Phrederic Reviews AJPW — page 3

We are back with more slow-moving, big headlocking, mostly selling-based All Japan action as we are onto the second show of All Japan’s Champion Carnival. We are in beautiful Fukuoka Island City Forum for a crowd a hair under 800 which is pretty solid all things considered. Anyway we start with the regular rigamarole and we’re onto the action.

Rising HAYATO & Taishin Nagao vs. Dan Tamura & MUSASHI

Background: HAYATO is the muscular, oversized junior of ELPIDA and one-half of the All Asia Tag Champions, he’s rocking purple flannel and bleached blonde hair. Taishin is the youngest guy on the roster, he’s quite small and has buzzed hair and green trunks, he’s a rookie right now eating pins but showing his guts. Dan Tamura is a chunky junior with shaggy hair, black trunks, and a penchant for clobbering guys with basic stuff, MUSASHI is the junior champ, a yeoman veteran who has a pretty “refined if simple” classic junior offense and wears white tights with black woodblock style patterns on them. No real stakes other than HAYATO being a former junior champ and always interested in getting back in the mix.

Welcome back to the Champion Carnival as I can’t believe I’ve been writing about All Japan for a year now! I’m not going to do as much of a big introduction as I did last year but I will break down the various feuds/characters as we get to them over the course of the tournament. But as a quick intro, All Japan Pro Wrestling, the company that gave us Jumbo, Stan Hansen, Misawa, Kobashi and then disappeared out of popular IWC consciousness for 25 years is still around and still producing butt-kicking wrestling, the Carnival is their two block round robin tournament for a title shot and I’m still not certain if they or New Japan did the round robin format first. Anyway it’s 1100 in Korakuen Hall to start this tournament off.

We start with the regular pomp and circumstance with a big trophy and then every member of the tournament comes out and poses in the ring for the big photoshoot. And we have a bit of a brawl as Davey Boy Smith Jr. rips at Takeshi Yoshida’s shirt and they have a staredown.

Well here we are in Korakuen Hall and we have a pretty dang big show here with multiple title matches as All Japan is building up all they can before the Champion Carnival. Thirteen hundred plus in the crowd and we’re off in the awkward, uncomfortable, herky-jerk nature All Japan has made their standard.

Yuko Miyamoto (c) vs. Naruki Doi – GAORA TV Championship

Background: In the battle of the crusty veteran good hand types, we have ex-deathmatch daredevil Yuko Miyamoto versus ex-cruiser bodybuilder Naruki Doi. No real heat between Doi’s Saito Brothers stable and Yuko’s Baka no Jidai group other than general competition. Yuko is in some truly hideous two-tone gray and yellow pants here.

Welcome back to some more splendid All Japan Pro Wrestling action as we’re setting the stage for the upcoming Champion Carnival. We have almost 1900 in Esforta Arena Hachioji in outer Tokyo, and the acoustics are definitely a little dodgy as this is primarily a basketball court.

We start with the entire roster coming out to pay respects to the recently deceased Gran Hamada. They got a picture and ring the bell ten times and it’s very…subdued but it’s a nice tribute all the same.

Kento Miyahara & Taishin Nagao vs. Saito Brothers (“Mr. Saito” Naruki Doi & Senor Saito)

Background: So Kento has been mentoring the newest and possibly smallest guy on the roster, Taishin Nago as the Best of the Best is a man without an angle right now. Doi and Senor Saito are just in junior lowcard duty right now as heel vet jerks.

All Japan’s adventures continue as we are thoroughly into the Saito era. We’re in Korakuen Hall and have 1250+ in the building and we’re ready to rock and roll.

Seiki Yoshioka & Taishin Nagao vs. Saito Brothers (“Mr. Saito” Naruki Doi & Senor Saito)

Background: Seiki is our veteran babyface junior who goes very fast, Taishin is the newest rookie scrambling up the ranks, these Saito Brothers are the heel junior minions of the top tag-team in the company. Seiki has been butting heads with Doi for a while now in a variety of matches. Taishin is is green trunks, Seiki ins silver tights, Senor in baggy red shorts and a shirt and a mask, and Doi in red and black trunks.

