All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/27/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 8

All Japan Pro Wrestling 4/27/2025 Champion Carnival 2025 Day 8

Day 7 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/all-japan-pro-wrestling-4262025.html

Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue vs. Atsuki Aoyagi & MUSASHI

Dan and AA go at it. They trade wristlocks. Dan rolls out of one then side headlocks him. Dan shoulders him over. AA tilt-a-whirl armdrags him out. AA side headlock takeovers him, gets put in a headscissors and they stand off.

Mu and Ryo go at it. Ryo double axe handles his back. Mu slingshot stomps him on the back of his head. Mu hits kicks. Ryo hiptosses him and kicks him in the back.

Mu is stomped on in the corner. Mu fights off a 2v1 then Ryo stands on his throat in the corner. Mu exploders Ryo. AA 2nd rope diving armdrags Ryo then dropkicks him. Dan comes in and AA dropkicks him off the pop-up. AA 2nd rope moonsaults him outside.

Ryo step up enzugiri's AA in the ring. AA takes corner attacks. Dan then karelin's lifts him and Ryo PK's him. Mu dropkicks Ryo in the knee, double stomps him and basement dropkicks him. Mu then plancha's Dan outside. AA and Ryo trade forearms. Ryo ddt's him for 2. Ryo buzzsaw kicks him for 2.

AA corkscrew kicks Ryo. AA then handspring corkscrew kicks him for 2. AA fisherman suplexes him and holds on for 2 more for 2. AA hits a top rope moonsault and wins.

Thoughts: It was a solid opener here. They had me convinced a few of the nearfalls were going to be pins and we got some decently paced juniors action out of this.  

Naruki Doi, Rei Saito & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Ren Ayabe, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai

Ren and Doi go at it. Ren wants a test of strength but Doi can't reach. Doi goes on the buckles to even things up and still loses the test. Doi stomps Ren's foot then they shoulder battle. Doi dropkicks him in the knee. Aoyagi and Doi fail to do an irish whip then argue. Ren flying neckbreakers both.

Ren slams Aoyagi then corner facekicks him for 2. Honda back body drops Aoyagi. Anazi then does the same. Ren wants to do one and Aoyagi bows to get off. Aoyagi then is back body dropped by Ren for 2.

Honda chokes Aoyagi on the ropes and counts with the ref on the break. Aoyagi hits a dropkick on Honda. Rei comes in and chops up Honda. Rei then shoulders him over for 2. Rei chops Honda then Honda back body drops him.

Anzai comes in and corner forearms Rei. He dropkicks him then hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. Rei shoulders him against the ropes. Anzai takes corner attacks. Rei then running lariats his own partner and Anzai for some reason. Rei splashes Anzai for 2.

Aoyagi dropkicks Doi on accident. Rei and Ren trade. Ren dropkicks him then Honda lariats him. Doi crucifixes Anzai off the gimlet attempt. Anzai flying knees Doi for 2. Anzai hits a gimlet and wins.

Thoughts: It was all comedy here as has been the case with AJPW undercards. It was okay I suppose but not really the classic they could have done. I didn't like Rey hitting his own partner in the corner.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Mike D Vecchio vs. Hokuto Omori

They lock-up. Omori blows a kiss at him in the corner then side headlocks him. Mike throws him off and is forearmed down. Mike pops back up and running facekicks him. Mike then suicide dives him outside.

Mike sends Omori into the rails then chops him outside. Omori is slammed on the floor. Mike springboard elbows Omori for 2. Mike catches Omori's 2nd rope crossbody, fallaway slams him and standing moonsaults him for 2.

Omori germans Mike then dropkicks him in the knee. Omori spinning forearms him then brainusters him for 2. Omori comes off the top but Mike gets his knees up. Omori is dropped gut first on the ropes. They trade forearms and Mike lariats him. Omori hits a long top rope elbow drop for 2.

Omori nearly pushes Mike into the ref then flying headscissors him into a pin attempt and wins.

Thoughts: It was the usual for both men. Mike did his big spots and Omori did whatever you call what he does. Mike didn't overdo it here but the finishing stretch wasn't too good and didn't add to this. It was just average.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block B Match - Aigle Blanc vs. Madoka Kikuta

They lock up. MK wristlocks him. AB headflips out then side headlocks him. MK chops him then AB flying headscissors him. AB boots him off the apron then 2nd rope moonsaults him outside.

AB hits some shots outside and sends his back into the apron. MK shoulders him over inside. MK hits chops then cravates him. MK headscissors him and AB ropebreaks.

They trade chops and AB goes down. AB 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. AB htis an enzugiri then a twisting brainbuster for 2. MK chops and leg lariats him for 2. AB jumping ddt's him after taking some chops. AB then springboards and ddt's him on the apron.

AB srpingboard dropkicks him for 2. AB then hits a coast to coast dropkick. AB misses a 450 and MK jumping hip attacks him. MK hits chops then AB chops back. They lariat battle then MK lariats him down. MK goes for a jumping hip attack and is dragon suplexed. He then hits a jumping hip attack and a lariat for 2.

MK flips him with a lariat and wins.

