All Japan Pro Wrestling: 12th King’s Road Tournament 08.30 and 08.31.25

So we’re back with the King’s Road Tournament as we’re going through the 1st round matches. We’re in Matsue’s Kunibiki Messe Main Exhibition Hall with 450 people in the crowd.

I suppose before I continue I want to say a few words about Taishin Nagao and his tragic passing, it feels cliche to talk up somebody’s talent, but he was talented and promising and I feel like when we just focus on the sorrow and tragedy of a person’s passing we forget that they had other things in their life as well. He was an exciting young babyface with a ton of potential and I hope that within the condolences and tributes we remember that he had that spark as well. I am not going to speak on blame, but I certainly hope companies take better precautions to make sure awful things like this don’t happen in the future. Rest in power Taishin.

Now, back to some less grim topics.

XYON vs. Ryo Inoue

Background: XYON is a part of the new Havoc stable and a big, physically dominant Samoan, Ryo is a scrappy, arrogant rookie who bites off more than he can chew and gets put into the dirt for it. XYON has his pants, Ryo has his leather jacket and fight shorts.

The Match: XYON shows off his Havoc shirt to the crowd and we circle before a lockup. XYON tosses Ryo into the dirt before the smaller wrestler dodges around and tries a go-behind that XYON also shakes off. We tease a test of strength from XYON but Ryo breaks with a kick which amuses the foreigner. Inoue gets a kick flurry regardless but runs into a XYON shoulderblock…repeatedly as XYON keeps taunting and Ryo can’t say no to a fight and begs XYON for a charge which he dodges and then gets a kick flurry. Ha! Ryo eventually gets snatched out of a charge and almost slammed but he slips out, gets a jump kick and a dropkick to send XYON outside, and tries a running punt on the apron only to get caught and sent into the ground. XYON picks up Inoue and gets a slam on the apron and then its back inside for a camel clutch. XYON breaks to set up a corner charge and his twisting Irish whip (he does a whip where he does a corkscrew bump into the mat and I don’t get it) but that at least sets up a cover. XYON goes up and gets cut off and then eats some boots in the corner and when XYON tries the run and gun Inoue gets the hesitation dropkick…for 1. Ryo goes up for a missile dropkick and that gets 2 as the rookie is chopping down the redwood here with repeated kicks to the chest. And XYON shrugs it off for a brainbuster to set up the double-down. Both slug it out from their knees and Ryo tries to speed it up before getting cut off by XYON’s flying forearm. The big Aussie goes up again, diving headbutt, 1-2-3.

**¼

I’m glad Ryo got some stuff going on, but XYON isn’t a good enough seller to make that anything other than “hey, Ryo got to kick a guy for a while.” Still, it took a rudimentary idea and they went a bit more than they had to.

Post-match XYON offers a handshake and Ryo accepts it kind of reluctantly. They exchange bows and XYON plays to the crowd and uh, I thought Havoc were heels?

Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori, Kuma Arashi & Takashi) (c) vs. ALL Mighty Inoue, Carbell Ito & Rey Paloma – AJPW TV Six Man Tag Team Championship

Background: So Hokuto-Gun are sorta goofy heels and their opponents are goofy faces and y’know what? I’m not doing this one. I am not deprived of anything for skipping this, and so skip I shall.

The Match: Hokuto-Gun wins after almost 12 minutes. May God have mercy on their souls.

N-R

Hikaru Sato & Ren Ayabe vs. Jun Saito & Ryuki Honda

Background: Okay I have no idea what or why this is happening. But Hikaru Sato is a sorta comedy goof that’s a light-heavyweight guy (though mostly a junior) that is sort of a creepy dude who can do martial arts. Ren Ayabe is an arrogant, tall athlete that’s part of ELPIDA’s young hot babyface stable despite being kinda mega-heelish. Jun Saito is the champ, the big kahuna, and he is teaming with…frequent tag partner and stablemate of Ren Ayabe, Ryuki Honda. How bizarre!

