All Japan Pro Wrestling: Super Power Series 06.01.25

So this is the big payoff for the Carnival as we got a ton of title matches and such. We’re in Sendai here with a respectable 2200 in Sendai Sun Plaza Hall.

Takashi vs. Hideki Suzuki

Background: So I am unaware of any specific heat here other than Hideki being a Baka no Jidai guy who lost the AJPW TV Trios belt to Takashi’s Hokuto-Gun but that’s a very unimportant title, Hideki beat Takashi in the Carnival but overall it’s two guys that are kinda dirty cheats going at it. Hideki is a legit martial artist while Yoshida is full-on penis kicks and eye gouges. Oh, Takashi recently won the totally worthless AJPW TV Six-Man titles from Suzuki’s Baka no Jidai, so some revenge I guess is in order?

The Match: Takashi starts the nonsense early, jiggling his pecs, playing to the crowd, but Suzuki gets an early lockup that he wins and we get a clean break and Takashi continues to yap. Second lockup stalemates so Takashi offers a handshake and Hideki seems suspicious so Takashi shakes the refs hand and this Hokuto-Gun partners. Hideki finally relents and accepts…and get throat-thrusted and powders where Takashi chases him and they brawl outside. Or rather they do Three Stooges routines outside. After a whole routine through the crowd and then they even run backstage and commentary just sorta acts like the match is over and runs down the card and Hideki runs back and hops the barricade but Takashi can’t follow so he has to run through the gate. This is extra silly. We finally go back inside. And Takashi just blows snot on Hideki before choking him with the wrist-tape. Takashi follows by just stepping on Suzuki’s face. And then dragging Suzuki’s face across the top rope. Takashi does a full clown routine before an elbow drop that he misses and flails around to sell. Hideki then gets a hanging figure-four necklock on the ropes and he’s the…stud athlete of the match? Huh. Suzuki then goes for a double-arm suplex and that standstills for a while before Takashi gets more throat-thrusts. And the framing setup gets a gamengiri by Takashi. Senton! Takashi keeps up the throat thrusts until Hideki ducks, Takashi thrusts into the turnbuckle and hurts his fingers, a Prison Lock by Hideki follows, and Takashi tries to break with more throat thrusts but Suzuki gets an armbar in the knee hold and Takashi taps.

**

Totally silly Takashi nonsense and Hideki not really playing along outside of a few spots. Fine but underwhelming and that’s if you like this dumb comedy.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Kuroshio TOKYO Japan vs. Hokuto-Gun (Aizawa NO. 1 & Jack Kennedy)

Background: So DBSJ is a pretty serious babyface and KTJ is not any of that, a massive goof who plays around with the fans and does a big elaborate entrance routine and overall is very wackadoodle. These Hokuto-Gun goons are colorful junior Aizawa and big plain gaijin Jack Kennedy.

The Match: Definitely going for comedy as Kuroshio beats Davey in rock, paper, scissors to start and Kennedy is his opponent. KTJ peacocks and Kennedy stares blankly. We finally get a lockup and Kuroshio eats it and seems to get more serious but his headlock is reversed into a shoulder and after a kip-up he eats another shoulder. A few jacket punches whiff and Kuro eats another shoulder so he tags in DBSJ and Jack brings in Aizawa. And commentary goes over DSBJ’s legacy and then Aizawa does an elaborate bit where he asks for a handshake from Smith and then Davey accepts, crushes the hand and then delivers a backdrop driver. KTJ comes in for some double-teaming and a two-count. Kuro with a neck crank but Aizawa gets a terrible leg lariat and that lets Kennedy come in for some awful chops…so Kuroshio reverses his jack to wear it on his front, so Jack chops his back. Ha…ha…ha. Jack with a powerslam and a cover that Kuroshio breaks on the ropes. KTJ with a sunset flip next and then they slug it out. Kennedy calls for a discus lariat I guess, but KTJ hits him with the jacket and it’s a ‘hot’ tag to Davey . Smith with a shoulder and slam and a kick before going for a powerbomb that Aizawa distracts him on letting Jack do whatever and tag in the junior. Hokuto-Gun tries a double but Davey gets a double clothesline, Kuroshio gets a springboard swanton and then they set up an assisted lariat but Kuroshio is VERY careful to not get lariated as he tells Davey what to say as he goes for it, and this takes up like two minutes or something and of course it ends with Davey hitting KTJ, but Aizawa can’t get anything on Smith who takes him down and hits the powerbomb for 3.

*

I did NOT like this, at all. Maybe it’s the back to back dumb comedy, but Aizawa and Jack have nothing, Davey is a guy I don’t dig normally and has no talent for comedy, and KTJ is wearing a bit thin with me. It had like a few clever spots but everything else was very poor.

