Date: January 3rd, 2014
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 880
This is the first kinda big card for All Japan of the year, even though the attendance does not reflect it. Not only did this event have two title matches, but it also had a match to celebrate Fuchi’s 60th birthday! How fun. Here is the full card:
– Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki vs. Shigehiro Irie and Keisuke Ishii
– Jon Bolen vs. Tyson Dux
– KENSO and Mitsuya Nagai vs. Osamu Nishimura and Ryuji Hijikata
– Go Shiozaki and Kento Miyahara vs. Ultimo Dragon and Hikaru Sato
– GAORA TV Championship: SUSHI vs. Takao Soma
– Jun Akiyama, Kanemaru, and Masao Inoue vs. Suwama, Taiyo Kea, and Masanobu Fuchi
– Triple Crown Championship: Akebono vs. Takao Omori
Kinda nervous about the long Fuchi match and an Akebono title match, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. Let’s see how this turns out!
Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki vs. Shigehiro Irie and Keisuke Ishii
Aoki and Ishii start things off. Waistlock by Aoki, reversed by Ishii, reversed back by Aoki but Ishii applies a wristlock. Aoki trips Irie and drops an elbow onto his leg, he applies a front facelock as Ishii struggles back to his feet but Aoki grounds him again, Ishii reverses it but Aoki flips Ishii back down and applies an armbar. Side headlock by Aoki, Ishii Irish whips out of it but Aoki shoulderblocks him down. Aoki applies a headlock by Ishii quickly reverses it to a headscissors and both men return to their feet. Tie-up, Aoki pushes Ishii into the corner and Ishii tags in Irie. Aoki tags in Suzuki, Suzuki and Irie circle each other, tie-up, Irie pushes Suzuki into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up, side headlock by Suzuki, Irie Irish whips out of it and they collide with neither man going down. Suzuki goes off the ropes three more times with no result, but Irie then bounces off the ropes and shoulders Suzuki off his feet and right out of the ring.
Suzuki takes a minute to recover and return to the ring as Irie tags in Ishii, Ishii grabs Suzuki as he returns and applies a hammerlock. Suzuki elbows out of it and goes off the ropes but Ishii catches him with an armdrag takedown. Ishii keeps a hold of the arm but Suzuki pushes him back and tags in Aoki. Aoki throws Ishii into the corner, Irish whip, but Ishii moves when Aoki charges in and hits an armdrag. Ishii keeps the hold applied as he tags in Irie, Irie picks up Aoki and headbutts him in the arm. Another headbutt to the arm by Irie, but Aoki kicks Irie in the stomach. Irie responds with elbow strikes, sending Aoki down to the mat. Irie picks up Aoki, snapmare, and he twists on Aoki’s neck. Bodyscissors by Irie but Aoki is eventually able to make it to the ropes to force a break. Irie tags in Ishii, and Ishii stomps Aoki in the stomach. Elbows to the midsection by Ishii, Irish whip, but Aoki grabs the ropes. Ishii charges Aoki but Aoki back bodydrops him out to the apron and pushes Ishii off. Irie comes in the ring but Aoki greets him with a dropkick, meanwhile outside of the ring Suzuki attacks Ishii. Suzuki picks up Ishii and elbows him down to the floor again before sliding him back into the ring.
Aoki knees Ishii in the midsection and tags in Suzuki. Suzuki picks up Ishii, Irish whip, knee to the stomach by Suzuki and he hits a senton. Suzuki picks up Ishii and hits a pair of back kicks, Ishii tries to fight back but a hard shot to the midsection sends him back down. Elbows by Suzuki in the corner until Ishii falls to a seated position, and Suzuki tags in Aoki. Aoki picks up Ishii, Irish whip, and Aoki hits a running elbow to Ishii’s midsection. Cover, but it gets a two count. Aoki picks up Ishii and he knees him in the midsection before tagging in Suzuki. Suzuki picks up Ishii and drops him with a gutbuster, Suzuki goes off the ropes and hits a running elbow to the midsection. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Suzuki picks up Ishii and kicks him in the midsection, Irish whip, but Ishii kicks Suzuki as he charges in and hits a missile dropkick. Ishii makes the tag to Irie, Irie first knocks Aoki off the apron and then punches Suzuki into the corner. Irish whip by Irie and he hits a running lariat in the corner.
