All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/23/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 6

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/23/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 6

Day 5 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-4202025.html

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Takashi Yoshida vs. Xyon

Why would you open a show up with the two worst wrestlers on it?

They lock up and break on the ropes. Xyon side headlocks him. Xyon shoulders him over. TY hits him in the throat. Xyon shoulders him over then sends him into the rails outside. Xyon goes up top but TY rolls away.

Xyon double stomps him. Xyon running elbows him in the corner. TY throat thrusts him several times. TY hits headbutts. Both go down and Xyon falls into his crotch. TY then falls down and kicks him in the crotch. TY hits shots to the throat and enzugiri's him. Xyon flying shoulders him twice and wins.

Thoughts: Atleast it was kept shot. It wasn't too much of note here and they really just stuck to simple strikes and brawling.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Kengo Mashimo vs. Shotaro Ashino

They trade forearms. Sho trips him then germans him. Sho goes for an ankle lock. Ken tries to PK him from the apron but Sho catches his foot and ankle locks him. Sho is sent into the rails then Ken facekicks him. Ken chest kicks him against the rails.

Ken sends Sho into the rails. Ken elbows the arm. Ken bangs Sho's arm off his shoulder. They trade chops. Ken single arm ddt's him then runs into Sho's euro. Ken rolling armbars him. Sho ankle locks him. Ken armbars him and Sho ankle locks him out of it.

Sho ankle locks him then hits a suplex out of it. Ken knees him in the face then is lariated and backdropped for 2. Sho germans him for 2. Ken pulls back on both of his arms while on his back and taps him out.

Thoughts: It was a shorter match with a decent bit of action. They abbreviated Ken's work the arm match here and I would say it was for the better. Sho also got some ankle work in before going down. I liked it. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Ryuki Honda vs. Ren Ayabe

Honda wristlocks him then Ren side headlock takeovers him. They trade forearms and Ren shoulders him over. Honda is sent into the rails but he bounces off and shoulders Ren over. Honda hammerlocks him around the rail. Honda boots the rail into his arm. Ren is sent into the rail then facekicks him over.

Honda is sent into the rails. Honda grabs the arm and Ren knees him in the gut. Ren flying neckbreakers him then corner facekicks him for 2. Ren tries his hammerlock + dragon sleeper but Honda ropebreaks. Honda suplexes him. Honda hits a corner lariat then corner spears him for 2.

Honda is put on the top buckle and Ren dropkicks him down. They trade forearms on the apron. Honda germans him on the apron. Honda and Ren hit corner attacks. Ren facekicks him. Honda hits a big lariat. Ren suplexes him.

They forearm each other. Honda armbars him then turns it into a crossface. Honda hits a big lariat then hits another for 2. Ren dropkicks him then full-nelson slams him for 2. Honda lariats him. Ren facekicks him. Ren hits a dragon suplex then Honda germans him. Ren dragon suplexes him for 2. Ren hits a spinning falcon arrow and wins.

Thoughts: It was a moves based match. But since there weren't any faces or heels here, maybe that was for the best. What we got was fine with the two trading high impact moves. It was one of Ren's better matches of the tournament so far and I liked this. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Madoka Kikuta vs. Yuma Anzai

One could say this is kind of a mini-dream match as it's two top guys from DG and AJPW going at it. I don't know anyone who dreamed of it though.

They trade forearms for chops. MK double chops him then Yuma dropkicks him. They trade shots outside. MK is sent into the rails. They trade more forearms outside. Yuma is sent into the rails but does a springboard forearm off of them.

They go back inside and trade forearms for chops. Yuma hits forearms in the corner. MK leg lariats him. MK is pulled over the top then MK flying knees him off the apron. MK hip attacks him against the rail.

MK boots him in the corner when they get back in. He running hip attacks him there. MK stands on his face then running hip attacks him for 2. MK hits chops. Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him. Yuma flying forearms him in the corner then belly to belly suplexes him for 2.

MK hits chops then Yuma dropkicks him. They trade forearms and headbutts. MK pump kicks him then they slap each other at the same time. Yuma flying knees him then MK flying hip attacks him. Yuma germans him and MK spinning lariats him.

