New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/28/2025 Fantastica Mania 2025 Day 8

New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/28/2025 Fantastica Mania 2025 Day 8

Raider vs Max Star

Raid waistlock takedowns him and stomps on the back. Max flips out of a wristlock and armdrags him. Max spinning headscissors him. Max does a step up tope on hilo on the ropes outside onto Raid. Raid gets back in then tope con hilos Max.

Raid slams him on the floor. Max boots him out of the corner then handsprings onto his shoulders. Raid drops him from his shoulders into a backcracker. Raid misses a dive off the top then Max hits a phoenix splash off the top for 2.

Raid backbreakers Max for 2. Raid chops Max. Max toyota roll sunset flips him for 2. Raid goes up top and is kicked. Max top rope headscissors him down for 2. Raid hits a 2nd rope sitout burning hammers for 2. They trade forearms and Max dropkicks him. Raid gets sent out then Max walks up the buckles and blind tornillos him off the top to the outside. Max goes up top and Raid throws money in his face. Raid hits a top rope moonsault slam and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like it at all. They had a main event style match in the opener with people kicking out of burning hammers off the 2nd rope. This was totally indy and not my thing.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ninja Mack, Ryusuke Taguchi & Xelhua vs. KAMAITACHI, Mascara Kantansu Tomato, Titan & Zandokan Jr.

Kam = Kamaitachi

Kamaitachi is Hiromu and Tomato is Yota Tsuji.

Xel and Zand start us off. Zand armdrags him and STO's him. Xel headstand spinning headscissors him from the mat. Xel rolls over his back and armdrags him. Xel then hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
Xel is tripped from the outside and takes a double team drop. Xel then takes a double basement dropkick. Xel is laid on floor outside and Zand bodyslides out into a splash on him.

Mack and Titan go at it. Mack kips down then back up then corkscrews over him on the buckles. Max cartwheels and corkscrews out of Titan's headscissors. Mack boots Titan out and misses his ninja special. Titan then topes Mack.

Tana and Kam go at it. They both drop down at the same time. Tana 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Kam sits down and gets booted by Tana. Tana slams him then Kam does an abdominal stretch. Tana reverses it with help from Xel then is put in an octopus. Xel breaks it up. Xel then does a nic elifting head and double arm hold on Kam.

Xel hits a top rope plancha on the outside onto Yota and Kam. Titan then top rope moonsaults outside. Mack then does like a 450 flying space tiger drop outside. Taguchi backslides Yota then la magistral's him for 2.

Yota blocks a hip attack from Taguchi. Yota puts Taguchi in a nudo with a neck crank and subits Taguchi.

Thoughts: This should have been the opener and was alright with everyone getting a little in and getting some highlights. We got a couple of dives here and had a fun Mack vs Titan segment. I liked this. 

Atlantis Jr., BONE SOLDIER Jr. & Stigma vs. CozyMAX (OKUMURA & Satoshi Kojima) & Ultimo Guerrero

AJ = Atlantis Jr, UG = Ultimo Guerrero

Koji side headlocks Bone to start. Bone headlock takeovers him. Bone kips up and they do a stand off. They shoulder battle and Koji shoulders him over. Stig dragon screws Koji then dropkicks him. Stig flying headscissor Oku then spin kicks him in the gut. AJ gets in and is stomped on by all 3 opponents.

AJ is thrown into a headscissors on Oku then he headscissors UG out. Mima Shimoda (who is with UG's team) tries to hold AJ for a shot but is hit by UG. AJ is tripped and hit with an elbow drop by Koji. Stig gets double teamed. UG baseball slides Stig out.

Oku kicks Bone on a handshake attempt. Koji then spinning forearms Bone down. Koji ddt's Bone for 2. AJ couners  double team with a double japanese armdrag. He pops up Bone into a double dropkick then Stig tope con hilos out onto UG. AJ top rope crossbodies Oku.

AJ and Oku trade corner lariats. Oku cutters AJ while AJ is on the 2nd rope. Mima kicks Bone from behind for what should be a DQ then Mima is suplexed onto Oku. Koji hits machine gun chops on all 3 opponents.

Koji 2nd rope elbow drops Bone for 2. AJ tilt-a-whirl slams Oku then superkicks him. AJ then then misses a tope on Oku and goes hard into the floor. Bone 2nd rope asai moonsaults Koji outside. Stig then springboard headscissors UG.

Stig corner lariats UG then top rope hurricanrana's him for 2. UG hits a top rope reverse suplex on Stig and wins.

Thoughts: I was alright with this one. Oku and Koji weren't moving the best as usual but they were fine. Atlantis' missed tope to the outside was super dangerous and I'm surprised he did that spot. UG's team should have been DQ'd for Mima's interference.