Scoop slam by Irie, he goes off the ropes and hits a seated senton. Cover, but it gets a two count. Irie picks up Suzuki and goes for a suplex but Suzuki lands on his feet. Irish whip by Irie but Suzuki hits the handstand rebound elbow strike and tags in Aoki. Aoki goes off the ropes and elbows Irie, he does it a second time but the third time Irie elbows him back. Kick to the knee by Aoki and he kicks Irie in the head, cover, but it gets a two count. Irish whip by Aoki from the corner, reversed, but Aoki avoids Irie’s attack. Aoki goes off the ropes but Irie catches him with a side slam and tags in Ishii. Ishii and Aoki trade elbows, Ishii goes off the ropes but Aoki kicks him in the midsection. Aoki goes off the ropes but Ishii hits a dropkick, Ishii picks up Aoki but Aoki blocks the suplex. Ishii goes off the ropes but Aoki dropkicks him in the face. Aoki picks up Ishii, Irish whip from the corner and he hits a running elbow strike. Vertical suplex by Aoki, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Backdrop suplex attempt by Aoki but Ishii lands on his feet and kicks him in the head.
Irie runs in the ring, Ishii puts Aoki on his shoulders and drops him head-first onto Irie’s head (on purpose). Cover, but Aoki breaks it up. Irie gets rid of Aoki. Ishii picks up Aoki and applies a wristlock, Aoki elbows out of it but Ishii whips out a hurricanrana. Ishii charges Aoki but Aoki avoids the heel kick and hits a lariat. Suzuki comes in the ring, he hits a tombstone piledriver on Ishii then Aoki comes off the top turnbuckle with a diving body press. Cover, but it gets a two count when Irie breaks it up. Suzuki runs in to grab Irie, Aoki picks up Ishii and goes for the fish hook suplex, but Ishii blocks it and rolls him up for a two count. Headbutt by Aoki, he goes off the ropes but Ishii catches him with a release German suplex. Ishii makes the tag to Irie as Suzuki is tagged in also, and they trade elbow strikes. Suzuki blocks on Irie lariat, he goes off the ropes but is caught by a second one. Cover by Irie but it gets a two count. Irie grabs Suzuki and hits a vertical suplex, cover, but again it gets two. Ishii comes in the ring, he puts Suzuki on his shoulders and tries to drop Suzuki onto Irie’s head, but Suzuki gets out of it and throws Ishii into Irie instead.
Aoki comes in the ring, they pick up Irie but Irie fights them both off, Irie goes off the ropes but Aoki drop toeholds him into the ropes and Suzuki hits a Tiger Feint Kick. They go for a double backdrop suplex but Irie fights them off, double Irish whip to Irie, but Irie hits a lariat onto Aoki. Suzuki goes for the roaring elbow onto Irie but Irie catches him with a headbutt. Irie picks up Suzuki and puts him on his shoulders, but Suzuki rolls him up for a two count. Elbows by Suzuki and he hits the roaring elbow, he goes for a suplex but Irie blocks it and hits the Fire Thunder Driver onto Suzuki. Cover, but it gets a two count. Elbow by Irie, another cover but it gets two again. He goes for another elbow, Suzuki ducks it and applies a crucifix pin but the bell rings signifying time has run out. This match is a Draw.
Match Thoughts: I honestly think that if this match had bigger name wrestlers on it and had a real ending, it would be thought of as one of the better matches so far this year. I loved the stories they were telling and that it felt right up to the very end that it was anyone’s game. The DDT wrestlers were very well respected and everyone was made to look strong which is what wrestling should be all about. I do wish that it had an ending though, I don’t think in this case a Draw was necessary as any of these wrestlers could be pinned if the circumstances were right. It doesn’t look like it was building to anything to not have a winner. But really this was a great match, no wasted time and just good action from start to finish. Score: 7.5
Jon Bolen vs. Tyson Dux
They circle each other to start, tie-up, side headlock by Dux, Bolen Irish whips out of it and they collide with neither man going down. Knee to the midsection by Dux and he goes for a side headlock takedown, but Bolen pushes him off and hits a shoulderblock. Forearm to the chest by Dux but Bolen headbutts Dux down in the corner. Irish whip by Bolen, but Dux avoids his rush and hits an armdrag. Irish whip attempt by Dux but Bolen reverses it, Dux goes for a crossbody but Bolen catches him. Dux elbows out of his hold but Bolen clotheslines Dux over the top rope down to the floor. Bolen goes out of the ring after him and goes for a powerbomb, but Dux grabs the ropes to block it. Dux kicks Bolen from the apron but Bolen knocks his legs out from under him, sending Dux crashing to the floor again. Stomp by Bolen and he goes for a press slam, throwing Dux back into the ring. Bolen goes back into the ring as well, Dux grabs Bolen but Bolen elbows him off and hits a backdrop suplex into a side slam for a two count cover. Falling headbutt by Bolen and he hits a second one. Cover by Bolen but it gets a two count.
