By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “CMLL Fantastica Mania”
February 27, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
The camera panned the crowd, showing we have a sellout. We have Japanese-only commentary. I immediately noticed we don’t have any guardrails at ringside; much like the Best of Super Juniors tournament, those are removed for the safety of the high-flyers. I rarely see CMLL but I have seen most of these guys; it is worth pointing out that so many of these lucha stars have appeared in MLW or AEW/ROH in the past year. (Including many competing on tonight’s taped episode of ROH TV.)
1. Kamaitachi and Titan vs. Max Star and Xelhua. Kamaitachi is Hiromu Takahashi under a lion’s mask, being a wild man. Max and Xelhua are new to me. Max Star wore a blue mask and he opened against Titan. Kamaitachi hit a huracarana. Xelhua, wearing a gold mask and silver pants, entered and hit a plancha on Kamaitachi at 2:00. Max Star hit an impressive springboard moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Xelhua tied Titan in a knot. Kamaitachi picked up the ref and ‘forced’ him to hit a huracanrana. Max Star hit a springboard dive to the floor. In the ring, Titan nailed a top-rope doublestomp and pinned Xelhua. That was a lot of energy in a match that short.
Kamaitachi and Titan defeated Max Star and Xelhua at 5:50.
2. Barbaro Cavernario and El Desperado vs. Hechicero and Ninja Mack. Hechicro and Cavernario opened against each other and they traded loud chops. Hechicero hit a dropkick at 2:00 and celebrated. Mack and Desperado tagged in at 4:00 and locked up and traded rollups. Mack hit his Sasuke Special to the floor on Despe. Mack and Hechicero worked over Despe. Cavernario began untying Hechicero’s mask at 9:00. Desperado hit a spinebuster on Mack for a nearfall, and he tied him in a Stretch Muffler, but Mack reached the ropes. Despe hit a somersault dive from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Barbaro hit a superkick on Hechicero, and those two tied up. Barbaro yanked off the mask, which caused an immediate disqualification. Good action. They had a good post-match brawl, too.
Hechicero and Ninja Mack defeated El Desperado and Barbaro Cavernario via DQ at 11:29.
3. Magnus and Rugido vs. Satoshi Kojima and Okumura. Magnus wore silver, while Rugido wore his golden cat mask. Okumura and Kojima carried their MLW tag team title belts! Kojima and Rugido opened with standing reversals. Okumura then battled Magnus. Magnus threw a superkick that was nowhere close to landing but Okumura sold it anyway. Kojima and Rugido got back in and traded chops, and Rugido hit a powerslam at 2:30. Rugido and Magnus began working over Okumura. Magnus got a cardboard cutout of Okumura and hit his opponents with it; this clearly didn’t hurt at all but was some good humor. Okumura hit a stunner on Rugido, then one on Magnus at 6:00.
Kojima backed the opponents into a corner and hit his series of rapid-fire chops. Kojima hit a second-rope elbow drop for a nearfall and a DDT on Rugido for a nearfall. Rugido hit a German Suplex on Kojima for a nearfall. Okumura hit a Tower of London-style stunner for a nearfall. Kojima nailed a decapitating clothesline and pinned Rugido. Okay match.
Satoshi Kojima and Okumura defeated Rugido and Magnus at 8:35.
4. Zandokan Jr. (w/Yota Tsuji) vs. Neon. I think I’ve seen Neon just once. Zandokan Jr. was in Super Junior Tag League two years ago and he does a masked pirate gimmick. (He was in Los Ingobernables de Japon for that tournament, so it makes sense that Tsuji joined him to ringside.) Neon hit a standing moonsault. Zandokan J. hit a huracanrana. Neon hit a top-rope huracanrana at 1:30. They brawled to the floor and fought into the crowd and up the stairs to the landing area half-way up the seating area in Korakuen Hall, where Neo hit a huracanrana at 4:00. Neon leapt off the entrance and onto Zandokan on the landing, and they fought back down the stairs and returned to the ring.
Zandokan Jr. hit a powerslam move for a nearfall, then a top-rope superplex for a nearfall at 6:30. They got up and traded chops; it is really evident how much bigger Zandokan is in this exchange, and he hit a powerbomb, then a clothesline. Neon hit a Code Red for a nearfall, then a twisting suplex and a top-rope inverted senton for the pin. Good action.
Neon defeated Zandokan Jr. at 9:06.
