance and physical credentials. Hokuto is all about revving guys up with his mindgames and Ayabe is very, very stoic. Technically Ayabe is still in this, but Omori is not in the running to win.

The Match: Ren wins the lockup but Hokuto reverses and blows a kiss and Ayabe is like “okay?” before he reverses and rubs the shorter Omori’s head instead. Hokuto goes for the legs afterwards and taunts before trying a slam but Ren is JUST TOO TALL and gets his own. Hokuto powders and Ren is just relaxing on the ropes all chill before Hokuto sneaks up and yanks his hair and drags him outside. We get Omori with some feather-light brawling outside as he just preens and taunts for the ‘beating.’ We finally get a whip attempt but Ren reverses it and gets another slam Ayabe goes back to relaxing on the ropes and works the count for a bit. Omori goes back in and Ren just smirks as he gets up for an arrogant cover, and the ref is like “c’mon” so Ren kneels down for an one-fingered cover instead as the crowd laughs. Omori kicks out and tries something but Ren gets a slam and a crab before Omori breaks. Ren is feeling it and keeps on the beating before Omori gets a desperate DDT. Hokuto with a strike flurry and goes back to the lega, rolling elbow and a reversal into a brainbuster and it’s all Omori who goes up but Ren pops up and slams him off the top. Yakuza kick gets 2 for Ren and he follows with his Iron Maiden submission before Omori hits the ropes. Slugfest with both guys working comebacks before a Hokuto roaring elbow sets up a dragon suplex for 2. Hokuto goes up and his frog splash eats knees. But Ren’s something is turned into a RKO by Omori, but Ayabe gets a dropkick and a full-nelson slam for 2 and the Death Roulette gets 3.

**¾

Good pace, clean work, solid chemistry, I do think that overall Ren feels sorta heelish overall as a character, but Hokuto is just so dumpy and uncool that Ayabe can cheat and it’s fine.

Madoka Kikuta [8] vs. Rei Saito [4] – B Block Match

Background: Madoka is the most explosive athlete in the carnival, a guy who controls matches with his ferocious strikes, and finishes with his fearsome hip-checks. But Rei is also a very capable striker, a big, chunky charismatic guy who is the biggest dude in the tournament who can just knock the heck out of you with his strikes and dominate you physically. Both are still in it technically.

The Match: We get some friction before the match with both guys pushing and shoving before we start, Rei is looking a LOT more focused than he normally is, less playing to the crowd. We continue the machismo with Rei mocking Madoka by slapping his own rear. Lockup and Saito destroys Kikuta with it. Second lockup and Rei wins but Madoka reverses in the ropes and then piefaces him and maybe gets some of his eyes and then a chop, and Rei is kinda like “yo that’s my thing” and delivers his own. Both guys are trying not to be bothered by the others chops but are selling at the same time. Really excellent touch. Madoka with more disrespect and Rei just chops the devil out of him before the Dragon Gate man tries to go for a shoulderblock battle and does shockingly well before Rei obliterates him. It’s interesting that Madoka has been able to bully guys with his physicality but Rei is so much bigger he’s kinda coming up empty here. Rei gets the teasing chops in the corner before Madoka spits in his eye! Rei obviously crushes him for that disrespect and then sets up Madoka in the corner so Rei can chop Madoka’s…lets call it his hip. Kikuta spills outside and Rei follows to put the boots to him and they trade more chops. And then Rei chokes him out with a cheer towel. Rei goes back to the chops so Madoka just blatantly gouges the eyes, and Rei fires back with a closed-fist punch! Rei sets up Madoka against the post for a chop but Kikuta ducks and then continues to work Rei’s hand on the guardrail. Hip-check and then more hand work by Madoka who grabs a sign and bludgeons Rei with it to massive boos. Finally back in and Madoka keeps at the hand by just stepping on it. Well y’know…admire the simplicity. Rei tries a chop anyway but it gets reverses, but Madoka goes for a slam and Rei is JUST TOO FAT and Saito lands on him. Rei gets some chops (making sure to shake his off between each one) but Kikuta gets his own before Rei puts him down and uses the ropes to step on Madoka and then lands a standing seated senton and man, Rei just BOUNCES on Madoka’s chest. Rei misses a corner charge and Madoka speeds it up and and lands a rebound shoulderblock that takes Rei down! And Madoka takes advantage by firing away with chops but Rei no-sells before Madoka goes back to the hand and takes Rei down and gets a Hip-Bomb for 2.8. Madoka tries a series of lariats/clubbing blows but Rei gets the running crossbody for 2. Standing powerbomb attempt is slipped out of and Madoka gets a hip-bomb and then a diving hip-bomb for 2.9. Back up and Rei gets a series of chops and then Madoka gets his own and Rei seems to be finally losing that battle but Saito guts up and blisters Madoka with them. So Kikuta gets a running lariat for 2 and then loads up the discus…but Rei gets the goozle slap to block that, Madoka with another hip-bomb but Rei snatches him out of the air for a belly-to-back suplex and then another goozle slap that sends Madoka’s sweat FLYING gets 2.6 for Rei. Both guys get back up and Rei lands the Pig Knuckle for 3.