Thoughts: It was one of Blanc's better matches this tournament but I'd give MK most of the credit here. They timed this right and there was enough of a break between Blanc's spots to make this work I liked it and MK continues to look like maybe the best worker in this.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Hideki Suzuki vs. Kuma Arashi

Kuma clean breaks him on the ropes and does his yell. HS takes him down and they trade some basic holds. HS rolls him up for 2 then cradles him. HS rolling armbars him. Kuma slams him to escape.

Kuma sentons him for 2. Kuma racks him and HS grabs a sleeper. HS then rolls him up with pin attempts for 2 counts. HS flips him over and goes for more pins. HS slides under legs and rolls him up for another 2 count. Kuma crossbodies him.

Kuma hits a big lariat for 2. Kuma misses a 2nd rope senton. HS goes for the pin but Kuma reverses it and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a decent match. It didn't go long and HS stuck to the wrestling while Kuma did sentons I was totally fine with this and it feels like HS is finally learning how to be entertaining.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Takashi Yoshida vs. Shotaro Ashino

They lock up. TY cleanbreaks him and tries to get him to shake hands like he has been doing all tournament. He then hits Sho in the throat. TY pulls on his nose. Sho takes him down then throws him out. TY's banged off the rails outside and they go into the crowd to brawl.

TY is sent into the rails. Sho hits euros. TY falls down and kicks him in the nuts off of it. Sho's head is banged off the buckles. TY takes off a turnbuckle pad while Kuma distracts the ref.

Sho is sent into the exposed buckle. TY chokes him with tape. TY boots his head then Shot hits forearms. TY no sells them then uppercuts him. Sho running euros him then hits karelin's lift. Sho then goes for the ankle lock and TY ropebreaks.

TY hits more shots to the throat/chin then enzugiri's him. TY sentons him. Sho back body drops him then ankle locks him. TY double chops him in the throat then hits more uppercut shots. TY misses a double chop to the throat. Sho then pulls on TY's fingers/arm and does the killer nagata taunt. He then taps him out.

Thoughts: I didn't have a lot of high hopes for this and it was not that good. Yoshida did little but his throat shots and it just went on and on until it ended.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Kento Miyahara vs. Xyon

X does a haka for his entrance. X pushes him off from the lock-up then throws him off of his waistlock attempt. Ken side headlocks him and tries to shoulder him over. X side headlocks him. Ken facekicks him then X does a spinning forearm.

X hits him in the gut outside. Ken is sent into the rail. X charges him there but goes into it. Ken then headbutts him outside. Ken gets thrown into the rail. X headbutts him outside. X drops Ken face first on the apron.

X hits shots to the gut then sends Ken into the buckles for 2. Ken dropkicks X in the knee and the side of the head. Ken corner forearms him. X then fires up. X hits a death valley driver variation for 2. X misses a top rope diving headbutt. X hits a big lariat for 2.

X misses a corner charge and is rolled up for 2. Ken hits a pumping knee then another. Ken straightjacket germans him and wins.

Thoughts: Xyon still didn't do a lot here but it was probably the best match he ever had. I can't say a lot of it was due to him though. This was better than it had any right to be and I thought it was a good attempt overall.

Champion Carnival 2025 Block A Match - Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Jun Saito

They lock up. Davey clean breaks him.Jun then clean breakers him. Davey side headlocks him. Davey takes him over then side headlocks him. Jun headscissors him. They get back up and Jun hits a backdrop after being side headlocked. Davey is sent into the rails then Jun is sent into the rails.

They charage at each other outside. Davey suplexes him on the floor. Davey then boots him out there. Davey bangs Jun's head off the apron then slams him for 2. Davey chinlocks him then crucifixes him. Davey then does another headscissors with an armlock and Jun ropebreaks.

They trade forearms. Davey headbutts him in the gut then pulls his arms back. Jun ropebreaks. Davey euros him and Jun forearms him back. Davey legdrops him twice for 2. Davye chinlocks him again. Jun back body drops him.

Jun corner facekicks him and shoulders him over. Jun then elbow drops him. They trade forearms and Davey hits a powerslam for 2. They go on the buckles and Davey is pushed off. Jun misses a diving lariat off the top. Jun then spears Davey. 

They go to the apron and Davey ddt's him there. Davey stomps Jun. Jun is put on the buckles. Jun then 2nd rope chokeslams Davey down for 2. Davey germans him, Jun no sells it and knees him in the back of the head. Jun slaps him and Davey hits a spinning forearm. Davey backdrops him for 2. Davey sitout powerbombs him and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't that good as expected. The first part of this was very boring and it had a slower pace to it that never really picked up. This is just what happens when you put two of the most boring guys on the roster in the main.

Davey is given a prize for free ramen after. He thanks the sponsors for that. He says he was victorious tonight. He says he loves ramen and Zen Nippon and does "I love Zen Nippon" with the crowd to close the show.

Overall thoughts: The opener was decent and the 2nd match was mostly comedy. Omori/Mike was average. Kikuta got a good one out of Blanc. Suzuki/Kuma was fine. Yoshida/Ashino was boring. Xyon maybe had his best match ever against Kento and the main was boring as expected. I'd give this a 5 out of the 10 as we had a fair mix of good, bad and average matches. I wouldn't recommend this.