Yuma dragon suplexes him and flying knees him. Yuma germans him for 2. MK hip attacks him from behind and then into the face. He lariats him for 2. He then running lariats him for 2. MK running larits him and wins.

Thoughts: It a good match as expected. It was all flying knees, lariats and hip attacks. MK did his usual stuff and Yuma matched up well against him. I was surprised to see MK get the win here. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Mike D Vecchio vs. Yuma Aoyagi

They compete for cheers to start. Mike clean breaks him and taunts him. Yuma then flying headscissors him and taunts him. They wristlock each other. Mike seated flips off the ropes to escape then armdrags him out. Mike facekicks him off the apron then topes him.

They trade forearms outside. Mike tries to send him into the rails but Yuma falls over. Mike hits snake eyes on him on the apron. Mike hits a top rope elbow drop for 2. Mike misses a 450 and is dropkicked. Yuma 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Yuma then top rope crossbodies him for 2. 

Mike trips and jack knifes him. Mike spinning enzugiri's him and Yuma rock bottoms him. Yuma goes up top and is enzugiri'd down. Mike then suicide dives him outside. Mike springboard back elbows him. Yuma hits forearms then Mike brainbusters him. Mike then does a nice spinning doctor bomb for 2.

Mike double jump springboards and is caught with a neckbreaker. Yuma then running lariats him. Yuma brainbusters him. Mike is supposed to kick out but doesn't and the ref only counts 2. Yuma hits another brainbuster and pins him.

Thoughts: The finished got messed up here which is a shame since this well otherwise. Yuma hitting a 2nd brainbuster when Mike didn't kick out was not very smart as if he was hurt, he probably just made it worse. I did like the match though other than that as Mike got to do his flying without overdoing it and Yuma did some different stuff than usual like a running lariat.

Yuma talk on the mic after.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Kento Miyahara

They lock up and go to the ropes. Davey side headlocks him then headlock takeovers him. Ken headscisssors him. Davey gets out and poses. Davey armlocks him, Ken trips him and toe locks him. Davey turns it into a pin attempt and they stand off. Davey camel clutches him then tries to roll into an armbar but Ken ropebreaks.

Davey forearms him on the ropes. Ken facekicks him outside then headbutts him there. Ken is sent into the rails outside then has his head banged off the apron. Davey stomps him in the gut inside. Davey camle clutches him. Davey elbow drops him. 

Davey crucifixes him for 2 then chinlocks him. They fight for leverage and Davey pulls his arms back. Ken then ropebreaks. Davey stomps on him. Ken dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head. Ken is put up top.

They trade forearms and Ken germans him. Ken pumping knees then Davey flies at him for 2. Davey superplexes him for 2. Davey sitout powerbombs him for 2. Davey misses a top rope legdrop. They each try pin attempts. Daey powerslams him then sitout pwoerbombs him for the win.

Thoughts: It was the usual generic Davey match. It was okay but Davey doesn't have a lot of personality or spirit and his big singles matches all tend to be the same. They are suitable but they are nothing you'd ever rewatch or go out of your way to see.

Davey gets on the mic after. He says he plans to win the Champion Carnival. Davey then wants to do the I love Zen Nippon chant.  

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Hideki Suzuki vs. Jun Saito

Putting this in the semi main is a bold move. They grapple and Jun gets his back then front facelocks him. HS ropebreaks then side headlocks him. HS headlock takeovers him. Jun backdrops him. Jun knocks him off the apron. HS pulls him out and sends him into the rail and post. They trade shots outside. They go back in and HS does foot slaps and weak kicks to the chest.

HS knees him in the chest then Jun slams him. Jun boots and foot chokes him in the corner. Jun slams and elbow drops him for 2. Jun stands on his gut. Jun hits a corner facekick then suplexes him for 2. HS hanging headscissors him.

HS hits a euro then Jun running boots him in the gut. HS does a guillotine choke and Jun suplexes him out of it. Jun chokeslams him. HS armdrags him and enzugiri's him. HS tombstones him and dragon suplexes him. Jun no sells it and spears him. Jun then hits a jackhammer for 2.

