All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival April 12th 2026

Welcome to the Champion Carnival, the oldest singles tournament in the history of pro wrestling, it’s a round robin format with two blocks, you get points, and then the winners of each face off. I’ll introduce the guys as we go but the winner gets glory and a shot at the Triple Crown champion…plus the champ is in the tournament and those that get wins on him usually get shots too. It’s a big deal, and we’re starting in Korakuen with almost 1200 in the building.

We start with a brief sizzle reel and a rundown of the card and some footage of the press conferences, but the name on the marquee says WRESTLING and that’s what we get to!

Seigo Tachibana, Seiki Yoshioka & Shota Kofuji vs. Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato & Hokuto Omori

Background: The midcard/juniors of All Japan. Quick breakdown, Seigo is a sorta comedy brawler guy with a Yakuza-ish gimmick, Seiki is fast and vicious and has recently turned back babyface (maybe), Shota is the new guy and ergo loses a lot. Dan Tamura is a chunky power brawler that’s right on the verge between junior and heavyweight, Hikaru is a veteran shooter type who loses a lot, and Hokuto Omori is…a guy that I’m never sure what AJPW wants to do with, is a stable boss, but all of his wrestlers are more credible than him, sometimes he’s a goof in a general suit taking comedy bumps, sometimes he’s a serious KO artist with a mastery of pins and reversals. Seigo is the current junior champ and Tamura has been chasing him with a few pins in tag matches.

The Match: Seigo and Dan start with a lockup and some headlocks as both guys growl and jostle to a stalemate. Double tag and it’s Hokuto and Shota and the vet pushes Kofuji around before Shota puts on the nitro and hits a rope-run clothesline and we get some posturing and taunting before Omori gets some cheating and brings in Hikaru and Dan to beat down the rookie. Omoro loads up an assisted superplex but Kofuji holds on, Hokuto gets powerbombed and SHota fires off a missile dropkick and then Hokuto gets stomped out. Seigo tags in and Omori is crying and the fans boo as Omori gets abused before Seiki tags in for more damage. Hokuto finally gets a Complete Shot and then tags in Sato. HIkaru kicks Yoshioka in the corner and then tries an anklelock but Seiki ramps up the speed with a flurry of kicks…but Hikaru goes back to the leg with a hold and then gets a gamengiri…but he whiffs a buzzsaw kick and Seiki responds with a scissor kick and we get a double-tag to Tamura and Seigo who just punch each other in the face for a while. Tamura runs him over but misses a corner charge and Seigo gets a STO for 2. Tachibana calls in his partners who all go at Tamura in the corner before Seigo gets a spear for 2.-it’s broken up but everybody is dragged outside and it’s back to Tamura and Seigo with the champ trying a brainbuster but we trade reversals and then strikes and Tamura is dropped with a forearm…but Dan pops up for a DVD that Seiki breaks up but Hokuto comes in and slams him and we get Sato trying to suplex him ON Seiki but Yoshioka is too quick and evades and now Seiki flies in with a diving lariat and we once again return to Dan and Seigo. Both dudes trade shots before Tamura tries a powerbomb but Seigo reverses to a sunset flip but Tamura kicks out and lariats Seigo down. Another powerbomb attempt is turned into the Ikemen Otoshi (B-Driver/Axe Guillotine Driver/Fade to Black/Kneeling Back-to-Belly Piledriver) for 2.9. Seigo tries a followup lariat but Dan catches him for a La Magistral and that’s 3.

**½

Hey this is the sorta random six-man taking it easy AJPW special. We’ll get comedy and maybe an emphasis on a singles match that will get friction. I’m vaguely interested in Seigo and Tamura beating the tar out of each other but everybody else had a maximum contribution of Present. Still, it’s a rock solid formula and we advanced one feud and didn’t take up too much time.