Bolen picks up Dux, Irish whip, but Dux sneaks in a crucifix pinfall for a two count. Back up, backslide by Dux but it gets a two count as well. Dux tries to roll-up Bolen but Bolen blocks it and applies a bearhug. Dux punches out of it and hits an uppercut, more elbows by Dux and he hits a snap backdrop suplex. Dux waits for Bolen to puts him on his shoulders, hitting a death valley driver into the corner turnbuckles. Cover, but Bolen kicks out. Dux picks up Bolen and puts him on the apron, Dux then goes up to the top turnbuckle and pulls Bolen up with him. Elbows by Dux and he hits a top rope superplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Dux goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a crossbody, but Bolen rolls through it and picks up Dux. Powerslam by Bolen, he then goes off the ropes and hits a spear. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Bolen charges Dux but Dux rolls out of the way and sneaks in the horizontal cradle for the three count! Your winner: Tyson Dux
Match Thoughts: I guess this match came about because they eliminated each other the night before from the battle royal. But I am not really sure what purpose the match served… it was short but still had rest holds and down-time, it was won by sneaky means so I don’t know if they settled their beef (they teamed together on the next show), and it just came across as filler. If it was a sprint or a game of “one-upmanship” between two friends I could see it working, but it just fell in some grey middle ground and I never really saw what they were going for here. Score: 3.5
KENSO and Mitsuya Nagai vs. Osamu Nishimura and Ryuji Hijikata
KENSO and Nagai attack their opponents before the bell rings and throw their opponents out of the ring. KENSO throws Hijikata into the ringpost while Nagai takes Nishimura up into the stands and punches him around. KENSO gets a chair and hits Hijikata in the chest with it before returning to ringside and throwing him into the guard rail. They switch wrestlers as now KENSO is kicking Nishimura, Nishimura fights back but Nagai comes up from behind and attacks Nishimura. Nagai throws Nishimura back into the ring and gets in as well, he picks up Nishimura and kicks him hard in the chest. Nagai elbows Nishimura and rakes him in the eyes before elbowing him in the back of the head. More elbows by Nagai, he picks up Nishimura and chokes him on the top rope. KENSO then punches Nishimura from the floor, knees by Nagai to Nishimura in the corner but Nishimura manages to tag in Hijikata. Hijikata and Nagai circle each other and they trade kicks to the arm. Elbow by Nagai, Irish whip to the corner but Hijikata kicks KENSO off the apron and elbows Nagai back. KENSO grabs Hijikata while he is on the floor and pulls him groin-first into the ring post. Nagai then goes outside the ring, taking Hijikata with him, and holds Hijikata so that KENSO can go off the ropes and hits a pescado. Nishimura wonders over but Nagai throws him into the guard rail. KENSO gets back into the ring, Nagai holds Hijikata again but KENSO doesn’t do another dive and Nagai rolls Hijikata into the ring. KENSO picks up Hijikata and punches him into the corner, Irish whip, but Hijikata moves when KENSO charges in.
Back elbow by KENSO, cover, but it gets a two count. KENSO knees Nishimura off the apron, and then chokes Hijikata. Nagai comes in the ring and hits a leg drop, cover by Nagai but it gets a two count. Nagai applies a crossface to Hijikata, he picks up Hijikata and elbows him in the head a few times. Nagai tags in KENSO, and KENSO slaps Hijikata in the face. KENSO picks up Hijikata and punches him in the head before hitting him with another slap. KENSO goes for a vertical suplex but Hijikata reverses it into a suplex of his own. Hijikata tags in Nishimura, stomps and uppercuts by Nishimura to KENSO until KENSO falls to the mat. Nishimura applies the Spinning Toe Hold, then knees Nagai as he comes into the ring. Irish whip by Nishimura to KENSO and he applies the Cobra Twist, but Nagai breaks it up. Nishimura picks up KENSO and tags in Hijikata, and Hijikata throws KENSO into the corner.
Slaps by Hijikata, Irish whip, and Hijikata hits a high kick to KENSO. Cover by Hijikata but it gets a two count. Hijikata picks up KENSO and elbows him in the back of the head, he goes off the ropes but KENSO catches him with a lariat. KENSO goes up to the top turnbuckle but Hijikata has recovered and joins him up there. Superplex by Hijikata, he picks up KENSO and hits the Fisherman Buster. Cover, but Nagai breaks it up. Hijikata picks up KENSO, he goes off the ropes but KENSO chokes Hijikata with his fluffy belt. KENSO waits for Hijikata to get up and nails the Hagakure, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: KENSO and Mitsuya Nagai
Match Thoughts: That ended quickly. Hijikata was doing ok then it just takes being chocked by a feathery belt and a running kick to the face and he is done. Almost felt like they got the ‘go home’ signal with how quickly it ended. Anyway up to that point the match was fine but it never felt like it got fully going. Nishimura didn’t do much of anything in this match as Hijikata was in the ring the bulk of the time, and the offense to Hijikata wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t overly inspired either. I know that Nagai can bring the hurt but his offense stayed pretty basic here. I wasn’t expecting much and I didn’t get much, so I guess I can’t complain too much. Score: 4.0
Go Shiozaki and Kento Miyahara vs. Ultimo Dragon and Hikaru Sato
Miyahara and Ultimo Dragon start things off. Tie-up, Miyahara pushes Ultimo Dragon into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, wristlock by Ultimo Dragon, reversed by Miyahara, but Ultimo Dragon rolls out of it and reverses the hold. Armdrag by Ultimo Dragon, and both wrestlers return to their feet. Tie-up and they lock knuckles, Miyahara pushes Ultimo Dragon to his knees but Ultimo Dragon muscles up. Ultimo Dragon rolls through it and reverses the hold before hitting a headscissors takedown. Back up again, tie-up, waistlock by Ultimo Dragon but Miyahara drives him back and tags in Shiozaki. Shiozaki and Ultimo Dragon tie-up, Irish whip by Shiozaki and they collide with both men still standing.
