All Japan Pro Wrestling: World’s Strongest Tag Determination League 2025 November 28th

We’re back with more World’s Strongest Tag Determination League action as I’m once again hideously late! But I will finish this before the New Year’s shows! I believe! We are in Kumamoto City Food Exchange Hall (fantastic name, zero notes) and we’ve got nearly 380 people! Wooo!

Now, before I continue I need to address the elephant in the room about Yuma Aoyagi, due to traffic violations (ran a red with an expired license) he has been suspended for 3 months and Double Yuma are going to forfeit ALL of their matches, big blow for Anzai who of course they have big plans for but uh…spoilers, we’ll get there, don’t worry. Anyway, while what Aoyagi did was rock stupid and I’m glad he’s being punished, I’m glad that a wrestling company is actually punishing somebody for their bad conduct, and while Yuma was a total moron, this is just regular rich jock stupid and not anything unforgivable, IMO. Anyway on with the show!

Davey Boy Smith Jr., HAVOC (Oddyssey & XYON) & Titans Of Calamity (Ren Ayabe & Talos) vs. Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori, Kuma Arashi & Takashi), Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Seigo Tachibana

Background: So with the Yuma Aoyagi suspension, methinks the card needed to be reshuffled a bit and well, that’s what we’re getting. So we got the team of the big guys with Davey, TAVOC, and the Titans all easily 6’3” and bigger, while Hokuto-Gun and friends is uh…I don’t think any of them are bigger than 5’10”.

The Match: So the shorts guys nominate Hokuto to start and the big guys get Oddyssey as Omori immediately tries to tag out. Oddyssey destroys a lockup and then shrugs off Omori a few more times as we then work a headlock and some shoulderblocks and Omori calls for more…and gets demolished. Hokuto finally gets some dropkicks to the knee and then tries a slam…but the Odd-one is JUST TOO FAT and Oddyssey reverses for his own and we get a double-tag with Talos and Seigo. Handshake and Tachibana tries to go low but Talos catches him, Talos is too tall to hit him so we get some goofery and it all breaks down and Talos just clobbers everybody regardless. Takashi comes in and gets goozles instantly and it’s all comedy stuff until Kuma comes in for the save and Talos just tosses everybody and bludgeons Takashi outside as it breaks down and we all brawl. Back inside and we get some Takashi comedy with him failing at the throat thrusts before succeeding and then Talos and Ren demolish him…and Takashi gets a double low kick for a double-down. We get Talos and Seigo and after a few height spots we get Talos dominating and bringing in XYON…and Talos goes outside and does some comedy selling? Anyway we got Kuma in and him and XYON are working at like 15% speed max as they just slug each other before XYON gets a spear and then catches Seigo on a dive for a Samoan drop. Davey comes in now and gets a big slam on Seigo and then goes for a powerbomb but everybody runs in and Davey cuts them down before it’s Ren’s turn and he goes for the Death Roulette but Seigo uses his speed and gets a knock down on Ayabe with his strikes…but everybody runs in and we get the small guys with a big comedy “cheering each other on” spot before we get the giant simultaneous suplex deal that the big guys win. Seigo gets targeted in the corner eats a double chokeslam from The Titans and Ren gets the arrogant cover for 3.

*¾

Just a sorta “hey we got teams that aren’t doing anything so don’t try real hard” match. They hit the important stuff but it’s like…don’t watch this, please.

Post-match the Titans are like “perhaps we want your belts tag partners” but it’s all very friendly.

Yuko Miyamoto vs. Shota Kofuji

Background: Yuko is a scraggly death match junior vet (who has toured in AJPW before) and Shota is the scrappy young rookie trying to earn his stripes.

The Match: Standing grappling and Yuko takes Shota down for a crossface and just dominates on the mat while countering all of Kofuji’s stuff and then Yuko just outspeeds the guy and gets a chinlock and uh, Shota looks like a putz. Stomps from Yuko and then a slam and elbow as Shota is selling like he owes Miyamoto his mortgage. They slug it out with Kofuji pinball bumping here before Yuko puts on a rolling surfboard into a Romero Special. Ropebreak and Shota get a comeback with a missile dropkick, but he can’t land a fisherman’s and Miyamoto gets him with a belly to belly. Yuko with a lariat and a standing moonsault kneedrop into a Boston Crab. Kofuji gets the ropes again and Yuko goes for a Last Ride but the youngster gets a sunset flip for 2, a backslide for 2.5, and La Magistral for 2.9 before an armdrag sets up a bridging Fisherman’s…and Yuko breaks the count by grabbing the refs hand? Miyamoto with a fireman’s gutbuster and he goes back to the crab and cranks it in for a tap.

