All Japan Pro Wrestling: World’s Strongest Tag Determination League 2025 November 23nd

Okay so we’re back (way too late, I’m sorry) for the second night of the World’s Strongest Tag Determination League. And you might ask me, why don’t I use Real World Tag League? And it’s simple, I love overly and badly translated terms for things, and World’s Strongest Tag Determination League is way cooler than Real World Tag League. Anywho we got 500 people in Numazu and it’s going to be a great time.

Yuma Anzai vs. Shota Kofuji

Background: Yuma is the star of the future, the ace of tomorrow and already a Triple Crown champ with other gold as well, this is his off-day so he’s testing out the new young boy of All Japan, the smaller, wrestler Kofuji is mostly just a sorta “he works hard and does dropkicks” guy compared to Yuma’s amateur stylings. Of late Yuma has been more aggressive and heelish as he’s paired with sorta perennial jerk Yuma Aoyagi.

The Match: Lockup to start and Anzai actually comes up short with Shota chopping him in the ropes, Feisty! Round 2 also ends with Anzai tied up and he eats another chop, so Anzai throws a boot but gets slipped up by a float-over and eats an armdrag and a dropkick. Shota follows with forearms but he can’t get the slam and Yuma easily reverses and gets some stomps and a cover for 2. Shota tries more chops and I do appreciate the consistency of Anzai being weak against them, but a high elbow and a crab have Shota in trouble. Kofuji makes the ropes but we get more of the kicky-punchy until Anzai eats boots going into the corner at Shota, and the young guy gets a rolling dropkick and his own corner charge into a forearm flurry that Yuma cuts short with a kitchen sink knee…before Shota gets up and lands a missile dropkick for 2. Kid has chutzpah! Fisherman’s buster time but Yuma is still too big for the guy and Kofuji shoots off the ropes for a pop-up knee from Yuma (that misses pretty wildly but that’s just cause this is a single camera show) and then a double-arm suplex for 2. Kofuji blocks a whip and they slug it out before Yuma speeds it up with a Jumbo Knee…that Kofuji ducks and gets a schoolboy for a 2 count. Backslide for 2.7, la magistral for 2.8, armdrag, and NOW the Fisherman’s suplex gets 2.9! Shota stays on him with forearms but Yuma is like “enough is enough” and he lands a big dropkick and the Jumbo Knee gets 2.8. Anzai picks the rookie up for a bridging German and that’s enough for 3.

**¼

Look, did Anzai maybe sell TOO much, perhaps, but he was kinda sloppy and unfocused and as soon as he woke up he brutalized the guy. Shota is…spunky though, that’s for sure.

Hideki Suzuki, Ryo Inoue & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Jun Saito, MUSASHI & Ryuki Honda

Background: Okay this is a weird as heck match. Suzuki and Yuma are in the tournament, as is MUSASHI and Ryuki but they are basically totally non-aligned and have no real connections together, technically I think Yuma and HIdeki are both members of Baka No Jidai, but Aoyagi is a total lone wolf most of the time.

The Match: After a ton of pre-match goofiness, we settle on Yuma and Jun, Aoyagi immediately mocks Jun’s hair taunt and Saito just leans into it before its lockup time and Jun obviously wins and gives a clean break and pose. Yuma gets a kick and tries for a shoulderblock battle that he loses and powders. Jun tags in Ryuki and Aoyagi comes in to brings in Hideki. Honda goes for the rope choke but Suzuki squirms out and both guys do some combat rolls and this is all very silly as we finally go back to the choke and then Hideki powders…and we get a double-tag to the juniors of MUSASHI and Ryo. MUSASHI dodges a lockup and poses and gets in Hideki’s face and we get some silliness with a thrown hat and MUSASHI threatening to stomp it, and I think even Larry Z might tell these guys to start the action. Ryo finally blasts MUSASHI with a forearm before we get a junior sequence and MUSASHI gets chops and an atomic drop. MUSASHI gets tripped up and dragged outside as Suzuki beats him with a towel and we all brawl ringside. We finally reset to Ryo and MUSASHI but after ONE cover everybody runs in. Yuma now tags in to stomp on MUSASHI and we get some double-teams with Inoue. Hideki and Aoyagi than goof around with a wishbone on MUSASHI while kicking him in the butt. MUSASHI FINALLY gets an armdrag on HIdeki and kicks him in the face while we’re still doing silly hat comedy, but that opens up a tag to Ryuki and we get *sigh* another attempted rope choke and some combat rolls before Yuma tags in and him and Honda brawl. Aoyagi with a dropkick but he lost his hat and is freaking out before we get some run and gun corner charges and a corner lariat and a spear from Honda. Jun in and gets some corner stuff and an elbow strike before a big elbow drop gets 2. More Jun domination but Yuma gets his feet up and in comes Ryo with some rapidfire kicks. Inoue dodges a corner attack, takes out Saito’s legs and lands a big hesitation dropkick and then all three of them attack Jun in the corner with Hideki adding an exploder before Ryo covers for 2. Inoue gets whipped at Jun who shoulders him down and then we get a double lariat on Yuma and Hideki before Honda and MUSASHI come in to bludgeon Ryo in the corner. A whip into a boot gets 2 for Jun and the teams all start brawling on the outside (MUSASHI getting a plancha) before it’s back to Jun and Ryo. Inoue with kicks that Jun winces at before trying a chokeslam that Inoue slips out of. Ryo spams strikes and dodges Jun’s offense, with the youngster getting a running stunner off the ropes and then a high roundhouse into a buzzsaw for 2.5. Ryo gets a punch flurry and then a headbutt…but Jun gets one of his own before picking up Ryo for a delayed (and I mean delayed, might have been 30 seconds) jackhammer for 3.

