All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival April 19th 2026

We have over 750 in Osaka’s Umeda Sky Building Stella Hall and we have some bad news, an injury to Jun’s orbital bone has rendered him incapable of competing in the tournament so the scheduled Madoka match is forfeited to Kikuta.

MUSASHI & Saito Brothers (Naruki Doi & Rei Saito) vs. Hokuto-gun (Hokuto Omori & Takashi) & XYON

Background: So I imagine that part of this is based around Jun’s injury, so we have sorta second-place acts in Hokuto-Gun (who aren’t in this tournament and have sorta stopped mattering but are I guess theoretically potentially credible heavyweights when they aren’t comedy goofs) and then tournament participant XYON and then we have junior journeyman MUSASHI and then Rei and his lil buddy, Mr. Saito, Naruki Doi (who is a very credible DG legend whose career I am probably massively downplaying whenever I talk about him). This is a totally random grab bag of guys that don’t really make sense facing each other, but I guess it’s Saito’s vs. Hokuto-Gun and also two tournament guys and their sorta jokey/less credible partners.

The Match: We get some chaos to start with Takashi threatening people with his chisel and then we all yell and settle down and everybody sorta wastes time and panders and we FINALLY get to XYON and MUSASHI. ANd XYON is a bit perplexed at a junior challenging him and both guys play to the crowd with their chants and uh, this might not be a workrate cornucopia gents. And we start with Naruki Doi running in for a double and both the cruisers jump XYON and hit some low dropkicks and a standing flip senton before trying a double-team brainbuster but MUSASHI keeps doing Saito brother taunts and that irks Doi and XYON gets the double-suplex himself and then brings in Takashi who sells the tag like his hand is broken and blusters to the crowd before hitting a snot rocket against MUSASHI and just playing to the crowd excessively before he hits his throat thrust flurry and then hits his own damaged hand on the turnbuckle. MUSASHI fires back with athleticism and tags in Rei who chops down Takashi and then lands a butt drop for 2. Rei calls in his partners and they try to triple-team TAKASHI who defuses the ambush with throat thrusts and then a gamengiri to Rei. Hokuto tags in and then XYON follows as all three hit corner attacks on Rei but Saito destroys everybody with shoulder blocks and then goes up, but XYON cuts Rei off and then Hokuto-Gun sets up an assisted superplex, but Rei holds on, Omori gets superbombed and then Rei’s allies run-in to low-bridge XYON outside, Takashi gets double-dropkicked, and XYON eats double pescados before we go back to Rei and Omori. Saito whiffs the Eisbein and Hokuto tries a strike combo but falls victim to Rei’s goozle slap and then a running crossbody for 3.

*½

Look, I get being lazy on a tertiary show but this was downright fossilized in terms of lack of effort. It was cute at parts but like…guy, you are being paid money to perform. Also Hokuto probably isn’t ever going to be anything but it’s pretty clear that All Japan thinks nothing of the guy.

Kuma Arashi [0] vs. Oddyssey [0] – A Block

Background: Two hefty folks of different styles. Kuma is a shockingly athletic brawler whose offense is built around a variety of sentons and some big power moves, while the massive Oddyssey is pure power and bulk, running splashes and big power moves, he’s a 400 power super heavyweight while Kuma is almost a junior in terms of size and ability. Both are rotund and fun-loving, though Kuma (obviously) loves bears and howling and Oddyssey prefers basic hip gyrations. Kuma comes out with a shirt where he’s giving a torture rack to a trio of bears that seems to announce that this is his 11th year of wrestling.

