All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/20/2024 Champion Carnival 2024 Day 2

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/20/2024 Champion Carnival 2024 Day 2

Day 1 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-4182024.html

There's two new ring attendants here who are likely new trainees.

Hikaru Sato & MUSASHI vs. Rising HAYATO & Ryo Inoue

Rising and Musashi lock up. Musashi hammerlocks him then Rising armdrags him. Ryo and Sato go at it. Sao waistlocks and headlocks him. They trade forearms and Sato snapmares him. Ryo snapmares him and kicks him in the back. Ryo then tells Sato to kick him in the back.

Sato slams him then rakes him with his foot. Sato spin kicks him and enzugiri's him. Ryo spinning enzugiri's him. Rising jumps off of Sato's back and dropkicks Musashi on the apron. Rising running back elbows Sato.

Sato ankle locks Rising. Musashi gets in and running forearms Rising. He then dropkicks him while he's on the ropes. Musashi step up enzugiri's him then falcon arrows him for 2. Rising shotgun dropkicks Musashi. Ryo hits a chest kick flurry on Musashi then flying back elbows him. Ryo PK's him for 2.

Ryo underhook suplexes Sato. Musashi takes kicks to the head from both opponents then Rising plancha's Sato outside. Musashi release germans Ryo then superkicks him. Musashi hits another german for 2. Musashi tope rope splashes Ryo and wins it.

It was a basic opener. Nothing too interesting here. Musashi's a decent wrestler with a decent look but I never really see anything great out of him.  

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A Match - Shotaro Ashino vs. Ren Ayabe

Ren side headlocks Ashino then shoulders him over. Ashino dropkicks him in the knee and they actually see eye to eye. Ren taunts him about it and they trade forearms. Ren slams him then Ashino pulls his throat down over the top. Ashino tries to bang Ren's leg off the post but is pushed back into the rails. Ashino is then dropped onto the apron. Ren face kicks him over the rail.

They fight a little in the crowd and Ashino is thrown in. Ren hits forearms then running back elbows and shoulders him. Ren full-nelson's him. Ashino blocks a face kick and is forearmed. Ashino throws him over the top. Ren is dragon screwed over the middle rope then Ashino running euros him. Ashino hits karelin's lift for 2.

Ashino ankle locks him and Ren upkicks him. Ren hits a flying lariat then is german suplexed. Ren hits a nasty dropkick then running face kicks Ashino. Ren top rope shotgun dropkicks Ashino for 2 then dragon suplexes him for 2. Ashino ankle locks him and Ren taps out.

It was a longer match but it ended up being decent with Ashino constantly going for the ankle lock and eventually winning with it while Ren beat him up. I really like the new Ren Ayabe. He's a lot stiffer andhe has more personality than he used to. He's still not all the way there but if he's can just show  more spirit and lay in on his shots, he's going to do well.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B Match - Suwama vs. Hartley Jackson

They lock up then re-lock up. They shoulder battle and HJ knocks him over. They trade forearms and Suwama goes down to an uppercut. HJ tells one of the fans to shut up then slams Suwama. HJ elbow drops him for 2. HJ grounded abdominal stretches him then bangs Suwama's head off the buckles. HJ corner splashes Suwama then hits a lariat for 2.

Suwama flying shoulders him then hits a corner lariat. Suwama belly to belly suplexes him then HJ death valley drivers him for 2. HJ running lariats him then lariats him for 2. Suwama back body drops him then they lariat battle. Suwama hits one then puts him in a sleeper. Suwama wins via chokeout.

It was a solid heavyweight match with them doing usual heavyweight spots like lariat and shoulderblock battles. The finish could have been better here.

Cyrus, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Ryuki Honda vs. Dan Tamura, Hideki Sekine & Rei Saito

Cyrus and Rei push each other before this starts. Despite 4 of the 6 being true heavies here, there's some real interesting size differences between them. Sekine is the same height as Dan.

