Tag: recap

CMLL NJPW FantasticaMania 2015 Day 5 Results

thecubsfan

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.

CMLL FantasticaMania 2015 Day 1 quick review

thecubsfan

Tonight and tomorrow’s’s CMLL FantasticaMania show will be available on NJPW World for subscribers. Two other shows will air weeks from now on SamuraiTV. The first show of the tour is already out, on RealHero’s DailyMotion channel. Quick reviews:

Rey Cometa & Tritón vs Bárbaro Cavernario & Mr. Niebla [OK]: was going OK until Niebla decided to be a klutz and fell on Triton’s knee. Triton really shouldn’t have tried the dive after, but it’s his first match in Japan so of course he would. Cometa got out of the match well and I have no idea how he got hurt. Must’ve been something between the shows. Crowd did like Peste Negra quickly, though some of Niebla’s antics were going over their heads.

Ángel de Oro vs Okumura in a lightning match: [OK] incredible generic lightning Angel de Oro match, CHECK. I’m thinking this one which had to play a lot better to people not used to Angel de Oro, and Angel de Oro actually had to find something new to do around minute 8, but this also might have been better in CMLL because there’s no way they would’ve got 10 minutes. Okumura’s DDT on the apron looked cool and he was trying. Polite applause for a draw was kind of weird.

Jushin Liger & Mistico vs Gedo & Pólvora [ok]: Mistico did very little early and did not look good doing it, but was redeemed in the last couple minutes with some good near falls. Mistico didn’t do much that would cause him to stick out if he wasn’t already Mistico. Polvora really didn’t show much either and Gedo & Lyger were just there to be names. The rudo section really dragged, and only the last few minutes saved it from being below average.

Stigma, Stuka Jr., Tiger Mask vs Mephisto, Shinsuke Nakamura, YOSHI-HASHI: [good] nice trios match to build up Mephsito/Stuka, which came across like a feud that’s been going for some time (and not one just invented for this tour.) Stigma did well, even if stealing Stukita’s pose is no bueno. This felt like Nakamura was fighting much beneath his weight but he also didn’t mail it in.

Captain New Japan, Kushida, Máscara Dorada vs La Sombra, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tetsuya Naito: [good]: kind of want to declare Dorada/Sombra a MOTYC days before it occurs just based on the interactions in this match. They are more than ready for this match and it’s going to be fantastic. This was good too, with both teams mixing well; the Taguchi/Naito/Sombra side worked particularly well. I could use a little less Captain New Japan, but that’s the match they were working.

Atlantis, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Kazuchika Okada, Último Guerrero [good]: best match on the show, with guys going out a little stronger for the main event. Ultimo always steps it for Japan and he was working hard here. Gran Guerrero impressed, working well with Volador after an early stumble and breaking out new offense. It looked like he might be okay with Volador after all; it gave me much more hope for that for sure. Atlantis did Atlantis things, Volador showed off a lot, and Tanahashi & Okada were their normal self. It was weird when Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero were hyping up their match and I suddenly understood half the things which were being said.