The Match: Kuma starts with a howl that Oddyssey shakes his head at and says “no thank you” at before they lockup and they tumble and jumble before it’s Kuma who wins and he gives a clean break and howls and Oddyssey is irked. We get some headlocking and posturing and Oddyssey asks for a shoulderblock battle and then takes out Kuma with a kitchen sink knee, that CAD! Rabbit punch from Oddyssey and a hard whip as the Odd-one gyrates but that leads to him missing a corner charge and Arashi dropkicking him outside and then Kuma follows with a running crossbody from the ring apron and the bear lover bounces Oddyssey’s head off of the apron and then rolls him back inside and Kuma tries a slam but Oddyssey is just TOO DARN BIG and the American reverses for his own slam and then a running elbow drop, and then a second gets 2.6. Oddyssey gets some clubbering forearms but then whiffs a splash and Kuma is back with another attempt at the splash but Oddyssey is just TOO DARN BIG and gets a falling crossbody for 2 out of it and then the man from HAVOC gets a hard whip…but whiffs a corner charge and now Kuma gets the slam and then a standing senton, but Arashi’s back is shot and Oddyssey gets up first. Arashi gets a corner charge though and then puts down the big-man for a second-rope senton for 2.7 and then Kuma tries for the torture rack but can’t get it and the Odd-one gets a headbutt, dodges a dropkick, and gets the running splash for 2. Corner avalanches by Oddyssey and then some lariats before Oddyssey gets a backdrop driver for 2.8. The Odd-one calls for the finish and chants for his stable before Kuma slips out and both guys slug it out before Arashi dodges another corner charge and then gets kick wham torture rack into a drop…for 2.9. Kuma calls for the lariat but runs into Oddyssey’s Black Hole Slam and then the American gets a second-rope frog splash for 3.

**¾

This entertained me, just two giant dudes (okay Kuma isn’t that big) hitting all the standard big guy stuff. Oddyssey’s cardio is…terrible, but his instincts are good, and the 1-2-3 big guy slam stuff and all the big fat elbow drops and running splashes and Kuma finally getting the torture rack amused me greatly in what was overall a sprint of a match.

Yuma Aoyagi [2] vs. Ryuki Honda [0] – B Block

Background: Yuma is sort of a too cool for school pretty boy stud athlete jock guy who is good at everything and doesn’t care enough, and Ryuki is…not that, but he’s a brawler, full of heart, and guts and maybe like Yuma is too silly for his own good, but while Aoyagi is sort of arch and sarcastic, Honda is a guy who really enjoys his silly jokes as actually amusing. Yuma can do everything, Ryuki can mostly lariat, choke, and possesses the most dangerous finisher in All Japan, but it’s two guys that are both similar and far distinct at the same time.

The Match: We start with a lockup into some standing grappling and we get a headlock takeover and a headscissors to break before we stalemate and it’s back Ryuki’s headlock, Yuma breaks and gets a dropkick but Honda shrugs it off and runs Aoyagi over with a shoulder and then boots him down and goes for the rope choke and Ryuki does his routine with the ref where he begs off and makes silly faces. This lets Yuma get his feet up on a corner charge, but when the Fool goes to the top turnbuckle Ryuki shoves him outside to take a tumble. We get some ringside brawling as there isn’t a barricade here, so Honda settles for bouncing Yuma’s head off the ringpost and jawing with the fans. Huh, lots of ladies in the crowd for them. Yuma is bounced off the apron a few times as the ref tells him to get back into the ring. Honda does not go back into the ring so Aoyagi chases him into the crowd and they brawl some more. Back to the ringside and they fight over a brainbuster on the mat but Yuma reverses into a DDT. Yuma gets another DDT and we finally go back inside the ring for some strike exchanges until Aoyagi drops Ryuki with a pilderiver for 2.6. Yuma goes for a brainbuster but Honda reverses into his own and then Honda fires up with some corner clotheslines and a spinebuster for 2. Honda fires up again for some rope running but Yuma evades with a drop down and peppers Ryuki with a dropkick and then gets his own corner strike and then a springboard reverse crossbody and a diving crossbody but Yuma picks him up before 3 and goes for his End Game choke. Honda fights to the ropes for a break but is still woozy so Yuma drags him to the corner and goes up…but Honda cuts him off and goes for a superplex but is shoved down, but Honda goes up again and is shoved down again and Aoyagi follows with a missile dropkick. Corner forearm by Yuma but Honda fires back with his own, they brawl a bit before we get a Yuma German, but Honda no-sells and grabs his own German, goes for a brainbuster, Yuma reverses, but then Honda pops up again for a spear to cut off Yuma’s lariat and we have a double down. Both fight to their feet and they get the wobble-leg slug fest. They stumble to the corner and Ryuki goes for his Final Vent (over-the-shoulder chokebomb) but Yuma slips out and gets a schoolboy for 2, Aoyagi ducks a lariat into another schoolboy and then gets a Japanese rolling reverse cradle for 2.9. Aoyagi blocks a lariat with a kick and then hits a tornado DDT off the ropes for 2.8. Aoyagi goes up again but Ryuki cuts him off again and finally lands the superplex but Yuma gets the dramatic pop-up…only to run into a Ryuki exploder for 2. Honda runs the ropes for a lariat but Yuma ducks and gets his own and sets up his Rockstar Buster (overhook fisherman’s brainbuster). Ryuki breaks so Aoyagi drops him with a spinning hook kick and lands the Rockstar Buster for 2.9. Yuma then sets up The Fool (spinning Rockstar Buster) but Honda slips out and then ducks the spin kick and grabs Yuma for a German, Aoyagi breaks free but runs into a lariat, Ryuki with a second lariat for 2.9, and now he gets the Final Vent for 3.