MUSASHI, Rising HAYATO & Ryo Inoue vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Fuminori Abe & Seigo Tachibana

Background: Our juniors extravaganza. MUSASHI is the former champ, HAYATO wants the belt, Ryo is a young upstart who has never tasted gold. Atsuki is a former champ and HAYATO’s former BFF, Fuminori is a Big Japan striker who is here for gold and has had a violent friendship with undersized (even for a junior) goof Seigo Tachibana.

The Match: Former partners Atsuki and HAYATO start with some technical stuff but HAYATO reverses, gets a big overhand chop, hits a flying headscissors to send Aoyagi to the floor and then hits a fakeout dive…errr well this time he hits the overhand chop, they do some more junior reversals and HAYATO hits an armdrag to send Atsuki to the floor before the fakeout dive. Atsuki goes back in, tosses HAYATO and then Aoyagi hits his fakeout dive and taunts Rising. HAYATO slides in and another stalemate and a standoff and do a staredown and we get the double-tag and it’s Seigo and MUSASHI, who have their own history. The beefy Seigo offers a handshake and then goes to the eyes and we get an international and Seigo seems to be the favorite despite the cheating. And then MUSASHI does legal but dirty stuff with a rake to the eyes with his boot and corners him for a Ryo tag and the youngster gets some blistering kicks. HAYATO in with the overhand chops and then it’s back to MUSASHI to work the leg with some stuff before setting up a deathlock. Atsuki finally breaks that up before getting tossed and it’s Seigo coming back with a forearm and a STO and in comes Abe…who gets immediately double but he foils it with flashy offense, the Big Japan man dials in on MUSASHI but the former champ ducks the kick and gets a comeback that Abe foils…but he preens too much and MUSASHI comes back for real, setting up a HAYATO tag and that uses Abe’s back for a poetry in motion to clear the apron before the goth takes over… springboard whiffs and Abe gets a frankensteiner and in comes Atsuki to beat on his former partner. It’s all very fast and organized and Aoyagi gets a dropkick to draw first blood. FIsherman’s something is cutoff with HAYATO’s chops and then Atsuki’s handspring is converted to a foiled backdrop driver, both guys trade running strikes before HAYATO gets a falcon arrow for the double-down. Ryo in to boot everybody and then MUSASHI comes in for a triple-team. Everybody gets whipped at Atsuki and then Ryo gets the hesitation dropkick and now Aoyagi’s crew breaks it up and it’s all breaking down. MUSASHI hits a flip dive. Atsuki turns a Ryo 540 kick into a rollup for 2 but Ryo gets a jump kick and a Regal-Plex for 2.9. Another suplex attempt is turned into a thrust kick by Aoyagi and then three rolling fisherman’s busters for 2.7. Aoyagi goes up and it’s 450 time and that’s 3.

**½

Okay maybe just a serious-ish match after two goofs is warming me but this was solid. Just the juniors regular with cheese but they did their spots, worked hard, and I assume Atsuki is next on the docket for the juniors title.

ELPIDA (Ren Ayabe, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai) vs. Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori & Kuma Arashi) & Talos

Background: So just a bubbling feud has been the Hot Young Babyfaces of ELPIDA, this collection being their heavyweight trio of tall and stoic Ren, thick and energetic Ryuki, and the classically built prodigy ace, Yuma. They face dirtbag goofball heels Hokuto-Gun, who consist of their MMA-inspired boss, Hokuto Omori who is mostly a goof, and his big beefy second, Kuma Arashi, who has turned himself babyface with his howling bear deal. Their third is new for me, Talos, billed at seven fett tall and 300 pounds, he’s an ex-football guy who did a stint in NXT as a long-haired, tatted, jacked up goliath.