***¾

Okay that ruled. Two guys just beating the heck out of each other, and I like that it played on Madoka kinda overly relying on his own chops even when they weren’t working here as Rei just has the better strike game. I guess I could complain about Rei not selling his hand enough, but I think the whole thing was that Saito is just too tough to lose in a brawl to this guy. And he did sell the hand! So there. Really fun stuff here with guys just stiffing each other and y’know, psychology!

Kengo Mashimo [8] vs. Takashi Yoshida [0] – A Block Match

Background: In a battle of dirtbags, we have the Assassin Kengo Mashimo, a hard-kicking, armbreaking quasi-junior versus Takashi, a throat-thrusting, penis kicking dirty cheater with no wins. This is their last match and both are eliminated but pride still matters!

The Match: The fans seem to actually be cheering for Yoshida to start to his surprise. Lockup and Takashi wins, clean break and handshake offer Kengo brushes off. A second lockup is won by Kengo who also gives a clean break…and Takashi goes for a second handshake and Kengo says no to more boos from the crowd. Yoshida does the whole routine by shaking the refs hand and then Omori’s (at ringside) hand. So Kengo accepts and HE goes for the cheapshot! Excellent! Headlock by Kengo and we get a shoulderblock war with both guys kinda hamming it up, and then when Takshi revs up to go for a rebound, he just throat thrusts Mashimo who powders. This is all quite silly. We get a big whip into the barricade and then Yoshida choking Kengo with his wrist tape. Back inside and now Kengo gets the chance to kick the ropes while Yoshida is stepping in, and Mashimo chokes Yoshida with the wrist-tape. Turnabout! And we continue as when Kengo steps back inside now Takashi kicks the ropes. I’m pretty sure the finish of this match is going to involve one of them drawing a cartoon tunnel on the mat and falling through it. Yoshida with an eyerake on the top rope and then Kengo gets his own. Yoshida blocks a turnbuckle smash and does a big bug-eyed sell to the crowd before going to the nose…and of course Kengo does the same. Kengo with an atomic drop and a jump kick before getting a corner elbow and a brainbuster attempt that Yoshida blocks with a throat thrust. We get the thrust spam for like 12 shots and then his own jump kick and a senton. Yoshida calls for the lariat but Kengo takes him down with an armbar and then a juji-gatame. Yoshida can’t make the ropes and his attempts at reversals are quashed most hilariously by Kengo’s better mat game but Mashimo focuses too much on the fingers and Takashi makes the break with his foot. Yoshida tries a few chops but obviously his hand is hurt, so he does the ‘falling down and kick the nuts’ move into an inside cradle for 2.9. Lariat attempt is blocked by Kengo with a kick but the buzzsaw kick whiffs and Yoshida gets a pair of ferocious lariats for 3.