***

Okay! I was really expecting a lazy houseshow special with them barely taking any bumps the first five minutes of the match, but they pulled out the Ryuki heavyweight sprint thing and Yuma absolutely holds up. Honda isn’t technical enough as a performer (or character) to do slick reversals so he just has these power brawls where guys hit big moves and a guy drops. There’s a beauty to them, but also a ceiling. Still, Aoyagi can work with basically anybody and he’s continuing his redemption tour as he’s gonna be jobbing a LOT I imagine.

Hideki Suzuki [0] vs. Ren Ayabe [4] – B Block

Background: Hideki is an old, scrappy technical shooter guy, Ren is a young, cocky, super-tall jock athlete. Hideki is 0-2 right now, while Ayabe is undefeated so far. Ayabe is also half of the tag-champs while Hideki has worn that gold in the past.

The Match: Ren immediately gets Hideki into the ropes off of a lockup and ties him up before doing a fakeout strike…and Suzuki just slaps him so Ren responds in kind. More teasing and stalling as both guys are not uh…known for their swiftness. A test of strength of sorts follows with Hideki trying for small-joint manipulation. Ren powers out though with his own wristlock and they go to the mat and uh…work holds. Ren just lays on Hideki with a gutwrench while Suzuki “sells.” Break and they return to their feet for more standing grappling and Ren goes back to the gutwrench but Suzuki gets a legscissors and tries to get a heel hook of sorts and settles for an ankle crank. Hideki then gets a stomp on the ankle and does a full Garvin on Ren before snapping the neck with his feet and Ayabe breaks on the followup submission attempt. Back to their feet and Hideki gets a strike flurry but Ren counters a hold into a brainbuster and Suzuki rolls outside. Ren follows and stomps Suzuki outside and gives some boots and runs him against the ringpost. More dominance by Ayabe as he dribbles Hideki’s head off the apron and then tries to toss him into some chairs but Hideki blocks and we get more head bouncing instead. Back in and more of Ren just slowly chopping down Hideki but he misses a big boot and gets lowbridged outside and sells the leg. Ayabe crawls back in and Hideki corners him for body shots while Ren tries to fire back but Suzuki just hammers the liver and then goes for a fireman’s but Ren slips out and gets a hooking clothesline and both guys are down. Ayabe is up for a Yakuza kick which gets 2 and then tries a full nelson but Hideki immediately counters into a victory roll for 2 and then has a couple dropkicks Ren is up and they do a rope-run sequence that ends in HIdeki getting a choke over the ropes and then tries a manji-gatame but Ren hiptosses him to break, follows with a boot and gets a full-nelson slam for 2.6. Ayabe calls for the Death Roulette but Hideki counters into a sleeper but Ren tumbles both of them outside to break. Suzuki is in immediately and catches a returning Ayabe with another sleeper and Hideki breaks for a cover…for 2.8. Suzuki tries a double-arm suplex but settles for a slug fest (?!) and both guys trade hard elbows before Ayabe gets a shotgun dropkick and then the Death Roulette but Hideki gets a small package for 2. Another liver shot from Hideki and then a double-arm takedown into a reverse bridging cradle gets 3.

