NJPW CMLL Fantastica Mania 2023 - February 22 - February 28, 2023

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Comrade Khan

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Big Matches in the Fantasticamania Festival!​


Thrilling matches coming from six night tour
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The Fantasticamania series is back on the NJPW calendar! The lucha libre festival this year sees six events across a one week period from February 22 to 28, with some spectacular matches to look forward to.

Check out the full cards!
The tour starts in Takamatsu on February 22. There, the headline bout will see ‘relevos increibles’ action- a tag battle where rivals are forced to become partners. Ultimo Guerrero and Atlantis Jr. are often at opposite sides of the ledger, but seem to be finding common ground of late, and now they take on a pair of icons of their respective promotions- Hiroshi Tanahashi and Mistico!
The next night sees more relevos increibles action from Kyoto’s stunning KBS Hall. Volador Jr., currently in the midst of a bitter feud over the NWA Historic Welterweight Championship with Rocky Romero, teams with Mistico opposite Atlantis Jr. and rudo Templario.
Meanwhile SHO has to team with members outside of his HOUSE OF TORTURE alliance, alongside Hichicero and Magia Blanca, against a rudo and tecnico blend of Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Desperado and Ultimo Guerrero.
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The next two nights, February 24 in Osaka and February 26 in Makuhari Messe, will see a two night tag tournament where four factions are pit against one another. Formed in 2021, Los Depredadores (the Predators) are firm fan favourites, represented by Volador Jr. and Magia Blanca in the tournament against the relevos increibles blend of Ultimo Guerrero and Atlantis Jr., who, for this tournament at least, fly the banner of Los Guerreros Increibles De Atlantida. Those two teams meet in the first round in Osaka’s main event.
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The second first round matchup sees Rey Cometa and Dulce Gardenia, Los Dulces Atrapasuenos (the Sweet Dreamcatchers), facing Los Ingobernables De Japon’s Titan and BUSHI. Last time Dulce Gardenia was in Japan, it was anything but a dream for BUSHI and Shingo Takagi, who had difficulty adjusting themselves to exotico Gardenia’s unique form of self expression. The LIJ side could be tournament favourites if they can keep the action purely combative, but Gardenia might turn the tide with some signature mind games.
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The tour will wrap up with two hot nights in Korakuen Hall February 27 and 28. On 2/27, the CMLL World Welterweight Championship will be on the line when Titan faces the challenge of Soberano Jr. Rapidly approaching 1200 days long, Titan’s reign with the title is the longest in its 31 year history, but could be put to an end by the very man he won the belt from way back in December 2019.
With Voaldor Jr. taking on Templario in singles action as well, it’ll be a loaded lineup for the first night in the Hall.
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The final night of the tour sees exciting matches up and down the card, but the highest spot is reserved for Mistico taking on Atlantis Jr. When NJPW fans first saw Atlantis Jr. at the last Fantasticamania, the young man was just starting in his journey to live up to a legendary legacy. His growth in the intervening years has been phenomenal, and now he is put to the test against a true icon of CMLL in Mistico.
With plenty more great action coming across all six nights, don’t miss a second of Fantasticamania this February!







Wednesday, February 22

  • Relevos Increibles: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Atlantis Jr.
  • Volador Jr., El Desperado & Rey Cometa vs. Hechicero, Templario & SHO
  • Soberano Jr., Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Kosei Fujita vs. Titan, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Dulce Gardenia, Tiger Mask & YOH vs. Barbaro Cavernario, Okumura & Hijo del Villano III
  • Magia Blanca & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Capitan Suicida & Yuto Nakashima vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Thursday, February 23

  • Relevos Increibles: Mistico & Volador Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr. & Templario
  • Relevos Increibles: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ultimo Guerrero & El Desperado vs. Hechicero, Magia Blanca & SHO
  • Soberano Jr., Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH & Kosei Fujita vs. Titan, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Dulce Gardenia, Tiger Mask & Master Wato vs. Barbaro Cavernario, Okumura & Hijo del Villano III
  • Capitan Suicida & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
  • Rey Cometa & Yuto Nakashima vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Friday, February 24

  • Interfaction tag team tournament first-round match: Volador Jr. & Magia Blanca vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Atlantis Jr.
  • Interfaction tag team tournament first-round match: Dulce Gardenia & Rey Cometa vs. Titan & BUSHI
  • Mistico, Soberano Jr. & El Desperado vs. Hechicero, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Relevos Increibles: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Okumura & Kosei Fujita vs. Templario, Barbaro Cavernario & SHO
  • Capitan Suicida & YOH vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi
  • Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Hijo del Villano III, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
  • Sunday, February 26
  • Interfaction tag team tournament finals
  • Interfaction tag team tournament third place playoff
  • Mistico, Soberano Jr. & El Desperado vs. Hechicero, Templario & DOUKI
  • Capitan Suicida & Kosei Fujita vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi
  • Relevos Increibles: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Barbaro Cavernario & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Okumura, YOH & Master Wato
  • Tiger Mask & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Hijo del Villano III & SHO
Monday, February 27