***

What a blast and a great way to payoff the tournament run for Takashi. He stopped cheating while his opponent was obsessed with it and actually wrestled and he won! Morality play!

Post-match Yoshida offers a handshake and Kengo kicks it away. That cad!

Shotaro Ashino [6] vs. Kuma Arashi [6] – A Block Match

Background: Both are eliminated but fighting for pride. They’re both actually similar built stocky short guys, but Kuma is much more of a power brawler while Shotaro is a suplex and ankle locks guy.

The Match: Kuma howls. Standing grappling standstills. Lockup that Kuma wins, clean break and howl so Shotaro uppercuts him and I guess Ashino is Bret Hart heel tonight. More stuff from Shotaro but Kuma gets an honest to goodness FLYING HEADSCISSORS (okay super sloppy but still) and Shotaro powders…and then he takes out Kuma’s leg and gets a dragonscrew ankle whip in the ropes. More abuse on the outside and then it’s back in. More super basic stuff with Shotaro just snapping the ankle and when Kuma tries a power move doing a pick. I actually…don’t hate somebody being super simple like that when it’s working. A sorta single-let/knee slicer combo for a bit and Kuma is just sorta lying there while Ashino humps his leg. We eventually get a rope break and Kuma gets a breather with a running crossbody. Kuma with a senton, Samoan drop. Kuma goes up and his ankle is fine as he gets a second-rope senton for 2.8. Torture rack time but Shotaro slips out for a German tease that Kuma turns back into the rack…but Shotaro gets a sleeper for a bit…and Shotaro breaks and does the drop for 2.9. Gutwrench into another rack by Kuma (foot is fine I guess) but Ashino wriggles out and now gets the German. Slugfest that Shotaro wins with a corkscrew uppercut and now the crowd is cheering for him. FICKLE! German gets 2. Second German gets 2.6. Three more Germans follow and then an ankle lock. I do wonder what wrestler Shotaro was a fan of growing up. Kuma’s reversal falters once, then twice, but then he busts out an IRON CLAW and that lets him break and then he lariats Shotaro. Shotgun dropkick into the corner and then a Dominator by Kuma gets 2.9. Arashi with a double-jump to slingshot to the top rope and then the diving senton gets 3.

**¼

The just utter lack of selling of the foot by Kuma bugged me tremendously, but it was definitely a hot comeback sequence and Shotaro did Shotaro things.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10] vs. Hideki Suzuki [10] – A Block Match

Background: If Davey wins he’s in as he has the tiebreaker over Kento and Jun. If Hideki wins he’s in as he has a tiebreaker over Kento and Jun. Davey is big and strong and has fly a bit, Hideki is big and not really strong and likes to tap people out but DBSJ has some technical skills too.

The Match: We get some grappling, and grappling, and grappling to start. Davey finally kinda works a kimura of sorts but it’s just them sorta leg-humping. Chinlock by Davey but Hideki tweaks the ankle to break. More grappling and Hideki goes back to the ankle with a twist and Davey sells like he’s trying to remember if he bought eggs before going back to the headlock. This is as thrilling as it sounds. Bridging sequence but Davey keeps the straitjacket choke on. More reversals. Hideki gets a kagato-jime that Davey actually sells for. Reversal and Davey almost gets a RNC that Hideki gets the ropes for and powders. No extracurriculars and we go back in for yes, more grappling with Davey going for a crucifix way too close to the ropes. And we get a headlock afterwards. Do. Something. And I guess Hideki is listening as he turns the headlock into a belly-to-back suplex backbreaker. My goodness we’re relying on HIdeki to speed a match up. Hideki tries some strikes but Davey gets the scoop powerslam and we go BACK to the grappling. But it’s to set up a fisherman’s suplex at least. Hideki goes for a single-leg but gets stuffed and a powerbomb struggle leads to a backdrop and then a manji-gatame. Davey with a backslide for 2 and then an O’Connor Roll that gets reversed an Hideki wins.