The Match: Hokuto talks some trash to start and we get Talos staring down Ren and he’s taller than him…and we get a hot start with everybody brawling. Talos does the step over the ropes deal and just destroys Ayabe on the outside. And it’s very basic clubbing and choking but it’s all fine. Back inside and Hokuto is choking out Anzai on the ropes. Yuma tries to fire back but Omori goes to the eyes but Yuma gets a shoulder before Hokuto gets a hair pull to regain control. And Omori then tosses Yuma outside, calls for Takashi to run-in, but he still can’t jump the barricade so he has to use the gate but we still get some throat thrusts. Ryuki Honda then runs in to try to jump Hokuto but he gets tossed and it’s back to Yuma and he eats a nearfall from the out of ring abuse. Kuma in now with a slam but it’s a quick tag back to Omori for a double-team that Ryuki breaks up before getting tossed again. Man this heat segment is LONG. Anzai finally breaks out with a dropkick and Ryuki is in for real with a moderately heated tag. Honda chokes Omori on the ropes before the ref breaks it up, slug fest but Omori gets a reverse STO and tags in Kuma for a senton. More abuse sets up a second-rope senton. Torture rack by Kuma but Ryuki slips out and gets a spear and in comes Ayabe. Hooking clothesline and a Yakuza kick get 2 for Ren. Ayabe with a Death Roulette attempt that Kuma squashes and turns into a rack and a slam and the rest of Hokuto-Gun run in to set up a double team and they get the assisted superplex but Ren holds on and Kuma powerbombs Omori. Now all of ELPIDA run in and do their own series of triples on Kuma but Omori breaks it up. Ren and Ryuki do a deal before Arashi’s dropkick brings in more interference but Kuma gets a crossbody and brings in Talos who the crowd kinda pops for. And the big man just DESTROYS everybody with people pinballing off of him. We get the staredown with Ren and they slug it out and Ayabe gets ruined. Ren get a short flurry but Talos get a big boot, takes down the strap, and calls for a chokeslam and we get the goozle, a leg-hook and a monster slam for 3.

**¼

Look, this was basically “Talos kills everybody” and everything else was quarter-butted at most. But this did very much set up Talos as the most unstoppable force on planet earth.

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

Background: No real history here, Seiki is a journeyman vet who is very ripped and very fast. Does a ton of strikes and has some pretty crazy big moves and generally demolishes guys with speed. Dan is more on the heavyweight side of junior heavyweights and is a solid, chunky dude who throws lariats and back suplexes and powerbombs and has a creepy beard and shaggy hair and basic gear. Seiki is better groomed with a solid goatee and black tights with a lightning symbol on them.

The Match: Double handshake of respect and then we get the staredown. Lockup and Dan easily wins and gives a reluctant break. Standing grappling follows and they go to the mat and they trade pins and submission attempts before they reset. Seiki tries speed but Dan throws a shoulder to stop that, low-bridge sends Dan outside and Seiki tries an Asai moonsault but that gets cuttoff and Tamura gets a brainbuster on the floor and it’s stomping time. Yoshioka gets tossed around and slammed into the barricade for a bit before we go back inside. Seiki catches Dan with a kick going through the ropes and that lets Yoshioka get a breather while Tamura sells on the mats for a countout tease before diving inside. Seiki just picks the kid apart with kicks. Dan tries the defiant no-sell but just gets dropped before he finally starts slugging back and Seiki isolates on the arm with his strikes. Elbow stomp and Tamura is selling his behind off here. More armwork but a Seiki goes for a whip but Dan turns that into a spear, fires up and gets a backdrop driver. Tamura tries for another brainbuster but Seiki breaks free with speed and gets the scissor kick. Tamura powders and now Seiki gets the Asai moonsault. The champ plays to the crowd a bit before Tamura is tossed inside, Seiki gets a Swanton of all things for 2.6 and then a juji-gatame is almost locked in but Tamura turns that into a powerbomb lift to break but Seiki slips out in a somewhat ugly fashion. Enzuigiri by Seiki, gutwrench suplex by Dan, and then Seiki tries to no-sell that but he runs into a Samoan drop, Dan sets up something but Seiki gets the inverted DDT spinning elbow drop thing that Hurricane used to do. That sets up Yoshioka for a buzzsaw kick but Dan catches that and turns it into a buckle bomb and we get a double-down. Dan is up first and we get another powerbomb attempt but Seiki just collapses in it. The ref starts counting Yoshioka down but Dan goes impatient and clubbers the guy in the back. More ugly lariats from Tamura and the champ looks out of it. We finally get a cover for 2.8. Tamura goes for a running lariat this time but Seiki kicks the arm to block it before Dan gets a discus lariat for 2.9. Death Valley Driver for 2.7 and at this Tamura screams in frustration and goes back to a powerbomb attempt but Seiki keeps stuffing it, more body shots from Dan finally let him grab Seiki, but the smaller vet slips out and gets a Canadian Destroyer for 2.6. Seiki uses the ropes to get up and goes for another buzzsaw kick but now it’s Dan’s turn to block a few strikes before the third knocks the challenger’s block off…but Dan gets a ropebreak. Seiki just keeps kicking him in the head and follows it up with a 540 to a kneeling Tamura (that commentary calls a Tornado Strike) and that gets 2.9. And another Buzzsaw kick gets the 3.

