All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/22/2023 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 5

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/22/2023 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 5

Day 4 of the Champion Carnival is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-4162023.html

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Shuji Ishikawa vs. Yuma Anzai

Yuma grabs an armlock then is shouldered over. Yuma hits a nice dropkick then Shuji backdrops him. They trade forearms and Yuma gets dropped. Shuji chinlocks him and Yuma hits the ropes. Shuji corner lariats him then Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him. Yuma belly to belly suplexes him then suplexes. Shuji larias him then Yuma hits a dropkick. Shuji then running knees him for 2. Yuma hits two high knees then germans him.

Shuji backdrops him and Yuma gets right up then they trade forearms. Shuji fire thunder drivers him for 2. Shuji then running knees him and wins it.

It was short and compact and was a decent match. Yuma did good as usual here and fulfilled his role as the underdog face.

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

Suwama whips his vest off and goes right after him. Omori is knocked outside and they go into the seats. They trade shots and they hit each other with the legs of a chair. Omori hits him with a guard rail. Omori hits some bad punches then is put in a sleeper. Suwama lets go and they lariat battle. Suwama release germans him, Omori no sells it and lariats him. Suwama then rolls him up and wins it.

The ending was very lame and this match was short. Omori didn't look good at all here. This was a waste.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Shotaro Ashino vs. Rei Saito

Ashino gets behind him and slaps his back. They shoulder battle which Rei wins, then Rei splashes him. Rei throws him out and picks him up by the neck with both hands and chokes him on the post outside. Shotaro hits chest clubs then Rei shoves him into the corner. Rei chops him then takes a running euro and a headbutt. Ashino running euros him for 2.

Rei lariats him against the ropes then takes a german. Ashino ankle locks him then is kicked away, so he hitsa big lariat. Rei crossbodies him then chokeslams him for a very close 2. Rei goes up top and misses a splash. Ashino then ankle locks him and wins via submission.

This was another one that was shorter than it needed to be, but I liked it. It worked with Ashino being the underdog and making the comeback for the submission win.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - T-Hawk vs. Cyrus

T runs into Cyrus and gets nothing. T chops him and it is no sold then Cyrus shoulders him over. Cyrus goes over the top and takes a baseball slide. T tries to crossbody him outside but is slammed on the apron. T hits a punch then takes a big boot from Cyrus. Cyrus suplexes him for 2 but misses a vider bomb. T running knees him and wins.

The ending was very lame and weak. I was fine with it maybe being on the shorter end, but the finish really blew whatever good they had done up to it.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block B Match - Manabu Soya vs. Hokuto Omori

Omori grabs him by the hair and forearms him on the ropes. He hits more forearms, jumping forearms him and is shoulderblocked out. Soya puts him into the post outside then ends up double chopping the post when Omori moves. Omori bangs Soya's arm off the post.

Omori wrings the arm on the inside then drapes it down over the top rope. 

Soya bulldogs him for 2 then suplexes him for 2. Soya slams him and they trade chops for forearms. Omori jumping cutters him and puts him in the anaconda vice. Omori gets rolled up from it and takes a death valley driver for the Soya win.

It was a shorter match. It was okay with Omori trying but not that great or anything.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - Satoshi Kojima vs. Jun Saito

Jun rushes him before the belll and hits a double axe handle off the apron. Koji is thrown into the post and and Jun pushes a rail down on his back. Jun clubs his back then pulls on his face. Jun slams him then runnin facekicks him. Koji blocks his next running facekick then hits forearms and drops him. Koji machine gun chops him in the corner then top rope elbow drops him for 2.

Koji then hits a ddt and then Jun suplexes him. Koji cutters him and then Jun chokeslams him for 2. They lariat each other at the same time and jun goes down to a knee then Koji suplexes him. Koji lariats him then picks up the win.

It was a decent match with Jun heeling it up and Koji uses lariats and forearms to come back and win it.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - Yuma Aoyagi vs. Ryuki Honda

Honda shoulders him over and takes a dropkick. Yuma beats up on him in the corner. Yuma sits on top and is pushed down to the floor then Honda chokes him. Yuma is then thrown into the post. Back in the ring, Yuma misses a dropkick then takes an STF variation. They trade forearms then Yuma flying forearms him. Yuma top rope crossbodies him then grounded guillotines him, but Honda hits the ropes.

Honda spinebusters him for 2 then Yuma hits a nice german. Honda no sells it and spears him. Yuma then hits a uranage right after. They fight up top and Yuma is superplexed. They trad running lariats and forearms then Yuma hits triple germans for 2. Yuma brainbusters him for 2 then is lariated and brainbustered. Honda hen lariats him and hits a harder running lariat for 2. Honda does his running single arm powerbomb and wins it.

The crowd wasn't into this which hurt it. The selling could have been better at the end but the two matched up well and put on a fun strong style match.

Champion Carnival 2023 Block A Match - Yoshitatsu vs. Kento Miyahara

Kento dropkicks him in the knee early and throws Yoshi out. Yoshi gets back in then running knees him off the apron. They fight outside and Kento headbutts him. Kento is rammed into the post. They go back in and Yoshi hits spears to the back then dropkicks him in the back for 2.

Yoshi single leg crabs him and he gets out then Yoshi facewashes him. Yoshi neckbreakers him for 2. Kento dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head. Kento pump kicks him then Yoshi tornado ddt's him in the corner. They trade forearms on the apron then Yoshi ddt's him on the apron.

Yoshi running facekicks him in the corner then they trade forearms. Kento brainbusters him then hits pumping knees for 2. Yoshi hits a flatliner into a koji clutch. Yoshi hits a high kick then hits a flatliner but has his flatliner blocked. Kento pumping knees him twice then hits a slow straightjacket german and wins it.

It started off slow but they picked up the pace in the second half. The finishing sequence of this was sloppy and kind of rushed.

Overall thoughts: The crowd was quiet which hurt the show and they had too many matches to get in so everything got shortened.