All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival 05.18.25

We got 2280 in Ota Ward General Gymnasium and that’s a nice looking venue for the Carnival finals.

Shota Kofuji vs. Taishin Nagao

Background: So Shota is a rookie from OSW and Taishin of course is AJPW’s one current rookie (yeesh). Just a young lions match, or young…whatever AJPW calls them.

The Match: Hot start as Nagao jumps Shota from behind and shoves him around before the ref controls stuff and we get an actual start to the match. Both guys slug it out and Taishin gets a few shoulders as…man, these guys are SMALL. Kofuji gets an armdrag and some hammer and anvil elbows. And they go back to slugging it out. They are working fast at least. More run and gun stuff and Taishin goes for a Boston Crab which is instant death for rookies but Shota makes the ropes. Nagao takes his opponent to the woodshed in the corner but after the ref pulls him off Kofuji gets a shotgun dropkick and goes up for a missile dropkick. Slam is attempted but Nagao fights free and they go back to the forearms. And forearms. And more forearms until Kofuji gets another dropkick and then a fisherman’s suplex gets 2.8. More forearms, Shota goes for another suplex and Taishin floats over and gets a northern dropkick, then a regular dropkick and goes back to the crab. After some fighting and repositioning Kofuji taps.

**¼

Hey their idea for doing anything was “forearming each other really hard” but they worked hard and busted their buns and the finish was moderately clever. For their experience? Very solid.

Post-match Taishin stomps on Shota, my word what a jerk!

So now the official show starts with some sizzle reels.

Kento Miyahara vs. Ryuki Honda – Champion Carnival Semi-Final Match

Background: So, I uh…idiotically thought it was just the top seed from each block, but apparently the two two seeds do a playoff thing to determine who is the actual Carnival winner. Ryuki is the 1 seed from B Block and Kento is the 2 seed from B Block. Both are brawlers of a sort but Kento is much more of a defensive fighter who outlasts opponents and times his comebacks while Honda is more all gas no brakes yaddamean? Ryuki is also part of the hot young stud stable in ELPIDA while Kento is clearly old guard. Both guys have a pretty well-protected finish as well, Kento’s Shutdown German Suplex is oft-countered but rarely kicked out of while Ryuki’s Final Vent (over the shoulder chokebomb) is slipped out of frequently but rarely kicked out of. Kento also has his Blackout Knee while Ryuki has his spear, spinebuster, and lariat (though Kento has one as well).

The Match: After stopping to pose we get a lockup that Ryuki wins and then a very delayed break that Honda eventually leaves clean on. Kento goes for some standing grappling next and we have a wrist-control spot before a headlock takeover sequence into a stalemate and both guys are being very calculating so far. Kento eventually gets a boot out of a whip and sends Honda outside. Kento whips Ryuki around but Honda gets a shoulderblock and now Honda whoops Kento around ringside. Honda gets his illegal choke on the barricade for a 4 count and then breaks the count and goes back outside to keep the abuse up. Now Kento gets whipped around but when Ryuki follows up Miyahara gets a fireman’s carry and drops Honda throat-first across the steel and then gets some super, super worked headbutts (no blame, shoot headbutts are so effin’ dumb). Back inside and Kento goes for a brainbuster and they work that for a while before Honda gets a brainbuster. They slug it out and Kento is all wobbly as he eats a corner clothesline and spinebuster for 2. Honda stalks his target and they fight it out before Kento gets a boot and Ryuki fires back with a spear. Double-down and we reset with Kento turning another spear into a schoolboy and then he goes for a Shutdown that gets blocked as Ryuki lights him up and gets a running elbow for 2. Running sequence sets up a Honda lariat for 2.8 and then Honda tries for a Final Vent that Kento turns into a Blackout. Honda zags with a rollup that gets turned into a Kento crucifix for 3.

