All Japan Pro Wrestling 12/31/2024 New Year's Eve 2024

All Japan Pro Wrestling 12/31/2024 New Year's Eve 2024

The ActWresGirl'Z match didn't even make the live stream of this one.

MUSASHI, Seiki Yoshioka & Taishin Nagao vs. Fuminori Abe, Seigo Tachibana & Yuko Miyamoto

Mu = Musashi, SY = Seiki Yoshioka

Yuko and Nagao go at it. Yuko wristlocks him then Nagao reverses it. Yuko trips him and Nagao armbars him. Yuko side headlocks him. Seigo and SY go at it. SY side headlocks him then facekicks him. Seigo shoulders him over after a side headlock. SY then does Seigo's pose.

They trade armdrags and Seigo back elbows him. Seigo takes kicks from Mu and Sy and a double basement dropkick. Seigo blocks Nagao's slam then he slams him. Abe gets in. Abe hiptosses Nagao for 2 and tries pins. 

Yuko foot chokes Nagao in the corner. Nagao 2nd rope dropkicks him. Mu gets in. He slingshot stomps Yuko. Mu makes Abe nail Seigo when he moves. Mu then exploders Yuko for 2. Yuko flips out of a german. Yuko lariats Mu then standing moonsault dobule knees him. Seigo facekicks Mu over. Seigo STO's him for 2. SY axe kicks Seigo.

Seigo takes a double superkick for 2. Nagao top rope dropkicks Seigo. Abe forearms Nagao then Nagao dropkicks him. Nagao slams Abe then crabs him and Nagao takes boots until he breaks it. Yuko handspring double back elbows Mu and SY. Seigo tope con hilos Mu and SY together. Nagao ducks an Abe PK and cradles him for 2.

Nagao his chest clubs on Abe. Abe baseball punches him then PK's him for 2. Abe does an octopus on Nagao then submits him.

Thoughts: It got more time than it needed. They had a lot of people involved so it was hard to really establish anything but it was an acceptable opener. Nagao got some shine as he got some offense in and got to kick out of stuff most rookies wouldn't get to kick out of.

Battle Royal - Ultimo Dragon vs. Minoru Suzuki vs. Suwama vs. Kumagoro Hokkai vs. Hartley Jackson vs. Aizawa NO. 1 vs. Hikaru Sato vs. Hideki Suzuki vs. Kuroshio TOKYO Japan vs. Shotaro Ashino vs. Kuma Arashi

Kuma = Kuma Arashi, Minoru = Minoru Suzuki, Hart = Hartley Jackson, Jiro = Kuroshio Tokyo Japan

Hideki and Suwama start us off and fight before the bell even rings. Hideki takes him down they get back up. Hideki full nelsons him. Sato gets in. He whips Suwama with his gi belt. Suwama then is tied up with it. Ashino is next in. Suwama whips Sato with the belt.

Ashino grabs Suwama by the waist and then then Kuma comes in. Suwama and Hideki grab each other and Aizawa comes in. He pops champagne on his way to the ring. Kuma gets a double foot choke. Hart comes out next and runs through the crowd on his way to the ring. Hart hits shots on Ashino and foot chokes him.

Hokkai comes in with his stuffed dolphin. He hugs Hideki and Aizawa charges at him. Suwama chokes Hokkai. Jiro is next in. Jiro climbs the stands and poses on the railings. Jiro teases coming in but goes to fool around in the crowd more. 

Minoru comes out next. Aizawa gets his arm bitten and Minor eye rakes Kuma. Ultimo comes out last. People try to push Aizawa and Kuma over the top. Ultimo hits kicks on Minoru. Everyone gangs up on Minoru to throw him over. Minoru and Ultimo trade.

Minoru rips on Ultimo's mask in the corner. Hokkai takes a double back elbow. Hookai bodyblocks Aizawa then Ultimo la magistrals Aizawa to pin him. Ultimo then gets group pinned.
Hart shoulders over a bunch of people then a group of people eliminate him. Hokkari swings his stuffed toy around at everyone then falls over. Hokkai then is group pinned. Ashino and Kuma trade shots. Ashino hits a hard forearm and Kuma lariats him over. Ashino germans Kuma. Ashino ankle locks Kuma and is group pinned during it. Kuma then gets group pinned.

