AJPW Champion Carnival B Block Ratings & Results: Part 2

So a couple points to hit here, Marufuji finally joins the Carnival since his participation in NOAH’s Global Tag League is over. His team finished 1 point out of making it to the finals, so it saved him a little wear and tear.

The second point is that it seems like All Japan TV isn’t delivering their Video On Demand for the Carnival until around 10 pm Eastern Time. So it makes me even happier that Mathew and I split these up, since it’s hard enough educating ourselves on the company, but with less time and day jobs, only having to focus on half is great.

Speaking of Mathew’s A Block coverage, if you haven’t checked it out, do it. He’s got a great passion for Puroresu in general, and adds a nice element to all of his coverage. Now let’s get to the next few B Block matches.

B Block (4/10)

Dylan James vs Yukata Yoshie

Yutaka Yoshie’s first match of the Carnival, and it’s a power struggle.

This was hard hitting, paced fairly well and not a bad match. Nothing flashy and  was basically what you’d expect looking at the two participants, but good to start off the Carnival matches for the day. It was nice to see the crowd get behind Yoshie. Not sure if that was for enjoyment or bias, since he’s facing a gaijin, but nice regardless.

Dylan gets the better of a lariat exchange, and finally lands his Chokeslam that was blocked a few times this match and Akiyama countered in his first match.

Winner: James via Chokeslam

Rating: ** 1/4

Naomichi Marufuji vs Yoshitatsu

Marufuji is NOAH’s Genius for a reason, so let’s just enjoy what kind of tournament he puts together.

Yoshitatsu is still on his relevance tour, and it’s getting better and better. He really took it to Marufuji in this match. He lands a few big moves and gets a near fall with his Koji Clutch. But as soon as Marufuji hits his blitz from the corner, Yoshi sells it like he got shot, and the match stars to turn.

I’m not sure if Marufuji’s struggle in this is because Yoshitatsu has gotten better, or if Marufuji is still tired from the Tag League. Either way, not a bad match, but nowhere near the best match Marufuji can put together.

Winner: Marufuji via Sliced Bread

Rating: *** 1/2

Jun Akiyama vs KAI

Still looking to establish himself in All Japan, KAI comes into this match behind the eight ball, against a legend.

Given the types of matches Jun has put on lately, this really floored me. He seemed more determined to hurt KAI. Took a big spill into the guardrail and in general, pulled off moves with much more velocity than I’m accustomed to seeing him do.

They traded multiple pinfalls , changed the pace a few times and made both men look fantastic. Akiyama still proves himself to be the crafty veteran with the way he wins, but damn this was the best match of B Block so far.

Winner: Akiyama via Crucifix pin

Rating: ****

B Block (4/11)

Yoshitatsu vs Kai

Well damn, which one of these men have more to prove?

This match was wrestled like two men with nothing to lose, but a lot to prove. KAI and Yoshi both continue to impress, and really came off as anyone’s match.

There were dives, hard strikes and a little bit of everything. The crowd really seemed to appreciate how hard both men were working. After KAI doesn’t submit to the Koji Clutch and kicks out of a pinfall, Yoshitatsu unveils his new move, the Codebreaker!

Winner: Yoshitatsu via Codebreaker

Rating: *** 1/4

Yukata Yoshie vs Suwama

Well we’ve got the one who seems like the underdog in Yoshie and the former ace Suwama.

This match really proves that the crowd is much more active than the previous day. They made a lot of noise all match, and especially when Suwama made some comebacks.

Again, this was a power match, where Yoshie comes up just short. He seems to be doing enough to gain sympathy from the crowd and always leaves the opponent winded. So he’s falling just short, but it seems to be resonating well.

Winner: Suwama via high angle backdrop

Rating: ***

Zeus vs Dylan James

Here we have another match that rides on power, but James is trying to build momentum, where Zeus is trying to keep his.

Since Zeus picked up the pinfall in the tag match the previous day, I had my feelings he’d lose here. But the James started hot out of the gate, and it really seemed like Zeus never got comfortable. He tried to comeback a little here or there, but the onslaught from James just took him by surprise.

Another small thread is the James’ tag team defeated Zeus and Bodyguard for the Tag Team Titles at the end of March, so maybe Dylan just has Zeus’ number.

Winner: Dylan James via Short Range Clothesline

Rating: ** 1/4

Current B-Block Standings:

Jun Akiyama: 2-0 (4 Points)
Suwama: 2-1 (4 Points)
Zeus: 2-1 (4 Points)
Dylan James: 2-1 (4 Points)
Naomichi Marufuji: 1-0 (2 Points)
Yoshitatsu: 1-2 (2 Points)
Yutaka Yoshie: 0-2 (0 Points)
KAI: 0-3 (0 Points)

The next few days will be odd since they don’t balance the break out between groups. So A Block will be up in a day or so, or whenever they deliver the show…soo…maybe Saturday?