***¼

Legit shocked by that ending, but the experienced veteran sniffing out a rasslin’ counter is good stuff by me. Good match, great finish. Feels like they could have gone 10+ more but sometimes you gotta leave ‘em wanting more.

Hideki Suzuki vs. Rei Saito – Champion Carnival Semi-Final Match

Background: Hideki is a clever, shoot-wrestling guy with size and veteran experience, Rei is very much a Bad Wrestler who is big and burly and uses his bulk (and sumo skills) to get impact. Both are heelish but also beloved by the fans.

The Match: Mega-hot start as Hideki just walks into the ring, clocks Rei and chokes him out while the ref and others drag them apart. Gotdang. Kyohei Wada (senior official who has been with them since the 70s) absolutely lights Suzuki up and gives him the whole nine yards. Rei recovers enough to stroke his hair in an erotic fashion and people check on him. Rei gets to his feet and I guess is good to go and the bell rings and they just are throwing hands. Suzuki is going for a sprint with a takedown into a punt but Rei just slaps the heck out of him before Hideki cranks in a sleeper…but Rei backs that into a corner and demolishes him in the ropes, and I mean demolishes, we get a few slaps and then a palm thrust flurry and Hideki is dropped to his butt and…wait, Rei gets a KO finish?

***

Just as a total freakshow ‘worked fight’ deal this was really stellar. Feels very non-AJPW but Hideki has leaned that way in the past. Rei putting guys away with chops is going to make his regular matches feel differently but hey, this put the dude over as a monster and I don’t need longform Suzuki matches where he throws armdrags. This was definitely Good.

Kengo Mashimo, Madoka Kikuta, Seigo Tachibana & Shuji Kondo vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Ren Ayabe & Ryo Inoue

Background: So it’s a bunch of Carnival guys and also junior dudes Seigo, Atsuki, Kondo, and Ryo.

The Match: Davey and Kengo star and Smith gets the lockup and sends Mashimo to the ropes and then overall tosses him around before the AAW goes the eyes and then dodges a legdrop. We get some respect nods and in comes Atsuki and Seigo. Shoulder sequence and Tachibana goofs about before another shoulder and some taunting. Atsuki clears the ring and gets a fakeout dive before stealing Tachibana’s taunt before Seigo slides back in with a boot and an atomic drop and in comes Kengo for a double-team and he really doesn’t want to do Seigo’s taunt, so he just kicks him and walks out of the ring. And now Shuji is in to be slow and bruising. They fight over who who tags in next and it’s Madoka as they do a double-team boot/atomic drop with the DG guys but the wrong guy goes for the cover and this is all very awkward for about 30 seconds as they try to remember what they’re doing. Atsuki finally gets a handspring kick that gets stuff and a German attempt is turned into an iconoclasm as Kondo is just eating him alive, but he finally gets a dropkick and in comes Ren with a hooking clothesline. But Madoka shows up to help out Shuji with a double hip-check before it’s just Madoka who chops away at Ren who no-sells it aggressively. Madoka tries to duck some stuff but Ren fakes him out and drops him with a boot in a clever spot. Ryo and Atsuki run-in to clobber Madoka and then we even get DBSJ doing the deal with a powerslam. Atsuki with a triangle moonsault but we reset to Ryo and Madoka and Inoue gets a kick flurry and a hammerlock DDT. Buzzsaw kick gets dodged and Madoka comes back with chops. Ryo with some educated feet and Madoka with a lariat and while Ryo tries to get something going he eats a hip-check and a lariat from Madoka for 2.7. And a rolling lariat gets 3.

**

This was very unfocused, just tried to be too much at once but the individual work was solid.