*

Well Shota bumped well…that’s all I got.

Baka No Jidai (Dan Tamura & Hikaru Sato) [0] vs. Baka No Jidai (Hideki Suzuki & Kengo Mashimo) [0] – A Blcok

Background: Baka no Jidai explodes! So they’re a stable of kinda goofy shooter guys. Dan and Sato are the more junior members, while Hideki and Kengo are the established vets, probably be some dirty play here!

The Match: Suzuki and Hikaru start with a sorta staredown while the smaller Sato throws kicks to the calf. They go to the mat and they’re all very “human game of chess” right now despite neither having done much. Dan is in and he’s more aggressive going for some lockups but Hideki gets a manji-gatame but Tamura hiptosses him and in comes Kengo. They go to the mat and Mashimo gets a headscissors that Tamura tries to use athleticism to escape but he has to settle for power instead and the youngster drops elbows on Mashimo’s knees and in comes Sato and the two of them trade chops. Sato goes for a guillotine but Kengo bullrushes him to the corner and Hideki comes in with his own choke and we have our pervert in peril…until Sato gets an ankle pick and a heel hook attempt that Tamura tries to break up…and now it’s just Sato and Hideki on the mat humping each others leg. Suzuki gets the break but eats some kicks from Hikaru and then Dan comes in and we get some corner charges and Mashimo runs in to break up the cover…and this lets HIdeki get his gamengiri but Sato collapses to the corner and that lets Dan tag in for some clubbing forearms…but Suzuki gets headbutts as we’re actually getting some intensity here. Suzuki cranks on a sleeper but Tamura fights out with a Samoan drop for 2, but a second attempt goes to the sleeper again and after Tamura is out Hideki gets 2.7 on a cover. A few punts from Hideki have Tamura in trouble and Suzuki gets the 3.

**½

Look, it was…different. Suzuki is never gonna do that much in a match, but it was four guys kinda beating each other up while not bumping, I don’t need a card full of this and only Tamura and Kengo ‘tried’ but hey, it was unique.

Kento Miyahara & Ryo Inoue vs. Jun Saito & Yuma Anzai

Background: So with Anzai out of the tournament and Jun not in the tournament due to his partner still recovering…we have a kinda shockingly cool super team of the big breakout All Japan stars of the last 2 years. On the other side you got Kento, of course, and Ryo Inoue, a rookie that is JUST coming into his own with gear and his own offense and some swagger, but he also keeps picking with the biggest fish in the pond and uh…it doesn’t work out great for him. Kento of course beat Saito for his current Triple Crown title, so some history here.

The Match: It’s Anzai and Ryo starting and the taller Yuma just takes over with arm cranks into a headlock but they shoot off and do some armdrags before a Yuma dropkick sets up Inoue looking for a tag and we get Jun vs. Kento. Jun wins the lockup…but Kento immediately fires off his double dropkick comeback and boots Jun outside where Ryo kicks at the big guy and Kento brawls with Anzai. Jun bounces Ryo’s head off the ring post though and brings the junior back in for some combined stomping with Yuma. They speed it up and Yuma gets his corner jumping forearm and a belly-to-belly before cranking in a crab. Ryo breaks and Yuma tries his corner charge again but Inoue gets his feet up and lands a missile dropkick and Kento is willing the crowd into this comeback, Miyahara gets the tag and lands his boots and dropkick combo. But he whiffs a corner charge and now Anzai gets the tag and Saito gets a boot and an elbow drop before UNLEASHING THE HAIR! Saito calls for a chokeslam but Kento elbows out and gets a desperate boot and Ryo begs for the tag…Miyahara is like “uh, what? I have this guy beat” but the crowd demands it and Inoue comes in to whoop on Jun in the corner, Ryo with a beautiful hesitation dropkick and Kento runs in for a double-team with some corner charges and a running kick but Anzai breaks it up and Kento drags him outside to brawl again while it’s back to Ryo and Jun…and well, Saito eventually runs Inoue over and gets a backdrop suplex, and goes for the Psycho Break but Ryo armdrags out, and Kento gets a Blackout and Kento hypes up Ryo who gets a big kick combo ending in a buzzsaw on Saito for 2.8. Jun blocks another strike and gets a spinning lariat and Kento and Anzai run in with Yuma winning with a pop-up knee and the Jumbo knee and it’s back to Saito getting a Yakuza kick for 2.9 on Inoue. A massive chokeslam follows and that gets 3.

