All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/24/2024 Champion Carnival 2024 Day 4

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/24/2024 Champion Carnival 2024 Day 4

Day 3 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-4212024.html

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Hokuto Omori vs Kuroshio TOKYO Japan

Jiro does a super long entrance and the ref pulls him to the ring. Jiro then grabs Seigo Tachibana out of the back. Omori has a fake Omori with him in a horse mask again.

They goof around then Omori drops him with a forearm and stomps him. Omori pulls on Jiro's hair then shoulders him over. Jiro jacket punches him then foot chokes him on the bottom rope. Jiro pushes the ref over to keep doing it. Fake Omori trips Jiro then Jiro slaps Fake Omori. The real Omori pulls off the turnbuckle pad and hits Jiro with it twice.

Jiro is sent into the post multiple times. Omori chinlocks him. Jiro gets some shots in then is dropped with a forearm. Jiro superkicks Omori then hits jacket punches. Omori puts Jiro's jacket around his arms so he can't move. Omori puts the horse mask on Jiro and forearms him. Omori suplexes Jiro for 2.

Jiro still has the horse mask on then he puts it on Omori. He bangs Omori's head off the buckles with the mask on. Jiro flying kicks him and wins it.

It was comedy garbage for the most part with them screwing around.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Jun Saito vs Lord Crewe

Crewe wristlocks him then Jun reverses it. Jun side headlocks him then Crewe does it to him. They shoulder battle and Jun is knocked over. Jun throws him out to the floor then shoulders him over outside. Jun chokes Crewe with a towel then Jun is sent into the post.

Crewe punches Jun then clubs his chest. Crewe hits boots and a foot chokes in the corner. Crewe hits shots to the gut then misses a face kick. Jun face kicks him then hits corner punches. Jun face kicks him and suplexes him for 2.

Crewer enzugiri's him then samoan drops him for 2. They trade forearms then Crewe spinebusters him. Jun lariats him then chokeslams him for 2. Crewe misses a 2nd rope bulldog then takes a chokeslam. Jun then wins it.

It was really short. They did what they could with it but they didn't have much time and really didn't even have time for nearfalls here. I don't get Crewe going over Honda so hard on Day 1 just to take losses after.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Cyrus vs Ren Ayabe

Ren clean breaks him and rubs his head. He side headlocks him then they shoulder battle. Ren forearms him then Cyrus shoulders him over. Cyrus stomps him outside then bangs Ren's head off a table. Cyrus is pushed into the post then his head is banged off the apron.

Cyrus flying single leg dropkicks him then tries to pin him with a foot and then one finger. Cyrus misses a senton then Ren slams him for 2. Ren hits forearms then flying neckbreakers him for 2. Cyrus slams him then misses a splash.

Ren running shotgun dropkicks him then running face kicks him in the corner for 2. Ren top rope dropkicks him for 2. Cyrus powerbombs him out of the slam position for 2. Ren boots him in the corner then 2nd rope superplexes him. Cyrus hits a vader bomb and wins it.

It was another average and nothing special match here. Cyrus did his usual stuff that looks so-so and Ren did as well. It had all the makings of an average match and did not disappoint. 

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Hideki Suzuki vs Ryuki Honda

They lock up and HS cravates him. HS neckbreakers him and kneedrops him for 2. Honda spinebusters him then corner lariats him. Honda chokes him on the ropes and counts along with the ref's count as usual. HS headscissor chokes Honda over the top then hits a nice punch.

They trade forearms then Honda spears him. HS blocks a running lariat then hits shots to the gut. HS backbreakers him and grabs his arm. Honda hits two stiff lariats for 2. HS headbutts him and is lariated. HS dropkicks him on the ropes then Honda back body drops him. HS then rolls him up with a bridge and wins it.

It was another short one and it was clear early that it was not going long. Considering that Suzuki's matches are often slow, long and boring, maybe that's for the best.

Suzuki attacks Honda after then they fight to the back. 

Kento Miyahara & Rising HAYATO vs Davey Boy Smith Jr. & MUSASHI

 

 

MS = Musashi

MS and Rising lock up. Rising headflips out of a wristlock  then goes up and over in the corner. Rising spinning headscissors him out. Davey side headlock takeovers Kento and Kento headscissors him. Davey headlocks him then Kento face kicks him. Kento dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head.

Davey suplexes him. MS stomps on Kento then chops him. MS sits him on the 2nd rope, splits his legs there hten dropkicks him in the chest. Kento and Davey fight while Dave y is on the apron. Davey snapmares and chinlocks him. Davey slams Kento then misses a legdrop.

