All Japan Pro Wrestling: Dream Power Series March 20th 2026

Okay we’re back with more All Japan with 1750 in Ésforta Arena Hachiōji. It’s the last big title setup before the Champion Carnival but it’s a big crowd with the junior tag tournament ending here and some other important things as well.

We start with the sizzle reel of the card and we cut to a pretty unflattering shot of empty seats as All Japan still has no idea how to produce a show that looks good on camera but god bless ‘em anyway.

Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai vs. Hokuto Omori & Yuma Aoyagi

Background: So Ryuki and Yuma are pretty established as partners and allies and were all in a stable together that never really got resolved in a way that I found satisfying, but they have history and are friends and have teamed and feuded a ton, Ryuki is a goofball brawler and Anzai is a guy who has already won it big and is going to clearly be the future stud of the company. Hokuto is a goof of a very different degree and has his stable of giant monsters and sometimes is a serious MMA killer and is mostly a giant silly comedy dude. Yuma has returned after a scandal and paid his penance and is a real-deal main-event stud ace…but is taking his lumps right now after a traffic incident, insane starpower for an opening match but there’s reasons here.

The Match: We get both Yuma’s starting as the former partners (before Aoyagi’s suspension) dance around a bit and tease grappling before going for some amateur stuff. Anzai finally gets a forearm in the ropes and a dropkick but Hokuo ambushes him and Anzai eats a double-team…but cuts off Aoyagi with a knee and Ryuki runs in for a lariat to Omori and Honda/Hokuto brawl while Anzai beats down Aoyagi with forearms and then a corner elbow for 2. Both Yuma’s slug it out and Anzai wins with a hip-toss knee strike and then a double-arm suplex for 2.5 and then Anzai cranks in a crab while Honda plays lineman on Hokuto. Aoyagi reaches the ropes but is selling the back big. He comes up short on a dropkick but nails the second one and Aoyagi uses that to tag in Hokuto who unleashes a strike flurry on Anzai and then a RKO. Omori yaps to the crowd and then eats a belly-to-belly from Anzai, a corner clothesline from Ryuki, and then some rope-assisted choking that senior referee Kyohei Wada stops, Honda with a spinebuster on Hokuto for a cove and Yuma is back in as the former New Period work over Omori until Hokuto splits the double and drops Ryuki with a RKO and then Aoyagi comes in for a double dropkick on Anzai…to Omori’s annoyance as he smacks Yuma on the head. Hokuto then sets up Ryuki for a superplex and asks for Aoyagi’s assistance. And Yuma gets the powerbomb and it…works? Huh, this whiffs like 90% of the time. Omori with a cover and Anzai breaks and now both Yuma’s slug it out with Aoyagi getting a dropkick out of an international and trying for his Rockstar Buster…but Anzai reverses into a brainbuster. Hokuto drops Anzai with a discus elbow though before getting speared by Honda who tries Final Vent but Omori counters with a headscissors cradle for 2.9. Hokuto gets a strike flurry but Ryuki fires up for a running lariat for 2 and another Final Vent gets 3.

**½

Pretty regular heavyweight tag, teasing future stuff while the most disposable guy eats the pin at the end. Nothing bad, nothing great, just about as regular a match as can be.

Kota Sekifuda & Toshiyuki Sakuda vs. Saito Brothers (Naruki Doi & Senor Saito)

Background: So Kota and Sakuda are Big Japan juniors (thankless job, that) and the Saito Brothers are not THE Saito Brothers, but their sorta junior reps, Naruki was in DG of course and is Mr. Saito, Senor is crusty vet MAZADA. Kota has goofy hair and is in good shape, Sakuda is short and flabby, Doi is still pretty well put together and has black pleather gear, while Senor Saito is uh…in a mask for a reason.

