All Japan Pro Wrestling: Champion Carnival May 3rd 2025

Back with more Champion Carnival action as once again we’re in Utsunomiya in the Utsunomiya Light Cube…which is indeed a boxy room with lights in it, they weren’t lying. This is also a show sponsored by Steakhouse Juraku, the steakhouse for giants! You gotta want it! We have almost 700 in the building for this one.

XYON vs. Shota Kofuji

Background: So this was SUPPOSED to be XYON vs. Jun Saito, but Jun is still out with a busted orbital bone so this a makeup match. Shota is our young scrappy rookie punching bag, XYON is our athletic Australian-Samoan monster (and now beloved face).

The Match: XYON overpowers the rookie who tries to keep control with a headlock but gets tossed. XYON goes for a test of strength and the crowd fires up but Kofuji ducks and goes for a waistlock but gets spun around anyway. Shota keeps mobile and tries to avoid the bigger Samoan but they finally collide for a series of shoulderblocks and then a headlock is almost turned into a deep-six but Kofuji rolls into a takeover. Shota finally gets caught for a hard whip into the corner but the rookie comes back with a sleeper that takes XYON to the mat before the Australian fires up and drops Shota in the corner…but the junior gets a rolling dropkick for a one count and goes back to the headlock before XYON gets a fireman’s carry and Shota ends up on the apron and gets a springboard forearm for 2. Shota with a trilogy of dropkicks to stagger XYON and then a schoolboy and a crucifix gets near falls but a XYON clothesline sets up a back suplex cutter for 3.

**¼

Hey they gave the kid a lot of shine! XYON was very, VERY generous here and that’s fine until he hits two moves and wins. No issues with it at all.

Post-match XYON raises Shota’s hand, sportsmanship!

Kento Miyahara, Rei Saito, Daisuke Sekimoto & Ryo Inoue vs. Hokuto Omori, MUSASHI, Seiki Yoshioka & Shotaro Ashino

Background: Kento, Rei, and Daisuke are in the carnival with Ryo rounding out the junior selection. MUSASHI and Seiki are a long-running team (that just got done having a long feud with each other and are back to being buds) and MUSASHI is even rocking the HavoC facepaint of Shotaro, so many there’s an alliance there? Hokuto is completely untrustworthy and a dirty rat.

The Match: Shotaro and Sekimoto start as the two short, burly power guys and a Sekimoto headbutt sets up a shoulderblock but Ashino takes it to the mat with a headlock takeover and then a high elbow. More jostling and then we get a tag to MUSASHI and Ryo in a junior showcase, Inoue tries a dropdown and MUSASHI picks him up and yells HAVOC before chopping. Okay, I laughed but Inoue gets some kicks and MUSASHI is quadruple-teamed in the corner but some miscommunication has Sekimoto lariating Ryo and now Seiki comes in to help MUSASHI beat the young junior down and we get more comedy with Seiki and MUSASHI where Yoshioka doesn’t want to do the Havoc chants. Omori tags in and rakes the eyes of Ryo and beats him down with forearms and talks trash but Ryo floats over a brainbuster and then turns on the turbo for a leg lariat and then a hot tag to Kento who boots Omori down and lands his double dropkick combo and an early attempt at the Shutdown German but Omori breaks, gets his KO elbow and then a DDT before tagging in MUSASHI and all of Omori’s crew go in for an assisted superplex and it ends with Hokuto getting powerbombed by his teammates. Ryo comes in and turns a double-team by Seiki and MUSASHI into a double handspring cutter and then Rei is in to no-sell Hokuto’s offense and chop him down but Omori gets a desperate enzuigiri and tags in Seiki who peppers the big-man with kicks before Saito tries a chokeslam that Yoshioki avoids with speed and Saito eats a series from kicks from all his opponents before they set him up for a Seiki swanton bomb for 2.4 before Rei runs Seiki over with a crossbody that everybody breaks up but the ring is quickly cleared and a single Rei chokeslam gets 3 on Yoshioka.