The Match: Ren and Jun start in a battle of the giants with the staredown and then a monster lockup that Ren wins and gives a clean break (though he does muss Saito’s hair). Second lockup goes Jun’s way and then he musses up Ren’s hair and we get some shoulderblocks that Jun wins. Ayabe with a big boot though and they reset into a standoff and we get a double-tag. Ryuki just sorta taunts and poses while Sato dances around and retreats. Honda eventually gets a headlock and just shrieks…repeatedly. Ryuki then gets a shoulderblock and his rope-choke and the ref has very little patience for it. Jun in and he gets his elbow and UNLEASHES THE HAIR as he just steps on Hikaru and knocks him around, back to Honda and they slug it out with Ryuki MASSIVELY overselling a Sato chop and if this is his new gimmick…no thanks. Anyway Ryuki takes a cheapshot at Ren and beats down Hikaru with forearms. Hikaru dodges a charge, gets a jump kick, and in comes Ren to clobber Ryuki with a corner elbow and a big slam and then a crab. Honda gets the ropes, Ayabe with a brainbuster but Ryuki fights out with forearms and Ayabe drops him with one in turn, but runs into a spear and we get a tag to Jun, slam, elbow and then a goozle but Ayabe breaks free and gets his hooking clothesline and tries his Iron Maiden submission but Jun makes the ropes. Back to stand up and Ren and Saito slug it out, Jun gets a spear, Ren get a brainbuster, double-down, Sato gets tagged in and kicks at the champ and then tries a kimura but Jun reverses into a slam attempt before Ren interferes with a boot to set up a crossbody and then they double team Saito…before Ryuki runs in to blow things up and it’s back to Jun and Hikaru and Hikaru tries stuff but Jun just chokeslams him but the cover is broken up. And Jun just gets a really delayed brainbuster for the 3 anyway afterwards. Well then.

**

There wasn’t much about this that worked. Jun and Ayabe I guess had a clash of titans thing, but Ryuki, who I normally dig, decided to do way too many annoying mannerisms and Hikaru is never a guy I’m excited to see, at least he lost. Just sorta mediocre, whatever, it’s fine.

Dan Tamura, Kento Miyahara & MUSASHI vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO & Yuma Aoyagi

Background: So these teams actually make sense…kinda. Atsuki and Yuma are of course brothers, and HAYATO is a long-time partner with Atsuki as a junior babyface “two handsome young babyface” squad. The opposing team is Yuma’s long-time partner rival (and current tag champ partner) Kento, the ace of All Japan and giant bloviating ham. His partners are also two juniors as we have chunky, oversized junior brawler, a guy who is 24 going on 50 in Dan Tamura who very much is a Takayama clone, and then reliable veteran journeyman MUSASHI. So three guys with history, and three guys who don’t, but the guys with history also have feuded between themselves.

The Match: Kento and HAYATO start and they trade wristlocks and reversals until we get HAYATO taking over with the regular and then a fake-out dive as Kento is flabbergasted and takes the time to pose with the crowd. We get MUSASHI and Atsuki next and they do some junior stuff before Kento and Tamura run-in and clobber Aoyagi. And then we have the Aoyagi’s rally, send their opponents to the floor for a double dive (well Yuma just cheers). Big brawl outside. MUSASHI gets pinballed for a while and then HAYATO isolates him with stomps and they all bludgeon him in the corner. And they go full heel with Yuma gouging at MUSASHI’s eyes while Kento leads a chant for the veteran junior. MUSASHI finally gets a drop toehold to send Aoyagi into the buckle and then a step-up enzuigiri and in comes Kento to get his double dropkick deal and pose. Yuma stuffs a suplex attempt and gets a dropkick and in comes HAYATO to take out Kento’s partners with a poetry in motion and then a springboard moonsault press on the Best of the Best has the tattooed junior rolling with a bulldog out of the corner…but Miyahara gets a big boot and in comes Tamura. We get Dan tossing HAYATO around, brainbuster, fireman’s carry…but Rising slips out gets his signature overhand chop and they slug it out before Dan gets a lariat but his brainbuster is reversed and we have a double-down to a double-tag and it’s MUSASHI and Atsuki just trading shots to the face before MUSASHI gets chops but Atsuki uses flips and it’s super effective…until he jumps into MUSASHI’s exploder and it’s breaking down in Matsue as Dan and Kento run-in on the junior champion and we get some triple-teaming to set up MUSASHI’s frog splash. MUSASHI loads up his whacky emerald flowsion but HAYATO breaks it up with a springboard dropkick and we get a double-team as HAYATO gets a diving codebreaker to set up a back suplex/neckbreaker combo with Atsuki that’s broken up. HAYATO then dives on the people and it’s just the Aoyagi Brothers against MUSASHI and they gloat a bit before trying a double-team on MUSASHI who fights it off with chops and then eats a double dropkick. Yuma then hits a Crash Driver of all things and then Atsuki gets a 450 for the 3.

