We’re now onto part five of the B Block for the Champion Carnival! We take look at the next four shows for All Japan’s top tournament of the year!

Both, Andrew and I have had a lot of catching up to do and we’re hoping to get it at least closer to the finals live as best we can with our busy schedules.

We so far have one elimination on my block with Takashi Yoshida having only one match left with six points, meaning he’s unable to catch up even if he won.

This next set should hopefully show who has a better chance and who doesn’t. Let’s not waste any time as we…dive right in.

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

4/20/2019
Champion Carnival B Block Match
Yoshitatsu vs. Sam Adonis

Review: Our first match of this show is Yoshitatsu taking on Sam Adonis. Sam is tied for last place with Joe Doering and if Sam were to lose here, then he’ll be considered mathematically eliminated from the tournament. Yoshitatsu only has four matches to go, so he has some time to try and catch up if he can win this one right here. Will we see another elimination here or does Sam hold on just a bit longer?

Yoshi, I’m starting to like you and all but please don’t try to dance like Sam again because while kinda funny, still pretty terrible. Besides that whole little fiasco, it wasn’t a terrible match at all but still could’ve been better. I liked how technical it was at the beginning surprisingly enough but again, still not the best match. It was more entertaining than anything since Sam is more of a character than he is a wrestler in these past few matches and thankfully, he didn’t bother going for the chair or anything. Yoshi would kick Sam before he could charge at him from the turnbuckle and hits the Tornado DDT for a two count. Yoshi would pick Sam up but Sam quickly lifts him on his shoulders for a Death Valley Driver for a two count and would quickly go for a Splash off the top rope as Yoshi kicks out again. Sam is getting furious as he climbs to the top again for a Swanton Bomb but Yoshi rolled out of the way and applied the Koji Clutch as Sam would tap out, making himself eliminated!

Rating: Tony Schiavone and three quarters

Champion Carnival B Block Match
Suwama vs. Joel Redman

Review: Our next match is Suwama taking on Joel Redman. Both men have about three matches left but Suwama is in a better position with the standings as he could tie for first if he can beat Joel right here. If Joel can win, then he keeps himself in the game a little bit longer while it not hurting Suwama either. Should be an interesting battle of styles but only one of them will win. Will Suwama reach the top or will Joel find a way to beat the former ace?

Stuff like this makes me enjoy Joel as he’s just so good at his technical ability that I’m going to start following him more after this tournament. Joel and Suwama were able to go back and forth with the chain wrestling as even Suwama was impressed with him a little bit. When Joel was done toying with Suwama with his wrestling ability, Suwama would retaliate and have Joel to the outside to slam his back against the turnbuckle post and has that opening to work on his back. I’ve enjoyed the combination of styles between two of these men that the match was just a joy to watch. Joel would do what he can to try and put him away as he would hit the knees off the top rope and Suwama would kick out of it. Joel would try to go for the Spinning Tombstone as Suwama would pick him up instead and hits a Running Powerslam and gets up to hit him with a Lariat. Suwama hits the Backdrop and looks like this could be over but Joel will find a way to kick out at two! Suwama looks to end it with the Last Ride as Joel would grab his legs to put him down and flip over him for the pin and Suwama kicked out. Joel would try to go for the Backslide as Suwama fights out of it but Joel would turn it into a Crucifix and gets Suwama down to get the surprise victory!

Rating: Eric Bischoff and three quarters

Champion Carnival B Block Match
Naoya Nomura vs. Daichi Hashimoto

Review: Our final match for this show is Naoya Nomura taking on Daichi Hashimoto. Naoya is still in the lead as he could solidify it a lot more if he were to win this match right here. Daichi still has two wins and only two losses as he has time to rack up some points here but a loss here would make it a little bit difficult. Will Naoya get another win to have a higher chance of winning his block or does Daichi get more points on the board?

Both have similar styles with technical and striking but the only difference is that Nomura is more agile and has plenty of energy to give him that slight advantage. The beginning was rather slow with the chain wrestling and just testing each other out but it did its job with telling a story in the ring. I feel like Daichi could be better than how he is now if he does put his mind to it since he really does have a ton of untapped potential that he’s not letting out. Nomura keeps on getting better and I have no doubt that a Triple Crown Championship will be in his hands by this year or next year for sure.

