All Japan Pro Wrestling 1/2/2024 New Year Giant Series 2024 Day 1

All Japan Pro Wrestling 1/2/2024 New Year Giant Series 2024 Day 1

Koji Iwamoto, Naruki Doi & Takahiro Katori vs. Fuminori Abe, Rising HAYATO & Ryo Inoue

Abe interrupts Doi's taunt then Doi shoulders him over. Abe slaps him and kicks him in the back. Abe then does a taunt and Doi neckbreakers him. Rising shoulders over Katori and Katori kips up. Katori springboard twisting crossbodies him, throws him his toy and dropkicks him.

Katori misses a plancha on Rising then Rising does his asai moonsault into his pose. Ryo hits forearms on Katori and they trade. Ryo kicks him in the gut and chest. Katori dropkicks Rising then suplexes Abe.

Koji hits corner attacks on Rising and Abe. Rising take a hiptoss neckbreaker into a baseball slide. Rising then takes a senton and a knee drop. Rising dropkicks Koji on the ropes then Ryo hits chest kicks on Koji.

Koji blocks Ryo's PK and they trade forearms. Ryo suplexes Koji then Koji takes a double kick. Rising asai moonsauls Koji then Dan PK's Koji for 2. Ryo buzzsaw kicks Koji for 2. Koji uranage's Ryo for 2. Koji hip throws Ryo and wins it.

It was a quick opener with Koji getting the most time of anyone. It was fine for what it was but very typical and nothing too memorable.

Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, Seigo Tachibana & Shotaro Ashino vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi

 

 AA = Atsuki Aoyagi

Ashino does Jiro's jacket dance with him then Jiro dances with the fans. Ashino then puts on a Jiro mask.

Kento shoulders over Seigo twice. They go face to face and do Seigo's taunt then Seigo boots him over. Seigo then makes a face at Kento. Ashino and Yuma get in. Yuma shoulders over Ashino then face kicks him. Ashino shoulders him over and Yuma is shocked by it. Jiro and AA get in.

AA side headlocks him then shoulders him over. Jiro kips up and poses twice. AA then kips up and does his own version of Jiro's pose. Jiro pulls AA down then AA does Jiro's pose again. Jiro jacket punches him. AA dropkicks Jiro and Jiro rolls around. AA then does Jiro's pose.

Seigo face kicks Jiro on accident then kicks Ashino out on accident. Seigo takes a double face kick. AA 2nd rope moonsaults onto everyone outside. Seigo takes a double shoulder. Yuma puts on the Jiro mask and running back elbows Seigo. Yuma then puts on Siego's sunglasses and punches him.

Seigo STO's Yuma then Jiro hits jacket punches on Yuma. Jiro pulls Yuma's neck down on the top rope then slingshot seated moonsaults him. Yuma misses a dropkick on Jiro then hits one. Kento running face kicks Jiro then dropkicks him in the knee and side of the head.

Kento poses then Jiro poses with him. They trade shots and Jiro enzugiri's him. Kento pumping knees him. Ashino and AA get in. Ashino euros him then AA 2nd rope armdrags him. AA dropkicks him. Yuma's team poses then does corner attacks on Ashino. AA standing moonsaults Ashino for 2.

We get quick exchanges between the various wrestlers and Seigo brainbusters Yuma. Seigo tope con hilos outside. AA hits forearms on Ashino then AA corkscrew kicks him. Ashino hits a stiff lariat and a backdrop on AA for 2. Ashino hits his spinning uranage move and wins it.

It was an entertaining comedy match. Ashino thankfully got the win here. Everyone had a lot of fun interacting with Jiro here.

Misa Matsui & Natsumi Sumikawa vs. Great Asako (Asako Mia) & Miku Aono

They had the ActwresGirl'z wrestlers do a song and dance before this. Oddly, they didn't list this match on the card. With AWG saying they aren't wrestlers, I wonder if that's why. Natsumi and Miku start us off. Natsumi armlocks her, Miku tries to roll out of it and Natsumi rolls with her.

They leg kick each other at the same time and Natsumi hits a nice dropkick. Misa cartwheels over Miku then armdrags her. They then stand down. Asako and Natsumi get in. They do some kind of handshake and Asako spits water out.

