Takao Omori, Chikara & Tatsuki Honda vs. Yoshitatsu, Yusuke Okada & MEN’s Teioh
Yoshitatsu, you beautiful bastard, you’ve done it. World Famous MEN’s Teioh as the new Yoshitatsu Kingdom member is the most inspired piece of casting of the year and I’m so ready for this man to slap on the spinning toe hold on the old men of All Japan undercard. Already salivating about the inevitable Teioh/Nishimura Dory Funk Jr. on a pole death match. In other news, former WRESTLE-1 lad Honda seems to have changed his name and Okada/Chikara was a weirdly compelling pairing? I am fired up. **
And just like that, Teioh reveals that his Yoshitatsu Kingdom citizenship was only a one time deal, crushing all of my hopes and dreams. Chikara immediately asking to replace him was brilliant comedy though.
Jake Lee vs. Kuma Arashi – Champion Carnival (Block A)
These guys had a solid match during the empty arena TV era and this was more of that same good stuff. Kuma worked on top and joyfully crushed the Gentleman Shooter with his burly power offense. Absolutely lost my shit for the man’s flying senton off the apron. Peak Kuma Arashi content. Meanwhile, Jake stuck with the arm-work focus of his match with Suwama and it’s a good look for him. It adds some depth to his matches and gives him something other than the Backdrop to work with for potential finishes. Will 2020 finally be the year of the new and improved Arm Work Jake Lee? Stay tuned. ***1/4
Shuji Ishikawa vs. Shotaro Ashino – Champion Carnival (Block B)
The Battle of the Metallica Stans did not disappoint. Ishikawa lived up to the Violence Giants name and beat the living hell out of Ashino here. I haven’t seen this level of stiffness from the big dawg in a long time and it worked wonders for this match, making the Enfants Terribles leader look tough as nails. Ashino also did a great job adapting his offense to work around the size difference: not only relying on his trusty Muto-ISM roots but also hitting the air with a sweet Lars Ulrich-approved missile dropkick. YEAAAH! Huge Korakuen clapping reactions for Ashino kicking out of Shuj’s biggest bombs. One of those matches where everything makes sense and both wrestlers come out of it looking better than ever. ***1/2
Black Menso-re, Dan Tamura, TAJIRI, Rising HAYATO & Atsuki Aoyagi vs. Izanagi, Hikaru Sato, Hokuto Omori, Yusuke Kodama & Francesco Akira
ATSUKI!! Man alive, this show is batting 100. Really fun junior sprint with zero down time and strong effort from everyone involved. The junior title shot promised to the winner added some spice to this thing, with teammates turning on each other left and right. Best of all, the layout was so tight that the comedic bits couldn’t even slow down the action. Two rocking dives from Akira and Kodama, Hikaru aggressively kicking the shit out of people and little Atsuki pulling the mother of all upsets with the prettiest Firebird splash you’ve ever seen. All of this deserves the Hokuto Omori Chef’s Kiss. The All Japan junior division hasn’t been this fun in ages. ***
Suwama vs. Zeus – Champion Carnival (Block A)
I’m currently knee deep in Japanese wrestling tournament reviews and let me tell you that no one touches AJPW when it comes to optimal match lengths. And they’re not just having shorter matches for the sake of it, there’s actually interesting stuff happening within these compact layouts. Look no further than this match, with Suwama unloading his entire arsenal on Zeus right at the bell before collapsing due the arm pain previously inflicted by THE GENTLEMAN ARM DESTROYER Jake Lee. Dug how Zeus let this scenario play out, initially selling the damage from all the Suwama death movez before just going in on the champ with a mix of sweet Olympian high flying and arm-based attacks. Super fun story all wrapped up in less than 10 minutes. Zeus keeps looking unstoppable and the champ gets a well thought-out storyline exit from the tournament. ***1/4
Koji Iwamoto © vs. Ikuto Hidaka – AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Title
So, so good. Big Match Hidaka guided Iwamoto through every step of The Ikuto Hidaka Title Match and it ruled hard. They checked off every box of the super junior epic layout, with the opening chain wrestling leading to limb work before heading straight into the wild counters and 2.999 near-fall madness. As bulletproof as the structure was, Hidaka’s technique is so advanced that you marvel at tiny details every step of the way. From the lucha matwork to the inventive dragon screw spots, the guy keeps thinking outside the box and puts his own spin on everything.
I think Iwamoto was very much aware that this was a Hidaka showcase, so he mostly let him do his thing and stayed out of the way but made sure to come back strong for the finish. So many cool moments during the ending stretch: the STANDING MISTY FLIP from Hidaka, Iwamoto’s wacky counter to old man Ikuto’s classic ‘’rewind back inside the ring’’ spot, all the well-timed lariat cutoffs. Loved all of it. I hope Hidaka sticks around because he clearly still has so much to offer. ***3/4
Kento Miyahara vs. Yuma Aoyagi – Champion Carnival (Block A)
Ridiculously entertaining main event. If the previous match was all about technique and craft, this one put character moments to the forefront and it paid off big time. Yuma hasn’t done much since his last match with Kento in February, yet he came off as a much bigger deal here than he did back then. His early trolling of Kento’s muscle poses and COVID clapping pattern was obviously great, but his progression became even more apparent during the more intense sequences.
Nothing but stellar offense from Mama Aoyagi’s baby boy: the rolling German suplexes and the most incredibly-timed KOKI KITAHARA SPIN KICK I have ever seen being two notable highlights. All of it fit perfectly within Miyahara’s high-adrenaline ending stretch and sent the whole place into a socially-distanced frenzy. Two guys that excel at balancing comedy with Big Puro Workrate just riffing off each other and having a blast. The post-match handshake bit was the icing on the cake. Too much fun. ***3/4