Kuma Arashi [0] vs. Rei Saito [0] – A Block

Background: Oh it’s tasty, we have bear vs. BBQ. We got meat here, with Kuma Arashi, the bear-loving howling barbarian, vs. Rei, a carnival winner in his own right and a sort of relaxed beefy fellow that maybe plays around a bit too much. Kuma is more athletic and loves his sentons, Rei is bigger and more accomplished and is the better brawler with a more complete power game but he loves to lose the easy ones via silly screwups. Even with Kuma coming off the most recent Triple Crown challenge, Rei is the favorite here. Kuma is in white shorts with furry trim as he loves bears, and Rei has long curly hair, black leather pants, and a Saito Bros t-shirt.

The Match: We get the charging bulls start as both guys slam into each other with shoulderblocks to a stalemate and then Kuma calls for a test of strength. It goes Rei’s way but Kuma reverses, gets a boot, and then slams Rei for a quick cover. Saito gets back up and tries another shoulderblock and this knocks Arashi over who powders. We brawl ringside and Rei whips Kuma into various barricades and Kuma returns the favor. Saito overall gets the better of the exchange and chops Kuma a few times before setting him up against the ring post and going for a shoulderblock against it, but Kuma sidesteps and Rei jams his own shoulder, Kuma takes advantage to lift Rei up for a torture rack for a few seconds and then tosses Saito back inside and Kuma uses the ropes to press his boots into Saito (a Rei move) but Kuma whiffs a followup senton and Rei gets back up and stomps on Arashi and gets his own rope-assisted boot press, the ref interrupts but Rei distracts and does it again. Saito follows with a standing butt drop and then picks up Kuma who tries to fight back with a slam, but Rei is too big and stifles it. Saito gets a few corner charges but he misses the last one and Kuma now gets the slam and the senton. Kuma with a corner clothesline, slam, and now a second-rope senton for 2. Arashi tries for another torture rack but Rei quickly fights out and gets a big chop to drop Kuma. Both guys throw simultaneous lariats to a standstill before Kuma finally rebounds into a running lariat to drop the big guy, but a brainbuster gets reversed and it’s double-down time. Kuma is up first and tries his running crossbody, but Rei snatches him out of the air and tosses him down, goozle slap, and then Rei gets his own running crossbody for 2 and Rei’s BBQ Bomb (standing lift powerbomb) gets 3.

**¾

Just a fun heavyweight sprint. Rei’s bum shoulder didn’t really come into play and it was mostly just guys doing their hits, but they set up that Kuma was a bit stronger, but Rei was just far bigger and it was hard for Arashi to move him around. Both guys having similar offenses where Rei was able to counter the crossbody to set up his finishing sequence was a nice touch as well. Punchy, well-paced, fun, no complaints here.

Post-match Rei does some jumping jacks, grabs a piece of fur that had fallen off of Kuma’s gear and keeps it as a trophy, and as he walks away he grabs a cheer towel from the fans, wipes his face with it, and hands it back.

Daisuke Sekimoto [0] vs. Yuma Aoyagi [0] – B Block

Background: Daisuke is the top guy in Big Japan, a man as wide as he is tall, just a solid cube of beef. Yuma of course was recently involved in a traffic incident that led to a months long suspension and he was supposed to be out of this tournament too…but due to something happening with Cyrus they needed a replacement and boom, he’s back in. Aoyagi is a versatile, kinda goofy heavyweight guy with real success under his belt (two-time Triple Crown champ!) and I have no idea how his scandal is going to change his presentation, though the fans haven’t rejected him in the slightest. Sekimoto is in plain black trunks while Aoyagi is in a split blue and black design.