Cyrus and Rei shove each other and lock up. Cyrus hits shots in the corner then Rei corner splashes him. Rei double chops him then Cyrus hits a single leg dropkick. Sekine sits down and tells Honda to fight down there. Sekine triangles him as soon as he does. Sekine is tripped into the middle rope and is knee choked on the ropes.

Honda hits forearms on Rei then is double chopped down. Rei chops Honda in the corner and yells. Rei sideslams him  then Honda spears him. Cyrus running headbutts Rei in the chest then is headbutted back. Sekine tries to running shoulder Cyrus but is knocked right over. Sekine wants another shot nad the same thing happens. Sekine shakes the ropes, ask for another shot and is kncoked down again. Sekine asks for another, shoots in on him and germans him.

DBS tags in and Dan hits forearms on him. DBS slams him. DBS and Cyrus push each other and argue. Rei runs into both. DBS takes a running corner moves then Dan top rope shoulders DBS. Sekine iron claws Honda then HJ throws Rei into chairs outside.

Dan hits lariats on DBS then DBS powerslams him. DBS sitout powerbombs him and gets the win.

It was a short 6 man with nobody really getting enough time. I liked the Sekine/Cyrus stuff here but this match wasn't all that much.

Rei and Cyrus fight in the crowd after. Cyrus grabs a bell hammer and Rei grabs his belt.

DBS does a promo after. He says he will take this years CC. He said he will be #1 and said he's back on the road to victory.

Cyrus says DBS took the victory from him. He said nobody will protect him when they battle. He says he will destroy him and the whole arena.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A Match - Kuroshio TOKYO Japan vs. Yuma Aoyagi

Yuma wore his blue jacket again to mock Jiro. Jiro gets real mad about it and kicks the buckles. Sadly, Jiro's entrance was muted. Jiro grabs a kid in the front row and she cries and Yuma tries to make the situation better. Yuma's wrestling in his jacket and copies Jiro's cartwheel. Jiro jumps and spins and Yuma does the same. Yuma headflips and poses then messes up a kip-up and poses.

Jiro jacket punches Yuma then Yuma jacket punches him. Yuma jacket punches him outside. Yuma throws him in and Jiro rolls to the other side. Yuma chases after Jiro around the arena and Jiro jacket punches him as he runs. Jiro grabs a clothes hanger and hangs Yuma's jacket up while he is wearing it. Jiro then tries to get the countout win. 

Yuma back body drops him. They go to the back again and Yuma puts the clothes hanger on Jiro. He then buttons Jiro's jacket up while he hangs the coat up. Jiro beats the count in. Jiro bangs Yuma's arm over the top rope. Jiro tries some pin attempts but can't get him.

Jiro does a spinarooni up and they trade jacket punches. Jiro high kicks him, grabs his arm and asai moonsaults, driving Yuma into the mat. Jiro armbars Yuma then avoids his dropkick. Yuma gets a dropkick in then top rope crossbodies him for 2. Yuma germans him then Jiro armbars him. Yuma rolls him up out of it then Jiro crucifixes him. Yuma rolls him up out of it for 2. Yuma blocks a sunset flip then they try more pin attempts.

Both guys roll out and try to trick the other as they go in. They both then end up going under the ring. Yuma gets into the ring and has Jiro's jacket. Yuma then wins via countout. We go under the ring after and see Jiro is tied to the bottom of the ring. Yuma then takes a photo with him after.

The Yuma/Jiro ongoing feud is always fun. It's fun to see Jiro get a taste of his own medicine for a change and it's nice to see Yuma do something different. It went a little longer than it needed to but I liked it despite it being comedy.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B Match - Lord Crewe vs. Yuma Anzai

I'm real curious how they handle this. Yuma is the champ so he shouldn't really be losing but Crewe is new here and shouldn't be either.

They lock up and Yuma back him up. They lock up again and Crewe shoulders him over. Yuma dropkicks him then double boots him in the corner. Crewe knocks him down to the outside. Crewe chops him then puts him in a chickenwing and let's go. Crewer backdrops him on the apron.

