All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/18/2024 Champion Carnival 2024 Day 1
They have a good crowd for this one.
ActWresGirl'Z dances before the show.
Kanamic and Sakura Mizushima vs Riko Fukunaga and Akito
SM hits a forearm flurry on Akito. Akito pulls her down by the hair. SM splits out of a face kick and dropkicks her. Akito hair snapmares her. Rika dropkicks SM then pump kicks her in the corner. Rika kicks her in the back for 2.
SM bridges out of a high kick then trips Rika. SM then indian deathlocks her. Kanamic handstand sentons Rika then SM jumps off of Kanamic's back onto Rika. Kanamic does a nice trip on Rika then Rika face kicks her on the ropes.
Rika rolling armbars Kanamic then rolls her into a pin attempt. Akito stomps on Kanamic's arm then kito froearms Kanamic over. Akito slams Kanamic then top rope dropkicks her. Kanamic rolls her up for 2 then cutters her. Kanamic top rope swantons Akito for 2.
Kanamic slams Akito then does a nice rolling pin into a bridge for 2. SM top rope crossbodies Akito then Akito flatliners her. SM does a nice pin attempt on her then Akito rolls her up for 2. Akito stretch mufflers her then Kanamic breaks it up. SM unprettiers Akito for 2. SM rolls up and bridges Akito then Kanamic hits a stiff german on Rika. SM northern lights suplexes Akito for 2.
Akito swinging guillotine chokes SM for 2. Akito oklahoma stampedes SM and wins it.
The work was good but it went longer than it needed to especially for an opener.
They had everyone out for a memorial for Akebono then for the Champion Carnival ceremony. Cyrus attacked Kento, then almost got into it with Ren Ayabe and Yuma Anzai. Yuma and Jun Saito then stared down.
Dan Tamura and Ryo Inoue vs Rising Hayato and Seigo Tachibana
Seigo and Dan start us off. Seigo takes him down by the arm then Dan headscissors him. Seigo side headlocks him and they stand off. Rising and Ryo go at it. Ryo wristlocks him and Rising chops him after a headflip. Rising goes up and over out of the corner and side headlocks him. Ryo hits a nice dropkick.
Ryo is back body dropped over the top and Rising poses. Seigo then poses with Rising. Dan boots Seigo over for doing it. Dan shoulders Rising over. Dan hits boots on Seigo and Seigo kips up. Dan then stomps him.
Ryo chest kick flurries Rising in the corner then Rising back crackers him. Seigo running back elbows Ryo. Rising hiptosses Ryo then camel clutches him. Rising drops Ryo with a kick then Dan comes in and corner shoulders Rising. Dan suplexes him for 2. Rising dropkicks Dan.
Seigo atomic drops and face kicks Dan. Seigo STO's him then Dan takes corner attacks. Seigo spears Dan for 2. Ryo spin kicks Rising then Rising dropkicks him. Dan hits a flying kick on him. Seigo backdrops Dan and hits forearms. Dan drops him with a forearm then running lariats him for 2. Dan jack knife powerbombs Seigo and picks up the win.
It was a long opener here. They really protected and tried to put over Dan here and they had Seigo use his comedy to do it.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Rei Saito vs Suwama
They lock up and Rei clean breaks him. They do double knuckle lock. They shoulder battle and Rei knocks him over. They go outside and Rei shoulder blocks him against the post. Rei stands on his body then side slams him for 2. Suwama flying shoulders him then Suwama flatliners him, which is a rare move for him.
Suwama hits chops against the ropes then running lariats him. Rei chop flurries him in the corner then chokeslams him. Rei hits a splash for 2. Suwama back body drops him and hits a nice running dropkick. Suwama backdrops him and gets the win.
It was a solid heavyweight match here with them doing shoulderblocks and sticking to power moves. It was what you would hope for they did a good job with it here.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Shotaro Ashino vs. Hokuto Omori
Omori and someone else come out wearing horse masks. Ashino tries to take off the mask then gets low blowed and takes a cutter. Ashino is then thrown out and sent into the rails. They fight in the crowd and Ashino is ddt'd on the ring mats. Omori grounded sleepers him in the ring.
Omori hits a forearm then foot chokes him. Ashino hits euros then does a gutwrench powerbomb. They trade spinning forearms and Omori pop-up low blows him. Omori then sunset flips him. Omori then dragon suplexes him for 2 in a near fall. Omori grabs the ropes and Ashino low blows him. Ashino germans and lariats him. Ashino backdrops him for 2 then submits him with an akle lock.
I didn't care that much for the ankle lock finish as it didn't have much to do with the rest of the match. I liked it otherwise though. Omori looked like he had a chance here with the various low blows and Ashino isn't super protected to the point that you can't believe he would lose here.