**¾

Just a bog-standard six-man but we had enough extra to give a special bit to it. Yuma was a giant (and hilarious) jerk this match and it cracked me up to see him cheat his butt off against juniors.

Kento is so upset by the loss he daps up fans outside and wipes his sweat on Kento Miyahara cheer towels that he hands back to fans. Hey, man has priorities!

Hideki Suzuki vs. Oddyssey – Royal Road Tournament 1st Round

Background: So Hideki is the new tag team champion, Oddyssey is the new heavy for new heel stable Havoc. Suzuki is a big shooter type, but Oddyssey is MASSIVE, probably close to 400 pounds (well wrestling wise) and has long dreads and a singlet. He’s a former WWE guy and is sold as a big strong powerful dude.

The Match: Hideki can’t get anything going to Oddyssey (that name is a killer for my spellcheck) just cranks in a headlock as he boasts about his power. Hideki breaks but Oddyssey runs him over with a shoulderblock and when Hideki tries a drop down, the big man just does a front roll over him not once, but twice, and then gyrates while Suzuki powders. The Odd One informs the crowd that Hideki is in fact a chicken and is scared and eventually the Last Student of Billy Robinson goes back in with more holds and is headlocked again. Suzuki tries some strikes in the corner but he’s shoved down and Oddyssey continues to talk trash. Hideki calls for a test of strength and it uh…goes poorly for him. Suzuki uses agility (?!?) and reverses into a full-nelson but Oddyssey breaks and lariats Hideki down and then flexes to the crowd. We get Suzuki on the apron taking shots from the Havoc man (a closed-fist strike that the ref admonishes him on!) and we go outside to continue the beating and this is maybe the most I’ve ever seen Suzuki sell in his life as he bumps all over the ringside area, I mean it’s still glacially slow, but he’s bumping! Oddyssey goes into the crowd to throw shots and Hideki is just bumbling and stumbling here. We even get a bearhug and a slam into the ring post and a slam on the apron as Oddyssey is just destroying Hideki here. Back inside and Hideki dodges two corner charges and then sets up a choke in the ropes. This lets Hideki get a knee drop and then he tries for a hold. Double-arm stretch but the Havoc heavyweight gets a crossbody for a two count and keeps the aggression with corner charges and a big elbow drop. Hideki manages a low-bridge to send Oddyssey outside and after a while Suzuki get the advantage with some strikes and then we’re back in for Hideki to just lean on the big man before Oddyssey gets a backdrop and then a bear hug. Double-leg slam gets two for the big guy before a Bossman Slam gets 3 for Oddyssey.

**

Hideki tried his best to just sell and sell and sell while the young stud kicked butt and won. And it was…okay if Suzuki could sell it was great. As was it was just an extended squash for Big O.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Shotaro Ashino – Royal Road Tournament 1st Round

Background: DBSJ is a former Triple Crown champion (though his reign was short!) and Shotaro Ashino is a former Champion Carnival winner (though he got hurt and couldn’t really capitalize on it). Davey is a versatile wrestler who can fly a bit, do power moves, trade holds, and is trying his best to be a wholesome dude who just loves the fans gosh-darnit. Shotaro is now a heel in the Havoc stable, and the chunky “Master of Suplex” is trying his hand as a hard-butted heel. Just whooping feet with two big monster gaijin as his backup (compared to the other heel AJPW stable where an undersized heavyweight has a bunch of big monsters as his backup…but Havoc is much more serious than the goofy Hokuto-Gun). Davey has also had some real headscratching losses recently, including a clean submission loss to Yuma Aoyagi.