Welcome back to some scintillating All Japan action as we’ve got a crowd of over one thousand people in Chiba in a pretty cool exhibition hall, we’ve got a pretty cool double stairway flanking the entrance as I think I’ve seen this venue before but not with this many people. Anyway, new year, and a new champion as Jun Saito defends his newly won Triple Crown championship in the main-event, let’s get to it! We actually get a decently fancy hype video with some awesome voice overs and a run-down of the entire card to what I think is a John Williams score.

Seiki Yoshioka & Taishin Nagao vs. Saito Brothers (Rei Saito & Senor Saito)

Background: Not a whole lot to this, Seiki is an established veteran junior, a very in-shape guy who goes very fast and is teaming with Nagao who is a mega-rookie. Saito Brothers are of course a major stable that kinda ride the tweener line hard, with the OG Saito Brothers (Jun and Rei) being pretty over but their hangers-on being less beloved. Anyway, we have Rei, one half of the tag-champs and the big-guy of the duo, wild-haired and a frantic brawler, Senor Saito is MAZADA in a mask and he looks and moves like a nigh-50 year old death match guy is going to look and move. Anyway, Seiki is in silver tights and a black vest, Taishin is in green trunks, Rei is in black pleather pants with his t-shirt on, and Senor is wearing the t-shirt too and of course the mask and red shorts.

Perhaps not the big winter Japanese show review you were hoping for, but it’s the one you’re getting. Let’s get to it, we got 2500 in Yoyogi National Gymnasium #2. We have a video package interspersed with interviews of the talent (all dressed up) and a run-down of the card to start us.

MUSASHI, Seiki Yoshioka & Taishin Nagao vs. Fuminori Abe, Seigo Tachibana & Yuko Miyamoto

Background: Abe’s team are all dressed in red pants and blazers to match Seigo’s regular look (though Abe takes the pants off for his black trunks before the match), Fuminori and Seigo have had a pretty lengthy feud this year over various titles but it’s a friendly one and they’ve teamed as well. Abe has a tightly shorn head, Seigo has an undercut, and Yuko is a floppy cut. Miyamoto is a death match guy working as an undercard junior for AJPW. Their opponents are ex-All Asia tag-champions MUSASHI and Seiki, and new rookie Taishin. Nago is in green, Seiki and MUSASHI are in their regular, MUSASHI with the black and white woodprint style pants and Seiki in his shiny silver pants. Most everybody here is a babyface and we’re sure to get some silliness as well.

Okay, now I’m returning to my true love, hope I didn’t miss anything HUGE in my favorite promotion! We’re starting back with a big show that has title matches and all that junk on it, we’re in Fukuoka and have a crowd of one thousand here. And you may ask yourself, yes this show is months old, and who cares about All Japan anyway? And y’know what, you might be right, but I care, and I will feed the content mill to the best of my ability!

MUSASHI & Seiki Yoshioka (c) vs. Fuminori Abe & Seigo Tachibana – All Asia Tag Team Championships

Background: MUSASHI and Seiki are whitebread babyface juniors defending the…not junior tag-title belt in terms of size, but in terms of importance. The All Asia belts are less prestigious and won by sillier acts than the World Tag Team Titles and MUSASHI and Seiki are a perfectly fine midcard team of two athletic guys facing the smaller but less high-flying team of Abe and Seigo who had a fierce rivalry over the GAORA TV Title. Seigo is in a yellow suit with no undershirt and Abe has black trunks. MUSASHI is in his white and black woodblock style pants and Seiki is wearing sparkly silver pants.