**¾

That was fun! High energy, fun spots, didn’t overstay its welcome, nice mix of guys who don’t normally interact. Fun multi-man tag.

Kuma Arashi [4] vs. Yuma Anzai [5] – A Block

Background: Kuma is a high energy beefy brawler who loves bears and sentons. Yuma is the athletic ace of the future, but his knee is buggered and he’s clearly limping on the way to the ring and I’m not sure it’s selling. Theoretically Yuma can outsmart a more one-dimensional Kuma but if the body isn’t there he might just get overwhelmed.

The Match: Kuma howls to start as Anzai definitely is favoring the leg and we lockup and Yuma collapses and feels his ankle as the ref checks on him. Kuma shoves the ref aside and stomps on the leg and beats him down in the corner as the ref tries to hold him back. Yuma finally pulls himself up but Kuma kicks the leg out of Yuma’s leg and stomps away and the ref calls for a medical stoppage.

**½

I feel like no-ratings are cowardly! And y’know what, Arashi actually looks like a killer here, shame about Yuma’s leg but at least they got some heat for it.

Go Shiozaki [4] vs. Kengo Mashimo [6] – A Block

Background: Heroic but aging and breaking down veteran Go, of the unlimited fighting spirit and a ferocious arsenal of power moves is facing the cruel, conniving, limb-breaking and headkicking Kengo. Go has to win out to stand a chance. Shiozaki has taped ribs.

The Match: Lockup goes Kengo’s way and he gives a clean break and Go takes Kengo down with some headlocks and Mashimo breaks free. Very technical so far as Go switches to some armwork but Kengo uses the ropes to reverse and Go goes back to the headlock and it’s actually Shiozaki who goes to the strikes as he elbows Kengo after the Assassin once again hides in the ropes. Kengo with a boot though and Go rolls outside and we get some ringside brawling with Mashimo bringing the chops. Go obviously uses his own chops and then whips Kengo into the barricade and slams Kengo’s leg against the post. More abuse and Go rolls Kengo back in to beat on the leg and he wraps it on the ropes to crank on it before a baseball slide to the knee sends Kengo powdering and Kengo manages to ambush Go and land some kicks to the body and reverses a whip to send Go into the barricade and stomps away. Kengo sends Go back inside and continues hammering away before a kitchen sink knee has Go selling his taped ribs hardcore and that gets 2. Grounded abdominal stretch has Kengo in control before a neck-crank (with a knee on the gut) further wears the former NOAH ace down. Knee drop to the midriff and Kengo continues to stalk Shiozaki with kicks as the crowd gets Go back into it and the aging vet comes through with chops as Kengo responds in kind. Kengo transitions into a Russian legsweep for 1.5 and then a dragon sleeper as his desire to brawl with Go is limited and Kengo gets a 2 count out of the submission but Go is in agony as he tries to rally before a kick from Kengo staggers him. The Assassin continues to throw strikes at Go’s midriff but Shiozaki gets a big boot, a second and then a flying shoulder drops Mashimo. Corner chop from Go and then he digs deep for the machine guns but he falters halfway through and Kengo gets a knee to the stomach to drop Go, and a second for good measure but Shiozaki gets the overhand chop, the loose fisherman’s buster for 2.5 and holds the ribs as he pulls Kengo up for a lariat but Mashimo holds firm and goes to the midsection again with a knee, but his running kick is blocked and Go tries a lariat combo, Kengo dodges and hits an enzuigiri but Shiozaki lands a clothesline for a double-down. Kengo gets another kitchen sink and Go is just floundering as his midsection has been demolished, but a desperate boot sets up an inside-out avalanche brainbuster…but Kengo turns that into a Samoan drop as Go’s core is too weakened. Mashimo with a diving knee to the stomach but can’t land the brainbuster so Kengo settles for another knee and goes for a second brainbuster…and Go turns that into the Go Flasher and regains his breath and a weak cover gets 2.7. Go gets a lariat and then gets a very ugly version of the twisting inside-out superplex and has Go land on his shoulder before picking up Kengo for the Limit Break (Inverted Wrist-clutch Scoop Brainbuster) for 2.9 and Go slaps himself as he fires up for the killshot, but Kengo gets a flurry of knees to the gut but Go shrugs it off and a lariat into a second lariat gets 3.