The Match: We get the Greco-Roman deal early with Davey taking Shotaro to the mat and a break. More ground work as Davey slaps on an armbar (and Ashino does have a bad elbow, so PSYCHOLOGY!!!) and they just sorta slowly do arm-wrench spots. Shotaro with a headlock, but DBSJ goes back to the arm and gets his own headlock. Riveting. We get a shoulderblock from Davey and then yes, another headlock. Shotaro fights free, Davey with a shoulder and then a headlock. I mean, I guess it’s working. Shotaro finally gets something going with a kneebreaker and then more leg work and the Havoc honcho unfurls the turnbuckle before we go outside for more brawling. And we brawl and brawl and brawl outside. Ashino posts Davey and works the leg. Back inside and yes, more working the leg. And more working the leg, Davey gets the ropes. Smith FINALLY gets something with a jump kick to counter an ankle pick but his leg is bad and we have a double-down. The Canadian gets a DDT and then a bridging Northern Lights but his leg gives out. That doesn’t stop the big man though as he gets a trio of leg drops for 2.7. Powerbomb attempt but Shotaro backdrops out of it and we have a slug fest of sorts until Shotaro is like “wait this guy has a bad leg” and dropkicks the knee, but runs into a Davey clothesline for 2 anyway. Davey tries a hole before Shotaro rolls into the anklelock and even gets a grapevine but Davey turns that into the Sharpshooter but Ashino makes the ropes. Tease a suplex spot inside but Shotaro goes back to the ankle before Davey kicks free and powerslams the Havoc leader. Powerbomb is successful but Davey goes for a second and Shotaro turns that into an anklelock. After much rolling, Davey eventually sends Shotaro into the post and a backdrop driver gets 2.9 and a second gets 3.

*½

That was very, very dull. It wasn’t illogical or stupid, it was just very, very boring.

Well that’s all for this one and now we’re onto the 31st show which has 600 people in Kobe Sambo Hall.

Dan Tamura & Hikaru Sato vs. HAVOC (Oddyssey & Shotaro Ashino)

Background: So Shotaro used to kinda hang out with baby shooter Dan and veteran shooter Hikaru, but he’s got new friends in HAVOC. Obviously Oddyssey has a lot of size but Ashino is probably looking to avenge that loss as well.

The Match: Shotaro and Dan start and get all technical before the vet takes the rookie to school. Oddyssey is VERY active on the apron talking junk and Tamura rolls through a hold to some applause. The Odd One tags in while the Even Odder One (seriously Hikaru is very bizarre) comes in and the big guy menaces Hikaru who hides the corner and ducks a few strikes while throwing kicks and the American is nonplussed. More strikes and Oddyssey just shrugs it off and smirks and asks for a shoulderblock that Sato actually gives him. It goes badly. Hikaru tries to get sneaky and Oddyssey just rolls over him a few times to stop the drop down. We get some gyrations and then some shots in the corner as Hikaru is just getting obliterated. Shotaro tags in, gets a camel clutch and then a Karelin lift suplex for a few two counts and man this has been one-sided. Sato FINALLY gets a jump kick out of a corner charge evasion and in comes Tamura with the physicality but Ashino gets some uppercuts and in comes Oddyssey with a jumping splash to crush the youngster. Oddyssey has a pretty fun bit where he’s insisting he got a 3 count with the ref and showing him how to count and then Tamura ducks a corner charge and gets a double with Sato and finally the non-HAVOC guys get something going after they stymie the Shotaro interference, but they get caught ball-watching and Oddyssey gets a double lariat, and then loads up the Muta taunt but whiffs on a crossbody and Tamura just hammers on the guy. The big man is teetering as Tamura just lariats him repeatedly and he Hulks up…only to run into Oddyssey’s Bossman Slam and that’s 3.

**½

It pains me to tell you that Oddyssey is really fun in All Japan. Despite his personal failings, he gets how to be a big monster, sell JUST enough, and just crush guys when the time is right. Sato is what he is, Tamura is very promising, and Shotaro is good at offense.

Post-match Oddyssey and Shotaro hug and play to the crowd.

Naruki Doi & Takashi vs. Tokyo Yankees (Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Seigo Tachibana)

Background: So Naruki is a Saito Brothers stooge, and Takashi is a Hokuto-Gun stooge, no idea why they’re teaming against established goofs KTJ and Seigo who are an absolute vaudeville act. Kuroshio is the hammy pretty boy with the flashy jacket and all the crowd posing, while Seigo is running a Yakuza gimmick and they do pratfalls and silly bumps and sometimes get really intense and knock the heck out of each other. Naruki is a wormy junior vet and Takashi is a silly comedy heel who loves kicking people in the weiner.