***¼

Just a rock solid power vs. speed match with a really fun finish of a guy just getting his head knocked off with totally safe kicks. Fun stuff and a good showing for Tamura who will probably be the monster hoss of the juniors at some point. Also appreciate how less main-event AJPW it was…while still having the emphasis on guys gutting up and powering through slug fests.

Post-match respect is shown, but no challenger comes out…huh.

Business Tag Team (Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi) (c) vs. Shotaro Ashino & XYON – AJPW World Tag Team Championship

Background: So the newly coined Business Tag Team are of course long-time partners and rivals who have held the titles together under different names. But now Kento and Yuma are playing up their sorta…jerk-ish veteran status and them being a team is what is Best For Business™. And fittingly more and more of Kento’s gear is black. Their opponents are AJPW regular, squat suplex merchant Shotaro, and outsider XYON, he of the Roman Reigns impersonator status and moves that are basically all based on him running around and flying into guys. Interestingly enough they are actually dressed in matching gear with black shirts that have HaVoc written on them in red letters and they’re both rocking facepaint too. Or rather eyeblack.

The Match: We get XYON doing the Siva Tau (that commentary calls a Haka which is Maori, not Samoan) and then we get the staredown from both sides as XYON wants Kento. We finally get the big lockup and Kento is tossed away. Headlock by Kento sets up a shoulder war and XYON no-sells and flexes. Kento runs the ropes again and eats a spinning elbow and he bails as he’s perplexed by the Australian’s power. Kento tags out and XYON obliges as well and we have Aoyagi and Ashino with The Fool mocking his opponents eyeblack. They do some standing grappling before Shotaro just runs Yuma over with shoulders for a 2.5, but Yuma drop toeholds Shotaro on the ropes so Kento can sneak attack him and beat him up ringside. Yuma tosses XYON around and mocks his pose before Shotaro and XYON reverse whips and start whoopin’ on Business Tag Team with basic stuff. We get some double teams from HaVoc (for lack of a better name) and Kento sells, and sells, and sells. We eventually transition to a Brock Lock by Shotaro and that gets a bit of action before Miyahara gets the ropes. Kento finally comes back with a pump kick and we get Yuma tagging in for a dropkick and he clears the apron. Aoyagi gets some corner chargers and goes up for a crossbody that gets 2. Yuma tries to lock in his End Game choke but Shotaro blocks and gets the ropes. Yuma goes up again but this time he’s cut off and we get a superplex for 2 and that goes to an ankle lock. Yuma rolls away, Shotaro rolls with him, and eventually Yuma tries his own before Ashino easily counters out and we get some strikes before a Rockstar Buster is attempted, countered and Shotaro gets a spinning uppercut for a double down. Double-tag and Kento gets his dual dropkick combo on XYON before finally waking the crowd up with his posing. Business Tag Team sets up a double but XYON busts it up with a double clothesline. XYON knocks Kento around and now Shotaro comes in to help. We reset to a slugfest that the Aussie wins before we get a brainbuster reversal and in comes Yuma and Shotaro to trade strikes before both powder. Blackout Knee from Kento on XYON, Xyon with a pump kick for 2. XYON goes up but Yuma grabs the leg and that lets Kento go for a superplex…that XYON blocks with a headbutt but Yuma flies in to deliver his own superplex. Kento is still down though and Yuma is trying his best to revive him, and then Kento cups his ear while unconscious and the crowd wills him back. Okay, hilarious. Yuma and Kento get the Spinkick/Blackout combo but Shotaro breaks that pin up before Yuma wipes him and it’s back to XYON and Miyahara. Shutdown attempt one but Shotaro flies in with a dropkick to break that up. Yuma flies in but the double block from HaVoc cut down the Fool. The Tossing fireman’s carry into a German wipes out Yuma and then Kento’s interference is destroyed too. XYON goes up for a diving headbutt (ugh) but that only gets 2.9. XYON gets a strike flurry and a twisting Samoan drop and then calls for a change that gets dodged, Yuma comes in for the save with a Rockstar Buster and Kento looks to kill with the Blackout Knee, XYON blocks the first, can’t block the second and a Shutdown German gets 3.

***

So, I just don’t love Shotaro and Kento’s chemistry and I don’t think I ever will. But this turned into something that was at least good. I love watching Kento sell but HaVoc were just so boring and so extended I found my mind wandering watching the early segment. I will say that Shotaro and XYON had some fun double teams and using each others taunts is a neat idea. Yuma and Kento are great together, but also their presentation is so heelish, them turning into the ultimate underdog babyfaces in the match is a bit…huh for me. Probably need to heel it up more if you’re going to be Business Tag Team.