*

This was tremendously boring. I guess I should compliment two guys for just doing wrestling but this was just slow and dull with no character or personality displayed at all. They didn’t mess anything up but it was still very bad. And by my math Hideki is making his way to the finals.

Kento Miyahara [10] vs. Jun Saito [10] – A Block Match

Background: They’ve wrestled a few times, with Jun having won the last match (a title defense) but Kento won the last Carnival match (which was the finals of last years show and absolutely awesome). Overall it’s the best defensive wrestler in Kento, just a guy with unstoppable fighting spirit and the ability to pull a reversal out of anything and perhaps the best offensive wrestler in the game, Jun, a guy with a tremendous arsenal of ferocious maneuvers. That said, both guys have lost to Hideki who has the tiebreaker here so Suzuki is coming out of the block.

The Match: Both guys preen to a ridiculous degree before the match. Big ole lockup to start and Jun gives a clean break. Headlock next and we get an international and a stalemate. And they work that stalemate before going back to the standing grappling with some wristlock reversals before Jun juts rushes Kento into the ropes and then a cheap shot, Kento gets a drop toehold into the ropes but when he tries his boot Jun dodges and then he kicks Kento to the outside where Saito does Saito things. But then Kento does Kento things and he drops Jun on the barricade and brings out the headbutts to stagger the champ. A whip against the barricade follows but Jun just bursts out and shoulders Kento down and gets his own ferocious whip that Kento sells marvelously. We get the choke with the towel next and now we’re back in for Jun to stomp on Kento in the corner and choke him against the buckle with his foot. Whip, corner charge, running elbow drop for 2. Jun unleashes the hair to a big pop while Kento howls in agony. Delayed brainbuster for 2.6. Jun goes for another whip into a rebound and now we get Kento’s comeback with him rolling through and hitting a pair of dropkicks. Corner charge by Kento and then they fight over a suplex with Jun being too big, Saito with a Yakuza kick but Kento no-sells and we get a slugfest. And it continues to slug! Big boot from Kento but Jun fires back with a chokeslam for 2.8. Delayed brainbuster attempt again but Kento turns that into an inside cradle for a nearfall and when Jun comes back with a lariat Kento busts out his Snake Limit (leg triangle/armbar combo) and man I forget he has that move. Jun is actually close to tapping before he eventually gets his foot on the ropes and checks his arm. Kento places Jun on the top rope and he goes…up (?!?) to set up a superplex but Jun gets a headbutt and we get a SUPER CHOKESLAM (okay it’s off the second rope) for 2.9. Jun stalks his prey and sets up the Psycho Break but it gets reversed, Jun with a strike combo and then the Bomaye for 2.9. Jun runs the ropes and we get Kento with a LARIAT (styled after his trainers, Kensuke Sasaki with the pose and positioning) and now it’s Shutdown German time but Jun breaks and lariats Kento and it’s Jackhammer time for 2.8. Psycho Break attempt again and Kento armdrags out, Blackout Knee! But now Kento gets greedy and goes for the lariat again and Jun cuts that off with a spear. This is kicking butt as we get a double-down while the crowd goes banana. And Jun gets a running sidekick, like Bruce Lee style to a kneeling Kento and I guess that wasn’t him botching the Bomaye. Shouten Kai attempt by Jun but Kento slips out but lands into the Psycho Break again before immediately reversing it (seriously that move has no success rate) and we get Shutdown German attempt number 2. That fails so we get a Blackout Knee and Shutdown German attempt number 3 gets the win.

****¼

Well this ruled. Yeah is this kinda the hits? Well on some way, but both of them used their movesets differently with Kento being more brawly with the stand up sequences and using way less Blackout Knees and busting out the Snake Limit. And Jun has as I’ve said many times, massively improved as a seller and has the offensive chops to be entertaining while Kento sells and sells and sells. Really fun stuff as it basically always is with the two of them.

Sorry about the delay on these, but life always finds a way to break into my attempts at watching the rasslin’.