***¼

Well that was VERY fun. Funny that the guys not in a tournament match busted their buns a lot harder than the guys in the tournament, but these four are all quite talented and have good chemistry with each other.

Post-match Yuma talks to Jun and I think they’re setting up a number one contenders match for the Triple Crown.

Naoya Nomura & Ryuki Honda [0] vs. Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO [2] – B Block

Background: Naoya and Ryuki are straightforward, smashmouth aggressive brawlers while Aoyagi and HAYATO are an established team of junior babyfaces. So aggression versus speed here.

The Match: Nomura and Atsuki start with standing armbar stuff but Naoya turns into a headlock and it’s international time to a standstill. Double-tag and Honda and HAYATO do a hard lockup with Honda winning and getting his rope choke, but HAYATO gets an overhand chop into a wheelbarrow armdrag to send Ryuki outside where HAYATO teases a dive, but then after Atsuki knocks Nomura outside we get stereo pescados and the juniors then stomp out their opponents a bit before tossing Honda back inside. Rising tries more chops but a hard shoulder knocks him down and then Ryuki clears Aoyagi off the apron and Nomura tags in for a double-shoulderblock for 2. The brawlers then choke HAYATO in the corner before the junior fires some chops off…and Naoya drops him with one elbow. Honda in with more choking on the ropes, and when Atsuki tries to break it up he gets choked too. HAYATO speeds it up with a few rope runs into a high back elbow and Atsuki comes in to keep the speed going with a corner strike, a handspring evasion, a springboard armdrag and then a dropkick. Honda gets a spinebuster to set up a tag and Nomura runs over Aoyagi a bit before eating a boot on a charge but a flying forearm shuts off the comeback and a brainbusters gets 2 to follow. Atsuki lands a tornado kick and calls in HAYATO…only to run into a double-spear and Honda comes in. Ryuki is hammy and calls for a lariat which he lands in the corner and gets his own brainbuster for 2 and then a camel clutch and Naoya cranks in an armbar on an interfering Atsuki. HAYATO crawls to the ropes but eats corner charges and then Nomura/Honda hit a simultaneous spear that Atsuki has to break up. Nomura drags him outside and Ryuki loads up another lariat, but HAYATO gets a leg lariat and a slingshot DDT onto the apron and Atsuki flies back in for strikes and then a wheelbarrow facebuster/codebreaker sets up a back suplex/neckbreaker for 2. Aoyagi and HAYATO follow with an attempt at their double fisherman’s slam but Honda breaks, tries a double spear but the juniors stuff him and land the slam. Naoya slides in to just elbow them all but a pair of superkicks and then a double superkick knocks him outside. The juniors try their whacky double-team Spanish Fly, but Naoya grabs the leg, Honda hits Final Vent on Aoyagi, and while HAYATO gets off the top rope safely he runs into a Honda spear to set up a giant flying splash from Nomura for 2.5, Honda brings up for a Final Vent, but HAYATO gets a victory roll for 2.9 and then a superkick…but Honda recovers, lands a lariat, and then a running lariat…gets 2.8? Final Vent attempted again and this one lands and that’s 3.

**¾

I do sometimes get annoyed with Honda being TOO goofy in matches and I get why he does it, and him and Nomura still seem clunky as a team, but Aoyagi and HAYATO are good solid babyfaces to get wrecked by brawlers even though it felt like “one team gets some doubles, it goes awry, guy gets tossed, other team goes for doubles, it goes awry, guy gets tossed” far too many times. Solid little match though.