Daichi would hit Nomura with a Shining Wizard onto the turnbuckle to knock him down as Nomura kicked out at two. Daichi would then hit a Falcon Arrow for a two count and the two would go back and forth with the punches until Daichi ended it with a kick to his chest. Nomura would lift him for a Scoop Slam and drops Daichi on his head before hitting a Splash off the top rope as Daichi kicked out at two. Nomura lifted him up for a Death Vallet Driver as Daichi fights out of it to apply a Sleeper Hold. Nomura hits Daichi with a Spear for a two count after he rolled him up and Nomura went for another Death Valley Driver as Daichi countered it with a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Daichi hits Nomura with a PK and would then finally hit the Shining Wizard to get the victory! Very solid match and now Nomura has one more match left.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

4/21/2019
Champion Carnival B Block Match
Yoshitatsu vs. Joel Redman

Review: Our first match on this show is Yoshitatsu taking on Joel Redman. This match is important for these two as the winner of this one will be tied for first place since Naoya lost at the last show, meaning the winner of this one will have eight points. If Joel does lose though, he’ll also be mathematically eliminated. Will Yoshi tie for first and eliminate Joel or does Joel hold on longer?

If you’ve seen Joel’s matches in this tournament, then you know how technical it can be with the chain wrestling and he can do it with just about anyone it seems and well might I add. While he was chain wrestling with Yoshi, Yoshi would roll into a ball before Joel would flip over him as it gave us a little bit of humor in the match as Joel looked stumped on what he would be doing until he started to grab his leg, but Yoshi would counter it into a pin and that was a close one. Yoshi keeps on impressing his audience with his performances in this match and I really do hope Joel comes back to All Japan in some capacity again since he’s been a joy. It looked like Yoshi’s knee tweaked a bit when he got pushed off the Tornado DDT as it looked like Joel doing leg work to Yoshi has been working since he would do submissions on his leg. There would be a point where Yoshi was getting some kicks in and before he could hit the last one, Joel grabbed his leg to hit a Dragon Screw and applies the Single Leg Crab as Yoshi grabbed the rope, but Joel would see he’s on the other side of the apron and brings him in with a Suplex. Yoshi would have Joel on his shoulders but Joel held him up for a Tombstone as Yoshi kicked out again. Joel attempts the knees from the top rope until Yoshi moves and hits the Codebreaker of Jericho, and quickly applies the Koji Clutch as Joel tapped out. Yoshi is now tied with Nomura and Joel is now eliminated.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

Champion Carnival B Block Match
Daichi Hashimoto vs. Joe Doering

Review: Our next match is Joe Doering taking on Daichi Hashimoto. Joe is currently tied for last with Sam Adonis but he can turn it around here if he wins this match against Daichi to keep himself in the race or he’ll also be mathematically eliminated. Daichi could have a chance to tie for first if he wins here and join Yoshitatsu and Naoya Nomura for the lead. Will Daichi be able to make a comeback or will Joe crush him?

It’s adorable thinking Daichi could win a battle of strength over Joe but I will give him credit for trying despite failing at the end of it. More underdog typestyle with Daichi as he gets destroyed by Joe for the most part but Daichi did get a chance to kick him down to his knees before hitting a Shining Wizard at the back of his head to gain a small fit of an advantage. Joe is another good opponent for Daichi to make him fight people in different styles and sizes like how he does in BJW but still a nice test for himself. Daichi would get Joe down with a Dragon Screw as Joe is dazed into the corner as Daichi runs with a Shining Wizard into the corner and tops it off with a DDT but Joe kicked out of it. Daichi would try to lift Joe up as Joe tackled him into the corner and hits him with a Lariat and Elbow Drop combo for a two count. Joe calls for the Revolution Bomb as Daichi flipped him over and it looked like he was gonna go for a Lariat but Joe catches him with a Diving Body Press to get the pinfall victory and stays in the race.

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Champion Carnival B Block Match
Suwama vs. Jake Lee

Review: Our main event for this show is Jake Lee taking on Suwama. Both men are tied with six points and a win here will put them in the top position with Nomura and Yoshitatsu. The loser, however, will be in a very tight spot but not out yet as they cannot lose any more matches after this while the guy that defeated them would have to lose. This will be an interesting turnout but which one of them will win and which one will struggle?