The Match: So we start off with some silly stuff where Kuroshio wants to hit Takashi with a chair but Takashi is wearing a belt and KTJ can’t dishonor the belt, so instead he pulls his hair and gets a wristlock. This shall be goofy. We get random goof deals where they steal Takashi’s belt and then Tokyo Yankees fight between themselves. We get silly brawling when the heels finally take over outside and then the match starts officially in the ring and everybody is just being a total ham. And as I say that Kuroshio pushes Takashi into the barricade while he’s on a cart. We finally get some wrestling as Tokyo Yankees double-team Naruki with stuff and then it immediately craters again while Kuroshio and Takashi do a comedy routine. Actual wrestling again has a two-count on Doi as Takashi continues to yap while the Yankees have a real match. We isolate to Doi and Kuroshio and the Ikemen does some stuff in the corner to avoid an attack that Naruki evades before Seigo runs in but gets his legs taken out and Takashi finally tags in and spams throat-thrusts. And then Takashi just accidentally throat thrusts the turnbuckle and in comes Seigo as this is just full farce. We get a wristlock but Takashi tries for the eyes before Seigo takes over and that lets Kuroshio get a superkick and we squabble again. They argue about who gets to do a dive first and they get cut off. HYUCK HYUCK HYUCK. I hope the match ends via giant hammer as the heels get some double-teams. Naruki sets up the sliding kick but nails Takashi instead and Seigo pins him.

**

Okay it was just stupid comedy but they played all the stupid comedy stuff and it was fine for stupid comedy. (It was comedy that was stupid).

Davey Boy Smith Jr., Kento Miyahara, MUSASHI & Ryo Inoue vs. Hideki Suzuki & Zennichi Shin Jidai (Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO, Yuma Aoyagi)

Background: Davey and Kento have tagged with MUSASHI and Ryo in the past, so you got two heavyweight vets with a junior vet and a rookie junior versus Hideki Suzuki and the…reborn Zennichi Shin Jidai (okay what is HAPPENING with stables?). Zennichi was basically a babyface stable a few years back (that had Kento in it too!) of all the guys trying to get the foreigners out of the company, so it’s them and Suzuki in…I don’t know why they’re branded like that, bizarre translation maybe? All these guys have wrestled a ton of times in a lot of ways, but you got two juniors and two heavyweights on both teams and Ryo is the biggest rookie of the gorup.

The Match: We start with HAYATO and Kento (who have teamed together a ton as well) and it’s all quite fast and athletic as they trade wristlocks before the faster HAYATO gets his overhand chop and then we set up him teasing a dive and flipping it out of and taunting (they fall for it every time!) and then Kento jaws at the crowd and acts all hurt and offended while the fans clap for Rising’s athleticism. We finally get a tag and it’s Atsuki vs. MUSASHI and Aoyagi takes out the vet with a dropkick after some quick junior stuff and Zennichi are keeping up this clapping deal on the apron, okay I’m fine with it. MUSASHI slows it down with chops and we slug it out before MUSASHI uses speed with a dropkick to the knee and a stomp and now his squad runs in to quadruple team Atsuki. Comedy bit where they corner Atsuki, and Ryo, Kento, and Davey all succeed at hitting running attacks, but MUSASHI gets blasted with Atsuki’s boot…so they repeat the sequence at MUSASHI’s insistence and well…MUSASHI gets blasted in the face again and now MUSASHI’s squad mounts a comeback and they clear the ring so they can boot MUSASHI and quadruple team him. Yuma then tags in and he’s just laughing and taunting MUSASHI who is selling big as Zennichi are cheating big. Atsuki runs in to cut off a MUSASHI rally but the vet finally stifles the double-team and gets an exploder to bring in Kento to boot around Yuma with the regular comeback routine and of course a big pose, Yuma finally catches Kento with a Rock Bottom and in comes Hideki to get a neckbreaker, a knee drop, and some quick covers before Hideki eats a boot and in comes Davey with the Jumbo knee and then a backslide, but Suzuki gets a fireman’s carry roll but neither guy are gonna sell anything so we get a Davey Boy bodyslam and a big legdrop brother jack. And then the powerslam is turned into a Suzuki sleeper and both guys are just switching who is on offense, and as I write that we get a backdrop driver from Davey. Double-tag and we get HAYATO and Ryo for a bit who go REALLY fast but Zennichi all fly in again and just stomp on Inoue. And Ryo gets the heroic comeback and actually takes everybody out with dropkicks! Now it’s HAYATO getting whooped and we end with a MUSASHI frog splash into Ryo’s underhook fisherman’s suplex but it gets broken up and we got a Pier Six Brawl! MUSASHI with the big flip dive and it’s back to Ryo and HAYATO with Inoue setting up his bridging belly-to-back suplex but settling for a lifting reverse STO and back to the suplex, but we get Atsuki flying in again to land his handspring kick with a HAYATO thrust kick, and then the former tag champs get a double-team spinebuster, Atsuki clears out interference with a moonsault off the ringpost and HAYATO gets his top-rope lionsault for 3.