Baka No Jidai (Fuminori Abe, Hikaru Sato & Yuma Aoyagi) (c) vs. Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori, Kuma Arashi & Takashi Yoshida) – AJPW TV Six Man Tag Team Championship

Background: So Baka No Jidai are sorta silly trickster faces that represent sorta the old order of AJPW as goofball, fat and lazy vets. Hokuto-Gun are just random cheating monsters under the command of mega-goof Hokuto Omori. Oh and while these are technically for titles these six-man titles mean less than nothing. Hokuto-Gun are in some fresh matching all-white gi. Baka aren’t in matching gear other than all three having some blue in their colors. For posterity, Abe is a BJW guy who is an undersized martial artist with lots of gumption and swagger, Hkaru is a legit MMA guy that’s kind of a creep and rides the goof/legit line and Yuma is a real heavyweight star that’s very versatile but very silly. Hokuto is a MMA guy as well but kind of a dumpy dude but has a KO forearm and submission credibility but is mostly a pratfalling goof, Kuma is a big bear-enthusiast who does power stuff but also just sorta goofs around, and Takashi is a cheating dirtbag who like throat thrusts. Okay the match is all goofs.

The Match: Abe and Yoshida start with a lockup that Takashi wins and we get a clean break and a bow. Yoshida with the handshake that Abe kicks away and we get a big commotion before it’s back to a lockup and Takashi wins but Fuminori reverses it and we get a clean break and Takashi offers the handshake again, Abe refuses so Yoshida shakes all his teammates hands, and then he gets the ref…and then Yuma and Sato…befort throat-thrusting Abe when he accepts and doing all the cheating. Nose pulling, eye poking, face raking, Hokuto-Gun all tag in and gets Abe with a triple butt choke in the corner but Fuminori foils the triple team afterwards and in comes Baka no Jidai to clear the field. They all brawl outside for a spell. Back inside and we get a spinning toehold on Hokuto from Abe before Omori gets an inside cradle for 2. Baka no Jidai come back with a drop toehold elbow drop combo with Yuma and it’s back to Fuminori working over Hokuto before Omori gets a fakeout into a DDT and a tag to Yoshida who throat-thrusts everybody and then a gamengiri and more throat thrusts. Kuma is now in and he sentons everybody. Kuma then racks Abe for a loooooong time before Sato yells at him from the outside and offers him…something that he throws and distracts Kuma and Baka no Jidai kick Arashi apart with Hikaru leading the charge. Sato gets a heel hook and another flurry of kicks for 2.7 and then a kimura off of the kickout. We finally get a samoan drop into a double-tag to Yuma and Hokuto and they trade strikes but Aoyagi gets a dropkick and we get some more slick doubles before Baka isolates Omori. A Yuma brainbuster gets 2 on Hokuto but Takashi runs in with throat thrusts on everybody before they all throat thrust him to comedic effect. Takashi gets the better of them all though and they set up a superplex with Hoktuto-Gun’s help before it goes wrong for Omori who almost gets powerbombed by Kuma…but Takashi runs interference and sets up Omori again to superplex Aoyagi and they actually land it and Hokuto-Gun is JAZZED. It’s only a 2-count though. When Baka no Jidai runs in they get slammed around before Yuma fires back…and gets lariated into the dirt by Takashi and eats a Dominator from Kuma and then a Dragon Suplex from Hokuto…for 2.999. Omori goes up for a frog splash and that gets 3.

**½

Mostly just silly nonsense but well-worked silly nonsense. Hokuto-Gun FINALLY landing their mega-finish was funny at least. They work as new champions too.

Hokuto cuts a promo post-match about something.

Dan Tamura, Shotaro Ashino & XYON vs. Saito Brothers (Jun Saito, Naruki Doi & Senor Saito)

Background: Not totally sure what the three opponents have in common, but Dan is a dumpy oversized junior who likes his lariats and powerbombs, Shotaro is a dumpy heavyweight who likes his suplexes and uppercuts, and XYON is just a big Samoan-Australian brawler. The Saito’s here are Triple Crown champ Jun Saito teaming with Mr. Saito Naruki Doi (former DG legend) and Senor Saito (some guy that is basically an old jobber). The Saitos are red and black, jerky aggro dudes that cheat and enjoy it, but Jun is pretty much a babyface as a tall, handsome, powerhouse, those his goons are uh, not as popular.