MUSASHI & Seiki Yoshioka [0] vs. HAVOC (Go Shiozaki & Shotaro Ashino) [4] – A Block

Background: MUSASHI and Seiki are the secondary (All Asia) tag champs and are juniors, MUSASHI is an all-rounder while Seiki is more of a dynamic, fast-paced striker. HAVOC are undefeated and are of course in the same stable as the tag-champs.

The Match: Seiki and Go start with Yoshioka actually getting Shiozaki in the ropes, but Go responds by taking the smaller man to the mat and cranking in a hammerlock for a cradle and I forget that Go can do that! More grappling but Seiki gets a headscissors and then a headlock that’s whipped off into a kick and Go is like “oh you’re feisty, aren’t you?” Go asks for another kick before landing his own but Seiki goes REALLY fast and gets a jumping boot to knock Go down and MUSASHI runs in…but Shotaro tries to break it up before eating a kick combo and then they double dropkick Go and send him outside. Asai moonsault by Seiki on Go and a flipping plancha on Shotaro. Seiki sends Go back in and unleashes some kicks in the corner, but Go grabs a boot, puts Seiki on top, and chops him to the outside. HAVOC toss their opponents into each other ringside and Go delivers a big running knee to an apron-draped Seiki. Back inside and Shotaro tags in and Go presses Yoshioka onto Ashino’s knee for a 2 count before Go tags back and we get Yoshioka throwing desperate forearms before the bigger Go wipes him out with a running elbow and a backdrop suplex for 2 and then a single-leg crab. Yoshioka eventually crawls to the ropes but Shotaro comes in for a few gutbusters and then a suplex for 2. Seiki finally gets a break with a leg lariat and in comes MUSASHI for some run and gun stuff and a couple of dropkicks get a cover on Ashino, exploder attempted but blocked so MUSASHI fires off some chops and forearms and a shotgun dropkick let the junior land an exploder for 2.7. Low superkick blocked by Shotaro who gets a massive German and then the HAVOC man loads up a superplex that MUSASHI fights free from and after dropping Shotaro he goes for a big frog splash, but there’s no water in the pool and he splats, Ashino with a few thrust kicks and a flip out of a back suplex gets a victory roll for 2.8 but a massive uppercut by Ashino sets up a double-tag. Go immediately demolishes Seiki in the corner with chops but misses a charge and Seiki fires away with kicks before Go gets a massive lariat and a delayed fisherman’s buster that MUSASHI breaks up before Shotaro tosses him and HAVOC get some double-teams but MUSASHI breaks up an Ashino suplex and the juniors get double thrust kicks and then a frog splash from MUSASHI and a swanton from Seiki on Go that Shotaro breaks. Seiki puts Go on top and tries for something, but Go counters into his twisting inside-out superplex and we have a double-down. Go misses another charge and the two juniors set up a super-rana frog splash…but Ashino gets a superplex on MUSASHI and Go blocks the rana, loading up an avalanche powerbomb but Yoshioka gets the frankensteiner mid-attempt regardless, pretty slick stuff with a man like Go who uh…has some miles on him. Seiki with a running kick and a falcon arrow for 2 and Yoshioka peppers the man with kicks and knees before a tilt-a-whirl headscissors gets a massive buzzsaw kick for 2.9. Seiki tries another but Go blocks and cuts him in half with a lariat and sets up a brainbuster but MUSASHI plays spoiler, Ashino slides in, MUSASHI slaps the man (oh bad call) and Shotaro repays him for that and HAVOC get a massive German/flying chop combo. They do the same to Seiki and a Go Flasher on Yoshioka gets barely broken up by MUSASHI. Go calls for the lariat and Seiki gets a flash rana for 2.99, Seiki blocks a few other lariats but Go finally lands one…and Yoshioka kicks out? But Shiozaki takes off the sleeve and lands a massive running lariat and that’s finally enough for 3 on Seiki.

***½

Well you can’t say Go isn’t giving, even if HAVOC are barely heels anymore. Still, the chemistry between Go and Seiki is electric, and they seemed to realize that as they did 80% of the match. Really good stuff here and a bit of a break style-wise from the ‘traditional’ AJPW match.

Post-match HAVOC all goof around and they won something from the local sponsor, those wholesome guys!