The Match: Doi and Kota start with a lockup into some standing grappling while Naruki tries to work over the wrist but Kota reverses and Doi begs off and tries to get to the ropes. Doi finally reverses but Sekifuda kicks him down and we have a standstill and some posing to the crowd that Kota gets a quick rollup from. More jawing and a double-tag and it’s Senor Saito and Toshiyuki and they just sorta slug it out in slapstick fashion before Sakuda speeds it up with a cartwheel and a headscissors and teases a dive but Senor Saito begs off but rolls in only to get smacked around and in comes Kota for chops but runs the ropes and we get a Doi cheapshot and then some Saito Brothers double-teams before Senor Saito gets an arm crank and then tags in Doi for some rope-assisted choking in the corner. Snapmare and a grounded abdominal stretch follow but we get some hairpulling and then a crucifix as the ref gets involved. Senor tags in and after some legwork he misses a charge in the corner and Kota hangs him up and gets a backstabber and the tag. Sakuda gets immediately jumped by Doi but he outspeeds both of them, 619! Dropkick! It’s back to Senor Saito getting whipped around and Toshiyuki using the ropes and then a springboard crossbody to set up a German but Senor Saito elbows out and then gets a jawbreaker and Doi has the tag, clears the apron, and a flip senton gets 2 on Sakuda. More double teams from the Saitos ends in a brainbuster for a Kota breakup and then a reverse crossbody knocks both Saitos over. Running splash, springboard senton bomb by Sakuda and the cover is broken up by Senor Saito who is tossed outside and Kota gets a pescado. Sakuda tries to finish Naruki with a double-jump senton but whiffs and Doi gets a quick cover, fireman’s carry facebuster and Naruki follows with the sliding kick and that’s 3.

*½

Well the right guys won I guess. Faces had no heat and are pretty mindless spot dudes, Doi is still alright but he can’t carry things, it could have been worse, but it was dull and awkward and didn’t have much selling.

Talos vs. Jun Saito

Background: Okay, so Talos just beat the Saitos to defend his tag titles but the Carnival is coming up soon (though both are in different blocks), Rei has a match against Ren later on as well. Talos is a big, long-haired gaijin, chokeslams and such forth, Jun is a big, long-haired…Japanese born mixed-race football guy, chokeslams and such forth. Obviously Jun has way more singles experience, but Talos did just beat him. Spicy! To be more serious, Talos is pure big monster guy, while Jun has expanded his kit as a brawler with a versatile high-impact power offense.

The Match: Big lockup goes Talos way easily and he gives a clean break and flexes. Jun sighs and goes for a second one that goes much the same as the first but he hits a dirty knee out of the break and then tries some shoulderblocks…but Talos wipes him out. Jun evades a stomp with his speed (?!) and then shoves Talos over the top and the former Triple Crown champ tries to brutalize Talos ringside but he gets flustered before finally posting Talos…but he whiffs a charge against the post and Talos slams him outside and then puts hands on a referee who tells him to get inside. Talos finally tosses Jun back in and poses…and whiffs a senton. Jun gets a running boot and then a second…but it gets caught and Talos tries a slam but Saito is too quick (?!) and slips out and gets some strikes. Some rope running sets up Jun with a Yakuza kick and an elbow drop and he UNLEASHES THE HAIR! Jun gets a goozle but we have Talos with his own to block! Jun with a strike exchange into a spear but Talos stuffs it, but Talos has his lariat blocked and Jun rebounds and lands the spear but is too close to the ropes for a cover. Jun s talks the worn-down Talos and tries the Psycho Break but Talos blocks, so Jun tries a suplex and that’s reversed into a Talos brainbuster and the gaijin is SUCKING WIND on this double down. Talos pushes himself up for a cover and it’s 2. Talos gets to his feet for a powerbomb but Jun backdrops out of it and gets a Bomaye for 2.8. Jun stalks Talos for another strike but runs into a desperate lariat from the big American. Double down and both are up for a slugfest that goes Talos way, but when he tries for a brainbuster Jun reverses into his own (with the assistance of a kitchen sink knee) and gets 2.6. Jun tries for another brainbuster but Talos is too big and Saito runs the ropes and hits a few clotheslines but runs into a boot, headbutt, and back suplex slam for 2.9. Talos is irritated and pulls the straps down and pulls off a massive chokeslam for 3.

