All Japan Pro Wrestling 8/19/2023 10th Oudou Tournament Day 1
We had an opening ceremony with the trophy.
BULK Orchestra (Check Shimatani, Galeno Del Mal, Hayato Tamura & Ryuichi Kawakami) vs. Zennichi Shin Jidai (Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO & Ryo Inoue) & Yoshitatsu
Ryo hits forearms then is dropkicked by Galeno. Ryuichi and Ryo go at it. Ryo hits chest kicks then 2nd rope dropkicks him. Yoshi hits chest kicks on Ryuichi and superkicks him. Yuichi takes a standing moonsault and asai moonsault from his opponents. Ryuichi then ddt's Yoshi. Tamura top rope shoulders Yoshit then Tamura double lariats two opponents. check dropkicks Atsuki.
Galeno cannonballs Rising and Atsuki in the corner then Yoshi takes a 4 man sandwich bodyblock. Tamura powerbombs Yoshi for 2 then lariats him for the win.
They had lessthan 10 minutes here and it was too short for how many people were involved it. It was fun but nothing close to what it could have been with enough time.
Keiichi Sato & MAZADA vs. Aigle Blanc & Black Menso-re vs. Voodoo Murders (Jun Saito & KONO)
Jun tries to make the commentator put on a voodoo murders t-shirt. Blanc headlock takeovers Sato using the ropes then shoulders him over. Blanc flips over him while he's down then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Menso and Blanc are whipped into each other but Blanc jumps over him and hits a euro on Sato.
We get some slow fighting outside then Kono slams Menso and Sato. Jun slams Menso and tries to pin Sato using his foot. Sato takes a double shoulder then Menso fights off Kono and Jun 1v2. They double suplex him then Kono is pulled onto the apron. Jun shoulders Kono off the apron on accident then takes a double dropkick. Sato superkicks Menso then Blanc meteora's Sato in the back of the head off the 2nd rope. Mazada is knocked off and kicks Blanc in the crotch
Blanc hits a double pele kick on opponents then Blanc tope con hilos outside. Jun lariats Menso then cobra clutch slams Menso for the win.
It was short and nobody really had much time. Blanc got a couple of highlight spots in. While he can do the moves, he's too big for them so they aren't very pretty or clean. Nonetheless, at least it's someone different for a change.
Minoru Suzuki & Naruki Doi vs. Evolution (Hikaru Sato & Suwama)
Doi headlocks Sato and shoulders him over. Suzuki takes a chop and chest kick combo. Suzuki triangles Sato over the top rope then throws him out. Sato is thrown into the rails and slapped around. Sato hits forearms then is dropped with one. Doi flips onto Sato then Suzuki hits knees on Sato's gut. Sato takes a double arm submission combo then Sato and Doi trade chest slaps.
Sato enzugiri's him in the corner. Suwama knocks Suzuki off the apron, corner lariats Doi then belly to belly suplexes him. Doi dropkicks Suwama in the knee then Suzuki and Suwama trade forearms. Suzuki facekicks Suwama in the corner then PK's him for 2. Suwama back body drops Suzuki off the piledriver attempt then Suzuki back body drops him. They trade forearms and Suwama short arm lariats him.
Sato hits chest kicks on Suzuki and Sato does something like a water wheel drop on him. Sato goes for the armbar on Suzuki but Doi baseball slides him. Suzuki gotch-style piledrivers Sato and wins it.
I debated on covering this because I knew it was going to be a low effort, quick match and that's what it was. Everyone mailed this one in.
Suzuki holds up Doi's arm after then rolls him up.
Oudou Tournament 2023 First Round Match - Kotaro Suzuki vs. Dan Tamura
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| This low-key probably hurt a lot |
Dan and Suzuki trade forearms to start. Suzuki knees him in the gut and throws him out. Dan is sent into the rails then dropped gut first on them. Suzuki sentons him then 2nd rope frogsplashes him. Suzuki superkicks him in the knee then Dan shoulders him while he's on his knees.
Dan suplexes Suzuki then gutwrench suplexes him. Suzuki handspring back elbows him then flying knees him in the corner. Suzuki knees him in the gut then Dan samoan drops him. Suzuki knees him in the gut again and takes a death valley driver.
Suzuki hits forearms then running forearms him for 2. Suzuki widow's peak neckbreakers him for 2 then Dan does a nasty hands free beach break. Dan running lariats him for 2.and hits a hard running lariat. Dan then powerbombs him for 2. Dan hits another powerbomb and wins it.
It started off as one of the "stiffer than it looks" type of awkward matches but they figured it out towards the end and made it entertaining.
Oudou Tournament 2023 First Round Match - Takuya Nomura vs Hokuto Omori
This should be good. Omori running forearms him as they get off to a slow start. Omori stands on him then Nomura hits chest kicks. Nomura is thrown out and they trade forearms on the floor. They go into the stands and fight in the aisle way up there. Nomura slaps him then kicks him in the back.
Omori forearms him and htey go back in the ring. Omori hits a flatliner for 2. Omori slaps him around a little then hits a stiff forearm. Nomura hits a forearm flurry in the corner then takes one. Nomura kick flurries him then face shoves him. They trade forearms and Nomura slaps him. Omori germans him then hits a spinning forearm.
Nomura hits a nice dropkick then PK's him. Omori no sells it and asks for more. Nomura obliges then germans him. Omori no sells it and Nomura no sells his german. Omori forearms him and both go down. Omori misses a high kick then takes a forearm and a cutter. Omori running forearms him then Nomura lariats him. Nomura germans him for 2 then hits some hard slaps. Nomura dragon suplexes him and wins it.
