By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “CMLL Fantastica Mania 2024”
February 17, 2024 in Chiba, Japan at Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall 1
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is a large convention hall with maybe 1,200 fans in attendance, all seated on the floor. Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. La Jarochita and Lluvia defeated Ruaka and Starlight Kid at 12:25. I admittedly don’t know these four well. I have seen the masked Starlight Kid before. I don’t think I’ve seen Ruaka, who is Asian and has long blonde hair. Lluvia and Jarochita have fairly identical masks and full body outfits, but Jarochita has pinkish hair. Jarochita and Starlight Kid opened and traded basic reversals. Jarochita hit some backbreakers over her knee at 2:30. Ruaka entered and hit a senton, and she tied up Lluvia on the mat. Starlight Kid hit a springboard crossbody block at 6:30, then a standing moonsault.
Lar Jarochita applied a Muta Lock. Lluvia hit a head-scissors takedown. Ruaka hit a fisherman’s suplex on Jarochita for a nearfall at 10:00. Starlight Kid flipped both opponents to the mat, and Ruaka hit a double crossbody block. Starlight Kid hit an impressive top-rope dive to the floor, and Lluvia followed with her own top-rope dive to the floor. Ruaka missed a dive in the ring. Jarochita immediately re-applied the Muta Lock, and Ruaka tapped out. I enjoyed this; this was far better than the prior opening matches I’ve seen on the Fantastica Mania tour.
2. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Kamaitachi, Yota Tsuji, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Tomoaki Honma, Difunto, and Ryusuke Taguchi at 6:55. At least all the comedy acts are in one match. Again, Kamaitachi is Hiromu Takahashi in a full body, red, furry outfit, and he’s playing this character for comedy. This is the third Fantastica Mania show I’ve watched this week but first time I’ve seen Yota in the lineup. Again, Difunto has long brown hair coming out of his mask and he wore a black singlet. LIJ attacked at the bell, and they tugged at Taguchi’s cheap Dollar Store sphinx mask. Kamaitachi hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Honma. LIJ beat up Taguchi extensively in the ring.
Taguchi and Honma both missed flying headbutts at 3:30. Difunto hit a springboard clothesline on Yota. Kamaitachi ripped off Taguchi’s mask, and of course, Taguchi sold it like he was shamed. Difunto hit a top-rope dive to the floor on Yota at 5:30. Difunto then hit a Swanton Bomb on Yota for a nearfall; these two are trying hard to have a good match while everyone around them is doing comedy. Yota hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, and he immediately applied a Boston Crab; he grabbed Difunto’s arms and turned it into a pendulum, and Difunto submitted. I seriously can’t tell you a single thing Naito did during that match, other than “he was there;’ he literally didn’t even take off his T-shirt. (He has done so little on the past two days I wonder if he’s nursing an injury.)
3. Okumura, Hechicero, and “House of Torture” Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Yoh, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Dark Panther, and Atlantis Jr. at 12:02. Dark Panther wore a blue mask and black singlet, and he opened with mat reversals with Kanemaru. Atlantis entered at 2:00 and squared off with Okumura. Yoh hit a flying double crossbody block. Tanahashi battled Hechicero. Hechicero hit a basement dropkick on Atlantis for a nearfall at 4:30, and the heels began working over Atlantis in their corner. Atlantis hit a huracanrana.
The HoT began working over Yoh at 7:30, then all the heels stomped on Tanahashi. Atlantis hit backbreakers over his knee and he was fired up. Tanahashi began hitting Dragonscrew Legwhips on everyone, and he even grabbed the ref’s leg, but set it down. Funny. Dark Panther hit a dive through the ropes at 9:30. Tanahashi hit a second-rope summersault senton on Yoh and Kanemaru. Yoh and Tanahashi hit stereo flip dives off the apron to the floor. Atlantis dove through the ropes onto Okumura. That left Dark Panther and Hechicero in the ring, and they traded rollups. Hechicero tied up Panther on the mat, and he tapped out. Good action.
4. Brillante Jr. and Soberano Jr. defeated Douki and Templario via DQ at 8:34. Templario wore black with a splash of orange; everyone packed multiple outfits for this tour! Templario and Soberano Jr. opened, but Soberano rolled out of the ring, allowing Brillante Jr. to hit a dropkick and a huracanrana on Templario. Templario untied Soberano’s mask and kicked him as he was tied in the Tree of Woe. Brillante hit a flip dive to the floor, and Soberano Jr. followed with a Fosbury Flop to the floor at 4:00. In the ring, Soberano hit a top-rope corkscrew press. He hit a powerslam on Douki; he went for a Lionsault but Douki caught him and applied the Douki Chokey.