Jiro gets surrounded and hits jacket punches on everyone. Everyone like bumps their chest into Jiro and Jiro submits. Suwama, Sato, Hideki and Minoru are the final four. Sato and Minoru trade chops. Sato hits kicks on Minoru. Suwama and Hideki are on the apron watching in separate corners. Sato water wheel drops Minoru and they trade armbars. Suzuki submits him via armbar.

Hideki neckbreakers Suwama then knee drops him. Hideki does an octopus on him. Suwama corner lariats Hideki then belly to belly suplexes him. Suwama hits double chops on Hideki and gets dropkicked. Suwama hits chops on both opponents then takes shots form both.  Minoru gotch style piledrivers Hideki and pins him.

Suwama and Minoru trade shots. Minoru sleepers him. Minoru is hanging over the top and tries to do submissions on him but fails. Suwama then boots him out for the elimination and win.

Thoughts: It wasn't good. They were doing a bad job of pretending to fight while waiting for everyone to get in. It was a slow and long match and no one really treated it seriously. Nobody came off this looking good.

Minoru hits Nagao with a railing after.

Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Dan Tamura

They lock up and Sek clean breaks him. Dan side headlocks him. They trade forearms. Sek misses a dropkick and takes a flying shoulder. Dan hits forearms and Sek pounces him. Sek twists Dan's neck with his feet and elbow drops him. Sek chops him in the back of the neck. Dan hits chest forearms and Sek chops him over.

Sek twists Dan's neck with his feet then neckbreakers him. Sek then sits on Dan's back and chinlocks him. Sek machine gun chops Dan. Dan chest forearm flurries Sek then Sek machine gun chops him.

Dan flying shoulders Sek. Dan suplexes him then does karelin's lift for 2. Sek puts Dan on his shoulders and rams him into the buckles. Sek corner spears Dan. Sek sentons and falling splashes Dan for 2. Sek chops Dan and they trade chest chops. Sek headbutts him and then suplexes him. Dan no sells it and hits a big lariat. Dan goes up top and they fight up there. Dan then stands on the mat and powerbombs Sek.

Dan hits lariats on Sek. Sek fires up and hits his own lariats. Sek enzugiri's him then germans him. Sek low crossbodies him for 2. Sek hits him with a big lariat as he comes off the ropes and pins him.

Thoughts: They did what they were supposed to but the crowd wasn't that into it. It was all chops and lariats. I thought Dan needed a big spot or two that he really didn't get in this one. It wasn't really designed to be a classic though so it would have only gotten them so far. It was okay but just not the great match it should have been.

Hokuto Omori, Cyrus and Jack Kennedy vs Rei Saito, Naruki Doi and Senor Saito

They all go outside to fight to start. Doi and Cy fight in the seats. Rei headbutts Omori on the floor. Cy chases Doi into the stands. Omori is thrown into the rails. Cy grabs a railing then Jack chops Senor. Senor eye pokes him and Jack shoulders him over. Jack slams him then elbow drops him for 2.

Rei eye pokes Omori and shoulders him over. Doi gets in and poses. Cy then shows up behind him and Doi wants out. Doi eye rakes Cy then Cy slams him. Cy then steps and stands on him.

Cy picks up Doi and throws him down. Jack clubs on Doi then fallaway slams him. Doi dropkicks Cy in the knee. Cy and Rei shoulder battle. Rei corner lariats him then Rei double chops Cy. They forearm each other at the same time. Omori top rope dropkicks Rei then Rei shoulders him over.

Senor and Rei corner splash Omori. Rei splashes Omori, Senor splashes Omori and Cy slams Doi onto all of them. Senor takes a double chokeslam. Omori takes a double powerbomb. Jack dropkicks Rei over. Cy takes a double team from Doi and Senor then double lariats them over. Cy slams Doi then vader bombs him and Senor. Omori top rope frogsplashes Senor to win.

Thoughts: It was average and nothing too special. They only had 11 minutes and they didn't exactly have the workrate all-stars in on this one. It was mostly just filler.

Both teams do backstage promos after. Kuma, Hart and Aizawa come in when Omori's team talks. 

Atsuki Aoyagi & Yuma Aoyagi vs. ELPIDA (Ren Ayabe & Ryuki Honda)

AA = Atsuki Aoyagi

This is Atsuki's first match in 10 months after getting injured.