*
Okay so much of this match was a total DUD, just bad, empty comedy and no energy, but Jun getting rocked by the feisty Ryo into a pretty hot finish is enough for one measly star.

Titans Of Calamity (Ren Ayabe & Talos) [2] vs. Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori & Kuma Arashi) [0] – A Block

Background: So technically Talos was once part of Hokuto-Gun, before realizing it was his destiny to be very tall with fellow tall guy Ren Ayabe. The Titans are big monsters, Hokuto-Gun are…monstrous in a way but less big. Hokuto is really trying to rehab his image as a serious wrestler right now, so maybe he has a chance.

The Match: It’s Kuma and Ren to start with a lockup and Ayabe wins and does the head pat of disrespect. A second lockup goes Kuma’s way and he gives a clean break with a taunt, his utterly annoying yowl, sorry, bears don’t yowl. International into a shoulderblock war that Ren wins. We get a double-tag and Talos offers a handshake to his former boss…and Omori gouges the eyes, Ha! Talos immediately tosses Omori outside, who scampers under the ring…and then jumps Talos by scuttling under and dropkicking the leg, and Talos tosses Omori again to do it again. Hokuto-Gun try a double brainbuster on Talos and uh…yeah, we know how that goes. Both Hokuto-Gun members powder and Omori himself runs into the crowd and Talos goes after him and they run into the…backstage area while Kuma and Ren just sorta randomly brawl in the crowd. Talos catches Hokuto and beats him around before tossing him back inside and Ren blocks the stable leaders retreat as the big foreigner gets a spinning release sidewalk slam and an arrogant cover for 2.5. Ren comes in and we get a double choke and then some slow beating as Ayabe tosses Omori around with easy stuff and gets an arrogant cover and then a crab. Hokuto makes the ropes and then fights a whip before Ayabe gets an elbow…and Omori comes off with a low dropkick and a kneeling DDT and in comes Kuma for a senton and then a middle-rope senton. Kuma tries the torture rack but Ren is too big and gets a hooking clothesline and brings in Talos for a corner avalanche and a big boot. A massive back suplex slam gets 2 with an arrogant cover and Talos seems legit a bit peeved now…and the straps go down and he slaps the mat and calls for the chokeslam but Kuma slips out, gets a dropkick, dodges a charge and we get a double-tag with Omori and Ayabe trading strikes and Ren getting a Yakuza kick for 2 and then going for his Iron Maiden submission but Omori is too close to the ropes and gets a break. Death Roulette is evaded and Omori fires back with elbows to drop the bigger man and drops him with a buzzsaw elbow (?!) for 2.7. Kuma cuts off the ring as Hokuto-Gun get a double-team shoulder and then Kuma slams Omori onto Ayabe for 2. An avalanche into a cutter into a senton into an Omori frog splash gets broken up by Talos and the gaijin gets cut-off with a torture rack from Kuma for a BIG pop as Omori gets a flying armbar. The Titans escape though and it’s back to Omori and Ren as the smaller man just pummels Ayabe with rolling elbows before Ren gets his full nelson slam and then the big men catch Kuma mid-comeback for their spinebuster/flying goozle and then the massive lifting delayed double chokeslam demolishes Hokuto for 3 while Ren still sells the arm.