**¼

Poor Jun…Look I have no real issue with big giant heels, but Talos is not the guy to go deep, props to Jun for trying to work the underdog and he did admirably but this was pretty rough. Jun busted his buns here I’ll say, that’s the quarter star. Talos looked like he was going to die going 13 minutes and that’s going to be a rough tournament.

Hikaru Sato, Seigo Tachibana, Seiki Yoshioka & Shota Kofuji vs. Dan Tamura, Fuminori Abe, MUSASHI & Yuya Susumu

Background: So the easy idea here is the junior tag guys are now split into opposite teams. Sato and Tamura, Seigo and Abe, Seiki and Yuya, and Shota and MUSASHI. They’ve also all feuded and teamed with each other as well, but the big deal is the split team dynamic.

The Match: Both teams squabble among themselves for a bit before we start with teammates/rivals/friends Seigo and Abe. Both guys lockup with it going Tachibana’s way, so Fuminori gets a slap and some shoulderblocks but Seigo catches Abe with a boot and they standstill and tag out to Shota and MUSASHI. The vet ducks the rookie and taunts but gets hit in the back and tries chops before MUSASHI evades a dropdown but gets hit with a flying headscissors anyway. Shota steals MUSASHI’s taunt and the old-timer unleashes an offensive flurry and takes his taunt back. Shota is dragged to the corner and in come Dan and Abe to hit double-teams on Kofuji. Abe gets his spinning sole kick into the corner and then a snapmare and a PK but while he has Shota in a chinlock…but Seigo yaps at Abe enough he breaks the hold and they slap each other until Kofuji breaks it up, and then Seigo knocks Shota down and we get Kofuji eating double-teams from Abe/Kofuji before he blocks some charges and hits a double second-rope dropkick and in comes Hikaru Sato. Sato gets some kicks on Fuminiori but the Big Japan local responds with slaps and an eye poke before he gets his own kicks…and then challenges Hikaru to a test of manliness and knees for a kick…but it was a RUSE and he gets Sato for a dragonscrew…but Abe tries a follow up kick that gets caught into an anklelock before Abe maneuvers into the ropes and rebounds with a discus punch, but a second discus punch is blocked with a Sato gamengiri. Okay that was…contrived. Double-tag to Seiki and Yuya who go fast before the faster Yoshioka gets his step-up knee into a snapmare and a kick, but Yuya blocks a follow up with a kitchen sink knee, DDT, and brainbuster for 2. And now Susumu brings in MUSASHI to hit double-teams and MUSASHI is reluctant to cheat but finally settles for a double-brainbuster and a 2 count. MUSASHI is more comfortable just throwing strikes though, but he’s too slow and Seiki recovers for a spinning back kick and then his floating scissor kick and double-tag to Seigo and Tamura who just start unleashing heavy forearms on each other. Tamura wins and gets a corner clothesline, but when he comes off the ropes Seigo gets a Manhattan drop and a boot off the ropes before a snap brainbuster gets 2. Tachibana howls and makes more noise and sets up Dan for a B-Driver but Yuya breaks it up and helps Dan position Seigo for a MUSASHI frog splash, but Seiki breaks THAT up and Hikaru attacks Tamura. Yoshioka tries to hit MUSASHI’s signature driver out of the corner but the vet slips out and gets his comeback sequence with stomps and a dropkick to send Seiki powdering, we get sequential big moves as everybody flies in hits a move and gets tossed until Seigo is the last one in the ring and hits a flip dive on the assorted folks. Seigo sends Tamura back inside and hits a spear for 2.6, Seigo tries a backdrop driver but Dan elbows out and both guys trade shots until Dan gets a lariat and then a second before a powerbomb gets 3.

**¼

Well mostly just sorta nonsense, but that final Dan and Seigo sequence was good, but both guys have good chemistry.

