Big Japan Pro Wrestling 5/4/2023 Endless Survivor ~ Infinity Independent

Big Japan Pro Wrestling 5/4/2023 Endless Survivor ~ Infinity Independent

Barbed Wire Board Death Match - Kankuro Hoshino, Minoru Fujita & Yuichi Taniguchi vs. Daiju Wakamatsu, Ryuji Ito & Takashi Sasaki

This really wasn't too special. Everyone got a chance to do some of their signature spots and Daiju ended up winning with a top rope elbow on barbed wire board on Hoshino. Hyodo missed a top rope senton on chairs here. Daiju was flatlinered onto a bunch of chairs. Yuichi had a barbed wire board beaten into him with a kendo stick and Fujita was superplexed and slammed onto a barbed wire board.

TLC Tag Team Death Match - Michio Kageyama & Yusaku Ito vs. Crazy Lovers (Masashi Takeda & Takumi Tsukamoto)

Takumi's team is attacked right after intros. Takium gets his head banged off a ladder then Takeda has his head banged off a table. Takeda double northern lights suplexes his opponents then chairs a chair onto Ito's and Michio's heads. Takeda stabs Michio with two pairs of big scissors then scraps his head with them. Michio's head is banged off a ladder by Takumi. Michino is put between the legs of a ladder then Takumi sits on the ladder and camel clutches him.

Michio and Takumi forearm battle then Michio takes double team kicks. A pile of chairs is put on Michio then Takeda slams Takumi on them. Takumi is suplexed on a ladder. Ito gets in and hits some facekicks then Ito russian leg sweeps Takumi onto a ladder. Ito and Takumi duel with a chair and table and Takumi's table knocks him over quick.

Takumi is thrown onto a table then Ito is suplexed onto a table, but it doesn't break. Takeda throws a ladder at Ito then dropkicks him into a table. Takeda exploders Ito for 2. Takumi and Takeda both get hit with a ladder at the same time while on the apron then fall to the floor. Takeda takes a supeer kick into a falcon arrow. Ito puts skewer sticks into his own head and headbutts Takeda with them. Takeda and Ito trade forearms then they headbutt each other. Ito is german suplexed and running knee'd for 2.

Takeda swantons Ito off a ladder then Takumi nails Michio in the face with a chair. Takeda does an elevated reverse ddt on Ito through chairs and wins it.

Japanese TLC matches aren't the same as American TLC matches, as they don't climb ladders to grab stuff and just use the ladders as a weapon.  It wasn't great or well thought out or anything but they kept the action moving here. I don't think they got anywhere close to what they could have gotten out of this and Michio was a non-factor.

Ito has a skewer stick put in his head after and is thrown out. Ito goes back up to his opponents and Takeda bangs Ito's head into a wall as Takumi and Michio argue.

BJW Junior Heavyweight Title Match - Kota Sekifuda (c) vs. Kaji Tomato

They both cartwheel over each other and try to dropkick each other at the same time before standing off. Kota shoulders him over then counters a hiptoss with an armdrag and a dropkick. Kaji rolls him up for 2 then plancha's him. Kaji pulls at his mouth and neckbreakers him. Kaji hits a ddt for 2 then springboard dropkicks him off the 2nd rope. Kota gets his arms locked up on the mat then Kota monkey flips him.

Kota hits a cutter and splashes Kaji for 2. Kaji avoids lariats then Kota running cutters him for 2. Kaji goes out and Kota phosbury flops him outside. Kaji slingshot splashes him then tope con hilos him off the top. Kaji and Kota trade forearms then they roll each other up. Kota springboard crossbodies him then does a cool rolling cobra clutch.

Kota reverse elevated ddt's him then Kaji springboard hurricanrana's him off the top. Kota rolls him up then hits a schwein for 2. Kota springboard splashes him for 2 then backdrops him into a backbreaker. Kaji rolls him up and is reversed then Kota falcon arrows him for 2. Kota misses a top rope frogsplash then Kaji running short flatliners him.

Kaji hits a top rope splash for 2 and they try to pin each other. Kaji release tiger suplexes him, Kota no sells it then enzugiri's him. Kaji rolls him up then tiger suplexes him for 2. Kaji does a side code red and wins the match.