***¾

Very slow start, but when it became Kengo tormenting Go’s ribs, Shiozaki selling like mad, and just the continued abuse and Go’s crazy comebacks this turned into something really good. I like that Mashimo sorta sniffs around for bodyparts to work and it’s never the same, but boy does he work it well. This is probably too slow and crunchy for a lot of people, but man when they were grinding it out I felt it. Two very talented if not super flashy workers.

Hyo Ogawa, Nobuhiko Kimura & Seigo Tachibana vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Dan Tamura & Yuma Aoyagi

Background: So the big feud is Tamura vs. Seigo for the junior belt, Yuma is actually in the CC. Hyo is a local (I think) who has a crazy blonde pompadour mullet combo and is sorta big and energetic. Aoyagi is a reliable junior act as well as Yuma’s brother (obviously). But mostly this will be about building the Seigo/Tamura feud. In a nice touch, all of Seigo’s team have the same color of gear in different styles.

The Match: Seigo and Tamura start and do a pretty intense (if truncated) standing grappling sequence. Tamura with a shoulder, Seigo asks for more and some quick covers by both have a stalemate. Nobuhiko and Atsuki both ask to be tagged in and Aoyagi gets a headlock and a shoulder but Kimura throws off a flying headscissors and kips up. Atsuki elbows out of a brainbuster and counters into his own and then tags in his big brother and Yuma hammers away at Nobuhiko in the corner and then the Aoyagi brothers hit a double shoulderblockk and Yuma talks trash. The Aoyagi team just cycle through delivering slams to Kimura and tagging out before Atsuki gets a 2 count. Yuma in again and he gets a crab but Kimura makes the ropes. Yuma then runs into a dropkick and it’s a hot tag to Hyo. Ogawa vaults in and gets a few shoulder tackles on Yuma, a high-waisted suplex and then kips up into a standing back tuck and drops a mulleted headbutt on Aoyagi for 2. A chop from the energetic big-guy sets up some more and Hyo pulls up short on Yuma’s dropkick attempt and then a giant swing gets a few rotations but Hyo collapses while selling dizziness and we get some comedy with both guys making the wrong corners for tags and flopping a few times. Simultaneous tag to Dan and Seigo and Tachibana catches Tamura with an atomic drop but gets slammed down, corner charge and a snap suplex get 2 for Tamura and a powerbomb attempt follows but Seigo holds onto the leg to block it. Dan settles for clubbing forearms to the back, Seigo responds with his own elbows and the two of them duke it out. Seigo with a rolling elbow as they start speeding up and Tamura fires off a lariat but a jackknife pin cuts off the second powerbomb attempt, they run through their usual finishing sequence and powerbomb attempt number 3 leads to a B-Driver and now everybody is running in. Hyo gets dropped with a 540 kick but Nobuhiko gets a missile dropkick and then a brainbuster on Yuma as he fires up Seigo for an attempted double-team on Tamura, who lariats them both down, and then lariats an interfering Ogawa. Tamura is all fired up and now he brings in the Aoyagi brothers for a triple team. But Seigo does an extended three stooges bit that leads to Tamura accidentally lariating Atsuki and then a dropkick from Kimura, a lariat from Hyo leads to a Seigo Olympic Slam and the northern 12-6 elbow leads to Seigo pinning Tamura.

2.75

Mostly the Junior sequence with a bit of okay comedy from Yuma. It’s a solid formula for these shows.

Oddyssey [6] vs. Talos [4] – A Block

Background: Oddyssey’s Havoc team lost their titles to the Titans of Calamity, and the Titans have repeatedly dominated Oddyssey who is looking for revenge. Both are big guys, the Odd one is wider, Talos is taller.