  • CMLL World Welterweight Champion Titan defends against Soberano Jr.
  • Volador Jr. vs. Templario
  • Relevos Increibles: Mistico, Dulce Gardenia & Magia Blanca vs. Hechicero, Atlantis Jr. & Okumura
  • Relevos Increibles: Barbaro Cavernario, Ryusuke Taguchi & El Desperado vs. Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Capitan Suicida vs. Ultimo Guerrero
  • Tiger Mask & Master Wato vs. Hijo del Villano III & Gedo
  • Rey Cometa & Kosei Fujita vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Tuesday, February 28

  • Mistico vs. Atlantis Jr.
  • Relevos Increibles: Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario & Master Wato vs. Volador Jr., Templario & El Desperado
  • Soberano Jr. vs. Hechicero
  • Dulce Gardenia vs. Okumura
  • Rey Cometa, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Titan, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Tiger Mask vs. Hijo del Villano III
  • Magia Blanca & Kosei Fujita vs. Capitan Suicida & Yuto Nakashima
 
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Comrade Khan

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Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Atlantis Jr. pretty dope
 
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Fantasticamania night 1 (February 22) Preview​

First night of lucha festival in Kagawa

After three full years off the calendar, the celebration of lucha libre that is Fantasticamania is back on the schedule this year. The six night tour gets underway on February 22, with spectacular action and unique partnerships formed.
Watch Fantasticamania live on NJPW World!

Main event: Relevos Increibles- Mistico & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Atlantis Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero
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Relevos Increibles matches see non traditional pairings of wrestlers from different outfits, or different sides of the rudo/ tecnico divide. World Historic Middleweight Champion Mistico’s team with Hiroshi Tanahashi is a pure fan favourite duo however, against a combo of the young super estrella Atlantis Jr. and veteran ‘big boss’ Ultimo Guerrero. Atalantis Jr.’s teaming with Guerrero is evocative of a successful pairing for his father, though the younger Atlantis was less than willing last year to get his hands dirty than his prospective mentor. Still, professional commitments see the famous son team with the sinful senior member of the CMLL roster tonight opposite icons of both CMLL and NJPW.

5th Match: Rey Cometa, El Desperado & Volador Jr. vs SHO, Templario & Hechicero
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From an NJPW perspective alone, this match should make fascinating viewing. After dalliances in Pro-Wrestling NOAH, it’s El Desperado’s first NJPW match since capturing the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championships and officially forming his Strong Style trio with Ren Narita and Minoru Suzuki. Opposite is SHO, one third of the now former champs, and a member, via HOUSE OF TORTURE of a BULLET CLUB whose leader sits in exile.
SHO’s partners tonight are Templario and Hechicero. Hechicero takes a break from teaming with his Los Infernales stablemates to partner with the unaffiliated rudo Templario, who reunites with recent rival Voladpr Jr. on the other end of the ledger. With Volador, Desperado and the charismatic Rey Cometa, an eclectic fan favourite trio will face three of CMLL and NJPW’s most despicable elements.

4th Match: Kosei Fujita, Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Soberano Jr. vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Titan
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24 hours removed from a champion versus champion match and Keiji Muto’s final battle respectively in the Tokyo Dome, Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi join BUSHI and Titan for eight man action. With Soberano Jr. getting set to face Titan over the World Welterweight Championship on February 27 in Korakuen, what comes of this preview?

3rd Match: YOH, Tiger Mask & Dulce Gardenia vs Hijo Del Villano III, OKUMURA & Barbaro Cavernario
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Hijo Del Villano III makes his Fantasticamania debut alongside the ever despicable OKUMURA and the ever beloved caveman Barbaro Cavernario. Opposite them is a similarly eclectic bunch, With YOH and Tiger Mask joined by the unique charisma of Dulce Gardenia.

2nd Match: Ryohei Oiwa & Magia Blanca vs Just Two Guys (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI)
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Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI team up in direct tag action for the first time since their thrilling, if failed, challenge to IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Catch 2/2 in Sapporo earlier this month. Opposite will be the debuting Magia Blanca and Young Lion Ryohei Oiwa, both fighting with much to prove against ‘just a couple of guys’.

1st Match: Yuto Nakashima & Captain Suicida vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo & Taiji Ishimori)
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Another Fantasticamania debutant in Capitain Suicida will kick off the tour with Yuto Nakashima. Suicida’s spectacular high flying style will see Gedo and Taiji Ishimori look to ground the bright young star. Ishimori’s win over Master Wato in Osaka on February 11 was the bright spot of BULLET CLUB’s darkest night in recent memory; what next for the Bone Soldier, and especially for the Switchblade-less Gedo?​
 

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