The Match: Jun swallows up Shotaro in a lockup and gives a clean break and then Ashino goes for an ankle-pick that Jun avoids and we have a stalemate. We get Naruki Doi…and then XYON in and Doi is freakout out facing a guy bigger than him before he tries some shoulderblocks that fail. Doi speeds it up and gets cut down by XYON who lands a double-handed choke…but Doi spits at him and we get the big dramatic reaction before XYON no-sells everything. Naruki goes to the eyes and in comes Senor Saito…to get double lariated by XYON and in comes Dan. Shoulder, brainbuster, powerbomb attempt is stuffed and when Dan runs the ropes he gets hit in the back and thrown outside where the Saitos go to work. Back inside and Dan gets triple teamed and Jun tags in for the slam and the elbow drop. Jun unleashes the hair and gets a delayed brainbuster for 2. Saito misses a charge and Dan gets a diving shoulder for 2 and that lets Shotaro tag in for some uppercuts. Gutwrench by Shotaro gets 2 but Jun takes over with shoulders before a Psycho Break is turned into an anklelock and we get more reversals ad\nd then XYON comes in with a flying forearm. The Samoan goes up and dives into Jun’s chokeslam though, and in comes Mr. and Senor Saito. XYON hulks up but Jun boots him down and the Saitos go to work. Shotaro breaks up a Senor Saito pin with a Karelin lift and the rest of the family flies in on him. Reset to Doi and Tamura who hit their finishers but Jun boots Dan down and then everybody runs in on Jun and we get the toss German combo with XYON and Shotaro. Senor Saito gets Samoan dropped by XYON and then eats the XYON Spear for 3.

**¾

ELPIDA (Rising HAYATO & Yuma Anzai) (c) vs. Aigle Blanc & Mike D Vecchio – All Asia Tag Team Championship

Background: So I want to start by saying that the All Asia tag titles are the secondary belts and not super important, but because the main AJPW titles have been on main-eventers busy with main-eventer business. ELPIDA are the hot young babyface stable of young rising stars whose oldest member is 28 year old Ren Ayabe (not in this match but trying to give context). HAYATO is a cruiser who can hang with heavyweights as a versatile Hardy-esque flyer/brawler while Yuma is a future superstar and a former Triple Crown champion who is an amateur stud with athletic standouts. Their opponents are two highlfying Euros. Belgian bruiser Mike D Vecchio and French acrobat Aigle Blanc, masked and full of pride.