Okay so I know I’m doing the NOAH deal but this show has title matches and I need a break from that (and yes I’ll get to Stardom soon, relax). So here we are with 2,000 plus in Arena Tachikawa Tachihi and well, let’s get into it.

Fuminori Abe (c) vs. Seigo Tachibana – GAORA TV Championship

Background: Abe beat the heck out of Seigo for the TV title and this is the rematch. The belt means almost nothing, but these two tiny violent guys are here and willing to break themselves and their opponents in half for a title. Let’s get it.

The Match: Quick lockup but they just spam some headlock takeovers and a stardown as they mutually agreed to go out of the ring and brawl. Brainbuster on the mats by Abe but Seigo comes back with a kick and they wander into the crowd forehead to forehead and screaming at each other. They actually fight through the halls of the arena and go up the stairs to the mezzanine and do a big running shoulderblock battle among the fans. Cute spot. Now after about like…2 minutes of brawling they tease a countout but both guys make it back in the ring. More comedy as Abe hits a punch out of a headlock and Seigo complains about it and Fuminori mimes that it was a slap and then slaps Seigo. Enzuigiri by Abe next and maybe both guys are blown up by their sprint outside but they’re definitely taking their time here with lots of space between moves. They seem to have gotten their breath back cause Abe does some snapmares into shoot kicks and Seigo even begs for another one and Abe does a whole routine before hitting it. Seigo responds with a STO though and a Manhattan Drop before tossing Abe out and following with a flip dive. Back in and Seigo fires up the crowd before going to the top rope but this much hotdogging let’s Abe recover and meet him up top and after a bit of schtick Abe gets the superplex, but Seigo gets a brainbuster and they trade strikes and it’s a double down. More strikes and Abe gets a bridging back suplex for a nearfall and then a Manji-Gatame…that Seigo reverses into the B-Driver for 2. They slap it out as they rise to their feet and get a nice spot as Seigo chases Abe after a whip and Abe ducks through the ropes and comes back with the baseball punch but Seigo sees it coming and gets a German and then a Spear for 2.9. Seigo rolls through an Abe rana and gets the Hammer and Anvil running elbow strike for 2.9. And Seigo goes for a second one and Abe gets a schoolboy into a bridge and that’s 3!

We got 1500 people in Sendai for a Triple Crown match and some advancing undercard stuff, nothing major but a world title match is a world title match.

Seiki Yoshioka & Shotaro Ashino vs. Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue

Background: Mostly a juniors showcase, but of course the presence of main-event heavyweight Shotaro is interesting here. All guys are dressed in the regular.

The Match: The two beefy boys of Shotaro and Dan start with a lockup and it’s a bit of a stalemate before Shotaro cranks on a headlock. International and some shoulders and in come the fast guys…to crank on a headlock, but we get the international and some kicks from both dudes. Ryo knocks down Seiki and struts and that fires up the vet who knocks Inoue down and does his own strut. Shotaro then comes in and chops Ryo and…WOOOOs? Are they doing a Flair bit? Double-teams from Seiki/Shotaro follow as they abuse the rookie. Shotaro grinds out a bodyscissors on Ryo. Ropebreak and Ryo reverses a whip into a missile dropkick and brings in Tamura who hits Shotaro with some stuff before Ashino comes back with a gutrwench, and then Tamura gets a gutwrench of his own and they trade clubbering strikes and Shotaro brings in Yoshioka who gets the rapid kicks. Tamura catches Seiki and gets a fireman’s carry slam though and Ryo comes in for the doublees. Nice tandem offense from Seiki/Shotaro as they get Seiki tornado DDTing Tamura while kicking Ryo to set up Shotaro’s German Suplex. Seiki’s floating axe kick gets 2 on Tamura next and the cruiser signals for a Made in Japan but Tamura breaks and they slug it out. Tamura gets a lariat to cut off a Seiki flurry but Yoshioka gets a rana out of a powerbomb, but Ryo shows up for the assist and Tamura gets another powerbomb for 3.