Ultimo Dragon goes off the ropes but we get the same result, Ultimo Dragon goes off again and this time Shiozaki shoulderblocks him down. Irish whip by Shiozaki and he goes for a backdrop suplex but Ultimo Dragon lands on his feet and delivers a dropkick. Ultimo Dragon tags in Sato, Sato goes for a single leg takedown but Shiozaki blocks it. Shiozaki pushes Sato into the ropes and gives a clean break. Sato gets Shiozaki’s arm and twists it around the top rope and slaps Shiozaki in the chest before backing off. Shiozaki comes back with a slap to the chest of his own and they trade chops, until Shiozaki throws Sato out of the ring.
Miyahara greets Sato out there and throws Sato into the guard rail. Miyahara throws Sato into the guard rail again and Shiozaki chops Sato in the chest out on the floor. Shiozaki chops Sato outside of the ring again before finally sliding him back into the ring, Shiozaki waits for Sato to get to a seated position and hits a running chop to the chest. Cover, but it gets a two count. Backdrop suplex by Shiozaki, cover, but it gets two as well. Shiozaki tags in Miyahara, and Miyahara uppercuts Sato in the corner. Irish whip by Miyahara and he hits a jumping elbow strike. Irish whip by Miyahara but this time Sato moves and kicks Miyahara in the back. Another kick by Sato and he makes the tag to Ultimo Dragon. Ultimo Dragon delivers a kick combination to Miyahara followed by a dropkick. More kicks by Ultimo Dragon and he hits a fireman’s carry toss.
Dragon screw leg whip by Ultimo Dragon and he applies a modified Indian Deathlock. Miyahara inches to his corner to tag in Shiozaki, stomps by Shiozaki to Ultimo Dragon and he goes off the ropes, but Ultimo Dragon catches him with a dropkick and hits a roll into a hammerlock with a headscissors. Shiozaki gets a foot on the ropes to force the break, Ultimo Dragon goes for a suplex onto Shiozaki but Shiozaki blocks it and goes for a suplex but Shiozaki lands on his feet. Hard chop by Shiozaki and he delivers a vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count.
Shiozaki goes for a kick but Ultimo Dragon ducks it and hits an enzigieri. Ultimo Dragon tags in Sato, Sato knocks Miyahara off the apron and then kicks Shiozaki in the corner. Irish whip by Sato to the corner and he delivers a kick to the chest. Sato goes for a suplex, Shiozaki blocks it, kick by Sato and he goes off the ropes, hitting the PK. Cover, but it gets a two count. Cross Armbreaker by Sato but Shiozaki gets out of it with a powerbomb. Cover by Shiozaki, but it gets a two count. Sato re-applies the cross armbreaker but this time Miyahara breaks it up. Ultimo Dragon throws Miyahara out of the ring, while in the ring Sato picks up Shiozaki.
