Davey Boy Smith Jr. wins AJPW Triple Crown Championship
There is a new AJPW Triple Crown Champion.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Yuma Aoyagi to win the title today at AJPW Giant Series 2024 in Sapporo. He is now the 74th champion in the title’s history.
The finish saw Aoyagi get near falls off a Fisherman buster and a series of pinning combinations, followed by Smith hitting consecutive Saito suplexes and then his Bulldog Bomb for the win.
Smith is the seventh foreigner to win the AJPW Triple Crown, joining a list that includes Terry Gordy, Stan Hansen, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Big Van Vader, Taiyo Kea, and Joe Doering.
Aoyagi’s second reign with the title finishes after 79 days and two successful defenses. He defeated the 2023 WON Rookie of the Year, Yuma Anzai, for the belt at AJPW Summer Action Wars in August.
Smith started with AJPW at the end of 2023 and returned for the annual Champion Carnival tournament. He placed second in the A block with a 5-3 record. He signed a deal with the promotion this summer that extends through January and the start of the year shows.