Welcome back! I’m going to be pretty busy with NOAH reviews soon but I wanted to leave us with another All Japan review before we left, we’re in Korakuen Hall with  1341 in the building, which is honestly pretty dang good for them and I’m excited. We have a title match and a number one contender match for the Triple Crown as well so it’s going to be exciting times indeed.

We start with some of the AWG talent coming out to the ring to dance and I will say while most of their workers are uh…not good, they mostly seem to be pretty decent dancers and I don’t mind this as a sort of cheerleading introduction to a wrestling card, it’s creative at least. That said, Act Yasukawa seems pretty dang checked out through the whole process which I guess fits the gimmick.

Kyoka Iwai & Yufa vs. Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki

Background: Yufa has pangs and a ponytail braided with a blue rope or something, she has glitter on her cheeks and a pretty wild entrance getup that involves a psychedelic looking robe, her gear is a sort of raver getup with fishnets and a black skirt and a half shirt in a rainbow tie-dye style. Kyoka has platinum hair and a half-demon mask and more traditional looking robes, her gear is red pants with asymmetrical black leggings and a black top. Shiotsuki is wearing the blue and white half-pants getup and is as chipper as ever, Natsuki is in the peach and white with a skirt and a black bob and is also chipper, though less than Nagisa.

Welcome guys, it’s been a while since I’ve done an All Japan show and we have a nice little one for us here with not one, not two, but THREE title matches. Wow, that’s very exciting for all of us. A not super impressive 958 gate but they’re in Osaka so maybe that’s mitigating? I dunno, I won’t pretend to understand the puro market. Well, enough jibber jabber, let’s get down to it!

Hideki Suzuki & Hikaru Sato vs. Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue

Background: So Hideki, who just lost a title match to Anzai in the last big show, is teaming with fellow old shooter guy Hikaru Sato against Dan Tamura, who is now rocking a kimono after a visit to his home city in a prior show, and now Ryo, who has modified his KENTA-inspired look with a leather jacket, an earring, longer hair, and a cool goatee. Tamura is technically a stable mate with Hideki and Hikaru, but Evolution is pretty cool with in-fighting.

Hello everybody as we have some AJPW wrestling to talk about, haven’t done that in a spell and it’s always interesting to talk about the least discussed semi-major Japanese promotion (and if I ever get the time I’ll review Big Japan to really escalate things). This is fitting AJPW’s weird booking where they start a tour with a title match and then do random tags afterwards to fill out a card. We’re in Korakuen Hall with 1200+ in the building which I don’t think you can complain about.

We have some dancing ladies to start the festivities and then they break off into a match.

Ayano Irie & Mii vs. Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki

Background: Nagisa is in blue and white with a half-pant look, Natsuki is in orange and white with a fake skirt thing. Ayano is in a pale pink skirt deal and Mii is in a pale blue and white skirt deal and has a teddy bear with her and they are apparently the Twin Stars?

Welcome back to All Japan and we have one heck of a treat for you as we’re going to get the Champion Carnival winner (Kento Miyahara) challenging Yuma Anzai for the Triple Crown Title. Additionally we’re going to get some NWA crossover action as we’re getting an EC3 title defense and a World Tag Title match as well. I can’t wait to see the fantastic talent of Billy Corgan in action.

Natsuki & Nagisa Shiotsuki vs. Marino Saihara & Yui Tenshoku

Background: So these are more AWG wrestlers (the ones Rossy didn’t poach) and they do a pre-match dance and are going to wrestle a bit. Yui is wearing green shorts and a black top with some unnecessary straps between the two, her dyed hair is up in some buns that look kinda like ears, she seems chipper. Marino is shorter, and has shorter hair that’s a much brighter blonde than Yui, she’s wearing red and blue gear with gold tassels on it, she seems chipper. Nagisa is wearing various shades of blue and has one white pant-let and a frilly pseudo-skirt, long brown hair, she seems chipper. Natsuki is wearing peach and white and has black hair in a bob cut, she seems chipper.