Crewer and Yuma trade forearms then Crewe high kicks him. Crewer clubs Yuma's chest then Yuma hits forearms. Crewe powerslams him then boots and chops him in the corner. Crewe foot chokes him then kicks his back.

Yuma belly to belly suplexes him then double underhook suplexes him. They trade forearms then Crewe spinning high kicks him. Crewer germans him and hits a running forearm for 2. Yuma germans him then hits a flying knee for 2. Yuma then picks up the win with his new powerbomb from the shoulder finisher.

It didn't really have the time it needed and it was kind of a lose as lose as neither guy needed the loss here.

Lord Crewe does a promo after. He said he's in a bad mood and says Yuma is good. He said it makes sense why he is champ. He said something bad happened tonight and Crewe said he showed him that he can be beat. He said Yuma woke something inside of him. He said not everyone can clean sweep the Champion Carnival like he intended. He said he can win it though and said the merciless one is awake.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B Match - Hideki Suzuki vs. Jun Saito

Ew. This one doesn't look good on paper. Jun side headlocks him then hiptosses him over the top to the floor. Jun throws him into the rails then chokes him with a towel. They trade shots in the front row then Jun is sent into the rails.

Suzuki hits shots on him outside and sends him in. Suzuki twists his neck with his feet then cravates him. Suzuki cravate neckbreakers him and kneedrops him. Jun slams him then elbow drops him for 2. Jun knees and face kicks him for 2.

Suzuki hits shots from the mat and is punched in the head.  Jun face kicks him then Suzuki headscissor chokes him over the top rope. Suzuki hits shots then is speared. Jun suplexes him then hits a chokeslam for 2. Suzuki enzugiri's him then hits a tombstone for 2. Jun back body drops him then Suzuki dropkicks him. Jun hits a running lariat then cobra clutch slams him for the win.

It wasn't anything special as expected and just when it starting to develop a bit, the match ended. Suzuki did put some more effort here into what he was doing than what he normally does though.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A Match - Kento Miyahara vs. Hokuto Omori

Like on Day 1, two people come out for Omori's entrance with horse masks on. Kento is confused though you can tell who is who due to the tan and muscles. The one pretends he is Omori, Kento buys it then the real Omori nails Kento from behind.

Kento face kicks Omori down and poses. Kento focuses on Fake Omori, Fake Omori grabs his leg then the real Omori hits Kento from behind. Omroi chokes Kento with a towel. Kento is sent into the rails, no sells it then face kicks him. Kento hits headbutts.

Kento hits more headbutts and Omori goes down outside. Fake Omori distracts the ref and Omori ddt's Kento on the floor. Kento is thrown over the rails then Omori tackles him into the seats. They trade forearms inside and Kento goes down. Omori stands on his neck. Kento hits some forearms then Omori kicks him low while the ref is not looking. Kento rolls out of a lariat then hits dropkicks to the knees and face. Kento goes for a running more in the corner then nails the ref when Omori moves. Omori is given a chair and hits Kento with it. Omori goes for the pin but forgets the ref is down.

Omori running back elbows him and they trade forearms. Omori hits a big forearm then hits more. They trade more and Omori germans him. Kento brainbusters him. Omori pushes the ref and low blows Kento. He then gets a 2 count. Kento flying knees him then Omori spinning forearms and dragon suplexes him. Kento low blows Omori then pumping knees him for 2. Kento straightjacket germans him and gets the win.

This was pretty much all shenanigans and brought down what might have been a decent match otherwise. There were still some good parts here but I don't watch AJPW to see ref bumps, low blows and weapons usage.

Overall thoughts: Yuma/Jiro was probably the best thing on here and it was mostly comedy. I liked Ashino/Ren and I liked Suwama/Hartley. I'd put this one at below average though because I didn't like the main or semi-main and Crewe/Yuma didn't get enough time.