It was an okay juniors effort. The work wasn't super special but they didn't overdo it or do other things that bring down matches. It's just not a match anyone would really remember though.

BJW Tag Team Title Match - Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura) (c) vs. Hiroyuki Suzuki & Takuho Kato

Kato and Nomura shoulder battle and Kato wins that. Nomura takes elbow drops then a double elbow. Kato runs into a Nomura chest kick then Abe suplexes Kato on the floor outside. Nomura and Abe kick Kato in the back then Abe and Nomura kick Kato in the chest in the corner. Nomura forearms Kato down then Kato takes a double kick to the chest.  

Nomura rolling kimura's Kato then Abe rolling guillotines Suzuki at the same time. Nomura hits some kicks on Kato's arm then Kato deadlift suplexes him. Suzuki finally gets in and blue thunders Nomura. Suzuki slams Abe on Nomura then corner lariats him. Suzuki hits a 2nd rope swanton for 2 then Nomura hits rapid fire forearms. Abe gets in and hurricanrana's Suzuki. Abe avoids a 2v1 and takes out both opponents. Abe goes for the PK on Suzuki then Suzuki rolls him into a neat figure four variation. Nomura breaks it up with kicks. He slaps Suzuki then Suzuki chest kicks him and throws him out.

Abe hits a great dropkick on Suzuki then hits a stiff buzzsaw kick for 2. Suzuki lariats Abe then hits a stiff spear. Kato gets in and hits forearms on Abe then fallaway slams him. Abe dropkicks Kato in the knee  then Kato hits a flurry of chops on Nomura. Nomura slaps him then chest kick flurries him. Nomura underhook suplexes him then hits a great dropkick. Nomura running PK's him then Suzuki deadlifts Nomura into a german. Everyone starts hitting stuff then Kato no sells a german to hit a lariat. All 4 men are down.

Suzuki lariats Nomura then Nomura takes a double fisherman's buster. Kato fallaway slam pins Nomura for 2. Abe dropkicks Kato's knee, leading to him getting armbarred then Abe octopus stretches Suzuki at the same time. Nomura germans Kato then Kato rolls him up for 2. Nomura lariats Kato then germans him for 2. Nomura then tiger suplexes Kato for the win.

I would have liked to have seen Kato lose via armbar or something after all the work Nomura did on his arm. Suzuki was really good here as the fiery underdog hoss and Abe and Nomura were good as usual. Kato isn't a real fiery guy and really kind of was the weak link here despite being the main feature of this. It was a good match but I think it could have been better. 

BJW Death Match Heavyweight Title Yokohama Explosion Jungle Death Match - Hideyoshi Kamitani (c) (w/Daichi Hashimoto) vs. Abdullah Kobayashi

They kind of lock up/hug each other. Kami bounces off the barbed wire ropes to no effect then just as lightly walks into the other pair of barbed wire ropes and sells it. Abby stabs him with something then forks him in the head. Abby starts forking Kami in the head then Kami punches him in the head. Abby elbow drops him then gets a fork stuck in his head, which I haven't seen before. Kami throws a bunch of forks at him then drops them on him. They go outside and fight with Kami hitting chops then Kami throws a chair at him.

Abby's bleeding and gets his cut worked over, then Kami puts his head in the barbed wire. Kami elbow drops a chair on him and shoulders him into the barbed wire ropes. Abby hits a bad lariat then shining wizards him before elbow dropping him. Abby sets off the sirens, seemingly for an explosion of some sort then he hits Kami with an exploding bat shot. Abby misses a top rope elbow then Kami sliding lariats him.

Abby throws him off the top and Kami no sells it, then shoulders him in the corner. Kami sets off a siren then hits an exploding bat shot that completely misses. Abby ddt's him then is backdropped. Kami pours lemons and lemon juice all over Abby then spits a lemon at him. He pours the juice over Abby's cuts. Kami sets the siren off then Abby sets a siren off as well. They hit the bats together at the same time and they explode. They lariat each other then take off their shirts. 

They short arm lariat each other at the same time then headbutt each other. Abby germans him then Kami lariats him over. Kami suplexes him for 2 then lariats Abby in the corner. Abby powerbombs Kami then top rope elbow drops him to win it.