*¼

So it picked up a bit at least, but my goodness was the first half of this match nothing, and it didn’t mean anything later on. Ren’s leg wasn’t hurt, and while Suzuki ‘out wrestling’ the bigger athlete is fine, so much of this was just boring, sluggish filler. Clever final sequence with the rollups, but these two gelid personalities have negative chemistry and shouldn’t match up, ever. Both need to be the foil, not the spark.

Daisuke Sekimoto, Dan Tamura, Ryo Inoue & The Bodyguard vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO, Seigo Tachibana & Seiki Yoshioka

Background: Okay just the “oh hey the guy not in the tournament” match. This time it’s Daisuke as the man out, with old AJPW stalwart midcarder The Bodyguard making an appearance and then a bunch of juniors. Dan is chasing Seigo’s junior gold, and otherwise it’s just the regular core junior guys.

The Match: Dan and Seigo start with a hard lockup and Tamura gets the champ in the ropes and gets a shot to the face and a rebound shoulderblock before booting Tachibana in the mush. Armdrag by Seigo, headlock takeover by Tamura and they both tag out and it’s HAYATO and Ryo, lockup into a wristlock but HAYATO uses athleticism to counter, hits the overhand chop and then we get a leapfrog sequence and another chop, but Inoue kicks HAYATO down but misses a corner charge and Aoyagi runs in to help HAYATO out with a double team codebreaker/facebuster into a backdrop suplex/neckbreaker and they bring in Seiki to work Ryo over with kicks before Ryo gets a spinning gamengiri after Seiki catches his foot and it’s a hot tag to The Bodyguard who runs over Yoshioka with a shoulder and delivers a corner clothesline…but Seigo runs in to beat him up but the Bodyguard gets a double lariat and it’s back to beating up Seiki and now Aoyagi and HAYATO run in to ambush Bodyguard, but Daisuke runs in and just runs everybody over with lariats and shoulders and we get simultaneous delayed suplexes from both the big muscle guys. Back to Bodyguard beating Seiki down in the corner and then we get Dan and Bodyguard jawing at each other, or maybe Tamura psyching him up but it ends with him asking for a tag and Dan beats up Seiki some more, but Yoshioka makes the tag and in comes Seigo. Tamura bludgeons him down and goes for a powerbomb but Seiki finally gets something going with a scissor kick to Tamura. Ryo with a flying knee on Seiki, HAYATO and Aoyagi with double superkicks to Inoue and Atsuki mocks Daisuke and Bodyguard by flexing and we have the cruisers try to chop down the big men but get quickly flattened. The juniors low-bridge them outside and follow with pescados that are caught, so Seiki flies in with a quebrada to take everybody out and it’s back to Seigo and Dan and Tamura catches a spear. Seigo floats over a brainbuster but can’t get any offense going and eats a lariat and Dan goes for the powerbomb again but Seigo converts that into a B-Driver and tries for his running 12-6 elbow but Dan slips out of that and gos for la magistral but Seigo sniffs that out but can’t get his own rollup. Tamura picks Seigo up for a fireman’s carry but Tachibana gets a crucifix driver out of that and the pin.

**½

Just the regular match with some strong focus on the junior match and some…comedy spots with Bodyguard? Sekimoto barely mattered in it but that’s okay. Tamura and Tachibana have pretty solid chemistry.

Madoka Kikuta vs. Shota Kofuji

Background: So Jun got hurt, but they still want to give Madoka a match so here he is against the one All Japan rookie, Shota Kofuji. Kikuta has worked the Carnival before, but now he’s a bullying heel.

The Match: Shota fires off with a dropkick but Madoka gets a headlock and some knees to the gut, but misses a lariat and Kofuji gets a flying headscissors. Shota gets some chops in the corner that Kikuta just shrugs off before demolishing Shota with his own. Kikuta just gets a blatant choke in the ropes and the ref is all over him. More knees and elbows as the DragonGate champ is ripping the rookie apart. Slam and some more stomps as Madoka isn’t exactly putting his pedal to the metal here. But we get another super loud chop but Shota tries to fire back and this makes Kikuta chuckle before he cranks in a sleeper and even sends Kofuji spinning before dropping him on the mat. Yakuza kick and then Madoka picks Shota up for a powerslam but Kofuji slips out and gets a spinning neckbreaker. Shota fires back with a corner elbow and some rights, and then blocks a Madoka charge and gets a rolling dropkick for 2 and tries a fisherman’s buster but Kikuta is too big and the DG man chops Shota again. Kofuji chops back but Madoka just throws one and Shota recoils. Madoka actually starts wincing from Shota’s chops so Kikuta goes to the eyes and vaults Kofuji outside where he comes back with a springboard forearm and then a fisherman’s buster for 2.5 and tries again but Madoka breaks free, lands a shoulderblock but can’t get a discus lariat, so he settles for a hipcheck and then gets a lariat for 2.8. Discus lariat follows and that’s 3.