Jun Saito (c) vs. Rei Saito – Triple Crown Championship

Background: It’s brother vs. brother, tag-team explodes, power vs. bulk. Lotta stuff here. The Saitos are overall the most dominant tag-team in AJPW and also one of them is Triple Crown champion and the other won the Carnival. Jun is the champion, the cooler, slimmer, more ‘skilled’ brother, while Rei is the more wild, bigger, and physically fierce competitor. Despite all of their mannerisms being very heelish, both have turned into giant babyfaces of a sort as big goofballs that love beer, food, and being cheating dirtbags. The match is set up as totally face vs. face with no real heat. Overall though it’s going to be the battle of Rei’s BBQ Bomb standing powerbomb, and Pig Knuckle running palm-thrust versus Jun’s Psycho Break cobra clutch slam and Shouten Kai suplex side slam. Both have long hair, but Jun’s beard is a well-groomed goatee and Rei’s hair is loose and wild though he is clean-shaven right now.

The Match: We start with some sort of traditional song-chant from some old dude and a shot of the Japanese flag so uh, this might be the national anthem and…I might have never heard the Japanese national anthem before. We do the big intros for everybody and they’re all selling this as VERY big. We get the big lockup and Rei wins and gives a clean break. A second lockup goes Jun’s way and we once again get a clean break (said as much by the champ). We get a shoulderblock sequence left and Rei wins and is feeling himself a bit. Jun then gets a low-bridge and a boot to knock Rei outside and the champ goes to work on the barricades and we get the choke with the cheer towel deal. Back inside and we get a Jun elbow drop for a cover as Jun is in his element. But now Rei gets a low-bridge, knocks Jun outside, and goes to work. They slug it out in the crowd for a spell until Rei gains the advantage. Rei gets his own fan towel assisted choke. More towel silliness and Rei returns it to the fan. Rei sets up some damage on the outside and goes for a running charge with Jun on the post and…it actually works? Wow, he usually whiffs the first one. Rei drinks some water to celebrate and we go back inside for an elbow drop. Rei with some chops, Jun tries to fire back with forearms but Rei’s standup puts him down and we get the rope-assisted standing stomp and then the standing but drop for 2. Man, Rei is kinda destroying Jun here and goes for the finish with a BBQ Bomb but Jun stuffs it before some overhand shots put Jun down for a piledriver attempt and Jun backdrops out of that, giving the champ a breather. A pair of Yakuza kicks sets up a shoulderblock and Jun’s own elbow drop for 2. Jun unleashes the hair for a decent pop. Jun attempts a goozle but Rei breaks and we get a slug fest between brothers. Jun goes for a corner charge but Rei uses speed (!?) to dodge it and gets his own corner charge. We set up a superplex spot but Jun tosses Rei off before Rei goes for it again and lands it, both guys pop-up afterward but Jun’s running lariat sets up the double-down. We get the double Taker sit-up and both guys get up to trade shots. And they trade shots, and they trade shots, and Rei finally cuts off a Jun rebound boot with a bodypress, brainbuster, and running splash. Rei is dripping sweat now and both guys are clearly starting to gas out. BBQ Bomb attempt number 2 but Jun slips out and get his strike combo into the discus lariat for 2. Bomaye for 2.6 by Jun. Psycho Break attempt but Rei breaks free and delivers a shoot headbutt (argh) but Jun gets a spear in response for 2.8. Jun goes for another charge but Rei wipes him out with a running crossbody for 2.5. Jun goes for his strike combo but Rei blocks with the goozle slap and his own lariat gets a 2. BBQ Bomb attempt number 3 actually lands and it gets 2.99 for a pretty huge reaction from the crowd. Rei doesn’t hesitate though and he loads up the Pig Knuckle, but Jun blocks with a boot and gets a brainbuster and then a running Rider Kick (that’s what he’s doing!) gets 2.9. Rei lands the Pig Knuckle, but Jun pops up and gets another Rider Kick for the 3.

***

Huh, well. I don’t think this is going to reinvent anything as far as brother vs. brother matches. But personally it was very cool to see the Saitos go from absolute zeroes in the ring to being capable of having a long, competitive, main-event heavyweight fight and not embarrass themselves. It was mostly the Saito formula but neither really worked heel (which probably hurt the heat) and Jun had to be the feisty underdog using skill and technique to defeat his more powerful opponent. I wouldn’t have this be the first Saito Brothers match I saw, but it’s cool to see them stand as real-deal, legit, actually credible heavyweight singles.

Post-match they shake hands and Hideki Suzuki (who beat Jun in the Carnival) is out next to challenge. Alright then.

Thanks for reading, sorry about the delay but I was a bit All Japan’d out and needed to re-charge my juices.