The Match: Yuma and Daisuke with a grappling start as they trade wristlocks and go-behinds until Sekimoto takes Aoyagi down with an armbar. The Big Japan man stays on the arm until Yuma reverses back to a wristlock but Daisuke is just Too Strong and he reverses again while Yuma tries speed to get the upperhand but Daisuke just give a double-boot from his back and Yuma scampers away. Yuma tries a lockup into a headlock but Daisuke just breaks, hits a headbutt, Aoyagi with a dropkick but Daisuke powers through for a shoulder to send Yuma outside. Sekimoto follows and he tosses Yuma around, hits and atomic drop and then picks Aoyagi up for a torture rack and just walks around the ring with it. Aoyagi finally gets a sleeper to break and some desperate forearms but Daisuke shrugs them off and returns fire with chops before tossing Yuma back inside for some stomps and then an elbow drop to the back. Ribbreaker by Sekimoto and then a crab to further punish Aoyagi’s spine. Yuma gets the ropes but Sekimoto keeps on him with chops but he can’t get a whip and Yuma tries another dropkick…but Daisuke pulls up short and keeps on the Fool with chops. Aoyagi finally gets something rolling when he he hits a second-rope dropkick and then a flurry of corner charges and a diving crossbody gets 2.5 and Yuma immediately tries his End Game choke but Yuma can’t lock the arm and Daisuke makes the ropes. Yuma tries a brainbuster but Daisuke drops Aoyagi on the apron, hip checks him into a barricade, and then follows with a tope that results in Sekimoto mostly headbutting the barricade, oh my that looked gnarly. And sure enough, we get some blood from the forehead. Yuma struggles to his feet and is almost counted out but he stumbles back inside only for Sekimoto to hit a brainbuster, a senton and a jumping splash for 2.8. Daisuke climbs up and Yuma cuts him off, gets tossed down, but fires up for a dropkick to the top rope and gets a superplex…but Sekimoto just pops up only for Yuma to drop him with a German, and Sekimoto pops up AGAIN for a lariat and a double-down. Daisuke picks up Yuma for a German but Aoyagi with a victory roll, and then a backslide and then a reverse bridging cradle for 2.9. Sekimoto looking absolutely unhinged as he throws chops but Yuma ducks and gets a rebound lariat for 2.6 and then a bridging German for 2.8, the Rockstar Buster gets 2.9 and now Yuma is frustrated and fired up, Yuma attempts The Fool but Daisuke blocks, brainbuster attempt of his own is floated over and some standing switches have Daisuke attempt another German and when Aoyagi goes for a victory roll Sekimoto blocks it and lands a wheelbarrow suplex and a running lariat gets 2.9 and Daisuke picks him up and its the Big Bang Catastrophe for 3.

***¾

Daisuke Sekimoto wrestling like a horror slasher sure is something, just an unstoppable ferocious monster with Aoyagi trying to come up with every counter under the sun until he tried to go hold for hold with him and got swallowed up. Very, very fun match and it’s nice to see Daisuke wrestle smaller, more technical guys at times.

Post-match we get respect between both parties.

Kengo Mashimo [0] vs. Talos [0] – A Block

Background: Kengo is the Assassin, and armbreaking, leg-twisting, headkicking long-haired stocky jerk. Talos is a giant, longhaired American in baggy pants and a leather jacket in a faux-biker getup. Talos is one-half of the World Tag Champs, a title Kengo has held in the past. Pretty classic big vs. little setup here.

The Match: We get some Talos is big, Kengo is short stuff with both guys offering lockups at various heights but then Mashimo goes to the mat in the Inoki position and kicks at Talos’ legs. Talos snatches Mashimo up in a wristlock though and gets a slam. Talos with some rope choking, but he misses a corner charge and Kengo goes at the leg with a dragonscrew and then a knee stunner on the outside but Talos eventually just boots Kengo into the barricade. Talos smacks the knee a few times as he follows Mashimo outside and beats him down. Talos tosses Kengo back in and poses…so Mashimo lands a baseball slide, posts Talos, and goes for a running apron kick but the American catches him and spinebusters him to the outside mats. Bat in again and Talos is at least limping around but he picks up Mashimo for a massive back suplex slam for 2.7. Goozle time but Kengo fights back until Talos gets a kitchen sink knee, corner splashes but a big boot is turned into a schoolboy for 2 before Kengo follows with a knee bar. He can’t reach the ropes and Kengo turns it into a figure four…but Talos breaks that with a CRANIAL CLAW!!! Talos to a standing position and then a CRANIAL CHOP! Big boot follows but they’re too close to the ropes and Kengo gets the break. Talos pulls down the straps and calls for the chokeslam but Kengo squirms out and kicks at the knee, pokes the eye, trips Talos up and a hammerlock inside cradle gets 3 for the upset.