* A video aired for Best of Super Juniors! Dates/locations for the shows were displayed. We had an in-ring memorial tribute. Keep in mind, I don’t have any English commentary, so I don’t know who is being honored and memorialized.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Stigma,Mascara Dorada, and Mistico vs. Taiji Ishimori, Raider, Soberano Jr., and Averno. I haven’t seen much of Stigma; he wears a blue denim vest. Raider wore green-red-white Mexican flag colors and he is heavily tattooed; I don’t know him. Hiroshi and Ishimori opened, with Tanahashi hitting a Dragonscrew Legwhip on each of the four rudos. The rudos began trying to untie Stigma’s mask, and they worked over Dorada. They took turns chopping Tanahashi against the ropes. Raider hit a running punt kick to Mistico’s groin at 4:30. Raider accidentally struck Averno. Dorada hit a satellite headscissors takedown and some armdrags. Stigma and Ishimori traded chops, and Stigma hit a dropkick.
Tanahashi and Averno tied up at 8:00; they must be a combined age 90 or so. Mistico and Soberano Jr. squared off. Mistico hit a huracanrana on Raider. Tanahashi hit a plancha on Ishimori. Dorada hit a Fosbury Flop. Mistico hit a dive to the floor at 11:00. Soberano hit a brainbuster. Raider hit a nice Lungblower move on Dorada. Mistico hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Raider. Dorado hit a top-rope double crossbody block. Dorado hit a springboard huracanrana. Dorada stood on the ring post and hit a moonsault to the floor on Soberano Jr. at 14:00! In the ring, Raider hit a backbreaker over his knee on Stigma, but he missed a top-rope splash. Stigma rolled up Raider for the pin out of nowhere. Messy at times but overall really fun.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Stigma, Mascara Dorada, and Mistico defeated Taiji Ishimori, Raider, Soberano Jr., and Averno at 14:39.
6. Atlantis Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero. They shook hands before locking up, and they traded reversals on the mat. Guerrero tied him in a surfboard and this was kept on the mat early on. Atlantis hit a flip dive to the floor at 6:30. In the ring, Guerrero leapt off the second rope and dropped Atlantis Jr. face-first to the mat. Guerrero hit a second-rope powerbomb at 11:00. Atlantis Jr. hit a spinning powerbomb off his shoulders for a nearfall. Atlantis Jr. hit a top-rope belly-to-belly superplex for a nearfall at 13:30 and they were both down. Guerrero hit a second-rope reverse suplex, dropping Atlantis stomach-first to the mat for a nearfall. Atlantis Jr. hit a powerslam and a frogsplash, then a second frogsplash for the pin. That built nicely and was really hot in the closing minutes.
Atlantis Jr. defeated Ultimo Guerrero at 15:10.
… a strangely long break between matches here. Really unusual in NJPW. It’s not like they had to clean debris from the ring…
7. Templario vs. Volador Jr. Basic reversals early, and Templario dove through the ropes and crashed onto several young boys at ringside. Volador, who had avoided the blow, began working over Templario on the floor. Templario hit a second dive at 4:00, this time crashing into Volador Jr. Volador Jr. hit a nice springboard dive into a huracanrana on the floor, and they were both down at 6:00. In the ring, Volador Jr. hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Templario hit a flipping piledriver move for a nearfall, then a Sasuke Special to the floor at 9:00.
In the ring, Volador Jr. hit a superkick. They hit stereo Mafia Kicks to the chest and were both down. Volador Jr. hit a Frankensteiner at 12:00 and they were both down. Templario hit a jump-up Frankensteiner for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing, and Volador Jr. hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall at 14:30, and they were both down again. Templario picked him up for a suplex but dropped him stomach-first for a nearfall. He hit a powerbomb, then a Lumbar Check over his knees at 17:00 for a visual pin, but the ref was pulled to the floor! Two luchadors (I believe it is Rugido and Magnus) jumped in the ring and helped beat up Templario; Volador climbed onto the prone Templario. They pushed the ref back into the ring, who made the three-count to give Volador the tainted win.
Volador Jr. defeated Templario at 17:39.
* Volador got on the mic and gave a promo in Spanish. (I don’t think I learned these words in high school and college Spanish classes!)
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show with certainly some of the biggest names in lucha libre today, with just a handful of NJPW’s regulars in action. A strong main event takes best match, even with the screwjob finish. I enjoyed Neon-Zandokan Jr. for second and Ultimo Guererro-Atlantis Jr. for third. The guys I didn’t know, particularly Raider and Max Star, looked good. Fantastica Mania returns on Friday.
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