Kevin Wilson – Puroresu Central
Date: January 19th, 2015
Location: Tokyo Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,950
This is the last day of the CMLL Fantastica Mania Tour. This event has a few strictly CMLL vs. CMLL matches with the New Japan wrestlers only participating in the tag team matches. No title matches on this one but still some big singles matches, let’s see if the CMLL wrestlers deliver on their last day in Japan (until next year). Here is the full card:
– KUSHIDA, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Stuka vs. Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Gedo, and OKUMURA
– Captain New Japan and Triton vs. Tetsuya Naito and Ryusuke Taguchi
– Angel de Oro and Stigma vs. Mephisto and Yujiro Takahashi
– El Barbaro Cavernario vs. Rey Cometa
– Mistico vs. Polvora
– Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Atlantis, and Volador Jr. vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ultimo Guerrero, and Gran Guerrero
– La Sombra vs. Mascara Dorada
Let’s get right to it.
KUSHIDA, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Stuka Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Gedo, and OKUMURA
Tiger Mask and Gedo start off, trading wristlocks and other such things. Tiger Mask dropkicks Gedo out of the ring, OKUMURA runs in and elbows him out, bringing in Liger. Mima Shimoda comes in to distract Liger but he throws OKUMURA into her and hits a spinning backbreaker on both of them. YOSHI-HASHI runs in to clear the ring and stomps Liger. Stuka and YOSHI-HASHI get in and YOSHI-HASHI tags in Ishii. Ishii hits a vertical suplex and Stuka is knocked out of the ring. KUSHIDA comes in with OKUMURA and OKUMURA hits a backbreaker. Liger is isolated next but he hits Shoteis on people. Stuka comes in and hits a headscissors on OKUMURA. Stuka goes up top and hits a dive out of the ring to OKUMURA. KUSHIDA hits a handstand back elbow on Ishii, then Liger hits him with a shotei. Moonsault by KUSHIDA to Ishii but it gets a two count. Lariat by Ishii but KUSHIDA kicks him out of the ring before diving out onto him. KUSHIDA comes in and suplexes Shimoda onto OKUMURA, he goes up top and hits a Torpedo Splash onto Shimoda. Stuka moves as OKUMURA goes for a senton, and OKUMURA lands on Shimoda. Stuka goes up top and hits a Torpedo Splash on OKUMURA and gets a three count. For some reason Shimoda’s interference epically failing made me laugh, she’s a wrestler so don’t feel bad about being squashed (if you feel bad about such things). I liked the ending quite a bit but up to that point it was just an average multi-tag match. Score: 5.5
Captain New Japan and Triton vs. Tetsuya Naito and Ryusuke Taguchi
Triton and Naito start off and Triton hurricanranas Naito out of the ring. He tags in Captain New Japan as Taguchi comes in, and Taguchi just lays there while Captain New Japan tries to cover him. Hip attack by Taguchi and he tags Naito back in. Double Irish whip to Captain New Japan and they hit a double dropkick. Captain New Japan is stomped on and chopped, double team to Captain New Japan and he is stomped on again. This match is so exciting my face is melting off. Crossbody by Captain New Japan to both and he tags in Triton. Triton comes in the ring with a swandive crossbody and hits dropkicks/arm whips on both of them. Hurricanrana by Triton and he hits his step-up moonsault down onto Taguchi outside the ring. Captain New Japan and Naito get in the ring and Captain New Japan hits a Hirai End. Enzigieri by Naito and Taguchi… thinks he does something but misses. Pluma Blanca by Naito and he gets the three count. This was just really bad, thank goodness Triton was in the match so at least it had some smooth and fun highspots. Otherwise it was just slow and utterly not entertaining. Score: 3.0
Angel de Oro and Stigma vs. Mephisto and Yujiro Takahashi
Oro and Mephisto start off the match. They trade armdrags and trips with no luck, then Oro hits a standing moonsault. Mephisto tags in Takahashi while Stigma is also tagged in and Takahashi hits a shoulderblock. Hurricanrana by Stigma, Takahashi drops him on the apron and he hits a lariat. Oro and Mephisto come in and Oro is double teamed. Stigma comes back but he is attacked in the corner. Takahashi nudges Stigma out of the ring as Oro comes back and Mephisto kicks Oro in the head. Oro flips out to the apron and hits a thrust kick. Quebrada by Oro but it gets a two count. Stigma hits a diving crossbody on Mephisto and Takahashi and dropkicks Mephisto out of the ring. Takahashi boots Stigma and hits a fisherman buster for a two count. Hurricanrana by Stigma and Takahashi falls out of the ring so Stigma can hit a tope con hilo. Crossbody by Oro on Mephisto and he covers Mephisto