One of the matches I’ve been waiting for is finally happening and it’s safe to say that it delivered big time and my favorite match out of my block as of right now because it was everything I expected it to be. Jake proving himself against one of All Japan’s best to show that his main event status for the company as he has shown that time and time again ever since his return. Suwama still has plenty left in the tank to show his worth to the company as he can still go and deliver us great matches whenever he can despite his ace days are done. The tables did turn for Jake when his back got slammed against the turnbuckle post and Suwama would capitalize on that to weaken his arsenal or make him tap out, whichever is easier for him,

Suwama would attempt to go for the Last Ride to try and finally hit it in the tournament but Jake Lee would flip him over despite having a bad back to save himself a little longer. Suwama would hit Jake with a German Suplex but Jake would get up right away to charge at him with a knee to the chest as the both of them are down. This is where Jake starts getting deadly as he would just keep kneeing Suwama in the chest and would pin him for a two count. Suwama would slowly get up and as Jake charged at him, Suwama would be able to catch him for a Backdrop as the two of them are down again. Suwama is fired up as he hits a Dropkick to the corner and a Discus Lariat and Jake kicked out at two. Suwama would catch Jake’s leg and would lift him up for a Powerbomb and Jake kicked out at two again as Suwama doesn’t know what to do now to try and put him away. Suwama attempts the Backdrop as Jake reversed it into a Headlock Takedown to get out of it and would hit Suwama with an Enziguri to the chest and hits a PK for a two count! Suwama was able to hit him with another Lariat and picks him up for the Backdrop and as he was about to pin him, the referee had to stop him for a moment to see if Jake was even conscious. Jake would slowly start to get up to show he’s not done yet but Suwama has other plans as he would hit the Backdrop Driver for the victory! What a match.

Rating: Bruce Prichard and a half

4/23/2019
Champion Carnival B Block Match
Yoshitatsu vs. Daichi Hashimoto

Review: The only match we got for this show is Yoshitatsu taking on Daichi Hashimoto. Daichi has a chance to redeem his recent loss against Joe as he’ll join the ranks of first place with Yoshitatsu, Naoya Nomura, and Suwama. If Daichi were to lose though, he’ll join Sam Adonia, Joel Redman, and Takashi Yoshida for being mathematically eliminated. Yoshitatsu has a chance to take the top spot and secure his chances of winning but he would need to win this one right here. Will Daichi join the ranks or does Yoshitatsu move up to the lead?

This nothing fully spectacular happened in this match, it was still solid enough to get by without many complaints. The first half did start slow with the chain wrestling and the two of them trying to get the best of each other. I think it’s safe to say that Yoshitatsu has been winning me over during the entire tournament as his performances haven’t been bad at all and I really hope this continues outside of it because he could possibly be an All Asia Heavyweight Champion down the road or possible Triple Crown contender, he just needs to keep it up with whatever it is he’s doing. Daichi was also able to stand his ground with a more even fight instead of just another bigger guy for another obstacle to face for him. One botch in the match did hurt it a little bit as Yoshitatsu would trip during the Tornado DDT and didn’t fully connect it, but he would try to make up for it as he goes for a series of kicks to his chest before hitting the Fisherman Suplex for a two count. Daichi would hit Yoshi with a series of kicks and knees before he charged towards him as Yoshi caught him for the Koji Clutch but Daichi would quickly try to pin him as Yoshi kicked out. Daichi would pick him up to hit the Falcon Arrow for a two count but Daichi would quickly hit Yoshi with a Shining Wizard on the back of his head and then one more to his face as he gets the victory to stay in the race, tied for first place!

Rating: Eric Bischoff

4/24/2019
Champion Carnival B Block Match
Joe Doering vs. Joel Redman

Review: Our first match on this show is Joe Doering taking on Joel Redman. This will be Joel’s final match in the Champion Carnival as he already fought all eight of his opponents, meaning he won’t be apart of the block final on the April 28th show. Joe has a slim chance of making it into the final but he would have to win here in order for that to happen. Joel is already eliminated but that doesn’t mean he can cause Joe to fail here as well. Will Joe be able to stay alive or does Joel bring Joe down with him?