It really wasn't that good. The main attraction here were the explosions and they barely hit, if they hit at all. Abby was always a limited guy, even in his younger days, and he's extremely limited and slow now.

Iron Cage Death Match - Kazumi Kikuta & Yuki Ishikawa vs. Yankee Two Kenju (Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto)

Yuko's team is attacked during intros. Yuki is sent into the post then Isami hits Kikuta with a wrench. Yuko is sent into the post while Kikuta is stabbed with the wrench. A spike board is set up in the corner and Yuki is whipped into it. Yuki is then dropped stomach first onto it then his head is banged into the cage. Yuki's head is put into the spike board. Isama stabs Yuki in the head with a spike then Yuki enzugiri's him. Kikuta running uppercuts Isami then dropkicks him in the corner for 2.

Yuki suplexes Kikuta then Yuko overhead belly to belly suplexes Kikuta. Yuko is dropkicked into the cage then hits a strike combo on Kikuta. Kikuta flying kicks Yuko then Yuki top rope dropkicks Yuko. Yuko takes a flatliner on a chair. Yuki gets on top of the shark cage and has a chair thrown at him. Yuko and Yuki fight up on top of the cage then Yuko is thrown off onto the top rope, where he crotches himself. Yuki crossbodies both opponents from the top of the cage then he is tripped into a kick to the head.

Yuki and Isami trade forearms then Isami punches him. Yuki takes a suplex from Kikuta and Yuko top rope double stomps Kikuta after he hits the suplex. Isami tope con hilos Kikuta outside then Yuko handspring backflip kicks Yuki. Yuko meteora's Yuki into a pin attempt. Yuki superkicks Isami then is rolled up for 2. Yuki jackhammers Isami for 2. Yuki forward rolling bombs Isami for 2 then Kikuta locks himself in the cage with Yuko.

Yuki goes up top of the cage and takes a chairshot. Yuko hurricanrana's Yuki off the cage then Isami double knee drops Yuki from the top of the cage and wins it.

It wasn't the greatest job they could have done but we did get a couple of spots with the cage. I don't get Isami needing to pick up the win here since he isn't a full-time BJW guy.

BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title Match - Yuji Okabayashi (c) vs. Yuya Aoki

Yuya headlock takeovers him then shoulders him over. Oka lariats him over the top and goes with him with both hitting the floor. They trade chops outside then Yuya takes a wild bump into the post. Yuya hits a big tope con hilo and neckbreakers him on the floor. Back inside and Oka suplexes him.

Yuya hits forearms and is chopped down then Oka pulls his arms behind him. Yuya flips out and puts him in an abdominal stretch. They roll to the apron and trade chops there. Oka grabs him by the hair and throws him overhead. Oka crabs him then Yuya hits an exploder. Oka gets stuck up top and Yuya springboard dropkicks him to the floor. Yuya then top rope moonsaults him as he stands on the floor.

Yuya springboard dropkicks him then cobra clutches him. Oka hits a big powerslam and Yuya no sells his superplex. Yuya takes a release german on his head and no sells it then he germans Oka. Yuya handsprings into Oka's backdrop then he backdrops Oka. Oka runs over Yuya with a shoulder but its no sold. Oka goes for a powerbomb but its turned into a roll-up. Oka then hits a stiff running razor's edge. Oka lariats him for 2. 

They go up top and Yuya top rope spanish flies him. Yuya then springboard spinning heel kicks him. Yuya lariats/inner hand chops him. Oka hits a spinning lariat then a stiff lariat for 2. Oka powerbombs him for 2 and Yuya gets his knees up on Oka's top rope splash. They trade forearms and slap each other multiple times. Yuya gets knocked down off a chop then he spinning lariats him. Yuya tiger suplexes him and wins it.

They did too much here with a top rope spanish fly really not meaning that much, but it was a really good effort otherwise. Yuya did all kinds of stuff he never usually does and put it all on the line here. Yuji was his usual good self and it was definitely a career making match for Aoki. The finish could have been better here as it just didn't really fit this one. Aoki likely lost a tooth here as his mouth was all bloody. Definitely one of the better matches of the year so far and a must see for heavyweight lovers.

Overall thoughts: I saw most of this and it was a good show. The big matches all got plenty of time and the main was one of the better heavyweight matches of the year. I also did like the tag title match.