Date: April 14th, 2014 to April 23rd, 2014
Location: Various
Announced Attendance: Various
As of September 2014, most of the All Japan Champion Carnival has not ‘made tape’. The only events that aired were the opening event, and the finale. They did show a Special however that had highlights from other matches, so even though it is clipped and incomplete, at the moment it is all we have. If down the road they release the full Champion Carnival, I will come back and review those events.
Here are the matches on the Champion Carnival Special:
April 14th – Akebono vs. Kento Miyahara
April 19th – Akebono vs. Osamu Nishimura
April 16th – Kento Miyahara vs. Takao Omori
April 14th – Osamu Nishimura vs. Suwama
April 15th – Kendo Kashin vs. Akebono
April 19th – Kendo Kashin vs. Kento Miyahara
April 20th – Kendo Kashin vs. Osamu Nishimura
April 23rd – Kendo Kashin vs. Suwama
April 14th – Yutaka Yoshie vs. Zeus
April 15th – Yutaka Yoshie vs. Go Shiozaki
April 15th – KENSO vs. Joe Doering
April 23rd – KENSO vs. Yutaka Yoshie
April 16th – Jun Akiyama vs. Joe Doering
April 20th – Jun Akiyama vs. Yutaka Yoshie
April 20th – Joe Doering vs. Go Shiozaki
April 23rd – Go Shiozaki vs. Zeus
I’m not going to even bother score these, since the matches are too clipped, but I’ll still give my thoughts on what was shown.
Akebono vs. Kento Miyahara
This match took place on April 14th, 2014. Joined in Progress with Akebono going for an elbow drop but Miyahara rolls out of the way. Two dropkicks by Miyahara and he hits a jumping knee in the corner. Miyahara goes for a suplex but he can’t get Akebono over, and Akebono drives him back into the corner. Back bodydrop by Miyahara and he hits a big boot, he goes for a second one but Akebono knocks him back. Chokeslam by Akebono, and he hits an elbow drop. Yokozuna Impact by Akebono, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Akebono
Akebono vs. Osamu Nishimura
This match took place on April 19th, 2014. Tie-up, judo throw by Akebono but Nishimura applies a headscissors. Akebono rolls out of it, Irish whip by Nishimura, reversed, and Akebono hits a body avalanche. Elbow drop by Akebono, cover, but it gets a two count. Akebono hits the running body press, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Akebono
Kento Miyahara vs. Takao Omori
This match took place on April 16th, 2014. Irish whip by Omori but Miyahara kicks him. Waistlock by Miyahara and he goes for the cross armbreaker, but Omori gets into the ropes. Double underhook by Miyahara but Omori blocks it and hits the Axe Guillotine Driver. Omori goes off the ropes but Miyahara blocks the attack and hits a running boot. German suplex hold by Miyahara, but Omori gets a shoulder up. Waistlock by Miyahara, Omori elbows out of it and hits a lariat. Axe Guillotine Driver by Omori, cover, but Miyahara kicks out. Axe Bomber by Omori, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Takao Omori
Osamu Nishimura vs. Suwama
This match took place on April 14th, 2014. Elbow by Suwama but Nishimura kicks him in the leg. Nishimura puts Suwama in the Muta Lock but Suwama gets out of and applies a sleeper hold. Nishimura gets out of it and applies the figure four leg lock, but Suwama gets into the ropes. Nishimura goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving kneedrop to the leg. Back up, vertical suplex by Suwama but Nishimura ducks the lariat and hits a backslide for a two count. Backdrop suplex by Suwama and he applies a sleeper hold. Nishimura slowly goes to sleep and the referee calls for the bell. Your winner: Suwama
Kendo Kashin vs. Akebono
This match took place on April 15th, 2014. Kashin attacks Akebono with flowers before the match starts but Akebono hits a lariat. Akebono throws Kashin into the corner but Kashin avoids his charge. Kashin goes up to the top turnbuckle and applies a chokehold over the top rope. Kashin kicks Akebono but Akebono grabs Kashin by the throat and hits a chokeslam. Elbow drop by Akebono and he hits the running body press. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Akebono
Kendo Kashin vs. Kento Miyahara
This match took place on April 19th, 2014. Kick by Kashin to start the match and he throws Miyahara out of the ring. Kashin uppercuts Miyahara, they get back into the ring and Miyahara hits a delayed German suplex. Kashin gets a steel chair but Miyahara kicks it back into his face. They go back outside and battle near the tables, attacking each other with merchandise. They get distracted doing this, Miyahara tries to make it back to the ring but is unable to, leading to a Double Countout.