I was disappointed by this. The first half was a waste of time with them going into the stands slowly. The finally did what you wanted them to do in the last few minutes, but it was too little too late. I was also surprised but not surprised that they had Omori lose here. It's like when you order x but get y. The spaghetti might be good, but you ordered steak and didn't want it. AJPW doesn't want heavyweight Omori and aren't going to properly use him.
Oudou Tournament 2023 First Round Match - Satoshi Kojima vs Rei Saito
I'm pretty sure Rei has lost some weight.
They lock up and Kojima is pushed over. They shoulder battle and Kojima knocks him over. Rei shoulders him over and sends him into the post. Kojima is sent into the rails and Rei uses a chair on him. Rei slams him and then stands on him. Rei pulls off Koji's nose strip and puts it in his mouth.
Rei hits Koji's machine gun chops in the corner. Koji then hits machine gun chops on him. Koji running forearms him in the corner. Koji top rope elbows him then hits a ddt. Rei shoulders him in the corner then shoulders him over. Rei hits a splash then misses a 2nd rope splash.
Koji cutters him then Rey hits weak lariat. Rei crossbodies him and piledrivers him. Kojima lariats him in the back of the head then does a normal lariat. Kojima hits another lariat and wins it.
They only had around 10 minutes or so here. It was kind of your usual Saito brothers match where there's nothing really wrong with it, but it's not outstanding either. It worked, it made sense and it was okay, but you can't say a lot else about it.
Oudou Tournament 2023 First Round Match - Ren Ayabe vs Shuji Ishikawa
Shuji shoulders him over then Ren shoulders him over. Ren facekicks him over the rail and tries to do a 2nd time but is german suplexed on the floor. Shuji stands on face then drops him with a forearm. Shuji stands on him again then Ren hits forearms. Shuji headbutts him then running lariats him in the corner.
Shuji sto's him then hits knees while he's down. Ren slams him then flying neckbreakers him for 2. Ren running facekicks him dropkicks him as he sits on the top rope. Ren misses a running facekick and is backdropped. They trade forearms and Shuji running lariats him in the corner. Shuji then turns around and lariats him.
Ren suplexes him and they trade forearms on their knees. Ren dropkicks him then falcon arrows him. Shuji superplexes him then does a fire thunder for a 1 count. Ren blocks his running knee then slaps him. They trade forearms and Shuji dragon suplexes him. Shuji hits a running knee for 2 then kamigoye's him. Shuji hits another running knee and wins it.
There was a lot of novelty in seeing both guys get thrown around, as very few wrestlers can do that. It was definitely designed to get Ren over some, but Ren does not have much fire and it didn't get over like it should have. I felt they could have also built up some of the big spots more here. I still liked it, but it could have been better.
AJPW World Tag Team Title Match - Zennichi Shin Jidai (Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi) (c) vs. Ryuki Honda & Yuji Nagata
Honda no longer has the streak of dyed blonde hair. Honda and Nagata is an odd team that I don't think anyone believes is winning here.
Yuji and Kento start us off. Kento upkicks him from the mat and they taunt each other. Kento dropkicks him in the knee then Nagata misses a kick and they stare down. Honda and Yuma shoulder battle and Honda knocks him over. Yuma is double shouldered then Yuji kicks him in the back.
Honda knee chokes Yuma over the middle rope then Honda is tripped into a dropkicks by Kento on the ropes. Honda is sent into the rails, no sells it and shoulders over Kento. Honda and Kento go at it outside. Kento his headbutts and Yuji is sent into the rails by Yuma. Kento then piledrivers Honda on the apron.
Yuma is mad at the ref for not counting fast enough and starts counting his own pin. Honda hits forearms on Yuma then Yuma piledrivers him for 2. Honda is double shouldered over and Kento facekicks him. Kento slaps Honda. They trade forearms, Kento headbutts him and is suplexed. Nagata facekicks Yuma off the apron then Nagata chest kicks Kento. Nagata facekicks Kento in the corner then double underhook suplexes him.
Kento and Nagata trade forearms and then facekicks. Yuma facekicks Nagata and forearms him over. Yuma top rope crossbodies Yuji for 2 then Yuji bridging twisting neckbreakers him. Honda running lariats Yuma in the corner then they trade forearms. Honda spinebusters him. Honda's spear is blocked then Yuma dropkicks him. Kento dropkicks Honda in the knee an the side of the head. Honda fights off the 2v1 and shoulders over Yuma. Kento takes corner lariats and a boot then Honda spears him for 2. Honda corner lariats Kento then Kento 2nd rope superplexes him. Yuma and Yuji go at it with forearms then Yuji crossfaces him. Honda then crossfaces Kento at the same time.
Yuma rock bottoms Honda. Honda takes a superkick and pumping knee combo. Yuji and Honda do stereo exploders together then Kento flying pummping knees Honda. Honda rolls up Kento then Honda lariats Kento. Honda runs the ropes and hits another big lariat. Kento escapes the running powerbomb and hits a knee and lariat.
Kento pumping knees Honda for 2 then delay straightjacket germans him for 2. Kento delay straightjacket germans him and wins it.
They could have taken the night off here and mailed this one in but they had a strong main event. Honda had one of the better matches of career and even Nagata came off well. They had a good pace, they really elevated Honda and they made it seem like Nagata and Honda could pull this one off. As I said, I never expected much out of the Nagata and Honda team, but they really worked together and made we want to see them again. This was a great main and definitely one to go check out.
Overall thoughts: The main even is worth tracking down Everyone was on and put out a good performance. Ren/Shuji wasn't the greatest, but it was fun for the novelty of seeing Shuji get tossed around. Saito/Koji was okay and Nomura/Omori was disappointing.
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