All Japan Pro Wrestling 11/9/2024 Real World Tag League 2024 Day 1

All Japan Pro Wrestling 11/9/2024 Real World Tag League 2024 Day 1

This is probably the weakest RWTL yet to date.There's a lot of juniors involved who are obviously just there to do jobs and they didn't bring in a lot of great outsiders.

We get the usual ceremony with all the teams in the tournament. Hartley and Cyrus end up starting a fight and hitting everyone.

Real World Tag League 2024 Block B - Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Seigo Tachibana vs. Cyrus & Hartley Jackson

Hart and Cy celebrate beating up people then Jiro and ST dropkick them from behind. They then do stereo tope con hilos. Hart gets double teamed then Jiro pushes ST off the top onto him. Jiro then top rope dropkicks his partner on accident.

Cy no sells Jiro's jacket punches and chokeslams him. ST pulls Cy over the top and Jiro cannonballs Cy off the apron. Hart lariats ST. Jiro trips Hart then St rolls up Hart for 2. ST hits forearms on Hart then Hart crossbodies him. Hart hits a senton and ST gets a surprise sunset flip on Hart to win.

Thoughts: This was a great opener. It was fast paced. The faces got the upset win and everyone did what they were supposed to. The end of the entrance ceremony flowed really well into this and this was done well.

Cy throws chairs after in anger and Jiro/ST run up into the crowd. Cy beats up the ref after and beats up Atsuki Aoyagi in the crowd. 

Real World Tag League 2024 Block A - Hokuto Omori & Kuma Arashi vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Kengo Mashimo

Sek = Daisuke Sekimoto

It's been a while since I've gotten to see Ken. Kuma and Sek lock up and Kuma clean breaks him. Sek side headlocks him and they shoulder battle. Sek headbutts him then shoulders him over. Kuma shoulders him over.

Omori and Ken go at it. Omori blows him a kiss and pulls him by the hair. Omori forearms him over and foot chokes him. Ken sends him into the rails outside then sends Kuma into him outside. Sek backbreakers Omori then crabs him.

Ken chokes up Omori and Omori flatliners him. Kuma gets in and sentons Ken. Kuma racks him and throws him at Ken. Kuma stands on Ken's gut. Ken gamengiri's Kuma. Sek corner spears Kuma then shoulderbeakers him. Sek crossbodies Kuma for 2. Kuma dropkicks Sek.

Omori spinning forearms Sek then suplexes him. Sek takes a double shoulderblock and Kuma slams Omori onto him. Sek hits a double lariat off the ropes. Omori takes a PK from Ken and a falling splash from Sek. Omori rolls up Sek after he almost collides with Ken for 2.

Kuma slams Sek and Omori gets crotched up top. Sek running lariats Omroi for 2. Sek hits an attitude adjustment and falls on Omori on the landing. Sek pins Omori.

Thoughts: It was a little slower than it was supposed to be and just didn't click as it should have. Kengo was really unimpressive here and they just didn't get the story right on this one. 

Ryuji Hijikata and MAZADA vs Ryo Inoue and Taishin Nagao

I think Ryuji is a fill in for Doi here. Ryuji and Nagao lock up. Nagao hits chest clubs. Ryuji forearms Nagao over then shoulders him over. Maz and Ryo go at it. Maz side headlocks him and takes a running facekick. Maz takes a double shoulderblock then Nagao dropkicks him. Maz slams Nagao and boots him out of the ring. Ryuji slams Nagao on the floor.

Maz stands on Nagao's hand. Ryuji side headlocks him. Nagao hits chest forearms on Maz. Nagao 2nd rope dropkicks Maz. Ryo gets in and hits chest kicks on Maz. Ryo corner dropkicks him and underhook suplexes him. Ryo and Ryuji trade forearms and Ryo step up enzugiri's him.

Maz takes corner attacks then Nagao top rope dropkicks him for 2. Maz lariats him over for 2. Ryuji and Ryo trade and Ryuji does a sumo throw on him. Nagao cradles Maz for 2 and sunset flips him for 2. Maz hits a flatliner and running lariats him for 2. Maz fisherman busters him and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't that interesting as expected. Nagao got to kick out of a little more than you would think though. We didn't get a lot of Ryuji vs Ryo which was the best pairing of these four.