Kendo Kashin vs. Osamu Nishimura
This match took place on April 20th, 2014. Kick by Kashin to start the match and he hits an uppercut. Nishimura returns fire and they brawl outside of the ring. They make it back before the 20 count, Irish whip by Nishimura, reversed, but Nishimura hits a sunset flip. Kashin reverses the sunset flip and covers Nishimura for the three count. Your winner: Kendo Kashin
Kendo Kashin vs. Suwama
This match took place on April 23rd, 2014. Tie-up, side headlock by Suwama, Kashin Irish whips out of it but Suwama hits a shoulderblock. Suwama goes off the ropes and hits a side headlock takedown but Kashin gets out of it. Tie-up, clubs to the back by Kashin but Suwama throws him out of the ring. Suwama goes out after Kashin but Kashin rolls back into the ring. Suwama faces off with Fujita outside of the ring but returns after a moment, and Kashin kicks the middle rope as he does. Kashin stomps on Suwama and chokes him with his boot. Kashin picks up Suwama, uppercuts by Kashin but Suwama chops him back. Suwama picks up Kashin and goes for the Last Ride, but Kashin jumps out of it. Kashin hurts his leg from getting out of the hold and rolls out of the ring but returns before the 20 count, and Suwama elbows Kashin in the leg. Leg lock by Suwama but Kashin gets into the ropes. Suwama picks up Kashin, stomps by Suwama and he kicks Kashin in the leg. Vertical suplex by Kashin and he hits the cross armbreaker takedown, but Suwama quickly gets a foot on the ropes. Clubs to the back by Kashin, Irish whip, reversed, and Suwama hits a lariat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Backdrop suplex by Suwama, cover, but it gets another two count. Suwama applies an ankle hold but Kashin gets out of it, kick by Kashin and he sneaks in the inside cradle for the three count. Your winner: Kendo Kashin
Yutaka Yoshie vs. Zeus
This match took place on April 14th, 2014. Tie-up to start, but they break cleanly. Irish whip by Zeus, reversed, and Zeus hits a jumping lariat. Zeus hits a delayed vertical suplex and puts Yoshie in a bearhug before tossing Yoshie to the mat. Zeus gets Yoshie on his shoulders and hits a cutter, cover, but it gets a two count. Back up they trade elbows, and Yoshie hits the lariat. Zeus gets back up and goes off the ropes but Yoshie hits the Lou Thesz Press for a two count. Scoop slam by Yoshie, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving body press. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Yutaka Yoshie
Yutaka Yoshie vs. Go Shiozaki
This match took place on April 15th, 2014. Yoshie hits a running butt smash to Shiozaki, he picks up Shiozaki and hits the Dominator. Senton by Yoshie and he goes for a lariat but Shiozaki ducks it and hits a German suplex. Lariat by Shiozaki and he hits the Go Flasher. Cover, and Shiozaki picks up the three count. Your winner: Go Shiozaki
KENSO vs. Joe Doering
This match took place on April 15th, 2014. Irish whip by KENSO but Doering hits a shoulderblock. Doering goes for a lariat in the corner but KENSO moves and the referee is hit instead. Dark Kingdom comes in the ring and attacks Doering, Irish whip by KENSO but Doering hits a lariat onto Nagai and KENSO. Doering picks up KENSO and hits the Revolution Bomb, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Joe Doering
KENSO vs. Yutaka Yoshie
This match took place on April 23rd, 2014. KENSO chops Yoshie to start the match and they trade slaps. KENSO pushes Yoshie into the corner and slaps him again. Tie-up but Yoshie hits KENSO back. Chops by Yoshie in the corner and he hits a body avalanche in the corner. He goes for a second one but KENSO moves and Yoshie hits the referee by accident. KENSO gets a table and hits Yoshie with it. KENSO picks up Yoshie and slaps him, he then gets a chair and hits him with that as well. More chair shots by KENSO and he slaps Yoshie. They trade strikes, and Yoshie hits a lariat. Yoshie hits an elbow drop, cover, but it gets a two count. Rolling senton by Yoshie and he hits a body avalanche in the corner. Butt smash by Yoshie, he throws down KENSO and he hits a body press. Cover, but he gets a two count. Yoshie goes for a senton but KENSO moves out of the way, and KENSO rolls up Yoshie for the three count. Your winner: KENSO
Jun Akiyama vs. Joe Doering