They lock up and Natsumi makes her bridge. Natsumi then kicks her while she bridges. Misa forearms Asako over then Misa hits a huge chop on Asako. Misa spin kicks her then Miku hits a nice corner dropkick. Miku kicks her in the back for 2.

Misa crossbodies Miku then basement dropkicks her. Miku leg kicks her then drops her on her knee. Miku then ties up one of her legs and crabs the other. Miku lariats Misa on the ropes then Misa rolls her into a double stomp. Misa crossbodies her against the bottom rope.

Misa top rope dropkicks her then Natsumi corner meteora's Miku. Natsumi perfect plexes her for 2. Miku slams Natsumi then Natsumi hits head kicks on her for 2. Miku high kicks her then double underhook suplexes her. Miku takes a high kick then a bridging ddt from Misa. Natsumi meteora's Miku for 2.

Miku lariats Misa then spinning slams Natsumi for 2. Asako does some weird shuffling then messes up and botches a shining wizard on Natsumi. Natsumi running knees her then is lariated by Miku. Asako teases a moonsault but does a back rool off the 2nd rope. Natsumi running knees her. Asako takes a ki krusher and a top rope double knee drop from Natsumi. Natsumi picks up the win.

You have never seen a crowd reject a match like this one. This crowd wanted no part of this and totally refused to react. It was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in some time. Just total dead silence from the fans. This is not a good start to the AWG/AJPW relationship. I didn't like Asako's work here. She was doing The Great Muta's stuff but was doing it with deadpan comedy. It wasn't funny and I don't know how we were expected to respond here. Natsumi really had a good showing here and Miku did well also.

Davey Boy Smith Jr., Hokuto Omori, Jun Saito, Minoru Suzuki & Rei Saito vs. Mitsuya Nagai, Osamu Nishimura, Ren Ayabe, Ryuki Honda & Suwama

 

Smith and Osamu start us off. Osamu clean breaks him then Smith hits forearms on the ropes. Osamu puts him in an octopus and Smith throws him over. They trade euros  and Smith slams Osamu. smith misses a legdrop.

Nagai and Omori get in and lock up. Omori blows a kiss at him and they trade forearms. Nagai hits face kicks then Omori running forearms him. Smith and Suzuki argue with Rei outside as Nagai beats up on Omori. Ren gets in and takes some forearms. He then stands on Omori's back.

Suzuki grabs a chair outside and Rei grabs maybe a hammer. Honda corner lariats Omori in the ring then spinebusters him for 2. Omori bites Honda's hand then Honda kneels on Omori on the ropes. The two trade forearms. Omori ducks a lariat then cutters Honda.

Rei and Suzuki push each other while trying to get tagged in. Jun face kicks Honda then Ren fights him. They trade forearms. Jun hits a big chop and Ren flying neckbreakers him for 2. The Saito's double shoulder Ren over Suzuki tags himself in then trades with Suwama.

Suzuki running face kicks Suwama then PK's him for 2. Nagai knees Suzuki from the apron then Suzuki takes a kick and chop double team combo. Suwama lariats Suzuki then Suzuki puts him in a choke. Rei tries to help double team Suwama but nails Suzuki on accident. They try again and Suzuki almost nails Rei when Suwama moves. Suzuki then slaps Rei and they start fighting. Everyone fights outside and we go to a double countout. 

It was short with a non-clean finish and just wasn't that good. This was a waste of 10 guys.

Charlie Dempsey & Yuma Anzai vs. Hideki Suzuki & Katsuhiko Nakajima

CD = Charlie Dempsey, KN = Katsuhiko Nakajima

Yuma forearm flurries KN to start and throws the ref off. CD and Suzuki fight outside. Yuma hits a nice dropkick on KN. KN chest kicks him then Yuma goes chest to chest with him and hits forearms.

CD gets in with KN. KN leg kicks him then CD does a nice takedown with the arm. CD hip throws him then does a bridge with an arm lock. CD then stomps the arm into the mat. CD and Suzuki go at it.

CD does a nice water wheel drop then side headlocks him. Suzuki headlock takeovers him and CD single leg crabs him.  Suzuki escapes a full nelson and armwhips CD over. CD hits a nice gutwrench suplex for 2. Yuma running forearms Suzuki then belly to belly suplexes him for 2. Suzuki hits shots on Yuma then takes a dropkick. Yuma knocks KN off the apron then Suzuki tombstones Yuma. Suzuki backbreakers him for 2.