Kick to the chest by Sato but Shiozaki comes back with a chop. Sato goes off the ropes but Miyahara runs in the ring and connects with a big boot. Irish whip by Miyahara and Shiozaki hits a chop, then they hit a double superkick to Sato. Cover by Shiozaki but Ultimo Dragon breaks it up. Miyahara takes Ultimo Dragon out of the ring, while in the ring Shiozaki picks up Sato and goes for a lariat, but Sato ducks it. Sato ducks it again but after blocking a kick, Shiozaki is finally able to hit the lariat. Cover, but again Ultimo Dragon breaks it up. Miyahara grabs Ultimo Dragon, while in the ring Shiozaki picks up Sato. Elbows by Sato but Shiozaki hits a chop and nails the Go Flasher. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Go Shiozaki and Kento Miyahara
Match Thoughts: If this was WWE I would think that Shiozaki was in the doghouse for something, as both cards I have watched so far he was about as far from the main event scene as I am. This wasn’t bad but was really disjointed in parts, and it seemed almost like there was too much back and forth when on paper the teams seemed lopsided. I did like that Ultimo Dragon managed at the end to come back to save Sato a few times but ultimately just couldn’t keep escaping Miyahara to break up pinfalls. The match just lacked suspense and they didn’t really have any real structure. Good wrestlers all around, but an average match at best. Score: 5.0
(c) SUSHI vs. Takao Soma
This match is for the GAORA TV Championship. Wristlock by SUSHI to start the match, reversed by Soma, but SUSHI applies a hammerlock. Side headlock by SUSHI and he hits a side headlock takedown, Soma Irish whips out of it but SUSHI shoulderblocks him down. Soma gets back up, SUSHI goes off the ropes, waistlock by SUSHI but Soma breaks free. SUSHI goes off the ropes but Soma kicks him in the stomach, Soma goes off the ropes but SUSHI hits a spinning heel kick. Soma falls out of the ring, SUSHI goes for a pescado but Soma moves out of the way. Soma throws SUSHI into the guard rail and then hits a running kick. Soma gets his metal and wooden tubs, he goes to SUSHI and brings him up towards the crowd. SUSHI attacks Soma from behind, he gets the wooden tub while Soma has the metal one and they do dueling strikes. Soma gets the better of it and hits SUSHI in the head with the metal tub. Soma takes SUSHI up into the crowd and throws him into a column. Soma goes back for his metal tub, he then runs all the way around so that he is over top of SUSHI up in the balcony. From there he then drops the metal tub onto SUSHI’s head, as SUSHI didn’t know he was up there. Soma takes SUSHI back towards ringside and throws him into the ring, cover by Soma but it gets a two count. Stomp to the back by Soma, he picks up SUSHI, Irish whip, and Soma delivers a dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Another cover but again it gets two. Soma kicks SUSHI in the head but SUSHI comes back with a chop to the chest. They trade strikes, Soma goes off the ropes but SUSHI catches his boot and delivers the backstabber.
Elbow by SUSHI but Soma returns fire and they trade strikes again. Irish whip by SUSHI, reversed, SUSHI flips himself out to the apron and hits Soma back before hitting a swandive dropkick. Soma falls out of the ring, SUSHI goes off the ropes and sails out onto Soma with a tope con giro. SUSHI throws Soma back into the ring, and SUSHI hits a lariat in the corner. Vertical suplex by SUSHI to Soma, SUSHI goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving headbutt. Cover, but it gets a two count. Waistlock by SUSHI, Irish whip, reversed, and Soma hits a diving forearm strike. Soma goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Single leg grab hold by Soma but SUSHI gets a hand on the bottom rope. Soma picks up SUSHI but SUSHI pushes him back and kicks him in the head. SUSHI charges Soma but Soma gets in a backslide for a two count. Cradle by Soma but it’s another two count, and the schoolboy gets the same result. Superkick by Soma, he gets the metal tub and tries to hit SUSHI with it, but SUSHI ducks. SUSHI thinks he took it away but there is another tub inside of it. Soma hits SUSHI in the head with the metal tub, roll-up by Soma but it gets a two count. Soma picks up SUSHI and hits the Schwein, cover, but again he only gets a two count. Soma picks up SUSHI and puts SUSHI onto his shoulders, but SUSHI gets out of it. Quick roll-up by SUSHI but it only gets two, and they trade pin attempts with no luck. Lariat by SUSHI, he picks up Soma and hits the Katsuo Fishing for the three count! Your winner and still champion: SUSHI
Match Thoughts: No idea what I just watched. I was finally excited to get back to a singles match and I got… this. It was pretty much bad from start to finish. The brawling through the crowd was drawn out and silly since Soma kept using this big metal tub that must have some significance that I don’t know about. Soma dominated the match but not with real moves, but with roll-ups and things like that. Then SUSHI after getting dominated at the end, suddenly picks up the win after two moves. Don’t get me wrong, Soma was never a credible challenger, but it just made the rest of the match meaningless as Soma really wasn’t weakened up at all. Just not a good match on any level. Score: 2.5
Jun Akiyama, Kanemaru, and Inoue vs. Suwama, Taiyo Kea, and Masanobu Fuchi
Akiyama and Fuchi start things off. Tie-up to start and they break cleanly. Another tie-up, but Akiyama pushes Fuchi away. Tie-up again, side headlock by Fuchi, Akiyama Irish whips out of it and the two collide with neither man going down. They do it two more times, Fuchi doesn’t go down but afterwards takes a kneel in the corner to re-group. Tie-up again, wristlock by Fuchi but Akiyama reverses it. Drop toehold by Fuchi and he pushes Akiyama in the corner so he can tag in Inoue. Inoue pushes Fuchi into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, waistlock by Fuchi and he pushes Inoue into the ropes before giving Inoue a pat and a clean break. Fuchi tags in Kea, tie-up by Inoue and Kea, wristlock by Inoue and he yanks on Kea’s arm. Kea reverses the hold but Inoue gets into the ropes to force a break. Knuckle hold by Kea and he applies a hammerlock, neck crank by Kea and he tags in Suwama. Suwama kicks Inoue in the ribs and applies a side headlock, Inoue Irish whips out of it but Suwama shoulderblocks him down. Inoue tags in Akiyama, Akiyama and Suwama tie-up, Suwama pushes Akiyama into the ropes but Akiyama gets Suwama into the corner.