**½

I was kinda bored with this at start, but the Titans are selling better and Omori’s crafty jerk persona is paying dividends for creativity even if it doesn’t do much for his win-rate. I dunno, it was heel vs heel but the Titans are just big and arrogant but sorta noble, and Hokuto-Gun are scrappy underdogs on visuals, but are also cheating jerks, fun dynamic.

Post-match Wada lifts Ren’s arm and he still sells it. I’m not crying, I’m just cutting onions.

Baka no Jidai (Dan Tamura & Hikaru Sato) [0] vs. HAVOC (Go Shiozaki & Shotaro Ashino) [2] – A Block

Background: So Baka no Jidai (Age of Fools from my very rudimentary Japanese) are a group of goofy guys…that also are also shooter types, there are two teams of the stable in this block but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Dan Tamura is a crusty rookie who is sort of a junior but works like Takayama kinda, while Sato is a really experienced vet who has jobbed everywhere and has a MMA pervert gimmick…it’s as good as it sounds. HAVOC are a bunch of outsiders that are erstwhile heels, but they all seem to really like each other and get along and hug and fist-bump and they mostly just like hitting people hard, the other HAVOC members are tag-champs right now, but Go and Shotaro have won a LOT of gold in teams and are the sort of crusty vet deal. Go is a man with ferocious chops and lariats and has mostly shined as a babyface with the heart of a lion, and he’s basically doing the same thing now but dressed like a Bond villain, Shotaro is dumpier and shorter but is Master of Suplex as the letters on his buttocks will tell you.

The Match: Go and Sato start and trade some stuff with Shiozaki having the power edge but Hikaru being a bit faster. Go uses power to get a cradle on Sato but Hikaru gets in the ropes, kicks Go down and Dan comes in for some double-teams and we have our HAVOC in peril as Hikaru gets an armbar. Shotaro breaks it up but he gets thrown out and Sato continues working on the injured elbow of Go. Ashino gets the hot tag, runs wild with some suplexes but Sato gets a jump kick and brings in Tamura for some body avalanches and a shoulderblock for 2. Tamura with a fireman’s carry but Shotaro slips out and gets a big release German and in comes Go and Sato, Hikaru controls with kicks but Shiozaki knows how to deal with that and gets his big jumping shoulder tackle and then he unleashes some chops and brings in Ashino for a double team discus chop that Tamura breaks up and now it’s the kids turn to get double-teamed, but he stifles it and lariats Shotaro out of the ring and gets a spinning Samoan drop on Go. Sato with a PK for 2.5 and it’s back to the arm as Tamura gets a sleeper on Ashino. Shotaro breaks free, beats up Sato and they get a German/Lariat combo for 2.8 as Tamura breaks it up. Go with a fisherman’s buster for 2.9 A lariat is academic.

**¾

Look, my floor for Go taking a beating and coming back strong matches is VERY high, even if Sato is overall pretty meh. HAVOC just being total babyfaces now is pretty funny.

Post-match Go sells the arm as Shotaro raises it in victory. Ha!

Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Kento Miyahara [2] vs. Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Takashi [0] – B Block

Background: So Davey and Kento are of course super respectable and prestigious, Miyahara is the current champ, and Davey is a former champ. KTJ and Takashi are two total goofballs, Kuro is a face but a prankster type, and Takashi is a heel who likes hitting people in the…takoyakis. I expect shenanigans.

The Match: It’s Takashi and Kento to start. Lockup and Takashi wins (?!) and gives a clean break…and then offers a handshake, Kento is like “I don’t think so” so Takashi asks for boos and then…Kento slaps the hand and the crowd boos Kento! So Takashi shakes the ref’s (Wada) hand, Kuroshio’s hand, and even Davey Boy! So Kento agrees…and Takashi throat thrusts him of course. Davey tags in so Takashi bails for Kuroshio. And Davey just tosses him and Kuroshio powders and DBSJ lets him back in and tosses KTJ around…who powders again. Kuroshio with an eyepoke but Davey shoulders him down and the flamboyant Kuroshio kips up…but Davey stares him down and gets a big butterfly suplex as Kuroshio begs off. Kento then beats on KTJ outside and Davey joins him. Back inside and Kuroshio eats a double shoulder and then Kento does his comeback routine and poses, and poses, and poses, and Kuroshio superkicks him to tag in Takashi who does throat thrusts repeatedly…and then Davey runs in…and Takashi does the throat thrust on him too! Kento tries some forearms but Takashi does a “pull your nose” bit before running into a boot and in comes DBSJ with a dropkick and a jumping knee. Takashi gets some running attacks but runs into a turnbuckle himself and Kento boots him…but Miyahara and Smith botch a double-team and that lets Kuroshio drop them with a springboard dropkick and then an Asai moonsault and they brawl on the floor and drag their opponents to the back, Kuroshio and Takashi run back in and try for a countout as they hug and celebrate…as Kento and Davey beat the count at 9. Davey clobbers them and gets a big running powerslam on Takashi for 2.9…as Kuroshio puts Takashi’s foot on the ropes. KTJ then uses his jacket punches but once again begs off and this sets up a schoolboy when Takashi distracts Smith. DBSJ eats a strike flurry from both opponents but it’s Takashi now solo and he gets demolished and a diving headbutt gets 3.