Welcome back for the Champion Carnival finals and we have a doozy for you all today, we got title matches, we got tournament finals matches, we got tag matches, we got more tag matches, and we’ve got even more tag matches! We are in the spacious Yokohama BUNTAI with 2500+ in the building for this one. That’s I think pretty good for All Japan. This review is going to be a bit longer and most of that is me talking about the final match but I’m telling you it’s worth it.

Act & Riko Fukunaga vs. Marino Saihara & Yufa

Background: So Marino has short hair dyed blonde and a sorta jester-ish gear pattern of blue, maroon, and gold with some black in there. She seems peppy. Yufa has longer hair and is wearing some kaleidoscope rainbow vomit gear with a mess of patterns on it. She seems peppy. Act we know and has the blindfold and is this badass drunk ronin with black and red gear. Riko looks like she’s cosplaying as Mayumi Ozaki or Maya Yukihi and has a furry black jacket and black gear with a white frilly pattern on it. They’re clearly the heels.

Welcome back to the final night of actual Champion Carnival action before we get the finals and such. Very exciting stuff and Korakuen Hall is bumping with 1,276 fans in attendance and I really do need to visit Korakuen before I croak. So anyway we got some big matches tonight as we finally have the Gaora TV match between Seigo Tachibana and Dan Tamura and Davey Boy Smith Junior vs. Kento Miyahara for the winner of the A Block.

Mari & MARU vs. Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki

Background: So we get the remnants of AWG here to wrestle again. These are different women than what we got before but Act is there with Mari and MARU as their manager. Mari is dressed in black baggy pants with maroon highlights and has a giant sword with her. MARU has short dyed hair and an emerald singlet with some bedazzlement on it. Nagisa has an aquamarine and blue look to her and long dyed hair and she’s very much the babyface. Natsuki is in peach and yellow and has a bob cut and they’re the girly faces.

Welcome back to our second to last third to last All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Carnival show. We are in beautiful Sanjo City Welfare Hall with 793 people here to watch some stellar AJPW action. Now, the only real matches of importance are Rei Saito vs. Ryuki Honda, Yuma Anzai vs. Hideki Suzuki, and Suwama vs. Jun Saito which will basically sort out the B Block standings. Let’s get to it!

Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, MUSASHI, Rising HAYATO & Seigo Tachibana vs. Big THE Ryokan, Dan Tamura, Hokuto Omori & Shotaro Ashino

Background: Okay, this is a big one. Big things is Seigo and Dan’s upcoming Gaora TV Championship match. Oh, and I guess we have Big THE Ryokan, who is a small guy with a purple mask, local indie dude it looks like.

The Match: During the entrance Kuroshio engages in a bit of impressive (if dangerous) parkour and climbs from the floor to the balcony above to interact with the fans. After a really, really, really long entrance sequence we start with HAYATO and Hokuto who do some cruiser stuff and HAYATO hits the backflip taunt and we bring in Kuroshio and Big THE Ryokan. Kuroshio does some athletic stuff to show off and Big uh…attempts to follow him, after a while we get a Big headlock that has Kuroshio totally flummoxed for a good minute before some more athletic stuff gets Kuroshio in control and we get some double-teams between him and Seigo that of course end with Seigo getting superkicked. Seigo and Kuroshio try to do the double dive but Seigo jumps first, Big dodges and Tachibana gets stomped out for a bit and it ends with Ryokan hitting a legitimately impressive chokeslam on him. Everybody comes in for a chained headscissors spot into a super-duper boston crab and this is pure farce. This breaks down to Hokuto vs. Seigo who trade shots until a Seigo STO brings in MUSASHI who uses his generic cruiser offense until a Hokuto matrix dodge and RKO bring in Shotaro to suplex the shit out of MUSASHI until Dan and Seigo come in to continue their thing. And I say their thing positively here, they are very comfortable and crisp with each other and they have the “we are evenly matched and need to bust our buns to beat the other” so they’re just putting everything into everything they’re doing. Kuroshio breaks up a Tamura powerbomb with a superkick but his dive on Shotaro is broken up and it’s all breaking down in…Sanjo City. Stereo dives from MUSASHI and HAYATO bring things back to Seigo and Dan who go at it again but it’s a Tamura La Majistral that gets him the win!

