All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/26/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 7

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/26/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 7

Aigle Blanc, Dan Tamura, Hideki Suzuki, Jack Kennedy & MUSASHI vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Mike D Vecchio, Rising HAYATO, Ryo Inoue & Ryuki Honda

AB = Aigle Blanc

AB takes over Mike. Mike wristlocks him. AB gets out. Mike kips out and flips him by the wrist. Mike drops down and AB does a flip over him. AB wristlocks him and Mike does a seated flip off the ropes to get out. AB 2nd rope diving headscissors Mike. Mike catches AB's 2nd rope crossbody. He gorilla press drops him and standing moonsaults him for 2. 

Honda and Suzuki get in. Suzuki tries to avoid getting choked against the 2nd rope but fails. Honda then counts along with the ref on the count like usual. Ryo and Musashi get in. Musashi ducks a lock-up. Ryo hits chest kicks then Musashi hits chops on him.

Ryo superkicks him in the gut then running facekicks him. Ryo struts then Suzuki struts with him. Suzuki then knocks him over. Ryo takes corner attacks from the other team. Ryo enzugiri's Dan down. Rising jumps off of Dan's back and dropkicks his partners on the apron. Rising running back elbows Dan. Rising plancha's Dan outside.

Rising dropkicks Dan then Dan lariats him over. Rising falcon arrows Dan. Honda and Jack get in. They shoulder battle and trade forearms. Jack shoulders him over. Jack hits a corner splash for 2. Honda spears Jack. Musashi hits dropkicks and a double stomp on Ryo. everyone then starts coming in to do a move. AB does a tope con hilo outside onto multiple people. Mike then asai moonsaults onto all of them outside.
Jack and Honda collide with lariats. Jack lariats him over for 2. Honda hits a big lariat on Jack then hits a 2nd one for 2. Honda running one arm powerbombs Jack and wins.

Thoughts: It was an okay opener. We got some highlights here. Honda and Jack matched up well here. I'd like to see them fight but sadly Jack didn't make the cut for the Carnival. There was nothing wrong with this and it was a good appetizer for the night.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Shotaro Ashino vs. Xyon

X pushes him off the lock up. Sho waistlocks him and X throws him off. Sho side headlocks him. X goes for a blue thunder but takes a headlock takeover. They then stand off. Sho hits a hard forearm and euro. Sho running euros him. Sho karelin's lifts him.

X pump kicks him. X camle clutches him. X chokes him on the ropes. X headbutt drops him then splashes his back. X throws him so hard into the buckles that X ends up doing a corkscrew off of it. Sho hits euros on X.

X knocks over Sho then double stomps him. Sho ankle locks him. Sho boots him out of the corner then X death valley drivers him for 2. Sho trips him into an ankle lock. X then taps out.

Thoughts: It was average but still better than the usual Xyon offerings. I thought they could have shaved a few minutes off of this one which would have helped it.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Kengo Mashimo

They lock up then Davey poses. Davey side headlocks him then he shoulders him over. Davey slams him for 2. Ken hammerlocks him. They trade forearms. Davey knees him in the gut and Ken slides out. Davey is pulled out. Ken hits shots on him and Davey sends him into the rails. Davey stomps him.

They go back in. Davey hits some shots then boots him in the gut. Davey suplexes him for 2. Davey does a chinlock. Davey then dropkicks him. Davey legdrops him twice for 1.

Davey gets back body dropped off a piledriver attempt. They trade forearms and Ken gamengiri's him. Ken drives Davey's arm into the mat with his knee from the 2nd rope. Ken bangs Davey's arm off his shoulder. Davey facekicks him. Ken armbars him and Davey ropebreaks.

Ken goes for another armbar and is side slammed. Ken's throat is pulled down over the top rope. Davey's arm is pulled down over the top rope. Davey powerslams Ken for 2. Davey backdrops him for 2. Davey gets a 2 count on him. Ken then grabs the arm and rolls him up out of nowhere to win.

Thoughts: It wasn't that good as expected. There weren't a lot of exciting moments and the finish was a bit random. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Kuma Arashi vs. Jun Saito

Kuma does his yell to start things. They lock up. Kuma backs him up on the ropes and cleanbreaks. Kuma side headlocks him. They shoulder battle then Jun shoulders him over. They go outside and Kuma is sent into the rails. Jun misses a running boot against the post. Kuma then bangs Jun's head off the post.

Kuma throws Jun into the rails then chokes him with a towel. Kuma sentons him for 2 then stands on his gut. Jun back body drops him. Jun hits corner facekicks then suplexes him for 2. Kuma claws him then dropkicks him.

Kuma torture racks him then samoan drops him off of it for 2. Kuma hits a corner lariat and stands on his gut. Kuma misses a 2nd rope senton. Jun running knees him for 1 off of it.

They collide with lariats and Jun goes down. Jun chokeslams him for 2. Kuma suplexes him then Jun hits a big spear for 2. They trade forearms and shots. Jun lariats him down for 2. Jun flying knees him while he's on his knee and wins.

Thoughts: It was a solid heavyweight match here. They didn't go all out but we got a bunch of strikes, slams and lariats. Kuma was definitely one of Jun's better opponents so far and I'd like to see this again on a bigger star. I doubt we will though.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Takashi Yoshida vs. Kento Miyahara

The crowd chants for Ken and Yoshida tries to get them to chant for him. They lock up and Yoshida clean breaks him. Yoshida offers a handshake then hits Ken in the throat. Yoshida rakes his eyes on the ropes then Ken facekicks him. They go out and Ken headbutts him out there multiple times.