AA and Honda wristlock each other. Honda side headlocks him then shoulders him over. AA dropkicks Honda out. AA then mocks Honda's dance. AA headlock takeovers him and they stand off. Ren and Yuma come in, do headflips and they lock up. Ren shakes Yuma's head around then Yuma dropkicks him. Ren shoulders him over. Ren slams Yuma.

Ren takes a double dropkick then is dropkicked off the apron. AA then 2nd rope moonsaults onto both opponents outside. Yuma and AA are whipped into each other outside. Yuma and AA then get thrown into the rails. 

Honda chokes AA on the ropes then does it to Yuma as well. Honda counts along with the ref on the break. Honda back elbows AA for 2. AA hits chest forearms on Ren. Ren forearms him over. Ren back body drops AA. Ren hits a high back body drop on Yuma.

AA and Honda trade forearms. Honda corner lariats AA then suplexes him. AA handspring enzugiri's Honda. Yuma comes in and dropkicks Honda. Honda flying forearms him. Yuma flying forearms Honda in the corner. Yuma top rope crossbodies Yuma for 2. Honda spinebusters Yuma. 

Ren flying neckbreakers Yuma then corner facekicks him for 2. Ren and Yuma trade forearms. Yuma dropkicks Ren. Yuma flying forearms Ren in the corner then takes a corner facekick. Yuma goes a guillotine to Ren. Ren suplexes Yuma. Yuma rock bottom's Ren. AA and Honda come in and trade forearms. AA leapfrogs him then 2nd rope diving armdrags him. AA dropkicks him. AA fisherman suplexes Ren three times for 2.

AA misses a top rope moonsault on Honda. Ren pops up AA and takes a dropkick. AA superkicks Honda then Yuma backdrops Honda. AA standing moonsaults Honda for 2. AA top rope moonsaults Honda for 2.

Ren throws AA off the top. Ren and Yuma trade shots and Ren dropkicks Yuma. AA takes corner takes and a sitout full-nelson bomb. Honda spears AA for 2. AA ddt's Honda for 2. AA step up enzugiri's Honda and Honda lariats him. Honda running lariats AA for 2. Honda running one-arm powerbombs AA and pins him.

Thoughts: I don't like AA losing on his return. That's just stupid and a great way to kill his run from the start. It was okay but not as great as it should have been. I just don't think they had the right crowd for it and they didn't do any real big spots, double teams or really anything that might have taken this to the next level.

Honda dances after. 

All Asia Tag Team Title Match - ELPIDA (Rising HAYATO & Yuma Anzai) (c) vs. Kento Miyahara & Ryo Inoue

Ryo and Yuma lock up. Ryo hits forearms on the ropes and they trade forearms. Yuma misses a dropkick and Ryo PK's him. Ken and Rising go at it. Rising wristlocks him. Ken reverses it then they trade hammerlocks. Ken wristlocks him. Rising headflips out and chops him. Rising flying headscissors him out then teases a dive. Rising poses and Ryo kicks him as he poses. Rising dropkicks Ken off the apron and poses with Yuma in the ring.

Ryo hits forearms on Ken then PK's Yuma from the apron. Ken headbutts Yuma outside and pulls his leg around the rail. Ken then kicks the leg. Yuma's leg is banged off the post and Ryo dropkicks the leg. Ken bangs Yuma's leg off the apron. Ryo stands on Yuma's leg in the ring. Ken facekicks Yuma and then Rising on the apron. Yuma hits forearms on Ken and is kicked in the back. Ken takes a belly to belly from Yuma.

Rising jumps off Ken's back to dropkick Ryo. Rising asai moonsaults Ken for 2. Rising corner dropkicks Ken then bulldogs him for 2. Ken dropkicks Rising in the knee and the side of the head. Rising and Ken trade shots. Ken pump kicks him. Ryo gets in and hits chest kicks on Rising. Rising codebreakers him. Yuma gets in and belly to belly suplexes Ryo for 2.  Ryo hits forearms on Yuma then Yuma dropkicks him. They trade forearms. Ryo hits a chest kick flurry then corner dropkicks him. Yuma hits a double dropkick on his opponents. Rising jumps off Yuma's back and dropkicks Ryo. Yuma takes a double bulldog for 2.