**¾

Just the regular deal but sharp, lots of fun sequences (and then Hideki/Davey) and a bunch of fun tags and sequences. These guys have worked together a TON of times and it shows.

Post-match Yuma and MUSASHI brawl and Aoyagi lands the Crash Driver on MUSASHI to keep the heat on that match.

Kuma Arashi vs. Ryuki Honda – Royal Road Tournament 1st Round

Background: To big bruising guys, Kuma has the edge in athleticism, Ryuki has a deeper offensive kit. Kuma is the face-iest member of his stable and Ryuki is one of the heelier members of his stable, so the reactions might get weird. Honda definitely is more presented as a star of the future, but he also loses a LOT and Kuma is a respected vet. Ryuki was also the runner up in last year’s tournament.

The Match: Standing grappling and wristlock reversals as they’re starting technical for 15 seconds before they realize who they are and do a test of strength (Kuma wins). Second try, Ryuki wins, and they now go for the obligatory shoulder tackles. Honda wins and gets his rope choke. Arashi gets his own shoulder and a jumping senton and Honda powders. Kuma powders, takes out Ryuki, and hits a senton from the apron and a count-out tease followed by multiple covers from Kuma who harasses the ref so he’s quasi-heel today? Ryuki with some weak shots but Kuma gets a big slam and a neck crank wear out hold. More clubbing from Kuma but Ryuki gets a surprise spear and some run and gun stuff, corner charge, spinebuster, and now he cranks in a camel clutch. Kuma breaks free and gets a dropkick to get control, and then cranks in a torture rack and then the drop, corner charge, slam, diving senton and it’s all Kuma. Slug fest next, Ryuki German, Kuma lariat, Ryuki reverses a brainbuster for his own, but Kuma gets a crossbody and we have a double-down, double count-out tease and it’s back to the slug fest. Kuma wins with a lariat and gets a dominator and then hops up for a top-rope senton but Honda evades. More trading heavy shots but Ryuki finally wins and then loads up a running lariat for 2.9. Ryuki with the FInal Vent and that’s 3.

**½

Kind of the Savage formula where Ryuki just got beat and beat, and then he hits a big move and wins, but Kuma is a solid heel, Honda isn’t a great seller but he’s pretty good, and he’s a charismatic dude with fun offense when he makes his comeback.

XYON vs. Hokuto Omori – Royal Road Tournament 1st Round

Background: So, not quite rivals yet, but XYON’s Havoc is winning some stuff and Hokuto’s…Hokuto-Gun has some gold and they’re both rival sorta big fat heel midcard stables. XYON is an athletic brawler, and Omori is an undersized heavyweight with a ton of tricks.

The Match: Lockup and XYON wins and poses. Second lockup XYON wins but Omori reverses and then blows a kiss at him. XYON with an international and a taunt but Omori powders underneath the ring. And then slips out and goes at the Aussie’s knee and goes beneath the ring again after Takashi distracts XYOn by looking kinda maybe similar to Omori. Second attempt works as well as the first and Takashi even adds some cheating as they distract the ref with Takashi getting the throat thrusts and then viciously beating XYON with some slippers. More double-teaming on the outside and eventually Oddyssey interferes and stops it. XYON back in the ring all wobble-legged and Omori gets some stuff (stopping to pose and posture between each move). Omori tries a guillotine but XYON gets a brainbuster out of that and then kips up for the comeback. Big whip, pump kick, twisting Samoan drop. And we have both stables do a staredown before Takashi is surrounded and bludgeoned and XYON is focused on that and Omori just punches XYON in the lower abdominal region and XYON no-sells it? And we get a full Samoan headbutt no-sell, but for a different head I suppose, but a third weiner striker gets 2 for Omori. Hokuto even gets his discus KO forearm but XYON shrugs it off, flying forearm, and then goes up for a diving headbutt and that’s 3.