**½

Hey y’know for a Talos match that was pretty fun. Him pulling off goofy 80s monster offense endears me to him, and Kengo had a clear strategy and implemented it well.

Post-match we have Yasutaka Yano and I guess he’s declaring for All Japan after a short stint earlier this year as an outsider chasing junior gold as KURAMA.

And it’s intermission time!

Atsuki Aoyagi, Kento Miyahara, Rising HAYATO & Ryuki Honda vs. HAVOC (Oddyssey & Shotaro Ashino), MUSASHI & Ryo Inoue

Background: Kento and the two tops of the junior division, Atsuki and HAYATO team with energetic brawler Honda vs. the monster team of HAVOC, big giant Oddyssey and husky suplex machine Shotaro with the aid of journeyman junior MUSASHI and young, undersized kick devil Ryo Inoue. It’s two juniors and two Carnival participants on both sides.

The Match: HAVOC’s “havoc” chant is very over with the crowd and MUSASHI joins in before we get the pre-match blustering and posing and it’s MUSASHI who starts against Aoyagi. Lockup and some standing grappling before we get fancy with the takedowns and MUSASHI throws a chop to stop a dropdown but they run the international anyway with an Aoyagi dropkick and some pandering to the crowd. Ryo and HAYATO tag-in and we more wristlock reversals until HAYATO gets an overhand chop and we get some rope-running with the senior HAYATO chopping down at Inoue before Ryo gets a boot and Atsuki slides in for the same and both Aoyagi and Ryo roll outside and the rookie gets a pair of apron kicks before MUSASHI clears out everybody with a flip dive…and then HAVOC roll outside too as we have a donnybrook as they fight all over Korakuen before we return to the ring and Ryo tags in Shotaro. Ashino gets a gutwrench slam on HAYATO and works him over before the junior puts on the jets and explodes out of the corner for a dropkick and tags in Honda. The wildman gets some corner clotheslines before his rope choke has the crowd chanting along…but Shotaro is irked by the cheating and forearms Honda and they slug it out and Shotaro takes over with a corkscrew uppercut but his rope run is countered with a Honda spear, but Ryuki’s lariat is turned into a German and then we get a double-tag and it’s Oddyssey and Kento. Miyahara immediately boots the big man but runs into a clothesline and the Odd-one gets a corner charge and some gyrations but his sidewalk slam is broken up by Honda who gets shoved and hit with a corner avalanche before Oddyssey gets a double sidewalk slam on Kento and Honda. Oddyssey fires up the crowd with havoc chants and snatches Miyahara for a slam but the champ slips free and tries his own but Oddyssey just falls on him and then tags in Ryo for a series of kicks to the chest and more speed lets him hit the champ with more and Inoue drops Miyahara and brings in his teammates to quadruple team the champ. Oddyssey tosses Kento into a Shotaro German, MUSASHI follows with a fros splash and Inoue adds a Busaiku knee before all-three of Kento’s teammates break up the pin. The ring is cleared again but Ryo gets a pair of buzzsaw kicks for some nearfalls and sets up for his step-up buzzsaw but Kento ducks and Atsuki and HAYATO slide in for a double thrust kick and then Honda adds a running lariat on Inoue. Both juniors hit a double Fisherman’s bomb on Ryo and play defense and Kento grabs the youngster for the Shutdown German for 3.

**½

Pretty standard 8-man tag you could see on any show, big brawl in the crowd to kill time, Kento didn’t do much but sell and they furthered some of the junior stuff. Very skippable but hardly a dull watch.