The Match: We start with a cruiser sequence with HAYATO and Blanc that has the Frenchman stand HAYATO up with a standing flip into a taunt and then the tatted goth HAYATO does his own taunting before Blanc dropkicks him and knocks ELPIDA to the outside for a corner moonsault. Blanc sets up the champions and then Mike goes over the rope with a dive to follow up the abuse. The Belgian tosses HAYATO back in and gets a delayed springboard elbow before he gets a slam, an arrogant cover, and tags in Blanc to get a flurry of kicks as both guys (who were babyfaces in the Carnival) kinda prance around as arrogant outsiders. But their showboating and hotdogging lets HAYATO get a thrust kick on Blanc…but that doesn’t stop the Francophiles from getting stereo apron brainbusters. ELPIDA is selling like they got shivved and we’re going for a countout on Rising. When our Goth hero comes back in he eats a chop from Mike before Aigle gets a spinning headscissors takedown into a submission and HAYATO squirms to the ropes. Another quick tag and Mike works our blonde over with a Gorilla press powerslam. Mike poses and beats down HAYATO who gets a flash dropkick and we get a double-tag for Blanc and Yuma. And Anzai just obliterates the Frenchman with a corner forearm and a belly-to-belly, and then shuts down a Blanc comeback with a dropkick but Aigle flips out of a back suplex, gets a suplex neckbreaker…and runs into Yuma’s jumping knee and kneeling chinlock. Blanc squirms to the ropes for a breather and HAYATO gets tagged in for a double-team but foils it and Mike gets a fakeout into a double springboard cutter. Mike sets them up for a double-dropkick but Blanc slips off the ropes and recovers with a shove and man, that’s a BIG oof. The Euros recover and hype each other up and after tossing ELPIDA outside Vecchio presses Blanc onto them over the post in a good recovery. Back inside and we get a coast-to-coast dropkick from Blanc and then a coast-to-coast elbow drop from Mike that HAYATO breaks with a hand on the ropes, but they get a Doomsday Blockbuster to follow that Yuma breaks up by just bowling over Blanc. Mike just stomps out HAYATO and obliterates him the corner as Rising sells brilliantly. In comes Blanc and HAYATO is deadweight. Blanc tries a whip and HAYATO collapses so the Frenchman just SLAPS him like the jerk he is. But HAYATO was playing possum and drop toeholds Blanc into the ropes which sets up a Yuma knee from the outside and Rising gets a slingshot DDT onto the apron. Deadlight German/Springboard Dropkick combo from ELPIDA is broken up and Yuma and Mike slug it and an inside-out clothesline gets Mike’s leg tied up in the ropes. HAYATO’s springboard on Blanc whiffs though and they slug it out. And when HAYATO goes for a second springboard Blanc Germans him off the ropes…but HAYATO gets a leg lariat for 2 and then eats a Victory Roll for the same. Blanc with a Tombstone for two…and then HAYATO gets a Victory Roll for 2 but his luck might have run out when Blanc gets a corner knee. 450 attempt by Blanc is whiffed and now HAYATO gets a wheelbarrow driver…for 2, but a springboard moonsault finishes off the Frank.

***¾

Jerk athletic heels fought our heroic homegrown faces who gutted it out and overcame them…but it was basically note perfect. Sometimes the blues just gotta be played right, not new. Blanc and Mike might be headed to WWE soon and while I wasn’t super hot on them, maybe they have something as a team? HAYATO and Yuma remain a great squad together.

Post-match former HAYATO partner Atsuki Aoyagi comes out with his big brother Yuma Aoyagi and those seem to be our next challengers.

MUSASHI (c) vs. Seiki Yoshioka – AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship

Background: Both guys were steady tag-partners for a while and even won the All Asia belts together. This is very much a friendly where two guys that seem like fast friends have decided to match against each other with respect and affection. As champions MUSASHI is very much a traditional, almost throwback junior while Seiki is very much a go-go-go guy with an explosive and exciting moveset and the ability to float on air. MUSASHI has his woodblock print tights while MUSASHI is rocking new black gear with a pretty sick lightning pattern on his boots and is of course more shredded than the cheese at an Italian joint.

