Hello everyone and you read it right, I have returned and ready to get the show on the road. I wanna thank Andrew for covering the first three days of the Carnival while I was on vacation while also dealing with laptop issues. Should be getting a new computer soon but in the meantime, gonna abuse this old laptop as much as I can till it happens. All Japan’s memorable time of the year, the Champion Carnival is currently underway and I’m here to take over the 6 remaining days.

It’s been a fun three shows so far and let’s see if the rest can deliver. Will Zeus remain undefeated?

Let’s find out as we…dive right in.

Star Rating System:

• 0 Stars: Dave Meltzer
• 1 Star: Vince Russo
• 2 Stars: Tony Schiavone
• 3 Stars: Eric Bischoff
• 4 Stars: Bruce Prichard
• 5 Stars: Jim Cornette

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Shotaro Ashino vs. Kohei Sato

Review: Time for our first match-up as Shotaro Ashino takes on Kohei Sato. Ashino is in a bit of turmoil ever since he lost Enfants Terribles and only has one victory under his belt while losing his first two matches. Sato has a steady record as he only has one win and loss under his belt, and a win here would put him in the middle of the rankings. Can Ashino win two in a row or does he fall behind again?

These two started with some chain wrestling but it appears to be a stalemate as they transition into a chop battle, where Sato is winning. I know Sato may not look like much in a physical sense but he can deliver some stiff shots to you, so definitely wanna be careful when in the ring with this guy. Ashino did try to make a comeback with a European Uppercut but Sato forearms him down. In the grand scheme of things, Shotaro being on his own is a much better path for him since he was mostly known as Wrestle-1’s guy and leader of this group, and now that he doesn’t have them and is now a babyface, it’s a fresher start for him to see what he can do on his own.

Sato appears to be heading towards Ashino and it was the opening Shotaro needed to hit a Dragon Screw, making Sato go down and this is where he will shine. Shotaro with the Gutwrench but Sato kicked out. Shotaro going in with the leg work to try and weaken it for the Ankle Lock later but Sato grabbed the ropes. Shotaro ran the ropes but Sato catches him with a knee to the gut, gaining control of the match once again while delivering kicks to the chest and midsection. Sato went for the Brainbuster but Ashino reversed it, hitting a German Suplex as he goes for the cover but once Sato kicked out, Ashino quickly turned it into the Ankle Lock! Sato would eventually get to the ropes and Shotaro is forced to let go of the hold. Shotaro tried to get the ankle again but Sato punched him in the gut and it leads to an exchange of blows till Sato won that battle, topping it off with a Falcon Arrow as Shotaro kicked out at two! It wouldn’t last much longer as Sato quickly picked him up to hit the Drill-a-Hole Piledriver, getting the victory over Ashino. I know people are frustrated with how Ashino has been booked since arriving at All Japan but all it takes is patience, he’s basically started over and getting the slow build back up.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a quarter.

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Suwama vs. Koji Doi

Review: Time for our next match as Koji Doi takes on the Triple Crown Champion, Suwama. Suwama currently only has one win under his belt with two losses, so it’s a better record than last year but he still needs to find a way to get back up on the totem pole. Koji has the same record as the champ but a victory here would gain a lot of momentum. Will the champ prevail or does Koji pull an upset?

Loo at Koji getting the first advantage with a couple of shoulder tackles to the champ and oh wait, never mind, Suwama double chopped him and now has him in the corner. Suwama Irish-whips him into the corner but Koji reversed it as Suwama attempts a Lariat as Koji blocked it and hits his arm with a Codebreaker, turning it into a Fujiwara Armbar. After being forced to let go, Koji responds by stomping on his arm and having it through the ropes to pull on it. Koji Doi is someone I’ve always considered to be an underrated talent and glad he’s getting the opportunity on a bigger platform than Wrestle-1.

Suwama makes a comeback after hitting a flying shoulder tackle to get Koji down. Suwama then throws him into the corner to hit a Lariat before pulling him in for a Belly-to-Belly Suplex but Koji kicked out at two. Suwama called for the Last Ride but Koji was able to flip him over, leading the two to exchange blows until Koji tossed him into the ropes for a side slam. Koji delivered a Dropkick and would attempt to lift him but the champ refused to go up, causing Koji to just knock him down with a Lariat. Koji went for the Murder Lariat but Suwama catches him with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex, then gets him for a German, and then a Discus Lariat for good measure. Suwama hits the Backdrop but Koji got up to fight through the pain but Suwama applies the Sleeper Hold and Koji is out, giving Suwama the victory!

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Jake Lee vs. Shinjiro Otani

Review: Halfway through the day as Zero1’s Shinjiro Otani takes on the leader of TOTAL ECLIPSE, Jake Lee. Jake Lee has made quite the transformation ever since he turned heel and took Enfants Terribles from Ashino, he has developed a whole new persona since then and it seems to be the change he needed to show he’s a top star. Can Jake bounce back from his first loss or will he lose two in a row?