Ashino grabs the other guy in the horse mask to figure out who he is but that guy runs away.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Lord Crewe vs Ryuki Honda
They shoulder battle start and Crewe knocks him over. Crew stomps him then mocks him by counting along with the ref as he elbows him on the ropes. Honda chokes him on the ropes. Crewer guts a stuff elbow and punches to the body. Honda flips him with a lariat for 2. Crew spin kicks him then release germans him for 2. Crewe swinging side slams him and gets the win.
Crewe was really put over strong here but I don't like them doing it at the expense of Honda. The crowd was shocked when Crewe picked up the big win here and it was well done.I would have liked to have seen a real match between these two though.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Yuma Aoyagi vs Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Rumors were that Davey was invited then uninvited, but that's obviously not the case. They lock up and Yuma is backed up on the ropes. Davey yanks the arm then armdrags him into a kimura. Davey shoulders him over then hits an armdrag. Yuma headscissors him then they repeat the spot and stand off.
Davey backdrops him then stomps him on the floor. Davey throws him into the rails. They trade forearms ouside then Davey suplexes him on the floor. They trade shots inside the ring and Davey stomps on him. Davey chinlocks him. Yuma dropkicks him.
Yuma hits running forearms in the corner then top rope crossbodies him. Davey suplexes Yuma. They trade forearms. Yuma rolls him up then backslides him for 2. Davey powerslams him for 2 then legdrops him. Davey hits a cool top rope legdrop for 2 then top rope superplexes him for 2.
Yuma falls over due to fatigue. Davey goes for the powerbomb and Yuma rolls him up to win it.
It was longer than it needed to be and dragged. I didn't think the finish was done that well here either.
Yuma runs around the arena after to celebrate.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Ren Ayabe vs Kento Miyahara
They lock up, Ren backs him up and pats him on the head. Kento face kicks him then Ren shoulders him over. They fight outside. Ren is thrown into the rails then he shoulders Kento over. Kento is sent into the post and rails then Kento drops him throat/face first on the rails.
Kento hits headbutts and sends him into the post. Kento dropkicks him in the side of the head inside then poses. Ren flying neckbreakers him then top rope dropkicks him. They fight on the apron and Kento piledrivers him on it. Ren makes it back in eventually and no sells a face kick. Ren stares him down and hits a big forearm.
They trade forearms. Kento hits headbutts then takes a suplex. Ren running face kicks him then Kento cradles him on a suplex attempt. Kento hits a nice pumping flying knee then hits another pumping knee for 2. Ren dropkicks him then Kento flying pumping knees him. Ren hits a big forearm then dragon suplexes him for 2. Ren then does a spinning gordbuster and gets the big upset win.
I didn't like the piledriver on the apron spot, but otherwise, this was a big success. Ren looked the best I've ever seen him look here. His shots felt like they really hit and he showed some aggression and some aura of a tough guy that he has never really showed before. This felt like it was Ren's big breakout moment here and they did a good job with it.
Ren gets his name chanted after.
Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Jun Saito vs Yuma Aoyagi
Yuma has shiny new trunks on and is kind of dancing around.
They shoulder battle and Rei shoulders Yuma over. Yuma armdrags him and dropkicks him. Yuma hits corner forearms then is face kicked off the buckles. Yuma is thrown into the rails. They battle outside and Jun goes into the rails. Jun face kicks him then bangs his head off the sign. Yuma takes a rough ride down the bleacher steps.
Jun rubs a towel in Yuma's face and throws him in. Jun back elbows Yuma. They trade forearms. Jun slams him then elbow drops him. Jun stands on him then misses a face kick that Yuma sells anyway. Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him then hits a belly to belly suplex. Yuma dropkicks him then is back body dropped.
Jun running face kicks him then shoulders him over. Jun suplexes Yuma for 2. They trade forearms then Jun chops and forearms him down. Jun face kicks him. Jun goes up top and takes a pumping knee. Yuma superplexes him then takes a big spear. Jun jackhammers him for 2. Yuma dragon suplexes him then hits a flying knee.
Jun running lariats him then chokeslams him for 2. Yuma flying knees him then germans him for 2. Yuma hits a weird one arm powerbomb off the shoulder and wins it.
It was long and not that good. It was Jun's big chance to show off here and he really didn't. It really needed some more exciting moments and more fire from Jun here which we just didn't get. Yuma busted out a weird new finisher here.
Overall thoughts: The two opening matches went longer than they needed to. Rei/Suwama was good. Ashiino/Omori worked. Crew really got put over, but it was against Honda, who should be above that. Yuma/Davey Boy went too long. Ren had his big moment here and got to go over Kento. We will have to see if that translates to future matches. Jun and Yuma had a boring main event. I would say it was good overall mostly for Ren/Kento, Crew and Rei/Suwama but it wasn't perfect.
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