Takao Omori & Ryo Inoue vs. Kuma Arashi & TAJIRI
I’ve taken a long break from the controversial piece of media known as ‘’wrestling undercards’’. Now is the time to assess what I’ve been missing. Here we had an opening match that flipped the script by putting young boy Inoue in the role of Hot Tag Receiver. How am I supposed to understand this dynamic as a Casual Wrestling Fan!? Dug the purple-clad energy from this kid. **1/4
Izanagi & Black Menso-re vs. Hokuto Omori & Yusuke Kodama
Very happy to see that Kodama’s under-the-ring antics are now a permanent part of his lore. This man overflows with goblin energy. Menso-re and Hokuto recently both had straight bangers with junior champ Hikaru Sato, so they continued that streak of Good Wrestling by having more of it here. Completely acceptable effort from all four of these undercard warriors. **1/2
Hikaru Sato vs. Rising HAYATO
This was non-title, but HAYATO nearly got as much shine as he would’ve received in a regular ol’ title match. The kid keeps getting better at stringing his crowd-pleasing babyface offense and I believe that ONE DAY – he will achieve junior heavyweight supremacy. Today was not that day though, because Sato knows a thousand ways to break someone’s arm – including a wacked-out crucifix armbar THING to counter a Swanton bomb finish. Hikaru is on a run, baby. ***
Yoshitatsu vs. Ryuki Honda
Yoshitatsu has gone through many trials and tribulations during his career. He had to navigate the troubled waters of WWE superstardom. He attempted to hunt the Bullet Club. He was on the receiving end of a coup d’état by the Yoshitatsu Kingdom. Yet, all of these past experiences pale compared to the new challenge that lies ahead. People have figured out how to counter the Yoshitatsu Fantasy. This is big. Tatsu will have to dig deep into the book of Oudou Strong Style and master new tricks. I’m here for it. **1/2
Kento Miyahara, Atsuki Aoyagi & Takuya Nomura vs. T-Hawk, Shigehiro Irie & Issei Onitsuka
Boatloads of fun. Stronghearts 6-man tags are already a guaranteed good time, so when you add the Everybody Hates Kento trope – magic happens. Miyahara/Nomura is the comedy duo you never knew you wanted – two polar opposites putting the SLAP in slapstick and delivering major laughs throughout. Everyone else followed suit with energy (Onitsuka), flippery (Aoyagi) and punches to the face (T-Hawk). ***1/4
Suwama, Shotaro Ashino & Dan Tamura vs. Shuji Ishikawa, Kohei Sato & Ren Ayabe
More multiman wrasslin’ goodness from your AJPW pals. This might’ve been the peak of the Polite Suwama storyline, as the opening handshake was so brutally rejected by Big Shuj that the former Violent Giants spent half the match in a bar brawl around the ring. Other highlights: poor Dan getting straight-up destroyed by the Towers and Ren Ayabe being Very Tall. All Japan would be wise to sign this lad and get him on an All Beef Diet. ***
Jake Lee vs. Yuma Aoyagi – Champion Carnival (Finals)
Can the AJPW main event scene survive without a constant influx of Kento Miyahara? According to this match, the answer is a resounding Yes. Jake and Yuma were tasked with delivering the first high-quality, Kento-less Champion Carnival final in 5 years and they did it. From bell to bell, both guys tapped into the best version of themselves and closed the tournament with what the children refer to as a ‘’banger’’.
The Dark Gentleman Jake Lee – is he good or is he bad? This question tore the very fabric of Puro Twitter throughout the Carnival. As a firm Jake Believer, even I was shook by some of his recent Method Acting techniques. Possibly inspired by his thrilling encounter with Hiroshi Tanahashi at the 50th Anniversary show, Lee decided to Tone It Down and blessed us with one of his best performances in recent memory.
He was heelish without being The Joker and came off as a total package main event wrestler: great striking, NUTRITIOUS submission work and high-drama big match offense (love a god damned DOCTORBOMB). Him cranking down the Heath Ledger-O-Meter means Aoyagi got most of the memorable character moments – a wise choice since this match was all about Yuma.
Mama Aoyagi’s Baby Boy™ has been on a slow rise for a while now. Often cast as a lovable underdog or Kento Sidekick, but never fully thrown into the spotlight as The Guy. His performance here was on another level and convinced me that there’s future champ value in this kid. Not only was he the perfect babyface counterpoint for Jake, but his epic comeback in the second half turned the match into a complete scorcher.
In classic All Japan fashion, Yuma spent the last years getting over a FREAKIN’ plethora of finishes (Endgame, Koki Kitahara Spin kick, Endgame-style Small package, THE FOOL) and it all paid off here. So much heat behind all of these when he started unloading on Jake. The reactions felt straight out of the pre-pandemic era. A perfect crescendo leading to the ultimate happy ending. Brilliant. ****1/2