for a two count. Dropkick by Oro and he hits a Sasuke Special. Takahashi boots Oro in the corner, Stigma and Mephisto come into the ring and Stigma dropkicks Takahashi out of the ring. Mephisto boots Oro out of the ring, and Stigma hits an arm whip on Mephisto. Headscissors by Stigma but Takahashi runs in and hits a lariat. Oro comes back in too and gives Takahashi a thrust kick. Mephisto chops Oro and drops him on the apron, but Takahashi pulls him out of the ring. Diving hurricanrana by Stigma on Mephisto, Mephisto goes up top as Stigma joins him, but Mephisto hits an avalanche Devil’s Wings for a three count cover. Exact same ending as Mephisto’s match the day before, how creative. Nothing actively wrong with the match, the high spots were good, but there wasn’t a structure of anything. Just random wrestlers coming in and doing random moves. So watchable but nothing memorable. Score: 5.5
El Barbaro Cavernario vs. Rey Cometa
Cometa dropkicks Cavernario out of the ring and hits a tope suicida. Cometa rolls Cavernario in the ring and hits a corkscrew plancha but Cavernario knocks him to the mat. Cavernario removes a turnbuckle pad and hits a rebound dropkick. Cavernario chops Cometa in the chest but Cometa chops him back. Front flip piledriver by Cometa but it gets a two count. Standing moonsault sideslam by Cometa but it also gets two. Cavernario pushes Cometa to the apron and Cavernario dropkicks Cometa to the mat. Tope suicida by Cavernario and he punches Cometa once they return to the ring. Cavernario powerbombs Cometa into the corner, he picks him up again but Cometa hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Cavernario powerbombs Cometa into the exposed corner, Cometa puts Cavernario on the top turnbuckle and Cometa hits a Lo Mein Pain for a two count. With Cavernario outside the ring, Cometa gets a running start and hits a corkscrew plancha. Back in the ring Cavernario hits a springboard crossbody, he goes off the ropes and hits a reverse splash. He goes for another one but Cometa gets his feet up. Cometa dropkicks Cavernario out of the ring, he slides out of it but Cavernario hits a thrust kick. Cavernario goes up top and hits a plancha suicida to Cometa while he is lying on the floor. They get back into the ring and Cometa slams Cavernario in front of the corner. Firebird Splash by Cometa but it gets two. Cavernario quickly applies the La Cavernaria and he gets a three count! They mostly were just mindlessly doing moves to each other, but at least they were neat-o moves. As just a spotfest it was definitely good, as a cohesive and well-structured match it was a bit lacking. Score: 6.5
Mistico vs. Polvora
Polvora attacks Mistico before the match starts and destroys his leg with a chair. Back in the ring Polvora goes for Mistico’s mask and then dropkicks him in the corner. Lariats by Polvora and he dropkicks Mistico in the head. Mounted punches by Polvora in the corner, he drops Mistico on the apron but Mistico kicks him back and hits a swandive hurricanrana. Tope con hilo by Mistico, they get back in the ring and Mistico hits a swandive crossbody. Hurricanrana by Mistico but it gets two. Victory roll by Mistico but that also gets two. Backbreaker by Polvora and they trade chops to the chest. Polvora picks up Mistico and Mistico hits a thrust kick. Arm whip by Mistico and he hits a slingshot hurricanrana down to the floor. Back in the ring Mistico hits a jawbreaker for a two count. Mistico chops Polvora in the corner and they trade roll-up attempts. La Magistral by Mistico, but it gets a two. Polvora chops Mistico in the corner, Mistico goes for a crossbody but Polvora catches him and hits a swinging side slam. Mistico goes off the ropes and he hits La Mistica for the submission victory. This was a step down from the last match but not bad. Some nice spots and they kept the action up. Still not a fan of the selling but I have somewhat accepted that at this point. Score: 5.0
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Atlantis, and Volador Jr. vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ultimo Guerrero, and Gran Guerrero