**

Look, neither Davey or Kento were trying very hard, and there’s only so much the comedy stylings of Takashi and Kuroshio can do…but it was competent if very, very silly.

Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO [2] vs. HAVOC (Oddyssey & Xyon) [2] – B Block

Background: Two scrappy, undersized prettyboy babyface junior rookies against the big bad outsider (nominally) heel bruiser squad champions? I think this is pretty simple to see.

The Match: Atsukie and Oddyssey start and Aoyagi gets destroyed in a lockup and tags in HAYATO who also gets destroyed in a lockup. So HAYATO and Atsuki attempt a double team…and get tossed down, and then falter again as the Odd-one just shoulder blocks them down and gyrates. HAYATO powders, so Oddyssey follows and tosses the junior back in…but then the two Japanese wrestlers land a double dropkick on the big guy and also wipe out XYON too to set up stereo planchas on HAVOC..but they get caught and slammed into each other and then whipped into a collision. HAVOC bounce the juniors around and toss them into the barricade a few times as they brawl out into the crowd. They eventually send HAYATO back into the ring and he’s just crawling to his corner while Oddyssey sets up for a corner splash…that misses and Atsuki spams low dropkicks to the big man before the Odd-One gets a knee to the gut and sends Aoyagi into the turnbuckle and tries a beal toss, but Atsuki cartwheels out, goes back to the knee, and tries a sleeper. Odyssey eventually breaks it by running Aoyagi into the corner and we get the big tag to XYON who hits some corner charges and strikes and then his twisting whip to knock Aoyagi down and the Australian hits a big pose before putting a downed Aoyagi in the camel clutch. Atsuki makes the ropes but XYON drops him again anyway before loading up a corner attack that gets blocked by Aoyagi’s boots and then a missile dropkick brings in HAYATO and they hit some tandem offense but XYON catches HAYATO’s diving codebreaker…but a gamengiri from Aoyagi lets them land the move anyway with XYON taking a hilarious bump off of it…but the Aussie is still too big and he gets a double lariat and brings in Oddyssey for a back suplex/neckbreaker combo that gets broken up on the cover, Aoyagi gets tossed for that and the Odd-one follows outside and it’s back to XYON and HAYATO and the big Samoan goes up but whiffs his diving headbutt and HAYATO gets a quick series of rollups for nearfalls and Atsuki adds a tornado kick to get 2.9 on a schoolboy. Double thrust kick from the juniors has XYON rocked and he gets put on the top rope to set up a double Spanish fly but after some struggle they settle for a double superplex instead. Oddyssey tries to break up the cover but he accidentally splashes XYON and then gets low-bridged and Atsuki gets a plancha…Oddyssey catches but a springboard pescado by HAYATO drops the big man and now it’s HAYATO and Atsuki 2v1 against XYON and they land stereo springboard dropkicks and their double-lift slam for 2. Atsuki tries to get a Spanish fly on HAYATO into XYON…but the Australian dodges and now Oddyssey runs in with a double slam…but when HAVOC try a double-team HAYATO gets a tilt-a-whirl headscissors on Oddyssey and then a crucifix pin on XYON…but a follow-up lariat by XYON sets up a whip into the blackhole slam and a diving headbutt from XYON gets 3.

***

Atsuki and HAYATO are quality underdogs and HAVOC are pretty okay at being big bullies. Basically a match that ALWAYS works for me if you don’t mess up the formula and have some personality.

Well that was a show! Yet again I’m so sorry for the delay but I think the holiday rush is finally over and I can start pumping these out. Thanks for reading.