Post-match we get some yapping until Dan Tamura gets MUSASHI and Seiki in the ring together and I think they’ve squashed the beef. At least MUSASHI is excited as he jumps on Yoshioka for a big hug that clearly irritates Seiki. But I guess they’re back? And then Dan calls out Seigo and I think they want a rematch and for Tachibana to put his TV title on the line.

Baka No Jidai (Daisuke Sekimoto, Hideki Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & Suwama) vs. HAVOC (Go Shiozaki, Oddyssey, Shotaro Ashino & XYON)

Background: So we have two sorta aging teams against each other. Baka no Jidai is a group of old crusty guys that are kinda silly at time, Sekimoto being the ace of Big Japan and a square-shaped hunk of beef, Hideki being a tall, tough shooter type that is currently booking All Japan, Kengo being the top dog in Taka Michinoku’s former promotion (now Active Advance Pro Wrestling) before he was bounced, he’s a sadistic armbreaking junior named The Assassin, and of course we got Suwama, the former ace of All Japan who is now doing his own thing primarily as a trainer/promoter for a women’s promotion of all things, he’s big, he’s thick, he’s violent, he’s very much beloved by the fans. HAVOC is the outsider stable, Go of course is a NOAH guy who is now on his second bout in All Japan, mostly a total goody babyface brawler but prone to a dark side at times, Oddyssey is from NXT before scandals (bad ones, I won’t lie) removed him, he’s a super heavyweight power guy, Shotaro is from Wrestle-1 (which was formed by Mutoh after being ousted from All Japan a decade plus ago) but has earned his way back to the fans comfort, and XYON, another NXT guy but he was a rugby guy in Australia and is Roman Reigns stunt-double. Lotta meat, lotta history, no real clear babyface before the match.

The Match: HAVOC all shoot for who starts but Go shuts them down and puts himself in there against Suwama. Go immediately gets a go-behind and teases a German before Suwama reverses and now they struggle over wristlock reversals before agreeing to a shoulderblock battle. It stalemates so they trade forearms before Suwama gets a double-chop and tries a backdrop driver that Go turns into a crossbody, both guys trade covers before they stalemate and give the head nod of respect. Double-tag to the short, squad group of Daisuke and Shotaro, who lockup for a second and just pummel each other with strikes before we get a headlock by Ashino and a shoulderblock goes Shotaro’s way (?!). XYON comes in and we get a high-low on Sekimoto who powders and we all brawl outside. Eventually HAVOC slams Baka no Jidai members on the apron enough times and we reset to Shotaro and Daisuke until Sekimoto gets a sorta fireman’s carry backdrop and that lets him tag in Hideki for the Garvin Stomp (?!) an then brings in Kengo for some chops but Shotaro unleashes his uppercuts and we get a tag to Oddyssey who runs over The Assassin with ugly clotheslines and a jumping sidewalk slam that Suzuki breaks up before some headbutts and then a double sidewalk slam has Oddyssey back in control and he body avalanches everybody before going back at Kengo. Mashimo tries a strike flurry, gets totally stuffed and Oddyssey slams him but whiffs a splash and in comes Suzuki with a sleeper but the Odd-one just stands up and goes over and tags in XYON, who trades strikes with Suzuki before hitting a spinning Samoan drop but they do some evasions afterwards that ends with a Suzuki dropkick and in comes Suwama and XYON gets his spinning whip and in comes Go. Chops by Shiozaki in the corner but Suwama slips out for his own and then they struggle for a brainbuster that goes Go’s way. Back to more chops and Suwama finally gets a suplex but Go pops up for a lariat before collapsing. Go tags in Ashion to unleash some uppercuts on Suwama drop the big man and Shotaro follows with a pretty impressive Karelin lift (Suwama is NOT a small man) but that only gets 2 and Ashino immediately follows with an anklelock but Kengo breaks it up. It breaks down with Baka No Jidai taking over with Hideki whipping everybody at everybody else and XYON comes in for the challenge…but that’s just to set up an Oddyssey ambush (okay HOW?) and a backdrop driver/neckbreaker combo. We reset back to Suwama and Shotaro with Ashino again going for a German, and with the aid of a Go lariat it’s pulled off for 2.7. Suwama is selling as only he can and Shotaro sets him up for an Exploder but Suwama is too big, more reversals end up with a Shotaro anklelock, but Hideki breaks with a sleeper before a Suwama lariat sets up a backdrop driver for 3.