Davey and Kento trade forearms then Kento back body drops him. MS and Rising get in. MS hits a chop then Rising running back elbows him. Rising is caught on a springboard then he is explodered soon after. Rising rolls out then MS tope con hilos him.

MS hits kicks and a step up enzugiri. Rising single leg dropkicks him. Kento step up knees MS in the corner. MS trips and basement dropkicks Kento. Kento takes a powerslam then MS top rope splashes him for 2. Kento fights off both opponents. MS superkicks him then takes a Davey lariat when Kento ducks. Rising springboard dropkicks Davey then asai moonsaults MS. Rising then plancha's Davey outside. Kento delay straightjacket gemrans MS and gets the win.

It was an okay 10 minute tag here. Davey freshened things up here and Rising was in the mood to put in some work on this one. We got a few dives here and it wasn't that bad for a throwaway midcard match.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block A - Shotaro Ashino vs Yuma Aoyagi

 

Yuma hits him off the break then Ashino takes him down and pounds on him. Yuma hits mounted shots on him then they get up and trade fast forearms. Yuma dropkicks him then dropkicks him off the apron. Yuma hits a stiff dropkick through the ropes.

Ashino's head is banged off a chair outside then Ashino is thrown into the chairs. They trade shots outside and Ashino is ddt'd on the floor mats. Yuma chinlocks him then Yuma stomps him. They trade forearms and Yuma piledrivers him for 2. Yuma euros him then Ashino running euros him.

Ashino hits karelin's lift for 2. Ashino back elbows him then Yuma hits a flying forearm. Ashino flying corner forearms him then suplexes him. Yuma hits forearms on him up top then Ashino hits a 2nd rope belly to belly suplex.

Ashino ankle locks him then Yuma guillotine chokes him with an armlock. Yuma uranage's him for 2 then fisherman suplexes him for 2. Ashino hits a nasty release german that is no sold then Yuma germans him. Ashino hits another nasty release german then Yuma germans him. Yuma germans him again  then spin kicks him in the face for 2. 

Ashino hits a stiff lariat then a release backdrop for 2. Ashino spinning uranages him and wins it.

This is what you watch the Champion Carnival for and was probably the best match of the tournament so far. It was really stiff and heated and they beat the crap out of each other. They had a really good match here though the release germans on Yuma were way too dangerous. I was really surprised by how well they matched up and both had their working boots on here. I loved Ashino's spinning uranage finisher. I don't know what it is about that move but it's a gem to look at.

Champion Carnival 2024 Block B - Yuma Anzai vs Suwama

The finish

They go to the mat. Suwama goes for the half-nelson and Yuma ropebreaks. They do more amateur wrestling and stand off. Suwama front facelocks him then hits forearms. Suwama double chops him and grabs a sleeper. Yuma ropebreaks and Suwama roughs him around with it.

Yuma hits forearms then Suwama knees him in the gut. Suwama double arm ddt's him. Yuma hits forearms from the apron then Suwama headbutts him. Suwama bridging guillotines him. Suwama double chops him then chinlocks him. Suwama hits a big slam then elbow drops him for 2.

Suwama headbutts him then belly to belly suplexes him for 2.  Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him then hits his own belly to belly suplex for 2. Yuma dropkicks him then hits forearms. Suwama goes down then lariats him off the ropes. Yuma back body drops him and they trade forearms. Yuma germans him then Suwama no sells it and germans him back.

Yma jumping knees him twice. They trade forearms then Suwama suplexes him. Suwama corner lariats and german him. Suwama then spinning lariats him for 2. Yuma counters a backdrop then jumping knees him in the back. Yuma then puts him in a Misawa style facelock.

Yuma dragon suplexes him then does another facelock. Suwama backdrops him to get out of it. Suwama hits a stiff lariat for 2. Suwama hits a flurry of shorter lariats then Yuma flying knees him twice for 2. Yuma germans him for 2. Yuma facelocks him and makes him pass out with it. Yuma wins.

It was a good main. Not great or real memorable but it had decent selling and some excitement. Yuma busted out the facelock here which seems to be a new move in his arsenal here and won it. I would not have done this in the CC and I would not have had Yuma win as I feel it's one of the bigger matches AJPW had with the older ace of AJPW vs the newer ace.

Overall thoughts: I saw all but one match here. The undercard was very weak but the top 2 matches were strong and made up for it. Ashino/Yuma was the best match of the tournament so far and Anzai/Suwama was a solid main. I liked this one overall.