*¾

Not quite a squash, not quite competitive, sorta plodding. Madoka did decent heeling here and Shota is scrappy, just too long for the story.

Go Shiozaki [4] vs. Talos [0] – A Block

Background: Go is a guy who is ostensibly a heel right now but is basically working as his heroic, fiery babyface self, hard chops, lariats, an unshakeable will to fight and overcome. Talos is a big scary giant American monster and the other half of the tag-team champions. He lost to a whacky rollup and is sort of arrogant but he’s portrayed as a total unstoppable force most of the time.

The Match: Lockup and Go is tossed to the corner and Talos taunts him. Second attempt goes much the same. Talos goes for a third so Go kicks the leg and tries some strikes and Talos laughs it off as Shiozaki tries a shoulderblock and gets flattened by Talos. Go powders to the apron and uses a headscissors to send Talos outside where he hits a flying shoulderblock and rams Talos’ head off the ringpost. And then a second ringpost and Talos is running scared. Chops from Go have Talos on the defensive as Go brawls through the crowd and then tries a whip…but Talos reverses and now Go’s head bounces off the post. Talos loudly yells about Go’s chops hurting and starts clubbing away at the vet. It’s Go’s turn to get tossed into various objects and then a massive overhand chop before Talos sends Go back inside. More overhand chops and Talos yells at a loud crowd member before picking Shiozaki up and just tossing him into the corner. A few body avalanches follow and then a big boot for 2. Talos misses a charge though and Go fires up the machinegun chops and then tries a suplex lift but Talos is too big, so Go kicks the leg out of his leg…but is caught for a massive sidewalk slam for 2.9. Talos takes the straps down and fires off another big boot and then calls for the chokeslam and after a massive lift gets 3.

**¾

Hey for a Talos singles this was pretty solid! And sometimes the giant kills the slayer. Go is a great, great, great babyface, so even when Talos sorta dragged on offense Go is a captivating enough seller to keep me invested, short, sweet, I’m not too offended.

Kento Miyahara [0] vs. Yuma Anzai [0] – A Block

Background: So this is the big one, Tanahashi vs. Okada, Jumbo vs. Misawa, the big generational ace vs. ace showdown. With the ace of the now, Kento, battling his replacement. Miyahara is cocky energy and showboating and braggadocio. He’s a counter wrestler with a very simple offense and tons of style. Yuma is a pure athlete, amateur wrestling standout, he’s athletic and experimental in the ring and is much more subdued (though he’s certainly popular with women) and has a very classic, tall, handsome movie star vibe. They’ve battled many times and Kento has the series advantage over him.