**¾

I do love old man Suwama just gutting it out and barely pulling off victories, like he’s half-90s Savage, half-90s Jumbo here. The rest was pretty standard 8-man tag stuff.

Post-match Go and Suwama mouth off and everybody beats their chest and postures as they set up matches in the Carnival.

Ren Ayabe vs. Rei Saito

Background: Speaking of future Carnival matches! We have the other half of the last tag-match now in singles. Don’t quite get the point of this after the fact, but the Saitos lost to the Titans of Calamity but I guess this feud must continue. While last match matches the ‘skill’ of the Saitos against the power of the Titans, this match is reversed. Ren is the more athletic, faster, smaller Titan, while Rei is the bulkier, brawlier Brother.

The Match: Big monster lockup to start that eventually goes Rei’s way, but Ren reverses, and does a fakeout before a clean break and a hair muss. Second lockup goes Rei’s way and this he wins and does his own hair muss before they trade shots. Ayabe headlock into an international that has Ren boot Rei out of the ring and they brawl ringside. Both whip each other against the barricade until Saito is finally dropped. But Saito was bluffing and he scoops up Ren and slams him against the ringpost before getting a running shoulder, sandwiching Ayabe against the post as well. Rei resets the count before tossing Ren back in. Ayabe tries some shots but Rei drops him, gets a slam, and then uses the ropes to stand on him. Rei follows with a buttdrop for 2 and Saito tries to follow up with his BBQ Bomb but Ayabe backdrops out. Ren gets up first and lands his hooking clothesline and a Yakuza kick for 2 and then tries his Iron Maiden (double-hammerlock dragon sleeper) but Rei breaks before it’s locked in. Ayabe tries a full-nelson next but Rei breaks out again, and on a rope-run hits a crossbody for a double-down. Both are up and slug it out with both ramping up the intensity. Rei puts both hands behind his back and begs for more and Ren obliges with a series of elbows before Saito fires back with a chop sequence before Ayabe powers through for a massive elbow to drop Saito, we get a blinking sell and the ref checks the arm for a TKO. Rei gets up at an 8 count and Ren follows with a brainbuster for 2. Back to the Iron Maiden and Saito eventually makes the ropes. Ren gets up and signals for the Death Roulette but Rei remains too big, Rei mostly evades a shotgun dropkick, goozle slap into a lariat and Rei’s own brainbuster gets 2.8. Another BBQ Bomb is attempted but Ren slips out for a dropkick and it’s Iron Maiden attempt number 3 and Rei almost but can’t quite reach the ropes, Ren tightens it up and Saito submits.

***

I…actually really liked this? It doesn’t hurt that Ren is a much more accomplished singles than Talos, but they played up Rei’s superior size and bulk well with Ren having to struggle to get anything going power wise and having to rely on his submission, which, once again due to Rei’s size, was hard to hit. Good stuff and a bit different than Ayabe’s regular work, he’s turning into a pretty varied worker and Rei of course is a pretty acceptable guy with lots of charisma and an ability to work what he can work. The hubris of him daring Ren to knock him out being the start of his downfall was a nice touch too.

Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO vs. Mochizuki Jr. & Ryo Inoue – Junior Tag Festival Finals

Background: Aoyagi and HAYATO are the most established juniors team in the company, with Mochizuki Jr. as an outsider (his dad of course being pretty notable) and Ryo is a guy who has just sorta broken out of the rookie punching bag status and always has a bit of a punk rebel vibe to him. So it’s the relative vets of Atsuki and Rising versus the relative rookie outsiders of Mochi and Inoue, but both squads have been pure babyface the entire run. Atsuki has violet hair and baggy shorts over trunks and is very flippy in a traditional junior way, HAYATO is blonde, jacked, tatted, and while he has a fair amount of high-spots he also relies on some heavy strikes given his relative size (for the division). Mochizuki junior has blonde hair, but far wilder than HAYATO, with purple trunks and like his dad likes the kicks and quickness, Ryo has dark hair, baggy black pants, and is the kickiest of the kick devils in this group, very much borrowing from Kawada and KENTA as the spunky, undersized punk jerk (though the fans appreciate his moxie).

The Match: Aoyagi and Mochizuki start with the fans chanting for Atsuki. They dance around, teasing contact for a bit before the grappling starts and both standstill, trading wristlocks and reversals with all their speed and cunning before Atsuki cranks in a headlock and we get an international that ends with a Mochi dropkick that leads to Aoyagi powdering. Junior lets Aoyagi get back in the ring and it’s a double-tag to HAYATO and Ryo who start with a frenetic lockup that goes Rising’s way…and he chops Inoue in the ropes who flies back with a flurry of strikes that drops HAYATO in the corner, and when the ref tries to pull him off Ryo shoves him away. SPICY! Hesitation dropkick, bodyslam, and a kick has Inoue feeling himself but HAYATO vaults him to the outside and hits a fakeout dive that Ryo follows by sliding back in to kick the goth down and toss HAYATO outside while the same happens to Aoyagi. Mochi and Ryo hit stereo apron punts and then Junior gets a quebrada off the ringpost onto both vets and the outsiders stomp on both of their opponents before HAYATO is tossed inside for Ryo to work over in the corner and in comes Mochizuki for a double kick. HAYATO is worked over in the corner before Inoue comes back in for the disrespect kicks in the corner. HAYATO fires up and unleashes some heavy chops, tosses Ryo outside and then follows by whipping him into the barricade and just continues to whoop the rookie. Atsuki backs up his partner by tossing Mochizuki into some chairs (and he does a pretty fantastic bowling taunt afterwards) and it’s a donnybrook! It’s breaking loose in Hachiōji~! HAYATO ends with a thrust kick to an apron-hung Ryo and then follows with a neckbreaker/backdrop suplex onto the apron on poor Inoue. HAYATO tags in Atsuki and Ryo tries some strikes but he’s stumbling around and Atsuki weathers the storm before a slam for 2 and it’s a tag back to HAYATO with a double back elbow for 2 and HAYATO gets a chop to the supine Ryo for another cover before bringing Atsuki in again. Aoyagi again shrugs off Ryo’s offense and gets a dropkick and a crab while HAYATO plays defense before Inoue finally gets the ropes. Atsuki tries for a brainbuster but Inoue slips out and gets leg lariat and tags in Mochizuki who kicks down Aoyagi and then drops an interfering HAYATO with a backdrop suplex and it’s a teased German on Aoyagi who slips free and tries a handspring kick that’s caught for a German that Atsuki flips out of and drops Mochi with a spin kick before HAYATO comes in with a Poetry in Motion to wipe out Ryo on the apron and a moonsault press gets two on Mochi. HAYATO with a Codebreaker and locks in Overdose (it’s whacky but it’s a headscissors anklelock at its simplest) but Mochi almost breaks free and HAYATO settles for a cover for two. HAYATO tries a suplex lift but Mochi resists so it’s chop time until HAYATO hits the ropes and Mochi gets a bicycle knee but runs into a HAYATO leg lariat…but his followup brainbuster is reversed and it’s a double-tag. Both Ryo and Atsuki slug it out before Inoue takes over with kicks but Aoyagi uses his agility to evade before he dives into a Ryo dropkick. Inoue tries to follow with a corner elbow but Aoyagi ducks, HAYATO blasts him with a shotgun dropkick and the vets hit a second-rope Codebreaker and a wheelbarrow facebuster into a backdrop suplex/neckbreaker combo that Mochi has to break. Ryo comes alive with strikes on both vets but they subdue him with a series of thrust kicks into a double superkick combo that gets 2.6. Aoyagi tries to pick Ryo up, but he’s totally out of it and the ref checks for a TKO. Ryo makes his feet and tries some feeble strikes before Atsuki catches a kick and delivers a trilogy of Fisherman’s suplexes for 2.8 and then goes for a moonsault that whiffs and Mochi slides in for a knee to a stunned Aoyagi. HAYATO runs coverage on that and has a sequence with Mochi that Junior wins until HAYATO ducks a strike and gets a superkick…but Mochi powers through for a Muay Thai knee to the dome and it’s a quadruple down. We get a four-way slug out that the vets win and a double-dropkick wipes out Mochi and a drop toehold into a slingshot DDT takes out Ryo and the vets set up Inoue for for their Spanish Fly finish but Ryo evades…but Atsuki hits his FIsherman’s Bomb regardless but Mochi gets a running knee to turn that cover towards Ryo who gets 2. The outsiders get simultaneous knee/spin kicks on Aoyagi before attempting another combo that HAYATO interrupts, but Rising eats a double enzuigiri and the outsiders land a German/Bicycle Knee on Aoyagi for 2.-broken up by HAYATO. Ryo tries his cutthroat leg-hook suplex on Atsuki who slips out but Inoue settles for his lifting Complete Shot and a Buzzsaw for 2.7, a second gets 2.9, and Inoue isn’t done as he goes for his step-up buzzsaw but HAYATO shoves Atsuki out of the way and scoops up Ryo for a cradle tombstone, it lands but Mochi flies in for a kick to HAYATO which staggers him, but Aoyagi cuts that flurry off and he brings in Rising for a double Fisherman’s Bomb. Ryo recovers with a series of kicks on both his opponents that HAYATO struggles to break the cover on, but it resets to Ryo and Aoyagi, and Atsuki ducks ANOTHER buzzsaw and Aoyagi gets a poison rana from. HAYATO with a B-Driver and then then HAYATO and Aoyagi land the Spanish Fly (Aoyagi does the Spanish Fly on HAYATO for a simultaneous moonsault/senton bomb) before Atsuki pops up for a 450 on Inoue for 3.