Akiyama gives a clean break, tie-up, waistlock by Akiyama, reversed by Suwama but Akiyama gets Suwama’s arm and applies an armbar. Suwama gets Akiyama to the mat and applies a reverse chinlock, but Kanemaru breaks it up. Suwama punches Kanemaru out of the ring, he then goes back to Akiyama and pushes him into the corner. Punches by Suwama and Kea tags in, kick by Kea in the corner and with Suwama they beat down Akiyama. Chop by Kea and he chops Akiyama in the corner. Kea goes for a vertical suplex but Akiyama reverses it into one of his own. Akiyama tags in Kanemaru, Kanemaru picks up Kea, Irish whip, and Kanemaru delivers a dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Uppercut by Kanemaru and a second one, but Kea comes back with chops. Irish whip by Kea and he hits a back elbow. Elbow drop by Kea, cover, but it gets two. Kea tags in Fuchi, kick to the shoulder by Fuchi and he applies a stretch hold. Kanemaru eventually gets to the ropes to force the break.
Kanemaru gets Fuchi out of the ring and throws him into the guard rail before hitting a leg drop. Akiyama then grabs Fuchi, Kanemaru gets on the apron and they nail a spike piledriver on the floor. Shit suddenly got real. Akiyama slides Fuchi into the ring, cover by Kanemaru but it gets a two count. Kanemaru tags in Inoue, Inoue grabs Fuchi and elbows him in the back of the head. Inoue tags in Akiyama, and Akiyama hits a scoop slam. Akiyama tags in Kanemaru, he picks up Fuchi and he hits a scoop slam as well. Kanemaru tags in Inoue, and he slams Fuchi as well. Inoue tags in Akiyama, he picks up Fuchi and hits a scoop slam. Cover by Akiyama but it gets a two count. Akiyama tags in Kanemaru, and Kanemaru stomps Fuchi in the back. Kanemaru tags in Inoue, Inoue picks up Fuchi and hits a scoop slam. Cover, but Fuchi gets a shoulder up.
Akiyama is tagged in, he picks up Fuchi and elbows him in the head. Akiyama grabs Fuchi as Kanemaru comes in the ring as well, Inoue hits an elbow to Fuchi and Akiyama delivers a running knee. Cover, but it gets a two count. Akiyama waits for Fuchi to get up but Fuchi avoids Akiyama’s charge in the corner and dropkicks Akiyama in the knee. Fuchi tags in Suwama, Irish whip by Suwama to Akiyama and Suwama hits a flying shoulderblock. Suwama picks up Akiyama as Kanemaru runs in the ring, but Suwama fights them back off. Irish whip by Suwama to Akiyama to the corner and Suwama hits a lariat. Belly to belly suplex by Suwama, cover, but Inoue breaks it up. Suwama tags in Kea, and he trades elbows with Akiyama. Kea chops Akiyama into the corner, Irish whip and he hits a jumping elbow followed by a lariat. Kea hits a reverse splash, cover, but it gets a two count. Cobra Clutch by Kea but Akiyama snapmares out of it and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Akiyama tags in Kanemaru, dropkick by Kanemaru to Kea’s knee and he hits a diving DDT off the second turnbuckle. Cover, but it gets a two count. Kanemaru grabs Kea, Kea goes for a suplex but Kanemaru slides down his back and rolls up Kea for a two count.
Kanemaru ducks a Kea kick and rolls him up again, but again it gets two. Kanemaru goes off the ropes but Kea hits a lariat. Kea tags in Fuchi, Fuchi picks up Kanemaru and hits a scoop slam. Fuchi hits a second scoop slam onto Kanemaru but when he goes for a third, Akiyama breaks it up. Kea gets rid of Akiyama, Fuchi grabs Kanemaru and this time is able to hit the scoop slam. Cover, but Inoue breaks it up. Suwama knocks down Inoue, Fuchi then picks up Inoue and scoop slams him. Fuchi picks up Inoue again and slams him once more to the mat. Akiyama runs in the ring but Fuchi rakes him in the eyes. Fuchi then grabs Akiyama and goes for a slam, Akiyama blocks it, so Fuchi rakes him in the eyes again. Another attempt fails, Fuchi rakes Akiyama’s eyes and punches him in the face. Finally Fuchi is able to body slam Akiyama, he then goes back to Kanemaru and goes for a backdrop suplex but Kanemaru lands on his feet and dropkicks Fuchi to the mat.
