April 13, 2019
Osaka, Japan
Atsuki Aoyagi, Atsushi Aoki, Hikaru Sato & Yusuke Okada vs. Dan Tamura, Hokuto Omori, Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto - 6.5/10
I think i'm finally understanding what Jake Lee's gimmick is, he's the top of the class nerd that thinks he's so cool with the girls because he's the top of the class, but doesn't realize how much of a geek he is.
Anyway, good opener with solid young action. Sato vs Iwamoto was awesome, i'm really starting to like Sato a lot. Okada vs Tamura was hard hitting as usual. Lee was barely in there with Aoki before releasing Aoki vs Iwamoto that was also good. Okada submitted Omori with the Boston Crab.
Atsushi Maruyama, Jun Akiyama & The Bodyguard vs. Black Menso-re, Futoshi Kyoboku & Takao Omori - 5/10
Bodyguard is back, fans are happy about that. They did some comedy with Akiyama wanting to beat up Black Menso-re, so he forced Muruyama to take on Futoshi instead. Eventually, Akiyama got what he wanted, there was an awesome spot with a fan going crazy for Menso-re, and Akiyama just played to that guy beating up Menso right in front of him. That guy was just having the best time of his life. I love Japanese crowds. Finish saw Bodyguard pin Black Menso-re with Military Press Slam.
Champion Carnival 2019 Block B Match
Joel Redman (2) vs. Naoya Nomura (6) - 8.5/10
This was a great technical match, an awesome performance by Redman all around, going after Nomura's arm, and the young Nomura just doing whatever possible to survive. Redman got a huge near fall after a Deadlift Suplex from the second rope followed by a spinning Piledriver, but he then transitioned the kickout to an armbar for the submission win. Redman is fucking amazing.
Champion Carnival Block A Match
Shuji Ishikawa (3) vs. Yuma Aoyagi (4) - 9/10
This was the small guy vs big guy match, but it was the giant that was calm and fair, and would only become the mean giant because the smaller guy went and pissed him off. Ishikawa's game-plan was to work on Yuma's torso with foot-stomps and submissions, and in consequence, Yuma's plan just became about survival and finding enough space to gain some speed and come at Ishikawa with everything he had, hope to injure the neck, and lock in the Guillotine. Ishikawa would end up winning with a Tiger Bomb. Awesome match.
Champion Carnival Block A Match
Gianni Valletta (0) vs. Ryouji Sai (1) - 5/10
I just happened to watch the Bruiser Brody VICE documentary right before this show, and for anyone that hasn't noticed, Valletta is a complete copy of Brody, so I figured I check out his style more in depth to try and see how much Brody he actually had in him. The answer is obviously not as much, no one like Brody, and to an extent, Doering is more of a Stan Hansen, than Valletta a Brody; however, I do think he has something going, he has a great look. I think Valletta is too cerebral and calm to be a Brody, which may be more of a safety decision by AJPW.
Match itself was ok, it was actually really slow for some reason, Valletta worked on Sai's leg. After failing to put him down, Valletta went for his chain, but Sai took it away. Sai won with a running knee to the corner. Underwhelming match, even for both men. Sai got carried out to the back, selling the leg work. I hope.
Joe Doering & Sam Adonis vs. Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu - 6.5/10
Match saw the heels work over Miyahara for a while until Tatsu got the hot tag and after a couple of moves, bring Miyahara back in, fucking geek. Since Doering's next match is actually against Adonis tomorrow, finish saw Doering betray Adonis with a crossbody, leaving him open for Miyahara to hit the suspended German for the win. Ok match, nothing special, but I liked the finish.
Champion Carnival Block B Match
Suwama (2) vs. Takashi Yoshida (2) - 4/10
I wasn't caring about this match that much, but then the finish happened and I hated. Suwama went for a Last Ride and either he was just gassed out and Yoshida didn't cooperate, but Suwama just let go of Yoshida, completely putting him in risk. Suwama just stood there with a dumb face and then hit a high angle backdrop for the win.
Match itself was mostly the same formula we've seen with Suwama with him being worked on for half of the match
Champion Carnival Block A Match
Dylan James (4) vs. Zeus (4) - 9/10
I hope Suwama and Yoshida were not hurt enough and had a chance to check out this match, THIS was a hell of a hoss fight. Dylan James worked on Zeus with hoss moves and strikes for a good chunk of the match, the chops were as stiff sounding as they come. Zeus made a comeback with chops equally as stiff. Tons of fighting spirit. Tons of lariats. A few high impact moves, but they made them matter. Zeus won with a series of Lariats and a Jackhammer. I didn't think anything was going to top Ishikawa vs Yuma, but this surely got up there. Zeus becomes the first man to reach 6 pts.
At one point Zeus hit a Tope Suicida where he landed face first on the guardrail, but he seemed ok.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
A really great show once it was done, but it had some downs that was completely making me feel the show was going to suck. As I mentioned, I didn't expect anything to top Ishikawa vs Yuma, especially when they followed with Valletta, a tag match, and Suwama, but it surely paid off to stay until the end.
Block A Block B |
Kento Miyahara [4] Joe Doering [2] |
Atsushi Aoki [0] Jake Lee [4] |
Yuma Aoyagi [4] Yoshitatsu [4] |
Zeus [6] Takashi Yoshida [2] |
Gianni Valletta [0] Daichi Hashimoto [4] |
Ryouji Sai [3] Suwama [4] |
Dylan James [4] Sam Adonis [2] |
Shuji Ishikawa [5] Joel Redman [4] |
Yuji Okabayashi [4] Naoya Nomura [6] |
