All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/30/2023 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 8

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/30/2023 Champion Carnival 2023 Day 8

There's 4 Champion Carnival matches today:

Champion Carnival - Takao Omori vs Manabu Soya

They lock up. Omori face kicks him and shoulders him over. Soya is facekicked off the apron then thrown into the rails. Omori then ends up taking a back body drop on the mats outside. Soya hits some forearms to the lower back then then they trade chops. Omori suplexes, facekicks then spinning heel kicks him for 2.

Soya spears him and they trade chops. Soya sits on the top rope and Omori samurai drivers him for 2. Omori 2nd rope backdrops him for 2. Soya deadlift brainbusters him for 2 and they lariat battle. Soya lariats him down then hits a running lariat and wins it.

It was fine and exactly what you would want and expect with lariats and stiff strikes. The only issue was that Omori just is older now and moves in slow motion.

Champion Carnival - Hokuto Omori vs Yuma Anzai

Omori grabs him by the hair and headlocks him then Yuma shoulders him over. Yuma dropkicks him then takes a running forearm off the apron. They trade forearms outside then Omori grounded sleepers him inside.

They trade more forearms and Omori belly to belly suplexes him. Yuma suplexes him for 2 then double arm suplexes him. Omori cutters him then puts him in the anaconda vice. Omori and Yuma trade forearms and Omori jumps up and takes a german. Omori koppo kicks him then takes a flying knee.

Omori deadlift germans him then dragon suplexes him. Omori then ki krushers him for the win.

There was nothing wrong with it. Pretty basic match here with them trading some trikes then some suplexes at the end. Omori's heavyweight run just isn't working for me though. It just seems like he lost a lot of his intensity and his stuff just does not look as good against bigger guys.

Champion Carnival - Suwama vs Rei Saito

They shoulder battle to start and Rei knocks him over. Rei is tossed out and Suwama throws him into the rails outside. Suwama chokes him with rope and drags him into the seats. Suwama hits him with a chair and throws him over the rails back into ringside. Suwama picks up a railing and Wada stops him.

They get back in the ring and Suwama sleepers him. Rei lariats him, shoulders him then splashes him for 2. Rei hits machine gun chops in the corner. Suwama flying forearms him then hits a stiff lariat. Rei comes back with lariats then is backdropped. Suwama kicks and clubs on him outside. Suwama beats him up against the rails. They fight more outside and both get counted out.

The idea was there but execution could have been a lot better. Suwama tries to do this brawling style, but he really doesn't have the intensity for it and he's kind of slow, so it doesn't look as good as it could. This was only about 10 minutes but it still dragged.

Champion Carnival - Shotaro Ashino vs Shuji Ishikawa

Ashino wristlocks him then is wristlocked back. Ashino chopblocks him then bangs his leg off the apron and post.  Shuji fire thunders him on the apron. Shuji hits forearms in the corner then sleepers him. Ashino escapes it with gut punches then is lariated. Ashino jumping headbutts him then hits a running euro for 2.

Ashino germans him and goes for the ankle lock but Shuji ropebreaks. Shuji running shoulders him and running lariats him in the corner. Shuji then 2nd rope double stomps him for 2. Ashino goes for an ankle lock and is pushed over the top rope with Shuji's feet. They trade forearms as Ashino is on the apron then Shuji 2nd rope superplexes him.

Shuji goes for a powerbomb but is hurricanrana'd then Ashino ankle locks him. Shuji gets out and forearms him. They trade forearms for euros then Ashino takes a fire thunder for 2. Ashino shoots in and takes a knee to the face then another knee for 2. Shuji goes for another knee but is ankle locked and Ashino taps him out.

There was nothing wrong with it. It made sense for the most part with Ashino working the ankle and finally winning with the ankle lock, but it was just missing that extra energy and intensity like a lot of the stuff on the show. 

Overall thoughts: The matches were all just missing the intensity and aggression and the crowd wasn't that great. I'm not sure what it was exactly. Nothing was bad but nothing was great or exciting either.