Welcome back as we get to the final stretch of shows for the Champion Carnival, a few of these ones are pretty dang important Suwama, Lord Crewe, Yuma Aoyagi, and the Saito Brothers are all fighting for their spot in the tournament. We’re in the spacious Dream Messe Miyagi Main Building Exhibition Hall B/C in Sendai with 1400+ fans in attendance. Let’s see who comes out ahead.

Hideki Suzuki & Seigo Tachibana vs. Dan Tamura & Takao Omori

Background: We continue our endless war between Seigo and Tamura over Seigo’s Gaora TV Championship, and uh, Takao Omori continues his war of getting stomped on by Hideki Suzuki. If you don’t remember Takao, he’s an old vet who maybe never achieved the heights he should have, but is now firmly semi-retired and comes to the ring in an open flower print kimono that looks like an overly long Hawaiian shirt.

Welcome back for some more wonderful All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Carnival action in beautiful…*checks notes*…Kurobe City General Sports Center Main Arena. 852 fans in attendance apparently but none of them are in the top rows directly across the camera.

Hikaru Sato, Jun Saito & MUSASHI vs. Rising HAYATO, Ryo Inoue & Yuma Anzai

Background: Hikaru, Jun, and MUSASHI are all vaguely heelish and HAYATO, Ryo, and Yuma are all vaguely faceish. Yuma and Jun have already faced each other but both are likely winners for the block and MUSASHI and HAYATO are feuding over the junior title. Oh and Hikaru is the grumpy martial arts heel junior and Ryo is the scrappy martial arts face junior. Let us go.

The Match: Jun wants Yuma to start and Anzai obliges. They’re both around the same size but Saito is bulkier. Lockup that Jun wins and messes Yuma’s hair and does his doom taunt. Yuma wins the second lockup but his clean break is met with a Jun kitchen sink knee and hairpulling before they break and square off. HAYATO and Sato come and trade technical stuff before HAYATO hits his backflip taunt, and gets ambushed. Jun works him over with a corner choke, body slam, and elbow drop while eyeballing Yuma and styling his hair. HAYATO tries to chop Jun but loses badly and the heels all step on him and use the ropes for leverage. MUSASHI comes in to do his stuff and works HAYATO over until Rising gets a springboard moonsault press and in comes Yuma. MUSASHI actually gets the better of him and Jun tags in to work over the champ. Yuma gets a German and tags in Ryo, some face triple teams have Jun in trouble for a second but Saito quickly takes care of the junior and hits a massive Psycho Break for the win.

Welcome back for more All Japan Champion Carnival action, it’s fantastic!

MUSASHI & Seigo Tachibana vs. Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue

Background: We mostly know these guys and this is just background for the continued Seigo/Tamura beef. Or y’know, something crazy will happen (it will not).

The Match: We get the test of strength and such from Dan and Seigo and Tachibana actually controls it a bit. MUSASHI and Ryo come in for their speedy business with Ryo winning until MUSASHI gets a pretty slick reversal into an arm-trap cloverleaf. Seigo and MUSASHI tee-off on Ryo for a while until he comes back with a jumping kick and a double-arm suplex. Tamura comes in and him and Seigo trade offense, using rapid tags with MUSASHI to take over until a Dan pounce lets Ryo come in for a while, MUSASHI takes him out with a somersault dive and it’s back to Seigo and Dan…and Seigo gets a few running 12-6 elbows to the back of Tamura’s head for the pin.