Yoshida tries to hide behind Nagao. Ken facekicks Nagao and headbutts Yoshida. Yoshida kicks the middle rope into Ken's crotch as he tries to re-enter the ring. Yoshida then chokes Ken with tape. Yoshida stands on Ken's face then rakes his eyes on the top rope.

Yoshida fist drops Ken then rakes his eyes on a chinlock. Ken dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head. Yoshida is headbutted then kicks Ken in the crotch when he falls. Ken back body drops him. They trade forearms for chops. Yoshida hits shots to the throat then does a double throat thrust. Yoshida enzugiri's him.

Yoshida running lariats him for 2. Ken ducks a shot. Ken pumping knees him then hits a straightjacket german for the win.

Thoughts: It was what you would expect with Yoshida relying on his cheap heel offense as usual and Ken hitting a lot of headbutts and his usual offense. It wasn't that good as expected and Ken didn't do a great job of making Yoshida look good here. I didn't really buy that Yoshida was going for the win in this one.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Hokuto Omori vs. Madoka Kikuta

They lock up and Omori blows a kiss on the break. Omori ties to do it again and gets grabbed. MK then shoulders him over. MK rakes his face with his feet on the ropes. Omori hides under the ring then dropkicks MK in the back of the knee when he gets back in. Yoshida gets some cheapshots in on MK outside while the ref is distracted.

MK misses a charge into the rails. Omori puts MK's face in Kuma's butt then Yoshida kancho's MK in the butt. Omori stands on MK's back then punches him in the butt.

They trade chops. Omori eye rakes and back elbows him. Omori then backdrops him for 2. MK leg lariats him out of the corner then hits chops. MK double chops him then slams him. MK legdrops him for 2. MK diving hip attacks Omori's buddies off the apron.

Omori rolls MK up for 2. MK spinning lariats him. Omori counters a hip attack with an atomic drop then dragon suplexes him. Omori brainbusters him for 2. Omori comes off the top and lands on MK's knees. MK hip attacks Omori twice for 2. MK spinning lariats him and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't super serious here with heels attacking MK's butt. It was something different though. It was just an average match here and MK won as expected. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Yuma Aoyagi vs. Rei Saito

Yuma brings beer out. Rei shoves him on the lock-up. They shoulder battle. Rei is pulled over the top then dropkicked off the apron. They go into the crowd and Yuma chokes him with a towel. Rei then chokes him with the towel. Rei chops him in the crowd then hits him in the gut while he's seated.

Rei running shoulders him against the post outside. Yuma goes for a slam inside and Rei falls on him. Yuma sunset flips him, Rei blocks it and butt drops him. Rei stands on Yuma's gut then elbow drops him.

Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him then hits flying forearms. Yuma top rope dropkicks him for 2. Rei hits chops on Yuma. Rei shoulders him over for 2.

Rei hits more chops. Yuma hits some forearms then they attack each other on the ropes. Rei misses a corner charge and Yuma backdrops him for 2. Yuma top rope elbow drops him for 2. Rei throws Yuma off the top then chokeslams him for 2. Rei misses a butt drop and Yuma jack knifes him for 2.

Yuma running lariats him for 2. Rei lariats him for 2. Rei blocks a sunset flip and hits a hard headbutt. Rei powerbombs Yuma for the win. 

Thoughts: There was some decent big man vs smaller man stuff here but it wasn't the most serious match. They wasted some time outside early on which didn't add much. I felt like they got what this was supposed to be though after they go in. I just wish it was more serious as it would have been really good if it was.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Ren Ayabe vs. Yuma Anzai

Yuma wristlocks him then Ren reverses it. Ren cleanbreaks him on the ropes. They shoulder battle. They trade forearms. Yuma dropkicks him. Ren slams him. They forearm each other and Ren facekicks him for 2. Ren chinlocks him. Yuma sits on the top rope and Ren dropkicks him down. Ren bangs Yuma's head off the apron.

Yuma is sent into the rails. Yuma tries to springboard off the rails but meets a forearm. Yuma is then slammed on the floor. Ren forearms him down inside then slams him for 2. Ren crabs him. Yuma ropebreaks.

Yuma boots him out of the corner and 2nd rope dropkicks him. Yuma hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. Yuma dropkicks him. Ren corner facekicks him then neckbreakers him. Ren misses a facekick off the ropes and Yuma flying knees him off the apron. They trade forearms on the apron. Ren then does a full-nelson slam on the apron.

Yuma germans him then hits a flying knee. Ren suplexes him. They trade forearms. Yuma double underhook suplexes him then flying knees him from behind for 2. Ren dropkicks him. They fight on the buckles and Ren 2nd rope superplexes him for 2.

Ren release dragon suplexes him and Yuma rolls him up for 2. Yuma flying knees him for 2. Yuma hits forearms then Ren dropkicks him. Ren full-nelson slams him for 2. Yuma dives at him with a knee and they trade forearms. Yuma germans him for 2. Yuma hits a botched gimlet on Ren and wins.

Thoughts: It got a lot of time. It was a decent main and they tried to have a good main, but there was nothing too memorable about this one. Ren just does not bring anything to the table but being tall and being able to execute moves clean and that limits everything. Any kind of spirit or basic heel work from Ren would have helped this so much but he just wasn't up to it. 

Yuma then talks on the mic after.

Overall thoughts: The opener was okay. Ashino/Xyon was average. Kuma/Jun was one of Jun's best matches yet. Yoshida/Kento wasn't good and was what you would expect. Omori/Kikuta was different but not super serious. Yuma/Rei also wasn't super serious but they did kind of get what they were supposed to do so it was okay. They main was decent enough but Ren just has nothing going on besides being able to not botch stuff and it wasn't great. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 overall and say it was a little above average.