Hooray! Quick takes on the lineups:
CMLL NJPW (FRI) 01/13/2017 EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan
1) Henare & Soberano Jr. vs Jado & Raziel
2) Jushin Liger, Stuka Jr., Tiger Mask vs Ephesto, Gedo, Okumura
3) Blue Panther Jr. & David Finlay vs EVIL & Sanada
4) Dragón Lee & Titán vs Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi
5) Kushida, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Euforia, Último Guerrero
6) Atlantis & Máscara Don vs Naito & Rush
7) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Máximo Sexy vs Hechicero, Okada, Will Ospreay
This show opening event is the sole taping understood to be airing exclusive on SamuraiTV (and may surface about a week later.) It’s the first of two shows to have Lee/Titan vs Bushi/Takahashi, though this is probably build for the second.
Will Ospreay being included on this tour is a surprise. They haven’t used non-Mexican fly-ins for these shows in the recent past. It’s not a clear build to a match, since Ospreay is just flying out tags. The heavyweight ranks of CHAOS (Yano, Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi) aren’t around, so maybe he was pulled in as a really good fill-in.
Mascara Don is Manabu Nakanishi’s mask persona, which he’s used on this tour in previous years.
Raziel is working against Soberano most of the tour. In some other parallel universe, Raziel might be Jado. Raziel, Soberano, Blue Panther Jr. and Ephesto are limited to tags the entire tour.
CMLL NJPW (SAT) 01/14/2017 Ehime World Trade Center, Ehime, Japan
1) Henare & Jushin Liger vs Ephesto & Jado
2) David Finlay & Soberano Jr. vs Gedo & Raziel
3) Blue Panther Jr., Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask vs Bushi, EVIL, Sanada
4) Dragón Lee & Stuka Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario & Okumura
5) Máximo Sexy & Volador Jr. vs Hechicero & Último Guerrero
6) Atlantis, Máscara Don, Titán vs Hiromu Tanahashi, Naito, Rush
7) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida, Mistico vs Euforia, Okada, Will Ospreay
The first of three untelevised shows. The 4th and 5th matches are the ones I’ll miss the most, though the main event is no slouch.
Jushin Liger is seven months older than old man Ephesto.
CMLL NJPW (SUN) 01/15/2017 KBS Hall, Kyoto, Japan
1) Blue Panther Jr. & Henare vs Ephesto & Raziel
2) Jushin Liger & Stuka Jr. vs Jado & Okumura
3) Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi, Titán vs Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada
4) Dragón Lee & Tiger Mask vs Bárbaro Cavernario & Gedo
5) Máximo Sexy & Mistico vs Euforia & Hechicero
6) Atlantis, Máscara Don, Soberano Jr. vs EVIL, Naito, Rush
7) David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Volador Jr. vs Okada, Último Guerrero, Will Ospreay
Main event looks fun here as well. Henare is a heavyweight rookie who will be taking the loss in every match he’s in.
CMLL NJPW (MON) 01/16/2017 Nagoya International Conference Hall, Nagoya, Japan
1) Henare, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask vs Gedo, Jado, Raziel
2) David Finlay & Stuka Jr. vs Ephesto & Okumura
3) Ryusuke Taguchi & Soberano Jr. vs Bushi & Sanada
4) Blue Panther Jr. & Máscara Don vs EVIL & Naito
5) Máximo Sexy, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Hechicero, Último Guerrero
6) Atlantis & Titán vs Hiromu Takahashi & Rush
7) Dragón Lee, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Okada, Will Ospreay
This is the additional date that was added late. Another great looking main event that we won’t get to see.
I wish I could bet on the outcome of the third match. It doesn’t look good for the tecnicos at all.
CMLL NJPW (FRI) 01/20/2017 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1) Blue Panther Jr. & Henare vs Ephesto & Will Ospreay
2) Jushin Liger, Soberano Jr., Tiger Mask vs Gedo, Jado, Raziel
3) Máximo Sexy & Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero & Okumura
4) Atlantis, David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi vs Bushi, EVIL, Naito, Rush, Sanada
5) Juice Robinson, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Okada, Último Guerrero
6) Titán vs Hiromu Takahashi
7) Dragón Lee © vs Bárbaro Cavernario [CMLL SL]
4th defense
This is the meat of it. The last three shows will air live on NJPW World, though the Friday and Saturday shows will have no commentary. All Korakuen Hall shows are listed as starting at 5:30pm local, which is 2:30AM 3:30AM Central Time.