The Match: Seiki offers a handshake that MUSASHI accepts and they both kick each other at the same time. Ha. Slugfest and both guys go very fast and trade stuff before MUSASHI tosses his challenger and gets his posing in. Seiki cuts off a dive by sliding back in and gets a rope-run that knocks MUSASHI outside but his own dive is shutdown and they brawl ringside. They break the count with a simultaneous roll inside and they go back to the slugfest and man this pace has been brisk. Yoshioka stumbles from the forearms and gets chopped but he launches MUSASHI to the outside, cuts off a slingshot with a gamengiri and then gets his own slingshot curbstomp on the apron (doesn’t look as good as it sounds) and MUSASHI is selling on the outside while Seiki recovers in the ring. The champ rolls back and we’re in methodical mode as Seiki rips off some kicks and covers. MUSASHI fights back from his knees but Seiki gets a kneeling DDT for 2. A crossface follows and this is definitely more rest-holdy in the sell than a real submission and MUSASHI makes the ropes. The champ finally fires back after a small sequence with a backdrop driver and we get a double-down. MUSASHI gets his sequence going with a dropkick for a 2 count. MUSASHI’s German doesn’t work but he gets a stomp onto a rope-hung Seiki and then a frog splash for 2.5. MUSASHI tries to stay in control but Seiki speeds it up and gets an axe kick that forces MUSASHI to powder and now the challenger gets an Asai Moonsault. Back in and Seiki goes very fast with a strike flurry and then lands a PK for 2. Seiki goes for the Crash Driver, gets fought off, and we have a really awkward flying headscissors segment from MUSASHI that ends in an awkward cradle. Not dangerous but just ugly. It gets 2, or 7 maybe, it was…awkward. The champ goes up for a frog splash, Seiki cuts that off and we get a weird reverse tree of woe into a diving stomp from Yoshioka. CLock Strike (Gory special spun into a knee strike that MUSASHI forgets or doesn’t know how to sell) by Seiki is followed up with a Falcon Arrow for 2 but when Yoshioka goes up MUSASHI cuts him off as this match MUST continue. They duke it out on the top rope and MUSASHI shuts Seiki down and then gets a super exploder suplex but doesn’t cover and we get a double-down. MUSASHI finally gets 2 but we reset to a slugfest before both pull out some fancy kicks the other dodges and we get a karate showdown before they eyeball each other and we get another handshake…and Seiki slugs him. MUSASHI fires back and we just get the both of them in lockstep trading strikes. A headbutt and we have double-down number 3. Seiki is up first and still with a hand held he delivers a buzzsaw kick for 2.7, and then a FUMIE (Surfboard Stomp) gets 2.9. Seiki looks both out of ideas and reluctant as he just blasts his buddy with kicks. MUSASHI powers up for another exploder, and then another! The champ is firing up with a third exploder and then a forth…and then a fifth but that one goes into the turnbuckle. MUSASHI goes up for a frog splash and that gets 2.9. MUSASHI goes for the Flamingo Driver out of the corner but Seiki slips free and gets LA MISTICA, LA MISTICA, LA MISTICA and then a la magistral for 2.8. MUSASHI pops up with a German though and Seiki gets his own…and we trade a few more before Seiki gets an enzuigiri…and eats another German, but that move doesn’t beat anybody so the challenger gets a high kick and then goes for the Crash Driver again before MUSASHI gets a victory roll for a near fall. Stalemate and both guys trade kicks before Seiki gets a flurry for a 2 count. Seiki walks into a MUSASHI kick but kicks out at one but is a sitting duck for a flurry of the champ’s strikes and then a frog splash to the back… and then another to the front. But that’s just 2.99. Flamingo Driver by MUSASHI is attempted again but Seiki rolls through for a Crash Driver…for 2.999. No shocked kickout face as Seiki kicks his buddy apart and then goes for a second Crash Driver that gets the 3.

***

Okay, I’m tempted to go far lower and far higher, they tried SO hard, but ultimately MUSASHI isn’t an Epic Match guy, it was a match that was really well-worked but too long, I think a sprint would have serve it better but I did enjoy just how much these guys were blasting each other and also how much they teased Seiki going full-jerk but holding off. The belt has been liberated from MUSASHI at least.

Post-match we got Dan Tamura to come out to menace our new champ and I guess that’s next.

Kento Miyahara vs. Rei Saito – Champion Carnival Final

Background: Always dancing around each other and eternal tag-rivals, Kento and Rei is remarkably underserved historically. Kento is the best of the best, the most established, credible, and respected All Japan wrestler possibly ever, the ultimate comeback artist and a highly skilled wrestler who has the acclaim of all, chasing a repeat of his Carnival win from last year. Rei of course is a big fat bastard, a tag specialist but a top card guy, his brother is champion and he wants his own glory. Rei is dominating, corpulent force, bulk, power, and presence. The bearded, long-haired barbarian crushes his opponents and needs to win this to show that he in fact, a singles force worth consideration, after a really rough start to his tournament, Rei rattled off an insane hot-streak and is ready for the big-time, or maybe the mountain already there will vanquish him.