Rising HAYATO, Yuma Anzai, Ryuki Honda & Ren Ayabe vs. Shotaro Ashino, Dan Tamura, MUSASHI & Seiki Yoshioka

SY = Seiki Yoshioka, Mu = Musashi

Yuma's team enters through the crowd. Dan and Sho jumps their team before it starts then throw out Mu and SY when they don't help. Ren forearms Sho and Dan then takes a nasty back elbow + running forearm combo from them. Yuma hits a dropkick on Dan. Rising then takes a double basement dropkick from Mu and SY. Mu and SY then do stereo tope con hilos.

Ren fights off a double team and facekicks SY. He slams Mu. Honda chokes Mu on the ropes with his knee and counts along with the ref on the break. Mu gets double teamed in the corner. Yuma slams Mu for 2. Yuma hits forearms on Mu. Mu fights back and tags out. SY flying knees Yuma in the corner then kicks him in the back. SY PK's Yuma. Yuma belly to belly suplexes SY. Honda corner lariats SY then spinebusters him. SY superkicks Honda. Dan corner shoulderblocks Honda then flying shoulders him.

Mu comes in and hits kicks on Honda. SY then axe kicks Honda. Honda takes a superkick from Mu and SY. Mu goes up top and Sho crotches him there. Sho does a running euro on Honda and Dan hits a big lariat on Honda for 2.

Dan hits another hard lariat on Honda. Ren corner facekicks Dan then Yuma double underhook suplexes Dan. Honda lariats Dan over for 2 when Sho breaks it up. Dan and Honda hit lariats on each other. Honda lariats him over for 2. Honda running powerbombs him and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't as good as it could have been. It just didn't have much of a flow to it and was just not super exciting. Dan and Sho were the best parts of this.

Honda dances after and the ref is clearly annoyed by it. Sho suplexes Mu on the floor. Honda and Ren then stare down with Yuma and Rising after.

Real World Tag League 2024 Block B - Yuma Aoyagi & Fuminori Abe vs. Hikaru Sato & Yuko Miyamoto

Sato and Abe go at it. Sato ankle locks him and Abe rope breaks. Abe side headlocks him then dropkicks Sato in the knee. Sato is tripped and Yuma elbow drops him for 2. Abe and Sato trade slaps. Sato kicks him in the back then Abe does the same. Abe gets cocky and Yuko comes and kicks him in the back.

Yuko cranks on Abe's head and headscissors him. Sato leglocks Abe. Abe slaps him while in the hold. Sato slaps him back. Abe step up enzugiri's him then Sato kicks Abe in the back. Abe dragon screws Sato.

Yuma gets in and dropkicks Sato. Yuma spinning forearms him in the corner (while trying to do Abe's spin kick). SAto step up enzugiri's him. Yuko is tagged in. Yuko overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Yuma back body drops Yuko then Yuko back body drops him. Abe comes in and flying headscissors Yuko by surprise. Abe does his spin kick on Yuko in the corner and kicks him in the back. Sato then kicks Abe in the back.

Yuma atomic drops Sato and Sato really sells it. Sato grabs the ref and low blows Yuma, but Yuma falls into the ropes and crotches Yuko. Yuko then falls on Abe's leg, making him headbutt Sato in the crotch.

Everyone is then down and holding their crotch. Yuko hits some shots on Abe and Abe pretends to go out but holds onto the ropes. Yuko then spinning heel kicks him. Sato enzugiri's Yuma then chest kicks him. Sato water wheel drops Yuma for 2 then goes for an armbar. Abe breaks it up with a kick to the back...of course.

Abe slaps Yuma on accident then Sato ankle locks Yuma. Yuko handspring back elbows Yuma. Yuko fist drops Yuma and Sato PK's Yuma for 2. Sato backdrops Yuma then kimura's him. Yuko then cobra twists Abe at the same time. Yuma slams Sato and pins him.

Thoughts: It went long and was mostly comedy with tons of people getting kicked in the back and a four person low blow spot. I didn't expect much out of this and we didn't get much out of it. It was not a super serious match.

Real World Tag League 2024 Block A - Jun Saito & Rei Saito vs. Makoto Oishi & Mike D Vecchio

I've never seen Mike before but he has a great look and is built. Oishi and Rei lock up and Oishi is sent down. Rei lariats him over. Oishi grabs the arm and is thrown over. Mike and Jun get in. Mike armdrags him then Jun side headlocks him. They shoulderblock battle and Mike enzugiri's him. Mike springboard twisting crossbodies him for 2. Mike tries to gorilla press Oishi onto him but Jun moves.

