All Japan Pro Wrestling 10/12/2023 Raising An Army Memorial Series 2023 Day 3

All Japan Pro Wrestling 10/12/2023 Raising An Army Memorial Series 2023 Day 3

I skipped 2 matches here: 

Hokuto Omori vs Dan Tamura

They forearm flurry each other to start. Dan shoulders him over then single leg crabs him. Omori pulls him over the top to the apron then flying forearms him off of it. Omori throws a fan's hat at him then throws him into the post. Omori steps on his throat then chinlocks him.  Omori hits forearms then Dan 2nd rope shoulders him.

Dan running shoulders him and knocks him over with a flying shoulder. Dan hits a forearm flurry then they trade forearm flurries. Dan hits karelin's lift for 2 then takes forearms. Omori brainbusters him for 2. Omori goes to run and Dan grabs his leg.

They trade forearms and Omori germans him. Omori spins at him and takes a spinning lariat. Dan running lariats him for 2. Dan death valley drivers him for 2. They fight on the 2nd rope and Omori is knocked off. Dan jumps off the top and Omori catches him with a cutter. Omori running forearms him for 2. Omori then cross legged falcon arrows him for the win.

I thought it could have ended with the cutter spot but at least it ended right after. It was an okay match with the two stiffing each other a bit and putting some effort into it. 

Ren Ayabe & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Black Generation International (Keiichi Sato & Kotaro Suzuki)

 

Suzuki and Shuji lock up. Suzuki is put in a side headlock and Shuji shoulders him over. Sato and Ren go at it. Ren's leg gets wrapped in the ropes and Sato dropkicks it. Ren kicks him then is tripped and pulled onto the apron. Sato bangs Ren's leg off the apron. Ren throws Sato into the post and Sato just goes around it.

Ren and Shuji both get the middle rope kicked into their crotches when they try to enter the ring then Ren's legs are split. Suzuki drops down on Ren's leg as does Sato. Suzuki kicks Ren's leg on the ropes then dragon screws him. Ren slams Suzuki then Shuji corner lariats Suzuki. Shuji 2nd rope double stomps Suzuki for 2.

Suzuki running forearms Shuji then Shuji takes a double suplex. Sato double basement dropkicks both opponents then dropkicks Ren into Shuji. Shuji forearms both opponents then takes a 619 from Suzuki. Sato top rope splashes Shuji for 2 then Ren face kicks Suzuki. Ren suplexes Suzuki. Sato takes a Shuji lariat  and escapes a fire thunder. Sato hits la magistral on Shuji for 2 then Shuji fire thunder drivers him for the win.

It wasn't that interesting. It made sense that the smaller guys were working Ren's knee, but there just wasn't a lot of fire here and was very dry.

Suwama vs. Koji Iwamoto

 

They lock up and Shuji backs him up. Shuji wristlocks him. They shove each other and trade forearms. Shuji headbutts him and is pulled over the top. Koji enzugiri's him on the apron then dragon screws him on the ropes. Koji sends him lightly into the post then pulls his arm around the post.

Koji legdrops Suwama's arm then wraps his leg around it and pulls. Suwama ddt's him and hits some stomps on him. They go out and Suwama lightly hits him with a chair. Suwama hits short arm lariats in the ring the nargues with the ref over the count. Suwama camel clutches him then corner lariats him. Suwama belly to belly suplexes him for 2 and complains about the count.

Koji shoulder throws him then fujiwara armbars him. Suwama does a capture suplex on him and hits double chops on the ropes. Koji rolls him up and bridges then lariats him. Koji running lariats him then germans him for 2. Koji armbars him. Suwama blocks a hip throw and release germans him. Suwama then lariats him for 2. Suwama backdrops him then puts him in a sleeper. Suwama wins via choke out.

The first half of this was so boring with nothing of note and the crowd not cheering. You could tell at one point Suwama realized this and said to pick up the pace. The second half was much better but there was no saving this.

Voodoo Murders (Jun Saito, Rei Saito & Toshizo) vs. Zennichi Shin Jidai (Ryo Inoue & Yuma Anzai) & Ryuki Honda

 

Tosh and Ryo go at it. Ryo shoulders Tosh over then Tosh hiptosses him and kicks his back. 4 of the 6 fight outside and Toshi chokes Ryo. Honda and Yuma are both sent into the posts. Honda forearm flurries Rei outside and gets slapped as Tosh face locks Ryo. Rei then headbutts Yuma. Tosh and Ryo trade forearms. Ryo dropkicks him.

Yuma boots Tosh in the corner then back elbows him. Honda kneels on Tosh on the ropes and counts a lot with the ref's break count. Ryo hits forearms on Tosh then Tosh whips him with his belt. Jun clubs Ryo's back at 5 minutes and elbow drops him. Rei headbutts Honda and Jun stands on Ryo's throat. Ryo and Rei trade chops and Rei knocks him over.

