All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/15/2019 - Champion Carnival 2019 Day 9

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/15/2019 - Champion Carnival 2019 Day 9

Dylan James vs Yuma Aoyagi

Yuma gets on DJ early and hits some good shots before being knocked down by a single chop. Yuma runs into DJ and goes down via shoulderblock. DJ hits another hard chop to send down Yuma again. DJ lifts and stalls Yuma high for a vertical suplex for 2. Yuma gets some forearms in but can't take DJ down with them. DJ gets schoolboy'd but gets out of it and lays him down with 2 lariats for the nearfall. DJ chokeslams him hard and wins it in a quick one, which was totally fine.

Sam Adonis vs Takashi Yoshida

What did the fans do to deserve this? Sam knocks Yosida's eyeliner and wants Yoshida to be checked for weapons first. We get an "ADONISU" chant. Adonis fist bumps the guy who started the chant while Yoshida tells him to shut up. We get a split chant for Yoshida and Adonis going. If you had bet on that happening, you'd be a millionaire. Adonis does have some personality, just he's very average in-ring. Adonis is the face here and escapes Yoshida's clutches on the mat. Adonis keeps dancing, which Yoshida doesn't like. Yoshida wants a handshake but Sam slaps him, then gets chopped in the throat for it. Adonis hits a blockbuster. Sam tells the ref he doesn't speak Japanese and he and Yoshida go outside. Sam gets his head put into a few chairs. Yoshida brings him back in for some clotheslines and does a far diving elbow halfway across the ring. Sam hits Cattle Mutilation but Yoshida makes it to the ropes. Sam grabs a chair and nails himself with it on accident when he fights with the ref over it. Yoshida then lariats him while he was dazed from that for the win. Yoshida then threw the ref out of the ring. This was A LOT better than I had imagined and I definitely like face Adonis over heel Adonis. Not real great from a wrestling standpoint though.

Atsushi Aoki vs Zeus
Zeus slaps on a headlock early. Zeus runs at Aoki and gets sent over the top. Aoki follows him by hitting a tope. Aoki tries to pin Zeus and gets pushed half across the ring. Zeus gorilla presses and slams him. Zeus works the headlock a bit more but Aoki makes it to the ropes. Aoki tries to chop Zeus, but it's nothing for him. Aoki hits a 2nd rope euro uppercut and a top rope diving lariat. Aoki reverses out of a Zeus chokeslam but takes a big standing dropkick. Aoki survives a lariat for 2 but then gets bounced with a chokeslam. Still not enough as Aoki fights on. Aoki and Zeus botch a crucifix. Aoki goes down after a lariat and a chokeslam. Aoki really got nothing in here and they made it clear he had no shot, a shame too since the crowd liked him. This was really just an extended squash.

Naoya Nomura vs Yoshitatsu

The finish

I can see a reality where this can work, but I can also see one where this isn't good too. The crowd is alive for this one. You can tell this is going long. They feel each other out early with Nomura getting the edge. Nomura goes for a running something off the apron and Yoshi kicks him down mid-air. Yoshi bases Nomura's head off the wall and they go back in. Yoshi facewashes Nomura in the corner. Nomura chops Yoshi and Yoshi tells him to hit harder. Yoshi wins the exchange and stretches him out on the mat. Nomura comes back with a suplex and spears Yoshi down. He then hits a good northern lights suplex. Nomura goes for a fireman's something on the apron, but Yoshi gets out and DDT's him on it. Yoshi springboard dropkicks and tornado DDT's Nomura. The crowd is 60/40 Nomura. Nomura kicks out of a fisherman's at 2 and then hits Yoshi with a fireman's carry into a double knee. Nomura takes a superplex but pops right back up and fires off strikes. Yoshi goes for his STO > Koji Clutch but gets blocked. Yoshi then kicks out at 2 after a spear. Nomura tries it again and eats a big ole knee. They trade forearms again and they both no sell a series of germans, which I hate, before Yoshi finally succumbs to one. Nomura goes for a top rope splash and takes double knees before getting caught in the STO > Koji Clutch. Crowd buys into it with "NOMURA" chants but Yoshi gives up the hold. Nomura hits the northern lights bomb and finally hits his top rope splash. Nomura then hits a death valley bomb for the win. This was a fun little match. Not an epic, not a classic but definitely a good showing for both. The crowd was into it and I'm happy at this point to get away from the formula where Nomura gets nothing in before heading to the finish.

Overall thoughts: Thumbs up to this. Not great, but much better than other nights and the main was good. I wouldn't say check it out though.