CMLL NJPW FantasticaMania 2015 Day 5 Results

CMLL (SUN) 01/18/2015 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan [NJPW]
1) Ángel de Oro, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask b Gedo, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI
10:40. Tiger Mask beat Gedo
2) Kushida & Tritón b Bárbaro Cavernario & Okumura
7:29. Mr. Niebla & Rey Cometa were dropped from the match. Cometa seconded his team, Niebla did not appear at all. Triton and Cavernario (splash to the floor). Okumura half crab on Triton to win it. Cavernario attacked Cometa as soon as the match ended and both men talked up their match for tomorrow (to make it clear it was still on.)
3) La Sombra, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tetsuya Naito b Captain New Japan, Mascara Don, Máscara Dorada
10:24. Sombra rope flip moonsault on Captain New Japan. Heavy on Mascara Don comedy, but Dorada & Sombra feuded to set up next week’s match.
4) Volador Jr. © b Gran Guerrero [NWA WELTER]
10:24. Spanish Fly for the win. Volador Jr.’s second defense.
5) Mephisto © b Stuka Jr. [MEX LH]
13:06. Stuka kicked out of a Super Devil’s Wings and landed back to back torpedo splashes, but Mephisto still beat him with another Super Devil’s Wings to win a very formula match. Mephisto’s 11th defense
6) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mistico, Stigma b Kazuchika Okada, Pólvora, Shinsuke Nakamura
11:56. annual Black Cat tribute match. Stigma wrestled in a half Black Cat mask. Mistico, in obvious right knee pain late, beat Polvora with La Mistica. Polvora said tomorrow would have a different result.
7) Último Guerrero b Atlantis
Guerrero Special in a very good match.

Main event was another good match in the Atlantis/Ultimo Guerrero rivalry. They did enough different to make it feel worth watching; it’s borderline Great by my weird scale. The 2nd and 3rd matches were good, and the 4th match was the Volador showcase in the usual style. I’m kind of tired of that but it was better than it looked on paper. Cavernario and Triton did very well in their match and Dorada & Sombra were locked in (despite it being a semi-comedy match.)

Mephisto & Stuka was the opposite of Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero – they did a couple extra finish kickouts but otherwise the same match they would’ve done on a random Tuesday in July. Stigma & Mistico were set up to have big spots in their trios match and just couldn’t totally pull it off. Mistico is looking like a guy who was not ready to be on this tour and he probably shouldn’t be on Friday’s Arena Mexico show either. If his limp was as bad as it looked, he won’t be (and even tomorrow’s match has to be a question mask.) Opener was just a match.

(so the ratings are ok, good, good, good, ok, ok, great)

Mephisto joining the Bullet Club looks to just be a way to sell the Bullet Club Latin American t-shirts. They should’ve just gotten Terrible on this tour.

NJPW usually posts details a few hours after the show takes place – Club NJPW gets them immediately – so I’ll update this when they give the Mr. Niebla explanation. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt but history is not on his side. It’s a shame Rey Cometa had to miss another show, though at least this gives him another day of rest before fighting the caveman.