The Match: Big lockup between the giant men has them keeping it as they bounce off the ropes and they finally break at a standstill. Talos asks for more and they jabber before they shove each other a bit and Talos throws a forearm, Oddyssey with his own strikes and both try for takedowns and then they trade kitchen sink knees and running body avalanches. Oddyssey takes over in the corner with some shoulder thrusts and then a running corner attack before some mounted punches but Talos double-legs him and drives him across the ring to the opposite corner, lariat drops Oddyssey and then a goozle but the Odd-one breaks it with a strike exchange and then clotheslines Talos to the outside. Oddyssey stops and celebrates and Talos gets a diving clothesline to drop the big guy. They slip outside and brawl ringside and both guys are gassed and dripping sweat. Big boot drops Oddyssey but the man from Havoc fires up and once again hammers away at Talos who is trapped against the ring post, Oddyssey winds up for a big running charge but he crashes and burns as he collides with the post when Talos dodges. Talos slams Oddyssey onto the ring apron and rolls back inside. The Odd-one fires back but Talos gets a camel clutch in the ropes and then a sidewalk slam for 2.8. And then a head vice as Talos is breaking out every old monster spot. Oddyssey breaks it and now it’s turn to show off agility as he avoids a Talos charge and rebounds into a shoulder to send the Titan stumbling back. Corner charge and a clothesline sets up Oddyssey’s own sidewalk slam for 2.8. A running splash gets the same and now Oddyssey ascends to the ropes but takes too much time and Talos cuts him off. Oddyssey blocks that though and a diving crossbody…is caught by Talos and a slam follows. That was legitimately impressive. Talos pulls the straps down and it’s a chokeslam for 3.

**

These two getting over 10 minutes was an error, but catching the crossbody was a cool spot. Just…these guys are not built to go that long. This match at half its length would have been quite good.

Hideki Suzuki [5] vs. Madoka Kikuta [5] – B Block

Background: Madoka is now a jerk heel outsider from DragonGate who hits hard and cheats a lot. Hideki is the shoot grappler guy (and also on the booking committee from what I understand). Hideki is bigger but not portrayed as super strong, and Kikuta has some ferocious strikes. Senior referee Kyohei Wada is pretty fed up with Madoka’s nonsense and is being extra stringent against him.

The Match: Wada is extra strict with the patdown before the match and Hideki immediately gets a shotgun dropkick and sends Madoka outside for a brawl, Madoka smirks as he asks for more and Wada separates the two but is pushed aside and they just sort of stare at each other while Wada tells them to get back inside and threatens to count them out. Suzuki returns and Wada yanks him off the apron and into the turnbuckle and gives some disrespect kicks before Hideki drops him with an uppercut. I…think they’re going for comedy here but it’s just got a weird pacing to it. Anyway Suzuki goes back inside and we get a count and Madoka goes back to break the count and bait Suzuki into going outside. Kikuta finally trips Hideki to pull him outside and then he waits inside so Hideki can do his favorite routine. Nothing. Hideki finally gets on the apron so Madoka can blast him off and we finally get the ringside brawling. And my goodness these guys just have no urgency. We finally get something with Suzuki landing body shots to Madoka against the post. Back inside and Hideki gets a pretty brutal chop to send Madoka down in agony. Garvin stomp follows and then more of the corner body shots and in Madoka’s credit he’s howling well in pain. Kikuta get a cheapshot when Wada forces the break and it’s a double down as the DG man is still selling his guts but he gets up and hammers at the back of Hideki’s neck in the corner and then a chop drops Suzuki. Back to the cornered shots to the back of the neck and Wada is barking at Madoka for that. Swinging front chancery to continue working the neck. Slow stomps from Madoka and a piledriver attempt that goes nowhere as Hideki fights out and then throws some weak shots before Kikuta chops him down…but a punch drops Madoka, but Kikuta fires back with a hipcheck for a double-down. Both guys butt heads and then trade knees. Hideki uppercuts drop Madoka and Suzuki takes a breather and a countout but Madoka makes it to his feet as he crawls up Suzuki for a chop but Hideki gets the cornered bodyshots again and then a punt. Kikuta asks for more but that’s a ruse as he turns Hideki’s sleeper into a shoulder toss, hipcheck and then a lariat turn Suzuki inside out. Madoka tries to seal the deal with a discus lariat but Hideki ducks and a backslide gets 3.