***¾

Well, the vets were sorta grimy but not fully dirty. Just veteran (I know they’re both like 28 or something) cunning pulling off the win. Just sorta creeping into face vs. heel without fully getting there. Really fun match with great heat segments and some stupendous but not ridiculous double-teams. Everything felt earned. I sorta wished they dived more into it and that I liked Mochizuki more, but yeah, this was a slugfest. And yeah, the most established Junior team in AJPW should win this stuff.

Kento Miyahara (c) vs. Kuma Arashi – Triple Crown Championship

Background: Kento, the ace of All Japan, the Best of the Best, the most accomplished and most talented guy in All Japan history (fight me!) is also a paranoid and arrogant jerk. Kuma Arashi, lover of bears, guy who digs howling, loud, vibrant, maaaaybe sorta suspicious given his constant alliances with sorta grimy guys, and also a former WRESTLE-1 champ. Okay, we’re going into some Puro Lore here. But Keiji Mutoh of Great Muta fame left New Japan and went over to All Japan in the early 2000s in the midst of the Misawa exodus deal (not sure of the exact timeline) and became a pretty big figure there, won titles, did the Mutoh thing, booked for a while, but at some point he was ousted, and in 2013 when Mutoh left he created his own promotion called WRESTLE-1 and he did his own thing, and I think they worked with TNA and we had SANADA in the mix. Anyway, that company eventually fell apart and some of those guys migrated to All Japan, one of them is Kuma, and Kento, jerkhead that he is, thinks that this is a massive WRESTLE-1 conspiracy and that people are out to get him as the ace of All Japan and he has even demanded a former WRESTLE-1 ref for this match (from what I understand). Whew, you got all that? At its core is the ultimate over/underdog in Kento, who can be the arrogant jerk champ and the overmatched people’s hero in the same match against the burly, squat, howling ursine enthusiast Kuma Arashi.