Yuma hits a jumping knee. KN gets in and face kicks CD. They trade forearms. KN chest kicks him and CD euros him. KN running face kicks him then takes a running euro. KN back body drops him then CD headbutts him in the gut. CD double underhook suplexes him with a nice bridge for 2. KN is thrown into a jumping knee from Yuma then CD germans KN.

KN slaps CD down then hits kicks on him. KN PK's him for 2. KN brainbusters CD for 2. KN PK's him in the gut. CD does a nice backslide and pins KN to win it.

I didn't like the finish. It just felt out of nowhere and there wasn't enough build to it. The match was okay otherwise with Suzuki and Dempsey matching up well and Yuma being Mr. Reliable as usual. This one needed more time and I'm not sure these guys were going to have a classic no matter what due to their styles.

AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title Match - Dan Tamura (c) vs. Hikaru Sato

 

Sato wristlocks him. Dan rolls out, goes for Sato's leg then Sato tries to armbar him. Dan side headlocks him. Sato clean breaks him and is forearmed over. They trade forearms then Dan forearm flurries him in the corner. Sato forearm flurries him back.

They trade forearms. Dan forearms him on the ropes then is pulled over the top. Sato enzugiri's him then running kicks him in the back. They trade forearms and Dan goes down. Sato slaps him around then Dan slaps back.

They trade more slaps and Dan goes down. Sato hits kicks to the chest and Dan flying shoulders him. Dan hits corner shoulders then suplexes him for 2. Sato goes for an armbar and Dan side slams him. Dan karelin's lifts him then hits mounted forearms. Sato goes for an armbar and the stream freezes.

Sato enzugiri's him then Dan swats down another enzugiri attempt. Dan lariats him multiple times and knocks him over for 2. Dan crabs him and Sato taps out. Dan wins the junior title.

The finish was very lame here with Dan winning with a crab. Hikaru Sato sucks. There's just no getting around it. He doesn't botch, but he really doesn't get match structure and he's just not an exciting guy. Add Dan in there who still hasn't put all the pieces together yet and you get an underhwelming match. It was better than expected as I expected something really boring, but it wasn't that good.

Battle Royale

Everyone fights. Kento gets in the middle of a big gang of people then is stomped and thrown out by them. Atsuki and Yuma are thrown out right after. Ashino is thrown out by his buddies Jiro and Seigo, then Seigo throws out Jiro. Jiro goes after Seigo in the ring and Seigo flips him off.

Menso tries to walk up the ropes with Ryo's arm but it gets stomped by the ref for some reason. The ref then tries to walk up the ropes with Ryo's arm and Abe/Menso stop that. Menso and Seigo fight on the apron.

The video freezes up for a minute and it apprars Seigo, Menso and Hkaru Sato are all eliminated. Dan Tamura and Koji Iwamoto fight on the apron. Koji dragon screws him to the floor. Katori dropkicks Koji to the floor. Honda does his usual knee choke over the ropes where he mocks the ref's count. Yuma Anzai does it with him but they mistime the count and both are disqualified and eliminated for going past the count.

Rei Saito grabs Katori's toy. Katori tries to grab it. Rei throws it over the top then Katori eliminates himself to go get it, not realizing it's a battle royal. Doi chops both Saito brothers and Jun face kicks Rei over. Jun is then thrown over by multiple people. Doi pulls Omori onto the apron then Ren face kicks Doi off the apron. Omori electric chairs Ren then throws him over the top.

Rising, Ryo and Omori are the last 3 left. Rising and Omori trade forearms. Rising single leg dropkicks him. Rising goes for a backslide on Omori, is blocked then Ryo rolls both over and pins them. Ryo wins the battle royale and hugs the ref Wada after.

It was 10 minutes long and was your usual lighthearted AJPW New Years battle royale. It was entertaining but not serious or great. I thought they did a fairly good job with it.

Overall thoughts: It didn't look like a great card and it wasn't The Jiro trios match and the battle royale were the best things on this show. The Dempsey tag was decent but not great. The junior title match disappointed as expected. The women's matched bombed and the 10-man tag was a waste of time.