All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/10/2022 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 2

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/10/2022 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 2

Day 1 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-482023-champion.html

I saw the CC matches only: 

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Takao Omori vs. Hokuto Omori

Hokuto hits forearms then tries shoulders. Takao runs him over and misses an elbow. Hokuto basement dropkicks him then Takao short piledrivers him. They trade forearms for chest slaps and Takao camel clutches him. Hokuto back body drops him then hits a spinning forearm and a ddt. Takao spinning heel kicks him then sitout half nelson slams him for 2. Hokuto hits a flatliner then puts him in the anaconda vice to win via submission.

It was only a few minutes long and wasn't that good.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - Yoshitatsu vs. Ryuki Honda

Yoshi dropkicks him to start then tornado ddt's him. Honda rolls out and they trade forearms on the floor. Yoshi hits chest kicks and throws him into the post. Yoshi flatliners him into a koji clutch but Honda rolls him up out of it and wins it.

This was only a few minutes long and was a waste of everyone's time. 

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Manabu Soya vs. Yuma Anzai

Soya works a side headlock early. Yuma dropkicks him and then gives him a stiff one off the apron. Yuma hits forearms outside then Soya slams him on the floor. Yuma hits forearms then is chopped in the ring. Soya elbow drops his back for 2. Yuma misses a dropkick as Soya holds onto the ropes then Soya slams and crabs him. Yuma ropebreaks.

Soya hits forearms to the back then Yuma hits a nice jumping knee. Yuma belly to belly suplexes him for 2. Yuma goes for a double arm suplex then takes two back body drops in a row.  Yuma rolls him up then hits a double underhook suplex for 2. Soya lariats him then hits a brainbuster for 2. Soya sharpshooters him and gets the win.

Not a bad match at all with Yuma being the underdog and trying to score an upset over Soya, who eventually put him down.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Shuji Ishikawa vs. Rei Saito

They shoulder battle to start and Rei knocks him over. They trade chops for forearms on the floor. Rei steps on him outside then lariats him in the corner in the ring. Rei hits a 2nd rope splash for 2. Shuji back body drops him  Shuji running lariats him then sto's him into a submission.

They fight over a suplex then Rei hits a lariat and chops on the ropes. Shuji running knees him then Rei hits a big lariat. Shuji superplexes him off the 2nd rope. They trade chops then Shuji running headbutts him. Shuji then hits a running knee for 2. Rei crossbodies him then piledrivers him for the win.

This was short but good. They didn't have much downtime here and traded a lot of strikes and lariats with good hoss action. Rei in particular had a good showing and has potential.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - Kento Miyahara vs. Jun Saito

Jun is tripped into the 2nd rope and dropkicked. Jun tries to throw him into the post but Kento runs into the ring then facekicks him off the apron. Jun kicks Kento in the back on the floor. Kento headbutts him while they are out there hten Kento is shouldered and kind of runs up the ramp on the sell. Jun eye rakes him with something and double axe handles his back in the stands. Kento is then thrown into the post.

Jun running facekicks him in the corner and Kento no sells it. Kento dropkicks him in the knee then step kicks him. Kento hits a nice near deadlift suplex. Kento step up knees him in the corner then hits a nice slow german. Kento pumping knees him on the ropes then Jun does a running spear. Kento flying knees him then Jun hits a running clothesline for 2.

Jun chokeslams him then Kento rolls him up off of a chokeslam attempt and wins it.

I liked this one. Jun was a good hoss heel here and Kento's usual character worked well against that type of guy.

Jun attacks Kento after and one of Kento's juniors has to make the save. Jun then throws a rail. Ryuki Honda then lays out Kento after.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - T-Hawk vs. Yuma Aoyagi

Yuma shoulders him over early then T avoids a back roundhouse kick. Yuma running forearms T then T throws him into the apron. T then ddt's him on the floor and gets a 2 count on the pin (of course). Yuma rolls out and is eventually thrown in after a hard chop. T grabs his hand and hits various strikes then T hits a hard punch and drops him.

T hipstosses him then rolls him into an stf variation. They trade forearms then Yuma takes a dropkick to the knee and hits a dropkick on T. Yuma hits running forearms then top rope crossbodies him for 2. Yuma gets out of an STF attempt then is popped up into a knee. Yuma germans him then rebound germans him from the ropes. T then knees him in the back of the head. They collide shoulders in the ring then Yuma germans him. T hits a nasty knee as Yuma slides in then does his reverse sitout slam for 2.

Yuma hits two spinning back roundhouse kicks and fisherman's busters him. Yuma hits another fisherman's buster and wins.

I wasn't a fan of this at all. The legwork went nowhere and it was rushed.

Overall thoughts: I thought the Saito Brothers and Yuma Anzai had a good night, but the rest of the CC was not very good with rushed matches.