**

Eh, some of the comedy was okay but this was just two sorta mediocre wrestlers not messing anything up. I keep on wanting to like Hokuto more than I do but there’s not enough there, and XYON is well…it’s XYON. He didn’t botch anything, that’s good enough.

Ren Ayabe vs. Jun Saito – Royal Road Tournament 1st Round

Background: So Ren is a guy who has been bubbling under for a while as a very tall and decently athletic sorta arrogant dude, and Jun of course is the champ. Ren won the last year Royal Road and has had a decent success rate against Jun but Saito is on a pretty dominant run and Ayabe has yet to win any actual titles. Both have pretty deep offenses here.

The Match: Big main-event staredown before we get the monster lockup and Ren wins and instead of a dirty strike HE undoes Jun’s hair and musses it up, mega-heel move. Second lockup goes to Jun who gives the clean break and then musses up Ren’s hair before styling his own. Shoulderblock war instantly goes to the thicker Jun, but Ayabe tries a low-bridge but it takes a boot from Ren to drop the champ outside and we get a slug fest on the outside and Jun is sorta doing bump machine stuff as he gets rocked around by big whips. Brawl in the crowd and Jun finally gets something by whipping Ayabe into the post and follows it up. The crowd does not seem to care for this at all before Jun does a comedy bit by closing the barricade door between destroying Ren. More of Saito obliterating Ayabe for a countout tease and then a few elbow drops as Jun puts the beating on the guy and then…rebinds his hair only to release, okay, that was funny. Big slam from Jun for 2 and it’s been the champ all the way through. A choke and then a few shoulders as Saito is 100% in it. Ren get a boot up and slugs away as he buys space and then cuts off Jun with the hooking clothesline and a Yakuza kick and then an attempt at his Iron Maiden submission and Jun breaks on the ropes. Death Roulette attempt by Ren but it’s foiled and Jun gets a shoulder tackle to buy some space. Jun gets a boot and a brainbuster and he’s been working REALLY quick here, just being in place and moving around to set up Ren. Ayabe then gets a few things going, Jun with a spear, but Ayabe counters a suplex into his own brainbuster and it’s double-down time. They duke it out from their knees and then it’s a full on slobberknocker bah gawd. Jun gets a SECOND spear (and hits Ren flush on it) for 2 and we get a Psycho Break attempt that gets rolled out of and Jun gets a headbutt into the Rider Kick for 2.8. Another Psycho Break attempt is broken out of and they trade boots and Ren FINALLY wins and then gets a middle-rope superplex and a straight dropkick for 2. Another Iron Maiden attempt but Jun finally gets his foot on the ropes but is dead on his feet. They both trade finisher attempts but Jun gets the upper hand with his strike flurry and then a Jackhammer for 2.7. Rider Kick for nothing as Ren gets his hand on the ropes but Jun is feeling it. Jun calls for it but the finish is cutoff off, Ren dropkick and then a Dragon suplex for 2.5 and now we get the Death Roulette and that’s 3.

***

Basically a Jun Saito carryjob as he showed a ton of buttocks just bumping around for Ren, once they hit the big finisher sequence at the end Ren showed up, but this was probably Saito’s best match as just a fundamental worker moving into position for stuff. That said, Ren is just…so whatever before it becomes the finale of a match, I know AJPW has that stereotype regardless but he really needs more sauce before we hit the final act.

Hey this is all storytelling and character beats mostly, and that’s what AJPW provides. I will say the stable situation is wild, but at least they’re setting up a Hokuto-Gun vs. Havoc situation and that makes sense.

And that’s that, sorry about the delay, I’d like to have a good excuse, but I’m just lazy! Anyway, always love anybody reading my random ramblings and have a good one, and Rest In Power to Taishin Nagao, just a brutal tragedy here.