All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/9/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 1

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/9/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 1

We get all the people in the CC with the trophy before it starts. Sadly they didn't come out to Olympia. Davey and Takashi Yoshida almost fight. Suzuki and Kento shake hands.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Ryuki Honda vs. Rei Saito

They charge at each other and shoulder battle. Rei shoulders him over. Honda is sent into the rails. Rei misses a charge against the post and goes into it. Honda chokes Rei on the rails and counts along on the break count.

Rei kind of avoids being sent into the rail. Rei chops him then chokeslams him on the apron. Rei chops him against the post then shoulders him against the post.

Honda hits forearms in the ring. Rei chops him down. Rei hits a chop flurry for 2. Honda spears him. Honda hits a corner lariat then hits forearms. Rei side slams him.

Rei corner lariats him and shoulders him over. Honda armbars him. Rei crossbodies him. Honda hits a german then Rei backdrops him for 2. They go up on the 2nd rope. Honda hits forearms on him then running single arm powerbombs him. Rei no sells it then Honda lariats him to win.

Thoughts: I didn't like the one-arm powerbomb being no sold since that is one of Honda's big moves. I also didn't particularly love Rei getting beaten in the opener since he's a bigger star. Other than that, it was explosive as you would attack with fast paced action, lariats and shoulderblocks. I ended up liking this but it could have been better.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Hokuto Omori vs. Yuma Anzai

Omori wants to do pinky handshakes then low blows Yuma when he tries it with the ref. Omori 2nd rope superplexes him. Yuma gets his knees up on Omori's top rope splash. Omori spinning forearms him and Yuma flying knees him. Yuma flying knees him from behind. Omori hits a falcon arrow variation for 2. Omori tries a top rope splash again, Yuma gets his knees up and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a quick one. I liked it. It seemed like Omori had a shot at winning and this was all action. 

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Mike D Vecchio vs. Aigle Blanc

Mike backs up AB in the corner. AB enzugiri's him. AB hits a forearm and runs away then he hits more forearms. Mike drops him with a hard forearm. Mike catches AB headscissors. AB flips over him while he's down and Mike flying headscissors him.

Mike misses a cornercharge. AB 2nd rope diving headscissors him. AB then headscissors drops him. AB topes him outside. Mike catches AB's tope con hilo and apron powerbombs him.

Mike pulls back on AB's arms. AB back body drops him. Mike drops him gut first on the top rope. AB springboard crossbodies him. AB enzugiri's him then twisting suplexes him. AB springboard dropkicks him for 2.

Mike flips over AB off the 2nd rope then gorilla press drops him. Mike misses a double jump moonsault. Mike no sells it though and suicide dives him outside. Mike hits a top rope splash for 2.

Mike blind springboards and is caught with a dragon suplex. AB jumps off the 2nd rope inside and ddt's him on the apron. AB misses a top rope 450 then lariats Mike. Mike hits a big lariat and flips him.

AB cradles him for 2. AB flying facekicks him in the corner. AB is caught on a springboard then hurricanrana's Mike off of it for 2.

Mike enzugiri's AB. Mike is crotched up top. AB does a top rope release dragon suplex. AB 450's Mike for 2. Mike poisonrana's AB. Mike hits a top rope ssp and wins.

Thoughts: It was athletic and agile but I didn't like it. They did every big spot they could and none of them meant anything. They also definitely rushed things here.

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

Yuma side headlocks him. They collide with shoulders. Yuma hip attacks him then they hip attack each other at the same time. MK facekicks him off the apron then jumps off the apron with a hip attacks on him.

MK chops him against the rails outside. MK chops him. Yuma sends MK into the rails. Yuma then stands on the rails and double stomps him. Yuma low blows him. Yuma then hits him in the butt several times.

MK double chops Yuma then Yuma euros him. MK then hits a double chop. MK facekicks Yuma then shoulders him over. MK legdrops him for 2. MK headscissors him. 

Yuma dropkicks him then top rope crossbodies him. Yuma then does a grounded guillotine. MK hits a corner lariat and they trade forearms. MK corner lariats him again then corner hip attacks him. MK suplexes him.

Yuma blocks a hip attack with a kancho. Yuma then atomic drops him. Yuma running lariats him for 2. Yuma brainbusters him for 2. MK flying hip attacks him twice. MK running lariats him for 2. MK hits another lariat and wins.

Thoughts: I liked this. It was hard hitting but also had some fun with Yuma doing hip attacks and blocking MK's hip attacks. This was a lot better than expected and was a good match. I'd really like to see this one again as the two were just natural partners for each other.