The top two matches could be outstanding. Cavernario and Dragon Lee go back to their En Busca de un Idolo year, when Barbaro won both of their matches. They haven’t had a big feud Arena Mexico feud since, but Dragon Lee’s beaten him twice since the tournament, including a match in Guadalajara for this same title back in March (aired locally, but never turned up.)
We were begging for CMLL to put Kamaitachi against more people on the CMLL roster, and we finally get it with him taking on Titan. The outcome of both these matches seems obvious, but this a huge match for Titan regardless of the result. Titan’s stuck in the role as good but replacable CMLL junior in NJPW’s eyes, and could use a breakout match if he wants to advance past that role.
The rest of this card isn’t a slouch. The 10 man tag is the annual Black Cat tribute match. The third match is building to singles matches on the next show.
CMLL NJPW (SAT) 01/21/2017 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1) Blue Panther Jr., Henare, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask vs Ephesto, Gedo, Jado, Raziel
2) Stuka Jr. vs Okumura
3) Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi, Soberano Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Okada, Will Ospreay
4) David Finlay, Dragón Lee, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Titán vs Bushi, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, Naito, Sanada
5) Mistico & Volador Jr. vs Euforia & Último Guerrero
6) Atlantis vs Rush
7) Máximo Sexy © vs Hechicero [CMLL HEAVY]
9th defense
I couldn’t quite figure out which NJPW guy they’d allow Maximo to beat in a title defense, and that’s because it turned out to be a non-NJPW guy. Hechicero goes from being in the extra undercard rudo role Ephesto & Raziel are on this tour to main eventing a show. (He’ll be main eventing the slightly bigger Arena Naucalpan 8 days later. What a crazy time.) Truth be told, he’s main eventing here because he’s not a big name, and so they can afford to feed him to Maximo, but it’s still amazing. Hechicero is beloved in lucha libre circles and not really considered that much outside of them, and this could change that. Maximo can find another gear in big matches and this will be one of the biggest in both men’s careers. A slight improvement over Mascara 2000, at least.
Atlantis versus Rush will be something else entirely. The old man is going to have a long night. This will be the first real match between them: they ran into each other in 2012 Unviersal tournament with Rush winning, but this will go a lot longer than that. This would be a meaningful win for Rush.
Fifth match is Sky Team versus the Guerreros without the least important people on both teams. That’s probably good. Third match looks like a delight, though Okada’s going to need to learn some flips to keep up.
Okumura gets a singles match because of course he does.
CMLL NJPW (SUN) 01/22/2017 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1) Blue Panther Jr., Henare, Soberano Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Gedo, Jado
2) Jushin Liger, Stuka Jr., Tiger Mask vs Hechicero, Okumura, Raziel
3) Dragón Lee & Titán vs Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi
4) Juice Robinson, Máximo Sexy, Ryusuke Taguchi vs Ephesto, Okada, Will Ospreay
5) Atlantis, David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida vs EVIL, Naito, Rush, Sanada
6) Mistico vs Euforia
7) Volador Jr. vs Último Guerrero
The final show is – good, but kind of underwhelming? Maybe too similar to the formula from past years and hurt by my own expectations. Dragon Lee/Takahashi is happening, but probably not until February. Volador/Kushida doesn’t appear to be in the card at all despite the teases. There’s not even a Never Trios title defense, despite Nakanishi working some shows on this tour. (Maybe card is subject to hcange; this feels short one big match compared to previous years.)
Instead, we get Volador versus Ultimo Guerrero. It sets up for the usual Volador showcase to end the tour, and neither man’s title being on the line muddies up the outcome a bit. Mistico versus Euforia is the Mistico showcase we get every year. Euforia should bring out the best in him. The tercera tag match should be great. This card should be good. Still, the last night is usually by far the best night of the three, and it’s a lot more even this year.