The annual Champion Carnival tournament may still happen this year.
All Japan Pro Wrestling announced in a press conference this morning that they plan on running their annual Champion Carnival tournament in September. The tournament, which was originally supposed to run on April 6 through May 5, was canceled just days before the start of the tour. AJPW President Takeki Fukada hoped in a press conference announcing the cancelation that he hoped to run the tournament later this year.
Joel Redman, Lucas Steel and Davey Boy Smith Jr., who were all slated for the tournament, were removed from the tournament due to travel issues stemming from the spread of COVID-19. Fukada in today’s press conference said that foreigners would not be able to enter the tournament and it is likely that the tournament will be held with only Japanese wrestlers. Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, the company did not announce a schedule.
The news comes as Japan has lifted its state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days, most notably in Tokyo. Most promotions will be able to hold events with no fans in attendance starting on June 19.