Hideki Suzuki [0] vs. XYON [0] – B Block

Background: So some history here. Hideki and XYON feuded over the tag-titles last year and in the course of the feud had some singles matches where Hideki and XYON had striking battles that mostly went Suzuki’s way until XYON was capable of getting a KO win over him. Overall Hideki is a big, bruising, ‘shoot’ (that’s sort of his presentation despite him not having any actual shoot-fighting experience IIRC) guy while XYON is a former rugby playing Australian of Samoan ancestry. Suzuki is more technical, XYON is faster.

The Match: XYON immediately spears Hideki down and poses before getting a corner elbow, a float-over to block Hideki’s charge and more corner strikes and a headbutt into his twisting whip to drop Suzuki. XYON can’t get the Samoan drop as Hideki slips out and gets a liver shot before backing XYON into the corner with more shots to the gut. XYON breaks free and charges again but Hideki gets his boots up in the corner and then a hanging choke in the ropes before dragging the Australian outside for a brawl, but XYON gets a suplex slam on the apron and this has been pretty brisk so far. Back inside and XYON gets a camel clutch but HIdeki slips out and does the Garvin stomp before a standing neck crank and a knee drop to the mush. XYON is up and both guys trade shots and XYON hits his twisting Samoan drop for 2. The HAVOC man goes up top but Suzuki cuts him off and gets a super frankensteiner that’s almost a total disaster but Hideki gets 2 off of it. Double-arm suplex time but XYON blocks so Hideki settles for a double-arm crank that XYON slips free and trades more shots, gets a spinning headbutt, blocks HIdeki’s elbow with his own and gets a back suplex flipped into a cutter that Hideki takes almost face-first on the bump…yeeeesh. XYON seizes the opportunity and hops up for a diving headbutt and that gets 3 and the ref immediately checks on HIdeki.

*¾

Oh man, just a failure on a lot of levels here. Other than the hot start, this didn’t really play off of these guys’ history with each other at all and just felt like a collection of moves and not any degree of heated brawl. Plus, while All Japan is hardly a finesse promotion, XYON and Hideki did some really ugly looking stuff and not in a good way either. Nice start, petered off into something pretty sluggish. At least it wasn’t too long but pretty disappointing. Hopefully Suzuki didn’t get hurt.

Hideki at least seems to be walking to the back afterwards.

Ren Ayabe [0] vs. Jun Saito [0] – B Block

Background: So Ren Ayabe (along with Talos) as the Titans of Calamity have just dominated the Saito brothers repeatedly, with both a tag and singles victories over them, Ren had tapped out Rei recently, so this is a chance for Jun to get vengeance for his brother and for the team that beat his and seems to be the new big hotness in tag-wrestling. Jun of course is an established singles guy with a long run with the Triple Crown, while Ren has been a close but no cigar guy multiple times in the Carnival before finally getting through with the Royal Road Tournament…though no victory. Jun is tall and bulky, while Ren is taller and much leaner. Jun is the theoretical favorite but Ren has been doing better recently against him. Jun has long hair in a ponytail and black leather pants, while Ren has patterned trunks with a mixed but predominately purple and red colors, and short, lavender hair.