This match took place on April 16th, 2014. Outside of the ring, Doering Irish whips Akiyama into the guard rail. Back in the ring Doering hits a delayed vertical suplex. Back bodydrop by Akiyama when Doering goes for a powerbomb and Akiyama applies the front facelock. Knee by Akiyama and he hits the running knee. Akiyama hits an exploder, cover, but it gets a two count. Doering goes for a wrist-clutch exploder but Doering gets out of it and hits a death valley driver. Akiyama goes off the ropes but Doering hits a crossbody for a two count. Doering picks up Akiyama and goes for a powerbomb but Akiyama hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Lariat by Doering and he finally hits the Revolution Bomb. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Joe Doering
Jun Akiyama vs. Yutaka Yoshie
This match took place on April 20th, 2014. Akiyama goes for an exploder but Yoshie elbows out of it and hits a Dominator. Senton by Yoshie, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Akiyama joins him and hits an avalanche exploder. Running knee by Akiyama, cover, but it gets a two count. Akiyama grabs Yoshie and hits a wrist-clutch exploder. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Jun Akiyama
Go Shiozaki vs. Joe Doering
This match took place on April 20th, 2014. Joined in progress with Shiozaki kneeing Doering while he is on the apron. Lariat by Doering, he picks up Shiozaki and hits the death valley bomb. Doering goes for a powerbomb but Shiozaki reverses it with a DDT. Doering gets Shiozaki up and hits the Revolution Bomb, but he doesn’t get the pin. Shiozaki hits the Go Flasher, cover, but Doering gets a shoulder up. Shiozaki picks up Doering and goes for it again but the bell rings. The match is a Draw.
Go Shiozaki vs. Zeus
This match took place on April 23rd, 2014. Tie-up to start, Zeus pushes Shiozaki into the ropes, Shiozaki switches positions with him and he gives a clean break. Tie-up, full nelson by Shiozaki but Zeus breaks the lock. Knee by Shiozaki and he applies a side headlock, Zeus Irish whips out of it but Shiozaki can’t shoulderblock him down. He tries again with no success, shoulderblock by Zeus but Shiozaki chops him in the chest. Another shoulderblock by Zeus, Shiozaki goes out to the apron but Zeus hits a lariat. Outside of the ring, Shiozaki kicks Zeus in the arm and tries to throw him into the ring post, but Zeus reverses it. Zeus slams Shiozaki into the ring post again and gets a chair, but the referee gets it away from him. Zeus and Shiozaki trade chops, Zeus gets the ring bell but again the referee tells him not to use it. Back in the ring, Zeus picks up Shiozaki and he hits a press slam, dumping Shiozaki out of the ring. Shiozaki slowly gets back into the ring, Zeus hits Shiozaki while he is on the apron and suplexes him back into the ring. Irish whip by Zeus to the corner but Shiozaki avoids Zeus’s lariat. Elbow by Zeus, Irish whip, but Shiozaki hits a jumping shoulderblock. Backdrop suplex by Shiozaki and he hits a superkick. Shiozaki waits for Zeus to get up but Zeus hits a lariat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Zeus picks up Shiozaki and he hits a vertical suplex. Zeus waits for Shiozaki to get up and goes for a chokeslam, but Shiozaki armdrags Zeus to get out of it. Zeus picks up Shiozaki and powerbombs him into the corner. Zeus goes up to the top turnbuckle and he hits a diving lariat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Zeus goes off the ropes but Shiozaki catches him with a lariat. A second lariat by Shiozaki, Irish whip, reversed, but Shiozaki hits a lariat. Shiozaki chops Zeus but Zeus chops him back. They trade chops back and forth, they both go off the ropes and lariat each other. A lariat by Shiozaki knocks Zeus off his feet, cover, but it gets a two count. Shiozaki picks up Zeus, he goes off the ropes and he levels him with a strong-arm lariat. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Go Shiozaki
Final Thoughts:
Two of the matches had a decent amount shown but most were just a few clips. At some point it is likely that All Japan will release the entire tournament, however with their ownership situation around this time it may get lost in the shuffle. Worth a watch if you wanted to see how the matches ended but really just a highlights show.