Okada and Volador start the match, arm whip by Volador and they take turns back and forth before flipping back to their feet. Okada tags in Ultimo while Ibushi is also tagged in. Ultimo gets Ibushi to the mat and goes for Ibushi’s ankle, but Ibushi easily gets out of it. They get back up, snapmare by Ibushi and he gets for Ultimo’s mask since for some reason Ultimo has it on. Ibushi yanks off Ultimo’s mask, Ultimo chops Ibushi into the corner but he tumbles out of the ring. Gran and Tanahashi get in the ring and Tanahashi hits an armdrag. Gran crotches Tanahashi on the top rope and then pushes him out of the ring. Nakamura and company come in the ring as Atlantis does as well, and everyone gangs up on Atlantis. Ibushi is attacked next, then Volador comes in the ring but he eats a lariat and is kicked out of the ring. Tanahashi is stomped and chopped by everyone in the corner. Volador hits an avalanche hurricanrana, then Ibushi hits a swandive missile dropkick on Gran. Tanahashi and friends clear the ring, but Okada returns to face off with Volador. Hurricanrana by Volador, and Okada falls out of the ring. Ultimo comes in the ring but he is knocked out as well. Gran lariats Tanahashi but Tanahashi hit a rebound crossbody followed by a Sling Blade. Tanahashi lariats Gran out of the ring, sending himself out as well. Nakamura and Atlantis come in the ring and Atlantis hits a crossbody. Knee by Nakamura and he kicks Atlantis in the head. Atlantis gets Nakamura on his back but Ultimo breaks it up. Ibushi kicks back Ultimo and Nakamura, he then goes up top and hits a moonsault down to the floor onto both of them. Tanahashi then goes up and hits a plancha suicida to the floor. Okada goes off the ropes and he delivers a tope con hilo. Volador is next and he hits an Asai Moonsault. Meanwhile in the ring Atlantis puts Gran in La Atlántida for the submission victory. On par with the other matches on the card. I’m not a big fan of the middle segment where the faces come in one at a time to get beaten up, but it didn’t last as long as usual. The dives were all hit very well and obviously the match was fast paced. Just mindless fun.Score: 6.0
La Sombra vs. Mascara Dorada
Sombra pushes Dorada in the ropes to start but gives a clean break. Shoulderblock by Sombra but Dorada avoids the elbow drop. They both flip off the ropes and Dorada hits a tilt-a-whirl arm whip. Hurricanrana by Sombra, Dorada falls out of the ring but he hits a swandive hurricanrana. Corkscrew tope con hilo by Dorada, he then hits a swandive crossbody back into the ring. Rebound headscissors by Sombra, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a dropkick on the floor. Sombra is looking rough in this one, he has already looked sketchy on two different moves. Back in the ring, Dorada kicks Sombra but Sombra hits a powerslam for two. Sunset flip powerbomb by Dorada but Sombra hits a sit-down powerbomb. Dorada hits a hurricanrana out of the corner, he goes up top and hits a rope walking Asai Moonsault down to the floor. Sombra applies a leglock over the top rope and he applies a single leg crab hold. Leg submission by Sombra, he picks up Dorada and hits a few chops. Dropkick to the back by Dorada, he flips over Sombra and hit a sunset flip for a two count. Dorada slams Sombra in front of the corner but Sombra gets his feet up when he goes for a moonsault. Sombra hits a hard lariat, sending both himself and Dorada out of the ring. Sombra slams Dorada back-first into the ring post, he then goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a moonsault down to the floor. Sombra gets on the apron and he hits a swandive sunset flip, but Dorada rolls through it for a two count. Sombra goes up onto the ropes but Dorada kicks him and hits a rope walking hurricanrana. Waistlock by Sombra and he hits a dropkick. Dorada sends Sombra out to the apron, kick by Dorada and he jumps over the top rope as he hits a hurricanrana down to the floor. Swandive bodypress by Dorada, but it gets a two count. They trade elbows and chops but they miss an armdrag spot. Sombra goes up top but Dorada recovers and joins him. Avalanche reverse hurricanrana by Sombra and he hits a lariat in the corner. Dropkick by Dorada, cover, but it gets a two count. Dorada charges Sombra but Sombra dropkicks him into the corner. Running double knee by Sombra, he goes up top but Dorada mostly avoids the Hollywood Press. So many small miscues in this one. Dorada goes for a swandive move but Sombra moves out of the way and hits the Shadow Driver for the three count. This match probably had the most mistakes of any other match on the entire tour. Which is a shame as there were some really nice high spots in this match. Overall it was still fun to watch, it was just messy. Score: 5.5
Final Thoughts:
The good part is that there was only one match on the card I thought wasn’t worth watching. The bad part is that there really wasn’t a standout match. There were lots of great spots to be sure, wrestlers flying everywhere and putting their health in jeopardy for our amusement. But the matches really didn’t feel competitive a lot of the time, the selling was suspect at best, and the matches were more about the spots than anything else. Not a bad intro to CMLL if you already like New Japan, but not an event I can give a strong recommendation to.
Grade: C-
