Hikaru Sato vs. Dan Tamura
As tradition dictates, these men had to prove their worth as junior tag league entrants by testing their friendship in a 10-minute draw. Thematically-speaking, the match wasn’t too far off the last Sato/Tamura encounter (2022 JBOG). On one side of the ring – a middle-aged man consumed by the psychological deviance known as Working The Arm. On the other side – a young rice farmer who enjoys throwing lariats. The Evolution boys have always made a fine team, but they might be better as opponents. Ryo Inoue’s vast influence was also felt here, as Dan already stole his Shibata-style ‘Please kick me Sempai’ sitting spot. ***1/4
Shotaro Ashino & Ryuki Honda vs. Jun Saito & Rei Saito
If you’re a true Saito Bros Appreciator, you may have noticed that your favorite 35-year-old hopefuls added a gnarly new sequence to their repertoire. The one where Rei slaps the brakes off someone and Jun follows through with a lariat. It completely rules. GOA, the team that initially reintroduced the Saitos to AJPW back in 2022, were up for another Good Saitos Match challenge. Simple but effective, bullshit-free midcard wrasslin’. ***
Takao Omori, ATM & Black Menso-re vs. Black Tiger, Yusuke Kodama & Masao Hanabatake – AJPW TV 6-Man Tag Team Titles
The AJPW TV 6-man tag straps. Easily the most important artifact in All Japan Undercard Cinematic Universe lore. These bad boys were recently vacated when Yoshitatsu Kingdom (Tatsu, Tachibana and FREEDOM’s Takayuki Ueki) pulled a freakin’ coup d’état on their World Famous leader. After a match filled with high-quality performance art, the belts are finally back around the waist of their rightful owner (ATM). More importantly, Black Menso-re and Onita kicked off what should be Feud of the Year. **3/4
Yuma Aoyagi, Naoya Nomura & Atsuki Aoyagi vs. Yuma Anzai, Ryo Inoue & Oji Shiiba
So many wonderful pairings in this one. The two Yumas have a special kind of chemistry that could be milked into a long-lasting rivalry if the AJPW Booking Society ever decides to truly cook. There’s a natural story to be told with Aoyagi – the guy who had to work his way up, taking on Anzai – the super rookie who received speed run treatment. Inoue/Nomura also brought the fireworks – Ryo’s stiff kicks matching well with Naoya’s in-your-face approach. ***
Shuji Ishikawa vs. Hokuto Omori
This didn’t reach the Very High Heights of Ishikawa/Anzai from last year, but it supplied similar thrills – namely Big Shuj beating the shit out of a brave young man. It also made for a good pre-Champ Carnival showcase for Straight Hair Hokuto. As shown by his recent string of solid singles performances, the kid is making a smooth transition in the heavyweight world.
He held his own against the Shoojster, took his ass whipping like a champ and provided a handful of satisfying comebacks. There was a tremendous sequence where Omori dared to attempt the Dragon suplex and Ishikawa immediately nuked him with his own. Good times! ***1/2
Suwama, Mayumi Ozaki & Maya Yukihi vs. Yoshitatsu, Unagi Sayaka & SAKI
Wama’s recent embrace of joshi wrestling truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Last year’s intergender romp with Big Sis Ozaki was already pretty great and this was even better. From the opening Yoshitatsu/Colors dance number to the Maya whipping spots – the fan service was cranked to 11 and the wrestling followed suit.
While the joshi contingent worked their asses off, Suwama put in a Golden Globe-worthy comedic heel performance, alternating between Evil Bully mode and giant-sized Oz Academy Little Brother. The ending stretch brought a truckload of twists and turns, including actually-entertaining foreign object spots that sent Shinjuku FACE in a frenzy. Pure vibes. ***3/4
Kento Miyahara vs. Yoshiki Inamura
Unable to get his hands on former Kensuke Office pal Masa Kitamiya, Kento did the next best thing and took on NOAH’s resident tire-pushing monster. To the surprise of no one, they had an action-packed burner that could’ve easily main evented Korakuen Hall. It was a perfect AJPW introduction for Inamura and showcased all of his beefy assets.
You can tell this man spent some time grinding it out in the indie sleaze cesspool (Z1, BJW) by the way he amplifies every scrap of offense with Sekimoto-esque intensity. Fired up by this refreshing NOAH storyline, Kento hit the sweet spot between portraying Ace invincibility and making Inamura look like a million bucks. The last few minutes had some of the best Blackout counters in recent memory. ***3/4
Naruki Doi © vs. Rising HAYATO – AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Title
The 2023 Naruki Doi Wrestler of the Year run continues with this certified banger – a match that put all of HAYATO’s recent improvements to the test in an absurdly-high-level Dragon Gate Big Match environment. We’ll get back to HAYATO’s performance in a minute, but first we must gush about Doi – a a man who has decided to lay claim to the wrestling world at 42 years of age.
While the match did a lot to elevate your favorite eyeliner-wearing daredevil, it also exposed Doi’s mind-blowing craftmanship. This man has his finger on the pulse when it comes to laying out a wrestling match. There are very few people who can do what he did here – blending 200% speed ring-work with actually-compelling character work and crowd interaction.
HAYATO stepped up to the plate and put in a career-best performance, outdoing the Atsuki Aoyagi match from last year and blowing some minds. There is an almost Sabu-esque quality to his current work – in the way he balances his mystique with a raging desire to do Crazy Shit. The bonkers self-sacrificing dive got all the attention on Twitter, but my favorite spot of his was the Lionsault counter to the Bakatare sliding kick. Beautiful timing.
Everything came together for the closing stretch – a total whirlwind of near-falls and world class reversals. In the end, the match confirmed what we’ve all been suspecting. All Japan have been handed a golden opportunity with this Doi title run. The more HAYATO and Atsuki work with him, the faster they’ll improve. ****1/4