½*

Yeah this stunk. I have zero idea what they’re doing with the brawling which was just…so insanely paced with weird gaps. At some point they built to Madoka as the ferocious striker and Hideki as the clever guy…but it took SO long to get there. 15 minutes that felt like 30. Really awful match.

Post-match they brawl and people break it up. Way to show fire NOW.

Ryuki Honda [4] vs. Ren Ayabe [6] – B Block

Background: Former members of the HOT YOUNG RISING BABYFACE stable of ELPIDA. Ren has settled on a laconic, tall, arrogant athletic stud, while Ryuki is a chunky fiery brawler who is a bit of a lazy underperformer but he’s an upset artist in tournaments and his Final Vent finish has never been kicked out of. Still, Ren is one half of the tag-team champions and an overall more successful singles guy.

The Match: Honda with a go-behind before Ren switches to a wristlock that Ayabe counters into his own. More standing grappling before Ayabe takes it down, Ryuki counters, and the Titan sneers. Lockup next and Ryuki counters into the ropes and gets a cheapshot before Ren runs him over with a shoulderblock. Honda powders, Ren follows, and then whips Ryuki into the barricade, but Honda shrugs that off and fires back with a lariat and then chokes the taller man on the crowd partition. The ref chastises Ryuki for this who looks sad and apologetic…but returns for more stomping on Ayabe, who responds by reversing a whip and bouncing Ryuki’s head off the ring post and then tossing him into the barricade. Ayabe abuses Ryuki some more and sends him back inside. Ren’s size lets him control the match more for an arrogant cover for 2 and then a boot choke in the corner and more abuse with some back elbows and Honda screams in pain as the Titan gets a rope-assisted boot press before the ref breaks it up and Honda tries to struggle back with forearms and Ren fires back…and Honda runs the ropes for a spear and a double-down. Corner charge and a clothesline gets 2 for Ryuki who then cranks in a chinlock. Ren piggybacks him to drive him into the corner and a yakuza kick gets 2 before Ayabe goes for the Iron Maiden (double-hammerlock dragon sleeper) but Ryuki makes the ropes so Ren puts him on the top turnbuckle and goes for a superplex but Honda wins a slugfest to send Ren down…who fires back with a boot to send Ryuki tumbling outside. They tease a countout and Ryuki limps back in to eat another corner elbow…but Honda fires back and won’t stay down as he no-sells a German and throws more clotheslines and bounces off a boot for a lariat into a double-down. Head to head they throw shots on their knees as they return to a standing position and Ren throws big elbows as Honda emotes and responds in kind. A kitchen sink knee by Ren sets up a big elbow for 2.6 and then a second Iron Maiden attempt has Ryuki make the ropes before it’s locked in. Ayabe stalks the downed Honda but can’t get him up and the ref checks on him. Ryuki finally makes his feet as Ren goes for another Yakuza kick…that Honda turns into a Final Vent (over the shoulder leg-trap one-handed chokebomb) but Ren slips out and goes for Death Roulette (spinning falcon arrow) but Ryuki reveres into his own brainbuster. Honda calls for the lariat and gets 2.7 off of it before setting up Final Vent number 2 that Ren slips out of. Ryuki gets a quick pin after that but runs into an Ayabe dropkick who then calls for the end. Full-nelson slam attempt doesn’t work so Ren gets a shotgun dropkick and then the slam for a pair of covers. Ayabe is finally irate and now Death Roulette gets 3.

***

Well this overperformed. Ryuki as a frisky underdog that finally got Ren to get mad facing is former stablemate and fire up with a series of offense and show he wasn’t just this aloof arrogant champ was good. Stiff, well-sold, good matc with solid counter wrestling.

Post-match Ren poses and gets awarded beef or something.

Look, this took me forever to write, but I will still write as long as it takes.

For any who still read this, thank you.