Kanemaru tags in Inoue, Irish whip by Inoue to the corner and Inoue hits a running lariat. Quick lariats by Inoue in the corner and he hits the cobra clutch leg sweep. Cover, but it gets broken up. Akiyama comes in the ring, Inoue throws Fuchi into the corner, and all three men hit running strikes. Exploder by Akiyama to Fuchi, Inoue covers Fuchi but Fuchi gets a shoulder up. Inoue picks up Fuchi and puts him up on his shoulders in the Argentine Backbreaker, but Kea breaks it up. Jumping heel kick by Kea to Inoue, and then Suwama hits a belly to belly suplex on him. Fuchi is back up and he hits a dropkick to Inoue. Kanemaru runs in the ring, Irish whip by Fuchi to Kanemaru and he gets a dropkick as well. Akiyama runs in but so do Suwama and Kea, and they hold Akiyama so that Fuchi can dropkick him as well. Fuchi goes back to Inoue, and Fuchi hits a backdrop suplex. Fuchi hits a second backdrop suplex, cover, but it only gets a two count when Akiyama breaks it up. Kea dispatches Akiyama, Fuchi picks up Inoue and tries an Inside Cradle, but it gets a two count. A second Inside Cradle by Fuchi, but it also gets a two count. Fuchi tries a third one, and this one works as he gets the three count. Your winners: Suwama, Taiyo Kea, and Masanobu Fuchi
Another attempt fails, Fuchi rakes Akiyama’s eyes and punches him in the face. Finally Fuchi is able to body slam Akiyama, he then goes back to Kanemaru and goes for a backdrop suplex but Kanemaru lands on his feet and dropkicks Fuchi to the mat. Kanemaru tags in Inoue, Irish whip by Inoue to the corner and Inoue hits a running lariat. Quick lariats by Inoue in the corner and he hits the cobra clutch leg sweep. Cover, but it gets broken up. Akiyama comes in the ring, Inoue throws Fuchi into the corner, and all three men hit running strikes. Exploder by Akiyama to Fuchi, Inoue covers Fuchi but Fuchi gets a shoulder up. Inoue picks up Fuchi and puts him up on his shoulders in the Argentine Backbreaker, but Kea breaks it up. Jumping heel kick by Kea to Inoue, and then Suwama hits a belly to belly suplex on him. Fuchi is back up and he hits a dropkick to Inoue. Kanemaru runs in the ring, Irish whip by Fuchi to Kanemaru and he gets a dropkick as well. Akiyama runs in but so do Suwama and Kea, and they hold Akiyama so that Fuchi can dropkick him as well. Fuchi goes back to Inoue, and Fuchi hits a backdrop suplex. Fuchi hits a second backdrop suplex, cover, but it only gets a two count when Akiyama breaks it up. Kea dispatches Akiyama, Fuchi picks up Inoue and tries an Inside Cradle, but it gets a two count. A second Inside Cradle by Fuchi, but it also gets a two count. Fuchi tries a third one, and this one works as he gets the three count. Your winners: Suwama, Taiyo Kea, and Masanobu Fuchi
Match Thoughts: When I saw this match went 26 minutes I groaned. This match was to celebrate Fuchi’s 60th birthday, by the way, which is why he was prominently displayed in the match. This is very good to see, as anytime a wrestler is still healthy enough to still be wrestling at his age it is quite an accomplishment and I tip my hat to him. Anyway the match was what it was, it certainly dragged in parts but I will say that Fuchi certainly did his part. He took a lot of moves and gave a lot of moves as well, so he was not slacking off in his birthday match. Akiyama and Suwama being in the match seemed off, you’d think this would be left to the mid-carders and they could have been in a more important match. But it was not as bad as I thought, even though it seemed weak for a semi-main event on show with a Triple Crown match. Score: 5.5
(c) Akebono vs. Takao Omori
This match is for the Triple Crown Championship. Tie-up to start, Akebono pushes Omori into the ropes, Omori switches positions with him but Omori gives a clean break. They lock knuckles, kick by Omori and he applies a side headlock, Akebono Irish whips out of it but he can’t shoulderblock Omori down. Omori goes off the ropes and again they collide. Omori goes off the ropes again but this time Akebono shoulderblocks him down and hits an elbow drop. Cover, but it gets a two count. Akebono puts Omori in a sleeper, but Omori gets out of it and rolls towards the ropes. Akebono stands on Omori, using the ropes for leverage, until the referee gets him off. Omori gets back up and chops Akebono but Akebono absorbs the blows and chops him back. Running body splash by Akebono in the corner, Irish whip, but Omori moves out of the way this time. Akebono elbows Omori back but Omori hits a chop block. Stomps to the leg by Omori and he applies a leg lock. Akebono gets to the ropes to break the hold, but Omori kicks him in the leg as he tries to get up. Omori grabs Akebono’s leg but Akebono pounds him in the back. Kicks to the leg by Omori and he takes down Omori by grabbing his injured leg. Omori applies a knee lock but Akebono punches his way out of it. Omori punches Akebono as he gets back to his feet, chop by Omori but Akebono pushes him back into the corner and pounds on him until the referee pushes him back. Running body splash by Akebono and he goes for an elbow drop, but Omori rolls out of the way. Omori goes out to the apron as Akebono gets up in the ring, Akebono grabs Omori over the top rope and goes for a chokeslam but Omori elbows him off.