The Match: Big monster lockup starts us off that Rei wins and gives the clean break. Kento tries a headlock next but it gets shot off and they trade shoulders, Rei obviously wins that exchange. Miyahara powders, Rei follows and tosses the Best of the Best into various pieces of barricade. Rei steps on Kento’s throat in a nasty spot and then grabs a cheer towel to choke out Miyahara. Rei sets up Kento against the ring post and charges it, and Kento sidesteps, Rei slams his injured arm into the steel and now Miyahara goes to work on the obvious weak point. Rei finally stabilizes with chops and stretching out his injured arm and we go a repeat of the charge into the ringpost and this one lands. More stomping and we finally go back inside for a cover and some more leisurely whooping from Rei. Rei grabs Kento’s wrist and fires off some chops that Kento flatbacks for and a double chop gets 2. Rei uses the ropes to step on Miyahara and this has been a masterful sell job. Rei with a standing butt drop and that gets 2.5. Kento FINALLY makes his comeback with the double dropkicks and a double-down. Kento gets a corner forearm, but he goes for a slam and Rei is JUST TOO FAT and he crushes Miyahara. Rei follows up with a sleeper of all things and Kento starts fading and we do an honest to goodness hand raise deal with the ref before Kento powers through and gets into the ropes. Rei loads up Kento for a superplex of all things next and Miyahara tries to fight it off with a bodyslam of all things but obviously that goes nowhere and Rei gets the superplex…and Kento does the dramatic pop-up immediately before running into a double chop. Rei follows up with a brainbuster but Kento reverses it and we get a double-down and the crowd is going banana for Miyahara. Both up and they’re slugging it out with Rei dominating with chops and a “C’MON!” so Kento breaks out the Snake Limit armbar/choke on Rei’s bum arm. Rei finally makes the ropes and tells the ref he can continue but Kento ain’t stopping as he gets a Blackout against the ropes but a second attempt is turned into a chokeslam by Rei. Standing powerbomb by Rei is turned into a sunset flip for 2, and when Rei goes for his running crossbody Kento ducks and gets a la magistral for the same. Kento with a regular German suplex and a Blackout knee for 2 while Rei looks like he’s questioning his purpose in life. Kento tries for the Shutdown German next but Rei elbows out, gets a goozle slap and wipes out Kento with a crossbody for 2.5. Standing powerbomb by Rei gets 2.9 and Saito is flabbergasted but loads up the Pig Knuckle…and Kento ducks! Blackout! Rei with another goozle slap! Another Blackout! Rei roars but he can’t complete the no-sell and he falls to his knees setting up ANOTHER Blackout for 2.99. Shutdown German attempt number 2 and Kento gets Rei off his feet this time but Saito is still too big and bursts free and gets a standing Pig Knuckle for a breather and then a running Pig Knuckle for 2.9. And the standing powerbomb (which apparently commentary is calling the BBQ Bomb) gets 3.

****

Is this sorta the match you expect these two to have? Absolutely. Kento sold and sold, Rei bullied and blustered, but Rei has massively improved in 2 years and is capable of going 25 minutes with a decent (if AJPW approved) pace. Obviously Kento did a LOT to make this work but I’m proud of Rei was was honestly close to hopeless even two years ago. This match didn’t reinvent anything but I almost feel like it’s a perfect way to explain All Japan to new fans. Two guys that know what they’re doing, nothing too complicated, just a big fat heel and a fiery overconfident babyface.

Post-match Rei talks a bit and obviously we get the staredown with his brother.

Yet again, sorry about the delay but I had my mom in town and uh, I care more about spending time with her than I do wrestling. Sorry I’m months off, I hope to be more up to date in the future but I don’t care that much. Peace and love!