Ryo takes a double shoulder for 2 then Tosh hits Ryo with an empty gas can. Jun shoulders over Honda while Honda is breaking up a pin. Ryo suplexes Tosh then Yuma gets in. Yuma hits a nice dropkick on Tosh then Rei shoulders him on the ropes. Yuma dropkicks Rei in the back then belly to belly suplexes him.

Honda running corner lariats Rei. Honda hits forearms and Rei blocks his spear. Rei chokeslams Honda at 10 minutes. Honda spears Rei. Ryo hits kicks on Jun as both get in. Ryo flying kicks him then Jun headbutts him. Jun charges at Ryo in the corner and Yuma intercepts him with a dropkick.

Honda shoulders over Tosh then pulls Rei over the top. Honda corner lariats Jun then Ryo triangle enzugiri's Jun. Ryo comes off the top and takes a Jun chokeslam. Yuma deadlift germans Jun then flying knees Rei. Ryo buzzsaw kicks Jun for 2. Jun blocks another kick, slaps him then running face kicks him for 2. Jun cobra clutch slams Ryo and wins it.

The two teams then fight after.

It was a decent tag that was about 13 minutes. The heels were in control early then the faces eventually won it. The faces were fiery like they usually are and made this one work.

Kento Miyahara & Rising HAYATO vs. Atsuki Aoyagi & Yuma Aoyagi

AA = Atsuki Aoyagi

Kento and Yuma start us off. Yuma headlock takeovers him, is put in a headscissors and they stand off. Rising hammerlocks AA then AA reverses it then AA reverses it. Rising flips out of a wristlock then chops him. Rising goes up and over in the corner then spinning headscissors him. Rising then teases a dive. AA flying headscissors Rissing then AA does Rising's dive tease and pose. Rising low dropkicks him in the back then chops him.

Kento face kicks Yuma off the apron. Kento rakes AA's eyes with his feet then Yuma trips Kento and pulls him out. Yuma chokes Kento with a towel then hits Kento with Toshizo's gas can. AA stomps Kento in the ring then he and Yuma double foot choke Kento. Yuma euros Kento then leg drops him. Yuma face kicks Rising off the apron and AA superkicks Yuma by accident. Rising then springboards in and dropkicks AA. Rising bulldogs AA then AA takes a double shoulder. Kento knocks Yuma off the apron and ddt's him on the entrance way.

Kento throws AA hard into the corner. AA handsprings and is caught with a backdrop by Rising. Kento ddt's Yuma on the entrance ramp again then Rising headscissors AA. Kento headbutts both opponents outside at 10 minutes. Kento running boots AA in the back of the head. Kento pops up AA and AA dropkiks him. Yuma running forearms AA and Rising. Rising takes a bump on the apron off of it. Yuma running corner forearms Kento then top rope crossbodies Kento for 2.

Yuma guillotines Kento then Kento pump kicks Yuma. Rising jumps off of Yuma's back and dropkicks AA then flying back elbows Yuma. Yuma euros Rusing then Rising dropkicks him off the apron. Rising springboard crossbodies him outside at 20 minutes.

Yuma avoids an asai moonsault inside and trades forearms with Rising. Yuma tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. AA running back elbows Rising then 2nd rope armdrags him into a dropkick. Rising and AA trade forearms and Rising single leg dropkicks him on the ropes. Kento dropkicks AA in the knee and the side of the head.

Rising corner dropkicks AA then Kento pumping knes AA for 2. AA rolls Kento into a superkick. Kento takes a corkscrew kick > dropkick > standing moonsault sequence. AA goes up top and Rising handstand hurricanrana's him on the ropes. Kento and Yuma trade forearms and Kento lariats him.

Kento pumping knees AA twice at 25 minutes for 2. Kento runs into a Yuma rock bottom then AA hits triple fisherman suplexes on Kento for 2. AA misses a top rope moonsault on Kento. AA la magistrals Kento for 2. Then Kento pumping knees him. Rising springboard moonsaults AA then Kento delay straightjacket germans AA for the win.

It went 29:23. It was average. They just didn't do anything real special here. They didn't have some big extended finishing sequence. We didn't see any special double teams. There was no blood, big top rope moves and no real wild moments. There was no particular story either. Kento didn't heel it up here and in fact, the Aoyagi's did more heeling. It wasn't so much of a near draw as just a normal match that went 29:23. It could have been a lot better than it was and I was a little disappointed by it.

Overall thoughts: A very average show. The semi-main was probably the best thing on here and it was nothing too special. I thought we would get a great main but they had a very average 29 minute battle. The crowd wasn't that great either. I don't recommend this one.