The Match: We get the main-event lockup and both guys struggle and push with it going Ren’s way he fakes a cheapshot before mussing the hair and Jun gets a shot to the gut, a headlock, and then some posturing over shoulderblocks. Ayabe responds with a boot and then a shoulderblock that knocks Saito down, but another boot is lowbridged outside and Jun follows with an axehandle off the apron and we get All Japan’s favorite thing, ringside brawling! Jun grabs a Saito Brothers cheer towel for some choking that the ref breaks up, Ayabe tries some forearms but he gets run into the post and aggressively posed at, more abuse but Jun misses a charge and runs into the post and Ayabe whips him into various barricades before heading back int to relax on the ropes while Jun groans in pain on the outside. Jun fires up and heads back in and tries to mount a comeback but he’s easily manhandled by Ren who slams him and gets the rope assisted foot press (second guy tonight to hit that spot against a Saito Brother) and gets a second slam for a 2 count and Ayabe tries for his Iron Maiden choke but Saito gets a break and lays in the ropes, Ayabe continues to dominate but Jun gets a back elbow out of a charge and then a pair of Yakuza kicks and an elbow drop for 2. Jun finally unleashes the hair and plays to the crowd before going for a chokeslam, but Ren gets his own goozle and they break and Jun unleashes a chop and a boot, but his brainbuster is reversed before Jun’s spear cuts Ayabe’s comeback off and we have a double-down. Both back up and a slugfest follows with Jun winning a chop and a slam before he goes up (?!) and commentary seems confused by the strategy before somebody says “diving elbow” and I guess that was the plan! Ren cuts him off and lands a superplex for 2.6 and tries the Iron Maiden again and Jun starts to fade and the ref checks on him before Saito finally gets a foot on the ropes. Ayabe gets up and calls for the Death Roulette (spinning falcon arrow) but Jun slips free and rebonds for a shoulderblock to knock Ayabe over and Jun gets another Yakuza kick and places Ren on the top-rope for his own superplex for 2.8. Jun’s Psycho Break attempt is reversed and Ren blocks a spear with a knee but Jun gets a slap and the Bomaye knee for 2.7, and second one whiffs though and Ren gets a boot and it’s back to trading shots with Ayabe landing a Yakuza kick, but a second boot is dodged and they fumble a slam before Jun picks Ren up for a backdrop suplex and both are down before the younger Ren recovers first. Ayabe tries his full-nelson slam but Jun breaks, only for Ren to hit a shotgun dropkick, but Saito shrugs it off, lands his strike combo and gets a Jackhammer for 2.9. Jun tries another charging something but Ren takes him down with his hooking clothesline and another shotgun dropkick for 2.6 and another attempt at the Death Roulette but Jun stuffs it, shrugs off some light forearms and drops Ayabe with a spear for 2.8, Jun tries his strike combo again but Ren sniffs it out and hits a dragon suplex and then the Death Roulette for 3.

***¼

A bit of a slow start with Jun selling and selling, and selling, but as they heated up and started hitting the bomb sequence it got pretty spicy. Jun as a guy who was overwhelming Ayabe with a deeper offensive bag was working really well for him in the end, but he went back to the well one time too many and Ayabe got the big counter into his finish, love that psychology there. Saito’s frustration at the end as his regular strategies of overpowering his opponents has been flummoxed against younger guys that are just as physically potent is a nice big of long-term storytelling they’ve been doing with him and Rei over the last couple of months.

Go Shiozaki [0] vs. Yuma Anzai [0] – A Block

Background: Go isn’t a new face for All Japan, having had a run there decades prior, but he’s new for Yuma who is the heir apparent to All Japan and a guy nipping on the heels of Kento and guys like Go. Shiozaki of course had success in All Japan, but was much more of a legend for NOAH, and is once again an outsider with his HAVOC stable, though the fans have accepted him. Yuma is about 20 years younger, far more athletic and less beat up, and is by far the more accomplished amateur wrestler, but he’s shown a vulnerability to heavy strikes, and Go is famous for his lariats and chops as a protege of Kobashi, plus he has far, far, far more experience. Go is in black tights though he has a magnificent white, military style long coat on for some reason and bleached hair. Anzai is in new gear, with multi-coloured trunks made with different patterned materials in almost a fractured, collage pattern, plus the 1950s movie star hair and a starter jacket, very dapper indeed.