Dan Tamura, Kuma Arashi, MUSASHI, Ryo Inoue & Shotaro Ashino vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Ren Ayabe, Rising HAYATO, Taishin Nagao & Xyon

Xyon pinned Ashino here in a surprise. It was a fast paced match that was a bit rushed. Kuma and Ren had a decent segment that made me want to see them fight and Nagao had a nice showing here. Atsuki had a nice spin kick on Ryo then got flipped by Dan with a lariat. Ashino/Xyon got a lot of focus and they didn't do a bad job with what they got.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Takashi Yoshida

Ooh this looks rough. They lock up and Davey backs him up on the ropes. Yoshida knocks away his handshake attempt. Yoshida does a clean break and both offer handshakes. Yoshida shakes the ref's hand and his buddies hand then uppercuts Davey when Davey tries.

Yoshida grabs Davey by the nose and slaps his hand down on it. Yoshida rakes Davey's face on the ropes then chokes him with tape. Davey shoulders him over then sends him into the rail. Davey euros him outside. They go back in and Davey suplexes him for 2. Davey side slams him for 2 then chinlocks him. Yoshida's head is banged off the buckles. Yoshida eye rakes him and uppercuts him. Yoshida then bangs his head off the buckles again.

Yoshida hits more uppercuts to the throat. Yoshida suplexes Davey. Davey forearms him. Davey backdrops him. Yoshida back bodydrops him then slams him. Yoshida sentons him for 2.

Davey flying knees Yoshida then Yoshida running lariats him. Davey powerslams him. Davey hits a top rope headbutt and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't good as expected. It was almost all weak strikes and there weren't a lot of bumps or big highlights here.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Kengo Mashimo vs. Jun Saito

Jun side headlocks him then Ken side headlocks him. They shoulder battle. Ken hits a headkick then backdrops him. Ken is sent into the post. Jun is sent into the rails then he shoulders Ken over outside. Jun chokes him with a towel.

They trade chest chops outside then Ken is sent into the rails. They trade shots on the apron. Ken hits headbutts then drives Jun's shoulder into the post. Ken then drives Jun's shoulder into the exposed floor with his knee.

Jun corner facekicks him and hits boots. Ken bulldogs him with the arm and armbars him. Ken hits kicks to the shoulder then bangs the arm off his shoulder. Ken armlocks him but Jun back body drops him. Jun hits corner facekicks then suplexes him for 2.

Ken armbars him and pulls on the hand then Jun ropebreaks. They go up on the ropes and Ken knee drops his arm into the mat. Jun running knees him for 2. Ken codebreakers the arm then Jun spears him for 2. Ken gamengiri's him. Jun then lariats him for 2. Ken kicks out at 1 on a jackhammer.

Ken armbars him on the buckles then Jun 2nd rope samoan drops him. Jun running knees him and wins.

Thoughts: It was alright with Ken mostly focusing on the arm and Jun getting through the abuse to grab the win. As usual, Jun didn't add a lot during this one and was mostly along for the ride. It was still easily one of his better matches though.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Kento Miyahara vs. Hideki Suzuki

HS takes him down by the arm. Ken bridges up and suplexes him. They then stare down while on the mat. They do some mat wrestling and HS tries a pin attempt. HS full-nelson's him. HS pulls Ken's arms back then side headlocks him.

They fight outside. Ken hits headbutts. HS euros him outside and sends him into the rails. They trade shots in the seats and Ken gets dropped. HS knee drops him in the ring then sleepers him while he's against the ropes. 

Ken rolls out of a lariat and HS avoids the dropkick to the side of the head. HS ties up Ken's arms. HS does the garvin stomp to Ken then he twists his neck with his feet. Ken dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head.

HS goes for a straight punch and is put in a triangle. Ken piledrivers him on the apron. Ken pumping knees him on the ropes. HS then finlay rolls him. HS hits forearms to the gut.

HS pulls back on Ken's arms then Ken flying knees him. HS hits downward elbows. Ken back body drops him and hits a nice flying pumping knee. Ken pumping knees him for 2.

HS hits shots to the gut then double underhook suplexes him twice for the win.

Thoughts: Suzuki winning was a surprise. HS mostly worked the arms and hit shots to the gut here while Ken did his usual offense. It wasn't that interesting as it had a slower pace with lots submissions. but I guess it was okay enough.

Suzuki talks on the mic after. 

Overall thoughts: I mostly liked the first match. Omori/Anzai was short but entertaining. Mike/Blanc was an indy spotfest. Yuma/Kikuta was the surprise standout of the night and was a good match that got the best out of both. Davey/Yoshida was boring as expected. Kengo/Jun wasn't a smash hit and while Jun was just along for the ride, it was better than I expected. I suppose the main was okay but it wasn't great or super exciting. I'd give this one a 7 out of 10 but even that's a close call.