NJPW/CMLL FantasticaMania 2015: Day 5
CMLL/NJPW
01/18/2015
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Ring Announcers wear Mariachi attires, and Commentary table are wearing masks. I love this!
Ãngel de Oro, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask vs Gedo, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI - 6/10
Liger and Tiger Mask wearing split Tiger-Liger mask designs. Poor Angel de Oro is the only Mexican in the match, hopefully he knows enough Japanese. Angel de Oro was super over in this match, probably because he's the only Mexican and Japanese fans love their lucha. Gedo and Ishii were great heels in the match, Ishii particularly trying to rip Tiger Mask's mask off. Good opening match to get this started.
KUSHIDA and Tritón vs Bárbaro Cavernario and Okumura - 6/10
Triton and Okumura start the match, a bit sloppy, after the tag, Triton removed a mask (he was wearing two apparently) to reveal his actual mask. KUSHIDA and Cavernario had a great exchange with KUSHIDA being somewhat scared to be in contact with Cavernario, but then he uses his technical ability to mess with him. Wasn't a fan of the finish, but for some reason, both NJPW and CMLL still love to use Okumura. After the match Cavernario went crazy against Rey Cometa who was at ringside, he then issued a challenge for tomorrow's show. Rey Cometa accepted. I wish Cavernario would drop the body paint and just become Bruiser Brody.
Captain New Japan CMLL, Mascara Don, Máscara Dorada vs La Sombra, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tetsuya Naito - 6.5/10
Naito and Taguchi came out with the ugliest masks I've seen, ok, maybe not the ugliest, but they were bad. Taguchi wants to join The Spectral Envoy, and Naito I'm not even sure what to say. Sombra and Mascara Dorada, arguabily the two best wrestlers in CMLL today, start the match. Taguchi and Don then have a really funny exchange concluding with Taguchi being unmasked and Don doing the Taguchi sleazy dance. After the match, Sombra cuts a small promo for tomorrow's match, then Mascara Dorada responded, both in English/Japanese. Didn't know these guys knew Japanese.
NWA Welterweight Championship Match
Volador Jr. © w/Triton vs Gran Guerrero w/Cavernario - 7.5/10
Volador Jr debuting the best ever entrance attire with Michael Keaton's Birdman attire! Both guys started the match pretty much throwing each other out and doing suicide dives, they fly so long and high that the ring boys are acting as barricades to protect the front row fans. The match wasn't as good as I was expecting it at first, but it surely got better towards the end, some great nearfalls that made me wonder if Volador would not only lose the title in Japan, but on his first defense.
Tanahashi and Stigma Press Promo - Good heartfelt promo by Stigma, I couldn't understand Tanahahi's, but it was likely good. Interview girl was wearing the Cavernario attire. I'm in love with her and her tshirt. Stigma is really pushing to come back to NJPW in the future. Honestly, is CMLL teaching Japanese to their guys!?
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship Match
Stuka Jr. w/Angel de Oro vs Mephisto © w/ Yujiro Takahashi - 7/10
Mephisto not only comes out dressed as Zombie Batman, but he also got inducted to the Bullet Club, this is getting out of hand. The match was a big combination of lucha, high fly, some technical wrestling, and what seemed to me some badly executed moves. The match wasn't bad, but at some points it felt like these guys were just rushing stuff.
Annual Black Tiger Tribute Match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mistico, Stigma vs Kazuchika Okada, Pólvora, Shinsuke Nakamura - 7.5/10
The face team with a small ceremony prior to the match. Nakamura sporting a cyclops mask. Mistico and Okada faceoff at the start of the match and i'm already marking out. This was followed by Tanahashi vs Polvora, and Nakamura vs Stigma. Awesome! Polvora later tried to rip Mistico's mask off and the heel domination started. For the most part, i felt there was some miss-communication between the Japanese and Mexican teammates, but everything played out nicely at the end. Loved the finish idea, but not the execution. I felt the match lost a full number because of the botches in the match.
Atlantis vs Último Guerrero - 8.5/10
Being the rudo that he is, Guerrero is wrestling with the mask he lost at the anniversary show, even when Atlantis and the fans are screaming for him to take it off. The technical wrestling being exhibit in this match is just beautiful. Atlantis keeps asking for Guerrero's mask that he tries to take it off himself, Guerrero accepts and takes it off himself, fans popped for this. I'm guessing that being accustom to Toru Yano, the fans don't have a problem with Guerrero's ugliness. The Guerrero executes the stupidest spot in wrestling history, or at least top 10. This match was a lot more play to the fans than some of their former one on one matches, making it lots of fun, but a bit less in wrestling/story quality, still a great match with some good nearfalls towards the end. Loved the finish.
Post match promos - Guerrero says he's taking this show as revenge from the Anniversary show because it means a lot to him to win in Japan. He then talked Japanese and once again, I'm surprised these guys know the language.
Ultimo Guerrero Press Promo - Good promo about not giving up.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Another good showing for CMLL in Japanese lands , but I can't really say this is a no-miss show unless you're into CMLL. These shows are a good chance to get to see your favorite NJPW talent try a somewhat different style, and surely to try out CMLL if you haven't before. I have high expectations for tomorrow's show.