Jun slams Oishi. Oishi hits forearms and chops on Rei. Rei chops him over. Rei stands on Oishi's gut. Jun slams and elbow drops Oishi for 2. Oishi avoids a lariat and tags Mike in. Mike springboard euros or knees Jun. Mike flips over him off the ropes and step up enzugiri's him. Mike backdrops and standing ssp's Jun for 2.

Mike superkicks Rei then Oishi splashes Jun. Mike double jump moonsaults Jun for 2. Mike then suicide dives Rei outside. Jun is pulled over the top then Mike gorilla press throws Oishii onto The Bros. Oishi lands hard on the floor on it though.

Jun and Mike trade forearms. Mike hits a big one then Jun spears him. Rei comes in and shoulders Mike over. Mike spin kicks Rei and Oishi tags in. Oishi hits shots on Rei then Mike top rope dropkicks Rei. Rei takes a stunner + top rope double stomp combo for 2. Mike planchas Jun outside.

Rei slaps Oishi and chokeslams him for 2. Rei hits a big shotei on Oishi and pins him.

Thoughts: Mike is a real prospect. He works like an indy junior but he has to be like 6 foot tall and 250lbs. He can seriously fly and really showed up some of the other people on this card athletically here. It was kind of what you would expect with Oishi being unable to do anything to his opponents and Mike doing most of the offense for his team. It wasn't great or anything but it was a great showcase for Mike. 

Real World Tag League 2024 Block B - Kento Miyahara & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Suwama & Hideki Suzuki

Ken waistlocks Suzuki and they wrestle on the mat. Suzuki pins him down on the mat then Ken suplexes him. Davey and Suwama test strength. Suwama side headlocks him and they shoulder battle. Davey shoulders him over. Ken gets in and hits shots on Suwama. Suwama throws him out. Ken is sent into the rails. Suzuki gets in and he hits forearms to Ken's gut in the corner. The ref pulls Suzuki off of Ken.

Suwama lariats Ken over then backdrops him. Suwama crabs him. Suzuki garvin stomps Ken. Suwama gets in and hits shots on Ken. Suwama corner lariats Ken then belly to belly suplexes him. Ken back body drops Suwama. Davey gets in and facekicks Suwama. Davey legdrops Suwama.

Suwama flying shoulders Davey. Suzuki comes in and knee drops Davey. Ken comes in and facekicks Suzuki. Ken dropkicks Suzuki in the knee and the side of the head. Suzuki does an octopus to Ken while Suwama chinlocks Davey. Suzuki does a regal stretch to Ken. Ken pumping knees him then Suzuki tombstones him.

Suwama hits chops on Davey then takes a flying knee. Davey slams Suwama. Suzuki hanging headscissor chokes Davey over the top rope. Suwama lariats Davey then Davey takes a double underhook suplex. Suwama germans Davey then spinning lariats him. Ken and Suzuki trade forearms.

Ken flying pumping knees Suzuki. Suwama fights off both opponents then him and Suzuki hit stereo dropkicks. Suwama backdrops Davey then Davey backdrops him. Davey backdrops Suwama for 2. Davey sitout powerbombs Suwama and wins.

Thoughts: It didn't look like it would be great on paper and it wasn't. They worked over Ken early on but that got forgotten about. It was a slower match and they didn't even push the usual issues between Suwama and Suzuki that much. They tried but it was an average main at best. 

Ken and Davey talk on the mic after. Davey thanks everyone. Davey says you can't win them all if you can't win the first one. Davey says they are the best of their countries and say they will take first place, ichiban. Davey then tries to get the "I love Zen Nippon" line over again and stops the music to try and do it.

Overall thoughts: The opener was the best thing on here. Mike D Vecchio got to showcase his flying in his Japan debut. The main was average as expected. It was just a so-so show from AJPW. The teams they chose for the tournament aren't that great and the results are going to be mixed because of it. The first night of these tournaments is usually one of the stronger nights and even if the wrestlers put out the same effort in the other shows this tournament, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a good tournament. I would give this a 4 out of 10 and would not recommend it.