They fight on the buckles. Jun 2nd rope superplexes him. HS finlay rolls him. HS hits forearms to the gut. Jun slaps and lariats him for 2. HS dropkicks him then hits downward elbows on the neck. HS hits kicks some kicks to the upper chest and does a grounded octopus.

HS switches to the sleeper and then just pins him.

Thoughts: The finish was out of nowhere here and was weak. It wasn't that good as expected. HS mostly bullied around Jun here and there weren't any real highspots or big moments in this. I was surprised Jun lost.

HS talks on the mic after and grabs him by the hair while he's outside.

Aigle Blanc, Hokuto Omori, Kuma Arashi, MUSASHI & Ryo Inoue vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Dan Tamura, Rei Saito, Rising HAYATO & Taishin Nagao

Kuma's whole team is dressed up like female maids. Dan is dressed like a samurai and 3 of Rei's partners are dressed up like women as well.

The fight goes outside to start and they go into the stands. Rei is eyepoked by Kuma in the stands. Kuma's team holds Rei's team. Kuma tries to charge into Rei's team but nails his own partner. Rising and AA jumps off the entrance way in the stands onto opponents.

Rei foot chokes Omori. He teases chopping him. Musasahi interrupts and Rei rips his maid costume down, showing a bra. Rei and the announcers find it hilarious. Rei shoulders him over for 2. Dan slams Omori for 2. Omori flatliners Dan.

Omori tries a tower of doom spot with his partners trying to powerbomb him down for the superplex. However, Dan doesn't go with him and Omori is just powerbombed. Dan and Omori trade forearms. Dan lariats him and Omori germans him. Blanc legsweeps then upkicks Dan. Blanc then headscissors drops Dan. AA takes a twisting suplex from Blanc. Rising comes off the 2nd rope and is caught with a twisting suplex. 

Blanc springboard plancha's over the front row onto his opponents. Blanc misses a 450 and takes a samoan drop from Dan. Rei hits chops on Blanc. Rei shoulders over Blanc for 2. Rei misses a corner charge and takes a springboard flying knee. Kuma sentons Rei for 2. Kuma shoulders over Rei then slams Omori onto him. Rei's hair is then tied up in pigtails. Rei chops Omori and Kuma for doing it then crossbodies Kuma.

Kuma racks Rei then samoan drops him. Musasahi and Nagao go at it. Nagao hits forearms. Naga dropkicks him then does a 619. Nagao top rope dropkicks Musashi for 2. Musashi double stomps his back and basement dropkicks him. Nagao takes corner attacks from his opponents. He is then slammed and avoids a top rope splash. Nagao dropkicks Omori and Kuma. Nagao then suplexes Kuma in a surprising moment.

Musashi takes corner attacks then AA standing moonsaults him for 2. Blanc hits a spanish fly on AA. Everyone starts coming to hit a move. Rising is then superplexed off the 2nd rope onto his partners. Musasahi hits exploders on AA. AA corkscrew kicks him then Musasahi falcon arrows him. Musashi germans him for 2. Musashi hits a top rope splash on AA for 2.

Musashi hits a big chop then Rising single lef dropkicks Musashi. AA handspring cartwheel kicks Musashi and Musashi hits a double ddt. AA hits a top rope 450 on Musashi and wins.

Thoughts: Okay, let me ask the obvious - why was everyone dressed like a girl here? Who thought of that? Why is it such a problem for wrestlers not to dress like women in 2025? I thought it was a stupid match since it was clearly not serious yet they had a full match with kickouts and nearfalls. This was embarrassing.

AA then talks on the mic to close the show.

Overall thoughts: They kept the first two matches shorter which helped them. Ren/Honda was fine, Kikuta/Yuma was good and Mike/Aoyagi had a good match minus the finish. Davey/Kento was generic but okay and Junk/Hideki wasn't good. Everyone decided to dress up like women in the main and that did nothing for me. I'd give this a 7 out of 10 but the main and semi main brought this down. I did like it overall but it was a bit long at over 3 hours.