AJPW Royal Road Tournament 2024 Final: WrestleFile Historical Verdict

Ryuki Honda defeated Kento Miyahara in 11:16 during the 2024 Royal Road Tournament semifinals at Korakuen Hall. Honda finished with Final Vent, ending the campaign of a two-time winner and one of All Japan's defining modern heavyweights. The decision gave Honda a second consecutive appearance in the tournament final after finishing as runner-up in 2023. Miyahara's stature made this more consequential than a routine victory over another young competitor; Honda had eliminated a wrestler whose name carried established tournament credibility.

The bout was shorter than the evening's deciding match, a logical arrangement when Honda had to wrestle again later. Its result advanced him directly into a meeting with the winner of Ren Ayabe versus Rei Saito. No Triple Crown Championship changed hands in the semifinal. The value is the combination of an upset and the tournament's immediate progression, since the winner earned a second opportunity to capture a singles trophy that had eluded him the previous year.

Ren Ayabe defeated Rei Saito by submission in 11:59 in the other semifinal of the 2024 Royal Road Tournament. Ayabe locked in the Iron Maiden and forced Saito to concede, allowing the newer All Japan regular to reach his first Royal Road final. Ayabe had joined the promotion full-time earlier that year, making the run an early marker of how seriously he could be presented within its heavyweight division. Saito's size made him an imposing opponent, and a decisive submission established Ayabe as more than a fortunate bracket survivor.

The result put Ayabe opposite Ryuki Honda for the tournament title later on the card. No Triple Crown title was on the line in this semifinal, and Saito's defeat didn't erase the larger momentum of the Saito Brothers. Ayabe's win is worth viewing because it set the stage for his best singles opportunity so far. The relatively compact match preserved his stamina for the longer tournament final without denying the audience a definitive result.

Shotaro Ashino, Dan Tamura, Ryo Inoue, Kuroshio TOKYO Japan and Seigo Tachibana defeated a five-person opposing team in 9:19 at All Japan's Royal Road Tournament final. Tachibana secured the decisive fall over Fuminori Abe, making the result specific even in a broad ten-person match. The attraction occupied the gap after the two tournament semifinals, when Honda and Ayabe needed time before returning for the main event. It also provided a place for active roster members who weren't among the remaining singles contenders.

The result did not award tournament points or alter the semifinal winners. Its significance was in presenting the promotion's wider roster on a major date, including younger competitors and performers with distinct character presentations. The five-on-five structure must be preserved in the event's match discovery rather than converted into a single victory by Tachibana against the entire opposing side. Viewers following only the tournament bracket can treat the bout as optional, but the clear fall and full-team victory justify an accurate archive entry.

Hokuto Omori, Kumaarashi and Cyrus defeated Jun Saito, Naruki Doi and Senor Saito in 8:23 during the Royal Road 2024 final. Omori pinned Jun after a frog splash, taking the decisive fall against a wrestler whose heavyweight profile was growing alongside his brother Rei's. The winning trio combined Omori's character work with the physical presence of Kumaarashi and Cyrus, giving the supporting match its own identity despite the more prominent singles tournament around it.

The bout had no championship attached, and the participating wrestlers were not earning Royal Road bracket points through this six-man. Rei Saito's earlier semifinal loss was a separate result from Jun's later defeat here. Maintaining that distinction preserves the tournament timeline and the brothers' different roles on the show. The match was deliberately brief, offering a faction-oriented diversion and a concrete victory for Omori before the card moved toward other established heavyweights. It's best viewed as supporting roster context rather than a necessary chapter in Ayabe's final victory.

Suwama, Hideki Suzuki and Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Yuma Aoyagi, Masakatsu Funaki and Yuma Anzai in 9:32 at the Royal Road 2024 final event. The match marked Suwama's return and placed him beside two physically imposing partners. Smith scored the deciding fall over Funaki with the Bulldog Bomb, giving the winning side a result while the promotion's larger singles championship picture remained visible through Aoyagi and Anzai on the losing team.

Aoyagi's presence became particularly relevant when the Royal Road winner earned an opportunity to challenge for the Triple Crown. That future championship story was not decided in this six-man: no belt changed hands, and neither tournament finalist was participating. Instead the encounter connected a veteran comeback with All Japan's current heavyweight hierarchy. Its compact runtime made sense as the last major supporting attraction before the tournament final. Fans interested in Suwama's return and the surrounding title context will find more here than in an ordinary exhibition tag.

Ren Ayabe defeated Ryuki Honda in 24:39 to win All Japan's 11th Royal Road Tournament in September 2024. Ayabe finished with Death Roulette, completing a run that had included a submission victory over Rei Saito earlier the same night. Honda had reached the final for the second straight year after eliminating Kento Miyahara in the semifinals, making him a credible challenger rather than an accidental last opponent. The result gave Ayabe his first major singles tournament victory only months after joining All Japan's regular roster.

The stakes were tied directly to the heavyweight championship picture: winning the Royal Road opened an opportunity against Triple Crown champion Yuma Aoyagi. The final itself was not a Triple Crown title match, so Ayabe's victory shouldn't be recorded as a title change. Honda's second runner-up finish added another chapter to his ongoing pursuit of the tournament. The twenty-four-minute contest offered a complete heavyweight main event and established a real new contender for the promotion's top singles belt.