I love how Joel was able to make all of his opponents do some type of chain wrestling in his matches for the Carnival, it’s great. Joe looked like he was gonna win after having him down from the test of strength but Joel used his legs to snap Joe’s arm a little and was quite clever. Both were able to play to their strengths with Joel trying to out wrestle him while Joe just used his power to push him around the ring. Joel looked like he was able to catch him in an Abdominal Stretch but Joe would flip him over and give him a stiff shoulder tackle. Joe had him up for a Stalling Suplex and walked around the ring for a little bit before he dropped him as Joel kicked out at two. Joe looked like he was gonna go for another Suplex as Joel reversed it into a suplex as he finally lifted him up this time and Joe kicked out at two. Joel would climb to the top to try and hit the Diving Knee Drop but he saw that Joe rolled out of the way and was able to catch himself, but it was too late as Joe hits the Diving Body Press to secure the victory and tie for first place with the others. Joel, it’s been a lot of fun seeing you in All Japan and I hope you return for future tours.

Rating: Tony Schiavone and three quarters

Champion Carnival B Block Match
Sam Adonis vs. Jake Lee

Review: Our final match for the show and article is Jake Lee taking on Sam Adonis. Since Joe Doering is able to survive another day, Jake Lee would need to do the exact same thing here or he’ll be eliminated from the tournament. Sam is already mathematically eliminated but he could use his last two matches to ruin their chances of winning at least. Will Jake be able to win or does Sam ruin it?

This felt like more of a cooldown match for Jake after the beatdown he took from Suwama from the previous show, but it was solid enough to get by and was one of Sam’s better performances for sure. It was a basic wrestling match with chain wrestling, some strikes, few moves, and they were able to do it in a crisp fashion and make it entertaining for the timeframe they had together. Jake would lift Sam up after giving him a knee to the chest but Sam would pick him up for the Death Valley Driver and goes to the top rope to hit the Splash as Jake kicked out at two. Jake used that time to roll him up Crucifix style as Sam kicked out and Jake quickly had him for a cradle as Sam kicked out again. The two would share a small sequence with Sam doing a Sunset Flip for Jake to roll out of it and Sam tripped him to apply the Cattle Mutilation until Jake had his foot on the rope. Jake delivered a knee to the chest for a two count and gets him up to hit the Backdrop Driver as he’s still in the race and we have a six-way tie!

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Overall: It’s been a great four days for the Carnival as we had a lot of solid matches from all of them this time around and we now have a clear list of who has a chance to win. The block final coming up next is going to be intense as it can be anyone’s game for our top six.

Favorite Match: Suwama vs. Jake Lee

Least Favorite Match: Yoshitatsu vs. Sam Adonis

Score: 8/10

Current Standings:
Naoya Nomura: (4-3) (8 Points)
Suwama: (4-3) (8 Points)
Yoshitatsu: (4-3) (8 Points)
Daichi Hashimoto: (4-3) (8 Points)
Jake Lee: (4-3) (8 Points)
Joe Doering: (4-3) (8 Points)
Takashi Yoshida: (3-4) (6 Points) (Eliminated)
Joel Redman: (3-5) (6 Points) (Eliminated)
Sam Adonis: (2-5) (4 Points) (Eliminated)

A and B Block have one final part to cover before we see who will make it to the finals. I didn’t see who’s on the top of his standings as I’m focused on my block to see who will advance as I right now have six possibilities at this point with two shows left. Here is how these six can advance.

Naoya Nomura: Defeats Suwama. Both Daichi Hashimoto and Joe Doering lose one more match.

Suwama: Defeats Naoya Nomura. Yoshitatsu loses his last match.

Yoshitatsu: Defeats Takashi Yoshida. Suwama defeats Naoya Nomura. Daichi Hashimoto and Jake Lee lose one more match.

Daichi Hashimoto: Defeats Sam Adonis. Naoya Nomura defeats Suwama. Joe Doering loses one more match.

Jake Lee: Defeats Joe Doering. Naoya Nomura and Suwama end in a time limit draw. Daichi Hashimoto loses his last match.

Joe Doering: Defeats Jake Lee. Naoya Nomura defeats Suwama. Yoshitatsu loses his last match.