The Match: Lockup is won by Kuma but reversed in the ropes by Kento who teases a clean break but slaps Kuma. Second lockup is fully won by Kuma who gives a clean break but that fires up Kento and we get some shoulderblocks that wipe out Miyahara who powders. Kuma works over Kento’s back by slamming into the barricade and overall works over the champ, but Arashi whiffs a lariat against the ringpost and it’s TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL! Kento works the arm against the post and the ref has to pull him off, so Kento does it again and delivers a few headbutts before sending Kuma back in for a crossface against the post and there’s a chorus of boos for Kento who revels in it as he headbutts a prone Kuma and jaws with various former WRESTLE-1 talent before Kento gets a Blackout to a kneeling Kuma and uses the ropes to step on the challengers throat. Whadda jerk! Kento taunts Kuma some more and the Bear Man eventually makes his feet to throw hands before a Miyahara pump kick gets 2. Kento begs for something and Kuma obliges…so Kento starts his comeback sequence but he misses the second dropkick and Kuma gets a big senton and the momentum is reversed. Kuma with a slam and a second-rope senton gets 2.5, Kuma follows with a torture rack but Kento gets a headlock to force Arashi to drop Kento who ends up on the apron. Arashi tries to suplex him back in but Kuma breaks with a neck snap on the ropes and Miyahara drags the challenger outside for more violence, but he whiffs a boot, Kuma drops him on the apron and then tries for a senton to the floor but Kento trips him and they duke it out on the apron (after a looong period of dead air) with Kento and Kuma fighting over a piledriver that goes Kento’s way. Long countout tease and Kuma finally slides in to barely beat it. Miyahara with a stinger splash but Kuma just shrugs it off and keeps glaring at Kento. Arashi shrugs off all of Kento’s forearms and the Bear Enthusiast finally fires back with a lariat to drop the Best of the Best. Both up and they slug away with Kuma going for a brainbuster but Kento reverses into his own. Miyahara with a Blackout against the ropes but Kuma fires back with a shotgun dropkick and another senton for 2.7. Arashi to the top but Kento cuts him off and goes for a superplex and it’s a double-down. Kento is up and he goes for the Shutdown German but Kuma’s too bulky and the big guy hits a parade of lariats on Kento for 2.9 and then goes for a gutwrench into a Dominator…but Kento slips out before it lands and gets a backslide for 2 and a Blackout knee for the same. Second attempt at a Shutdown follows but Kuma elbows out and both guys slug it out again into the Frye/Takayama deal. Rope-run sets up a Kuma crossbody for 2 and then the Dominator gets 2.9, Kuma goes up for the top-rope senton but Miyahara rolls and both guys are out of it. Kuma charges first but Kento gets a pair of Blackout knees but Kuma remains on his knees so Kento delivers a third and Arashi no-sells it and roars so Kento goes back to the Shutdown German and this time he manages to clasp the arms and land it for 3.

***

Look, this match was pretty good, but it needed either 20% more stuff or 20% less time, it’s pretty obvious why Kuma doesn’t get long singles matches, and even for a slow promotion like All Japan this was sloooow, too much dead time between sequences, and if you need to stall, stall! Taunt, jeer, jaw with fans, fire yourself up, Kuma was just sorta looking around. The final sequence was solid with Arashi shrugging off a ton of offense (not like the Blackout is super credible) at least protects him a bit, but I’m not exactly hungry for more Kuma singles matches I’ll tell you that.

Post-match Kento jaws a bit at the WRESTLE-1 guys and then showers in the crowds adulation.

Well, that was that! Bit of a disappointing main-event but now with all that out of the way I should be firing through the Carnival in no time flat.

Thanks for reading and I’m sorry about the delays.