Charlton and Stewart joked that we hadn’t seen Hiromu Takahashi on this tour. Brillante went for a split-legged moonsault but Douki blocked it and he again applied a Douki Chokey at 7:00. Brillante hit a dropkick, then a cool twisting dive through the ropes. This has been really good. Soberano hit a Frankensteiner on Templario. Templario yanked off Soberano’s mask (he loosened it earlier in the match!) and the ref immediately called for the bell. Templario beat up some Young Lions who tried to make the save. Once again a non-finish but really good action throughout.
5. Francesco Akira, Mascara Dorada, and Mistico defeated Rocky Romero, El Desperado, and Tiger Mask at 10:38. Tiger Mask and Mistico opened, and Mistico hit a handspring-back-elbow. Tiger Mask hit some backbreakers over his knee. Romero and Akira entered for their teams at 2:00. They traded reversals; Akira did the hip swivel move and it angered Rocky. Funny. Desperado and Dorada squared off at 4:00 and Dorado did some impressive cartwheels. Mistico and Romero fought on the floor. Romero slapped Dorada in the face as Dorada was being held by Desperado. Dorado hit a grazing spin kick on Desperado.
Mistico got the hot tag at 7:00 and hit a crossbody block. Mistico hit a dive through the ropes onto the heels, then a top-rope missile dropkick in the ring on Desperado. Desperado hit a flip dive through the ropes. In the ring, Tiger Mask hit a butterfly suplex on Akira for a nearfall. TM hit a Tiger Driver for a nearfall. Dorada and Mistico hit stereo dives to the floor. Akira and Tiger Mask traded rollups, when Akira got the three-count. That was really good.
6. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Bushi and Titan defeated Pegasso and Stigma at 8:35. Stigma has a Tiger Mask-style mask, while Pegasso’s looks more like Laredo Kid’s with the scales going down the back of the head. Pegasso and Titan opened. They both attempted dropkicks and had a standoff. Stigma and Bushi entered at 1:30. Stigma hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. He hit a flip dive to the floor at 4:00. Titan hit a top-rope dive to the floor on Stigma. Pegasso hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone. In the ring, Bushi hit a Lungblower. Titan hit a kick to Stigma’s chin and suddenly all four were down at 6:00.
Titan hit a springboard frogsplash on Pegasso for a nearfall. Stigma and Titan traded forearm strikes, and Titan hit a hard dropkick. Titan dove through the ropes onto Stigma. In the ring, Pegasso and Bushi battled. Titan hit a springboard doublestomp on Pegasso’s back for the pin. Bushi and Titan did a lot of their team offense we’ve seen in the past two Super Junior Tag League tournaments. This one definitely could have gone longer.
7. Ultimo Guerrero and Stuka Jr. defeated Magnus and Volador Jr. in a tournament finale at 11:49. Magnus and Stuka opened up the offense. Volador hit a double dropkick at 2:00. Guerrero hit a baseball slide dropkick that sent Magnus to the floor. Volador Jr. hit a handspring-back-double elbow at 5:00. Magnus hit a corkscrew plancha to the floor. Volador hit a head-scissors takedown on Guerrero. Volador hit a superkick for a nearfall at 7:30. Stuka got in and hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Magnus hit a 619 on Stuka Jr. Volador hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 9:30. Volador Jr. hit a top-rope Frankensteiner for a nearfall. Stuka Jr. hit a frogsplash. Magnus hit a stunner. Guerrero hit a top-rope reverse suplex, dropping Magnus stomach-first to the mat, for the pin! Fun match, but also a bit shorter than expected.
Final Thoughts: This was a strong show and easily my favorite of the three Fantastica Mania shows I’ve watched. I’ll go with Mistico’s match for best, LIJ-Pegasso/Stigma for second, and the Soberano Jr. match for third. A solid main event earns honorable mention. All the cartoonish guys were in one match, which is ideal (I don’t mind one comedy match but I don’t want several in a row.) That match was a bit bizarre as Yota and Difunto ignored the comedy around them and worked hard, while Naito was just not involved.
Tanahashi wore the TV Title to his match; I still am unclear what happens to the six-man belts. Did Kazuchika Okada vacant them for the entire team? Or can Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii simply pick a new partner to fill Okada’s slot?
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