Akebono then charges Omori and pushes him off the apron down to the floor. Akebono gets out to the apron but from the floor Omori hits him in the leg with an Axe Bomber (I only say that because the announcers did). Omori rolls back into the ring with Akebono slowly following. Kicks to the leg by Omori, he goes off the ropes and hits a running boot to the face. Omori goes off the ropes again and a second kick, but Akebono still doesn’t go down. Omori then hits a spinning heel kick, with Akebono remaining on his feet. An Axe Bomber to the back also doesn’t knock down Akebono, Omori goes off the ropes again but Akebono catches him with a swinging side slam. Back up they trade chops and slaps, Omori goes off the ropes and hits a heel kick to the back of the head. Axe Bomber by Omori, Akebono finally falls to the mat but Omori only gets a two count. Omori sits up Akebono and goes off the ropes, but Akebono catches Omori by the throat as he goes for the Axe Bomber and hits a chokeslam. Elbow drop by Akebono, cover, but it gets a two count. Akebono grabs Omori and goes for a piledriver, but Omori blocks it. Omori hits Akebono in the leg and rolls him up for a two count. Akebono ends up in the corner and Omori hits a running boot. Omori goes off the ropes again but Akebono catches him with a lariat. Irish whip by Akebono to the corner and he hits a body splash followed by an elbow drop. Cover, but Omori kicks out. Akebono goes off the ropes and hits a body press, he gets up and hits a second body press onto Akebono. A third Yokozuna Press by Akebono, cover, but Omori gets a shoulder up. Akebono picks up Omori and nails the Yokozuna Impact, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner and still champion: Akebono
Match Thoughts: This was a pretty sad affair. Akebono should not be any promotion’s champion. He has a use, but he needs to be protected in tag matches and not expected to put on long-ish singles matches. First of all, his physical condition is not good. He gets up the same way that Vader did in his last RAW match… meaning he has to kinda straighten his legs and then push up with his hands. Mind you Vader is 58 and has had 45 surgeries. Point being, Akebono at his age, weight, and with his injuries just doesn’t have the ability to really put on good matches. He has some high impact moves, but he only has about five of them so he does the same moves repeatedly in the match. I will say that they tried, but some of the spots just looked silly (like Akebono getting Omori by the throat while he was seated and Omori was going for an Axe Bomber) or contrived. Just a disappointing match, and the size of the crowd (smallest ever for a Triple Crown match) shows I am not the only one that was disappointed. I could go on, but just… not good, even though I do appreciate the effort and Akebono had a strong decisive win which I always appreciate. Score: 3.5
Final Thoughts:
Best Match: Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki vs. Shigehiro Irie and Keisuke Ishii. How often is the best match on the card the opener? But this really was a good match, they told a strong story, the action was fast, and they got the crowd into it. I hope sometime in 2014 All Japan begins pushing these young guys up the card, they deserve it.
MVP: Masanobu Fuchi. This is a kinda lame pick, but the reason is not only did he show up for his match to celebrate his 60th birthday, but he did a lot of the work. Spike Piledriver on the floor, Exploder, numerous body slams, he didn’t just wave from the apron and get his roll-up victory. So on a card that didn’t really have one stand out wrestler, I have to give the old man the nod.
Overall: It is a sad day when the card opens with the best match and the rest of the card just does downhill. I only thought two of these matches were above average and some of them were really really bad. The special Fuchi match had good intentions but it just went on for too long, and the main event was almost hard to watch due to Akebono’s limitations. 2014 may be a make or break year for All Japan in terms of match quality, as if by the end of the year the young wrestlers aren’t given more of a chance I fear their attendances will continue to shrink. Really no need to track down this event as even though the opener is great, it isn’t nearly special enough to justify watching this card.