There appears to be an issue under the ring as the referee and announcer go check on it before starting the match, guess a bar or piece of wood popped out. Now the match is underway with Jake delivering some stomps down on Otani but would eventually get tossed over the ropes. Otani would deliver some stomps of his own after getting Lee back into the ring, just stomping away at him into the corner until Jake tripped him, delivering more stomps onto him. Jake is wrestling a completely different style compared to how we’re used to seeing him and it works for his new persona. He delivers it well and this whole tournament is a great way to showcase his new self. Jake delivered stiff kicks to the midsection and Otani would eventually catch his foot to hit it with an elbow and leg sweep him off his feet.

Jake grabbed Otani’s head and delivered multiple knees to his head but Otani would eventually counteract with a German Suplex. Otani went for a palm strike but Jake delivered a knee to the gut and then one more knee to the back of his head after getting him down. Jake delivered a couple more knee shots to Otani as he’s laughing maniacally to the crowd before he went to pick him up to hit his new finisher, the D4C, which is a delayed vertical drop Brainbuster. Jake crossed Otani’s arms while covering him and gets the victory. If this is how Jake Lee is going to be, this may very well be the trigger to make him the next Triple Crown Champion.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a quarter

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Zeus vs. Yuma Aoyagi

Review: It’s now time for our main event as Purple Haze leader and last year’s winner, Zeus takes on NEXTREAM’s own Yuma Aoyagi. Zeus is currently the only one that remains undefeated in the tournament so far and a win here would help secure himself closer to the winner of the tournament. Yuma only has one win under his belt but a victory here can stop Zeus and remain strong in the game. Does Zeus remain undefeated or will Yuma be his first loss?

It’s good to see that Zeus is still a snacc, Mathew likes. Yuma failed to challenge Zeus in raw power after being tackled down but Yuma could still try to outsmart him as he had Zeuss over the top ropes and Dropkicked him to get him to the outside. 2021 has been a great year for Yuma, winning the tag titles for the first time, delivering solid matches at the beginning of the year, this little resurgance this past year has been a big plus for Yuma since he was falling behind in terms of star power. They fight outside briefly but Zeus would deliver his beautiful chops to hurt his chest and tossed Yuma back into the ring. When you think about it, Zeus is still undefeated from last year’s Carnival as well, so has that undefeated Carnival record carried over from his victory to this upcoming one, so it makes sense for Zeus to look as dominating as possible during this tournament.

Yuma got back into it when hitting a Crossbody onto Zeus but would kick out at one. Yuma tossed Zeus into the ropes but Zeus would hit a Flying Clothesline instead as the two are down but Zeus is getting up first, lifting him up for a Bearhug and tossed him over. Zeus calls for the Chokeslam but Yuma fights him off, delivering an below to the face and as he ran the ropes, he ducked under Zeus to hit a German Suplex. Yuma climbed to the top rope but Zeus chops him before coming up to hit a Superplex as the two men go down. Zeus hits the Chokeslam this time and climbs to the top rope to hit a Frog Splash but Yuma kicked out at two! Zeus quickly went for the Facelock and looks like he could tap but Yuma had his foot on the rope. Zeus called for the Jackhammer but Yuma reversed it into a German Suplex but Zeus quickly got up to attempt a Lariat, however, Yuma ducked again to hit another German. Yuma has the End Game locked in but Zeus was close enough to grab the rope, and break the hold. Zeus went for a Lariat but Yuma ducked as they ran the ropes, making Zeus hit the Lariat this time as Yuma was turned inside out. Zeus went for one more Lariat as Yuma reversed it into a Crucifix Pin and gets the surprising victory over Zeus! Big win for Yuma and Zeus is no longer undefeated.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half.

Overall: While none of the matches were mind blowing, everything was still solid. Nothing crazy or over the top, just solid and basic wrestling for this night. Hopefully tomorrow will deliver something different. We had two people in the top spot and two people who are one loss away from being eliminated.

Favorite Match: Zeus vs. Yuma Aoyagi

Least Favorite Match: Suwama vs. Koji Doi

Score: 6.5/10

Champion Carnival Standings:

1. Zeus: (3-1) (6 Points)
2. Jake Lee: (3-1) (6 Points)
3. Shuji Ishikawa: (2-1) (4 Points)
4. Kohei Sato: (2-1) (4 Points)
5. Yuma Aoyagi: (2-2) (4 Points)
6. Suwama: (2-2) (4 Points)
7. Kento Miyahara: (1-2) (2 Points)
8. Shinjiro Otani: (1-2) (2 Points)
9. Koji Doi: (1-3) (2 Points)
10. Shotaro Ashino: (1-3) (2 Points)