The Match: Big lockup to start goes Yuma’s way and we get a clean break. Second lockup goes Kento’s way and he gets the dirty strike in the ropes. We get some standing grappling with Kento ending up with wrist control but Anzai uses his athleticism to evade and grabs a hammerlock. Kento evades with an anklepick and cranks at the leg but Yuma reverses into a headlock and then a headscissors by Kento breaks. Anzai with a headlock and we shoot off for an international and Kento gets a boot but Yuma fires off a shoulder and a dropkick and Miyahara powders. Yuma follows outside and hammers away with forearms, Anzai whips Kento off the post, puts him on the apron and hammers away with knees, and gets another whip…but Kento reverses, sends Anzai off the post, but his continued attack is foiled and Yuma gets a springboard forearm off a chair. Yuma tosses Kento back inside and then drags him into the ropes so he can do a boot choke with the ropes aid, the ref pulls Yuma off and Kento blindsides him from behind and then drags the youngster outside for a series of headbutts and just goes crazy as he tosses Anzai around and whoops him. Anzai back inside and Kento starts peacocking and playing to the crowd before delivering a running boot to a grounded Anzai. A second boot to a kneeling Yuma gets 2 and Kento cranks in a crossface/chinlock before Yuma makes the ropes, so Kento curbstomps him (not quite with as much intensity but the same motion). High back elbow gets a quick cover and then Kento cranks in a crab. Anzai makes the ropes again and Kento just sorta piefaces Anzai down and brushes his boots off the back of his head. Yuma is stumbling but defiant as he tries to fire himself up and throw forearms but Miyahara just kicks his head off and gets an arrogant cover while talking trash. Anzai crawls to the ropes to help himself up so Kento heads over and just slaps the taste out of his mouth and then follows up with his low dropkick and a middle dropkick and poses to total cheers from the crowd. Kento stalks Yuma as the ref checks on him, but Miyahara hotdogs too much and runs into a set of boots in the corner and a middle-rope dropkick from Anzai and we have a double-down. Yuma fires back with a corner forearm and then a belly-to-belly for 2 and both guys are up and trading shots before Kento unleashes a headbutt but he’s staggered enough that Yuma gets a dropkick and then cranks in his kneeling facelock and Kento gets a foot on the ropes and powders to the apron, Yuma follows and tries to pull Kento in with a brainbuster but Miyahara wraps himself in the ropes and pulls Anzai. Both guys trade shots on the apron and Kento gets another headbutt and loads up the piledriver and Yuma tries to backdrop out, neither are successful but a forearm knocks Kento off the apron and then Anzai nails a flying knee to send him to the mats. Yuma rolls back in and works the count while Kento stumbles around and barely sneaks in at 9. Anzai hammers away with another corner forearm but Kento howls in defiance and we get a big slugfest between the both of them before Miyahara fires himself up and sticks his tongue out…and runs into a big Yuma elbow but manages to reverse the followup brainbuster into his own. Kento with a Blackout knee against the ropes, but a second one is caught by Anzai who fires back with another elbow and puts Miyahara on the top rope for a double-arm superplex but Kento headbutts him off the top, so Anzai flies up for a pop-up knee and lands the butterfly suplex for 2.5. Yuma picks up Kento and whips off the ropes for a Jumbo knee but Kento grabs, slowing his momentum so he can land a lariat. Miyahara sets up for another lariat but Yuma backflips to evade and goes back to the facelock and Kento starts to fade so Yuma covers for 2.8. Kento does his fantastic “waking up from unconsciousness” sell while Yuma drags him up for a Gimlet (Electric Chair powerbomb) but Kento slips out and gets a Blackout and we’re both down. Miyahara gets to his feet and is all fired up but Yuma unleashes a forearm and both guys are breathing heavy. Both guys stumble around but eventually they trade shots and we get a double collision as we get a Jumbo knee and a Blackout at the same time. But the younger Anzai is up first and he gets a knee to the back of Kento’s head, and then one to the mush and gets 2.7. Somato (running double knees to the face) from Yuma gets 2.9 and Yuma goes for the followup but Kento gets alive and we have a Blackout and his eyes and tongue are going crazy as he gets another Blackout for 2.8. This doesn’t test a vet like Miyahara though and he immediately goes for the Shutdown German but Anzai breaks and he fires off a Jumbo knee and loads up the Gimlet again, but Kento slips out, grabs the Shutdown, and time expires as Anzai breaks free.

****

Okay, so clearly they were stalling a bit with the draw as the finish, but my goodness these guys have magical chemistry together. Kento being such this overbearing ham, just full of…the most, super extra, super over the top, both a total babyface and dirtbag heel at the same time, while Yuma is steady, this super focused hyper jock, full of purpose and creativity. Just the ways these guys do such simple stuff with so much creativity and purpose is a delight. The time limit draw was 100% the right call here as you don’t want either to lose (until Yuma beats Kento for the title, I presume…hope…pray).

Post-match both guys talk a bit and vow to win, I assume, maybe. I don’t speak Japanese.

Well this show had some high highs, and some low, lows. Hopefully they don’t continue to push this Hideki Suzuki guy, heh, heh…sigh…