Ryo hits chest kicks on Yuma and Yuma dropkicks him. Yuma boots and knees Ryo around. Ryo forearms him down. Ryo gets stuck up top and takes shots. Yuma double underhook suplexes him down. Ryo no sells it then enzugiri's Yuma. All four men get a shot in and Yuma is the last one standing. Yuma flying knees Ryo then Ryo does sugar lock variation on him. Yuma ropebreaks.

Rising package tombstones Ryo then dropkicks Ken. Ken flying pumping knees Rising. Rising falcon arrows Ken. Yuma flying knees Rising in the back of the head for 2.  Ken lying pmping knees Yuma. Ryo hits headkicks on Yuma. Ryo hits a big punch and hits another headkick for 2. Ryo wristclutch backdrops Yuma for 2.

Rising springboard dropkicks Ryo into a Yuma german for 2. Yuma flying knees Ryo for 1. Ryo slaps Yuma around and punches him. Yuma flying knees Ryo. Yuma hits a gimlet on Ryo and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a good but not great match. It got a lot of time. Ryo was put over just by being in this and by getting treated as an equal. No one did any real special or dangerous offense in this one and it was mostly a normal match with more time added. I liked it but thought it could have been better with more effort put in. 

Triple Crown Title Match - Davey Boy Smith Jr. (c) vs. Jun Saito

They lock up and Davey clean breaks him on the ropes. Davey side headlocks him. Davey takes him over and Jun headscissors him. Davey bows at him and Jun side headlocks him. They shoulder battle. Jun slams him and is put in a hammerlock. Jun ropebreaks.

They fight outside. Davey kicks Jun's arm into the rail then sends him into the rail. Jun facekicks Davey over. Davey is sent into the rail and falls over right in front of Rei Saito at commentary. Davey is sent into the rails again. Jun goes up top and is thrown down. Davey headbutts Jun in the gut. 

Davey stomps on Jun then armlocks him. Davey bangs Jun's arm off his shoulder then kimura takedowns him. Davey pulls Jun's arms back. Davey flying lariats him for 2 then armlocks him. Davey hits euros. Davey boots him then takes a facekick. Jun running facekicks Davey, shoulders him over and elbow drops him. Davey powerslams Jun for 2.

They trade forearms. Jun hits a big chop and Davey hits headbutts. Davey blocks a spear. Davey germans Jun. Jun no sells it and running knees him in the back of the head. Davey reverse ddt's Jun for 2. Davey stomps on Jun. They fight on the buckles and Davey running powerslams Jun for 2.

Jun hits forearms and headbutts on Davey. Jun jackhammers Davey for 2. Davey hits some forearms and backdrops Jun for 2. Jun back body drops Davey. Jun spinning lariats him. Davey flying knees him then Jun running knees him.

Jun hooks onto Davey and throws him down for 2. Jun and Davey lariat battle. Davey lariats him for 2. Davey sitout powerbombs Jun for 2. Jun facekicks Davey then hits a spear for 2. Jun chokeslams Davey for the win.

Thoughts: This wasn't good. It was a very average and generic match with no major highlights and nothing super exciting going on in it. The finish came out of nowhere and no one was really ready for it. The match was slower paced and Jun did not impress in his big win. Neither of these two are great workers and there was nothing to suggest this was going to be a classic. I gotta give them credit for disappointing me even when I had low expectations for this.

Jun talks on the mic after. Davey comes in. He says it didn't go how he imagined it. He says sometimes you can't and won't win. He says it was an honor to share the ring with Jun. They shake hands. Davey says he was the better man and hopes Jun will give him a rematch somewhere down the road. Jun says arigato and thank you. Jun says he loves Zen Nippon Doom (?) and Davey says he loves Zen Nippon. They then say it together and streamers are shot out.

Overall thoughts: It wasn't one of AJPW's better efforts. The main looked disappointing and average at best on paper and it wasn't even that. The 3rd match from the top was okay but Atsuki losing on his return was stupid. The semi-main was good and probably the best match on here. Sekimoto/Dan was okay but didn't get enough time and they didn't really go all out for it. Everyone really did kind of take it easy for this show and no one really tried their best for this one. The matches all also got a lot of time that they didn't always need. I'll give this one a 4 out of 10 and would not recommend it. This was a disappointing show.