The Match: We get some teasing out before Go gets a go behind behind and Yuma turns that into a wristlock. Both guys get headlock takeovers and break with headscissors as they stalemate and circle. Headlock into an international and both stall on shoulders but Yuma gets the dropkick and down goes Shiozaki who slides outside and sells like he’s contemplating his life choices. Anzai slides out and delivers some shots to Go, Shiozaki eats a few but winds up for a chop but Anzai blocks it! Go whips Yuma against the barricade but Anzai vaults over and responds with a springboard forearm. Yuma hangs Go over the apron and knees him a few times before delivering a hard whip to the barricade of his own, and then another and this has been all Yuma. Anzai with some more barricade whips but as he follows with a running forearm Go gets a dropkick (eh kinda) of his own to stagger Anzai and then the vet drops Yuma knee first on the barricade. Go works the knee on the floor and then grabs a chair to do more damage but the ref yanks it away so Go settles for driving Yuma’s knee into the ring post. Another kneebreaker onto the apron, and Go follows with a basement dropkick to send Anzai crashing to the floor. Yuma finally crawls back in and the ref checks on him before Go gets a running overhead chop, a backdrop suplex, and a single-leg crab. Anzai reaches the ropes but can’t get to his feet until Go drags him up. Yuma with a few weak forearms but Go chops the knee to take him down and then just kicks away at the patella. Shiozaki tries a brainbuster but can’t get the lift so he settles for a chop but Anzai gets his boots up on a charge and gets a second-rope dropkick but his bad leg means he can’t capitalize until he uses the ropes to drag himself up. Anzai with a corner forearm and a belly-to-belly but he’s slow making the cover and Shiozaki kicks out at 2. Slugfest goes Shiozaki’s way but Anzai explodes with a dropkick and goes for a German, but Go breaks with a mule kick to the knee and tries his own suplex, but Yuma breaks free but is hit by a Go flying shoulder tackle and then a series of chops before Shiozaki hits the machinegun chops in the corner…but Yuma just bullies through them before Go corners him again and completes the chops. Overhand chop drops Yuma but he can’t get anywhere with a fisherman’s buster so they settle for a slugfest. Anzai ducks a chop and gets a German, then a second German, and he tries for the Jumbo Knee but that misses and Go gets him with a burning lariat for a double-down. Ref starts counting them down but they slowly make it to their feet and charge each other but Yuma gets the Jumbo Knee, and then a second, but it only gets 2.5 as his bum leg is delaying his covers. Anzai tries to set up the Gimlet (side electric chair powerbomb) but can’t lift Go, who fires off a lariat that is countered with another Jumbo Knee and then a Somato gets 2.8. Anzai limps to the corner and fires himself up and tries the Gimlet again, but we get a Shiozakisteiner (?!) and then some chops to the back of Yuma’s neck before Go goes up and grabs Yuma for an avalanche whiplash for 2.8 and a delayed Go Flasher (suplex lift spun into an elbow drop) gets 2.9. Go doesn’t stop as he loads up Limit Break (Pumphandle inverted scoop brainbuster) but Anzai elbows out, forearms Go down and loads up another Jumbo Knee…but Go lariats the leg and locks in a cloverleaf before Yuma finally reaches the ropes. Go charges in with a lariat but Anzai does a backflip evasion into a butterfly suplex, but can’t complete the lift and Go fires another burning lariat…but Anzai ducks and hits a backdrop driver. Yuma with a Jumbo Knee to the back of Go’s head, then one to the front, but it only gets 2.99. Anzai whips Go off for another knee but is instead decapitated by a lariat, Anzai fires up and pops up regardless but a second lariat drops Anzai on his head and that gets 2.8. Go takes the elbowpad off and hits the Gowan Lariat and Yuma does a full somersault bump and that’s 3.

****¼

Okay that was awesome. Go as a man realizing that he’s overmatched by youthful power and athleticism, and having to use all of his Old Man Cunning to chop down the more dynamic athlete who is still new enough to open himself up to mistakes. Even the progression from last tournament where Anzai would get regularly flustered by chops and now he can shrug them off and fight through the pain, it’s almost as if he’s on some sort of path, to become a monarch. Great Old Gunslinger vibes from Go, and while he did a good job, some of Anzai’s iffy-selling of the knee bothered me cause the rest of the match was so good. Really, really great stuff from both guys and Go still has it.

Post-match Go cuts a promo and thanks the crowd, I assume for accepting him back, and then puts over Yuma Anzai (I assume!), the Champion Carnival, and All Japan and bathes in the adulation from the crowd.

Well that was a fun show, only one dud and a lot of good to great stuff. Hoping to hammer out the carnival so stay tuned.