All Star Junior Festival 2023 was an interpromotional professional wrestling pay-per-view event organized by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It was held on March 1, 2023 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The event, which was produced by NJPW wrestler Hiromu Takahashi, featured the participation of junior heavyweight wrestlers from over 20 different promotions from around the world.
In the main event, NJPW's Master Wato defeated All Japan Pro Wrestling's Atsuki Aoyagi. In other prominent matches, Taiji Ishimori defeated Soberano Jr., Shun Skywalker, Ninja Mack, and YO-HEY in a five-way match and Hiromu Takahashi teamed with Fujita "Jr." Hayato and AMAKUSA to defeat HAYATA, YAMATO, and Kazuki Hashimoto.
Production[]
Background[]
On September 6, 2022, Tokyo Sports reported that that Hiromu Takahashi was planning to hold an event, featuring various junior heavyweight wrestlers from different promotions in 2023, as feelers were sent out to promotions that were on board with the concept of the event. On January 23, 2023, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) officially announced the All Star Junior Festival. The event was produced by NJPW's Hiromu Takahashi and featured junior heavyweight wrestlers from over 20 different Japanese and international promotions, which were confirmed by the aformentioned promotions shorlty after. On February 28, NJPW announced the full card for the event.
Participating promotions[]
As part of the event's publicity efforts, participants were announced each day throughout the month of February by their respective promotion.
Storylines[]
All Star Junior Festival 2023 featured ten professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match.
Results[]
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoh, Soma Watanabe, and Kazuma Sumi defeated Fuminori Abe, Ryo Hoshino, and Akira Jumonji | Six-man tag team match | 10:35 |
| 2 | Hiromu Takahashi, Fujita "Jr." Hayato, and AMAKUSA defeated HAYATA, YAMATO, and Kazuki Hashimoto | Six-man tag team match | 8:52 |
| 3 | Isami Kodaka and MAO defeated Sho and Onryo (with Ram Kaicho) | Tag team match | 9:43 |
| 4 | Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Jun Kasai, Minoru Tanaka, and Taka Michinoku defeated Musashi, Shoki Kitamura, LEONA, Chicharito Shoki, and Kota Sekifuda | [Ten-man tag team match | 10:28 |
| 5 | Ryusuke Taguchi, Hikaru Sato, and Yumehito Imanari defeated The Great Sasuke, Tigers Mask, and Batten×Burabura (with Taro Nohashi) | Six-man tag team match | 7:29 |
| 6 | El Desperado and Volador Jr. defeated El Lindaman andYuki Ueno and Los Japoneses Del Mal (DOUKI and HANAOKA) | Three-way match | 10:34 |
| 7 | Místico, Billyken Kid, Alejandro, and Gurukun Mask (with Tiran Shisa) defeated Dragon Kid, BUSHI, Atlantis Jr., and Black Menso-re | Eight-man tag team match | 11:29 |
| 8 | CIMA defeated Kazuki Hirata | Singles match | 7:16 |
| 9 | Taiji Ishimori defeated Soberano Jr., Shun Skywalker, Ninja Mack, and YO-HEY | Five-way match | 9:38 |
| 10 | Master Wato defeated Atsuki Aoyagi | Singles match | 14:24 |
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