01/18/2015
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Ring Announcers wear Mariachi attires, and Commentary table are wearing masks. I love this!
Ãngel de Oro, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask vs Gedo, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI - 6/10
Liger and Tiger Mask wearing split Tiger-Liger mask designs. Poor Angel de Oro is the only Mexican in the match, hopefully he knows enough Japanese. Angel de Oro was super over in this match, probably because he's the only Mexican and Japanese fans love their lucha. Gedo and Ishii were great heels in the match, Ishii particularly trying to rip Tiger Mask's mask off. Good opening match to get this started.
KUSHIDA and Tritón vs Bárbaro Cavernario and Okumura - 6/10
Triton and Okumura start the match, a bit sloppy, after the tag, Triton removed a mask (he was wearing two apparently) to reveal his actual mask. KUSHIDA and Cavernario had a great exchange with KUSHIDA being somewhat scared to be in contact with Cavernario, but then he uses his technical ability to mess with him. Wasn't a fan of the finish, but for some reason, both NJPW and CMLL still love to use Okumura. After the match Cavernario went crazy against Rey Cometa who was at ringside, he then issued a challenge for tomorrow's show. Rey Cometa accepted. I wish Cavernario would drop the body paint and just become Bruiser Brody.
Captain New Japan CMLL, Mascara Don, Máscara Dorada vs La Sombra, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tetsuya Naito - 6.5/10
Naito and Taguchi came out with the ugliest masks I've seen, ok, maybe not the ugliest, but they were bad. Taguchi wants to join The Spectral Envoy, and Naito I'm not even sure what to say. Sombra and Mascara Dorada, arguabily the two best wrestlers in CMLL today, start the match. Taguchi and Don then have a really funny exchange concluding with Taguchi being unmasked and Don doing the Taguchi sleazy dance. After the match, Sombra cuts a small promo for tomorrow's match, then Mascara Dorada responded, both in English/Japanese. Didn't know these guys knew Japanese.
NWA Welterweight Championship Match
Volador Jr. © w/Triton vs Gran Guerrero w/Cavernario - 7.5/10
Volador Jr debuting the best ever entrance attire with Michael Keaton's Birdman attire! Both guys started the match pretty much throwing each other out and doing suicide dives, they fly so long and high that the ring boys are acting as barricades to protect the front row fans. The match wasn't as good as I was expecting it at first, but it surely got better towards the end, some great nearfalls that made me wonder if Volador would not only lose the title in Japan, but on his first defense.
Tanahashi and Stigma Press Promo - Good heartfelt promo by Stigma, I couldn't understand Tanahahi's, but it was likely good. Interview girl was wearing the Cavernario attire. I'm in love with her and her tshirt. Stigma is really pushing to come back to NJPW in the future. Honestly, is CMLL teaching Japanese to their guys!?
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship Match
Stuka Jr. w/Angel de Oro vs Mephisto © w/ Yujiro Takahashi - 7/10
Mephisto not only comes out dressed as Zombie Batman, but he also got inducted to the Bullet Club, this is getting out of hand. The match was a big combination of lucha, high fly, some technical wrestling, and what seemed to me some badly executed moves. The match wasn't bad, but at some points it felt like these guys were just rushing stuff.
Annual Black Tiger Tribute Match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mistico, Stigma vs Kazuchika Okada, Pólvora, Shinsuke Nakamura - 7.5/10
The face team with a small ceremony prior to the match. Nakamura sporting a cyclops mask. Mistico and Okada faceoff at the start of the match and i'm already marking out. This was followed by Tanahashi vs Polvora, and Nakamura vs Stigma. Awesome! Polvora later tried to rip Mistico's mask off and the heel domination started. For the most part, i felt there was some miss-communication between the Japanese and Mexican teammates, but everything played out nicely at the end. Loved the finish idea, but not the execution. I felt the match lost a full number because of the botches in the match.
Atlantis vs Último Guerrero - 8.5/10
Being the rudo that he is, Guerrero is wrestling with the mask he lost at the anniversary show, even when Atlantis and the fans are screaming for him to take it off. The technical wrestling being exhibit in this match is just beautiful. Atlantis keeps asking for Guerrero's mask that he tries to take it off himself, Guerrero accepts and takes it off himself, fans popped for this. I'm guessing that being accustom to Toru Yano, the fans don't have a problem with Guerrero's ugliness. The Guerrero executes the stupidest spot in wrestling history, or at least top 10. This match was a lot more play to the fans than some of their former one on one matches, making it lots of fun, but a bit less in wrestling/story quality, still a great match with some good nearfalls towards the end. Loved the finish.
Post match promos - Guerrero says he's taking this show as revenge from the Anniversary show because it means a lot to him to win in Japan. He then talked Japanese and once again, I'm surprised these guys know the language.
Ultimo Guerrero Press Promo - Good promo about not giving up.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Another good showing for CMLL in Japanese lands , but I can't really say this is a no-miss show unless you're into CMLL. These shows are a good chance to get to see your favorite NJPW talent try a somewhat different style, and surely to try out CMLL if you haven't before. I have high expectations for tomorrow's show.