El Desperado, Neon & Templario vs. Los Depredadores (Magnus, Rugido & Volador Jr.)

Neon superkicks Rug in the gut. He then 2nd rope springboard headscissors him. Neon dives off the top into an armdrag on Vol. Neon 2nd rope diving hurricanrana's Vol. Temp, Despy and Neon then all do dives to the outside.

Despy and Rug trade chest chops. Rug flying shoulders him. Despy shoulders him over. Mag and Temp go at it. Temp corkscrew headscissors him. Temp walks the top rope into a diving armdrag on Vol. Temp armdrags Rug then powerslams him.

Vol superkicks Temp. Vol's team tries to unmask Temp. Mag rips Temp's mask up. Despy is tripped into the ropes and takes a 619 from Mag. Neon is swept off the 2nd rope and Rug basemnet dropkicks him. Rug rips up Temp's mask more.

Temp takes a triple boot and is sent out. Mag chops down Neon. Vol superkicks Mag on accident on a failed double team. Temp tope con hilos out onto Rug and Mag. Vol rolls up Neon for 2. Neon top rope moonsaults onto Vol for 2.

Mag cutters Neon. Despy is abused on the ropes. Despy pulls Mag over the top then sends Rug into him. Rug overhead belly to belly suplexes Despy. Rug flying elbows Despy for 2. Rug hits suplexes on Despy. Despy crucifixes Rug for 2.

Temp gets out of a triple team. Mag pop-up low blows Temp then Rug pulls off Temp's mask. Temp covers his face and Vol cradles Temp for the win.

Thoughts: It didn't quite flow as well as it normally would have due to it being a different crowd, limited time and some different rules but it was acceptable. I thought it should have been a little better than it was though since 5 of the guys work together frequently.

Despy and Neon are unmasked by the heels after and then have their masks thrown out into the crowd. The heels then stomp on the faces. The young lions try to help but are kicked too. 

Hechicero vs. El Barbaro Cavernario

Barb grabs Hech by the mask and they go to the ropes. Hech trips him then knee drops him. They trade chops and punches. Hech shoulders him over then la magistrals him. They trade pin attempts but can't get the pin.

Barb slaps Hech and they trade chops. Hech hits a slap flurry and dropkicks Barb. Hech bends over and is kicked. Hech boots him out of the corner. Hech pulls Barb down off the leapfrog then double leg locks him. Barb ropebreaks.

Hech takes off a turnbuckle pad and hits Barb with it. Hech hits some shots in the corner. Hech flips out of a ataxia and headscissors him into a pin attempt. Barb misses a springboard splash. Hech dragon screws Barb over the 2nd rope.

Hech top rope diving elbows Barb for 2. Hech tries to flip Barb into a hold but is kicked. Barb then lifts him and suplexes him. Hech goes out and Barb runs up the buckles and springboard plancha's him outside. Barb gets his mouth busted open.

Barb topes Hech between the buckles. Barb chops Hech up. Hech does a wild spinning alabama slam off the apron onto Barb outside. Barb then back body drops Hech on the floor. Barb top rope splashes Hech on the floor outside.

Barb chairs Hech outside. They fight on the blechers and Hech suplexes Barb through a table. They trade forearms and punches on their knees in the ring. They stand up and trade and Barb slap flurries him. Hech headscissors drops him for 2. Hech then submits him with an armbar.

Thoughts: These two aren't natural or usual opponents and it's odd that NJPW had them match up. I thought they did too much here and didn't sell enough. They really did go all out though and did a bunch of stuff we don't normally see from them. This one got plenty of time.

They hug after.

Soberano Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada

Sob pulls his hand way on a handshake. They flip over each other then do stereo handsprings. MD corkscrew headscissors him out then tornillos him outside. Sob dropkicks MD in the knee then sentons his back. They go outside and MD is sent into the rails. They go into the stands. MD flying headscissors Sob in the aisle way then flip dives him off the entrance way in the stands.

MD comes off the top and Sob dropkicks him in mid-air for 2. Sob neckbreakers MD while he's on the 2nd rope. MD superkicks Sob then he 450's Sob for 2. MD sitout dominators Sob for 2. MD hands off the 2nd rope and Sob asai moonsaults him.

They trade chops and both go down. MD tilt-a-whirl backcrackers Sob. MD suplexes Sob. MD moonsaults but Sob gets his feet up. MD superkicks him on the apron. MD ends up taking a b-driver on the apron.

Sob fosbury flops MD outside. Sob chairs MD in front of the the ref, who could care less. MD ssp's Sob off the apron. MD is popped up to the stage and diving headscissors Sob from it. MD is crotched up top. Sob kicks him while he's up there. Sob then 2nd rope superplexes MD.

Sob boots MD around. Sob toyota rolls onto MD but MD powerslams him. MD pumping knees Sob out of the corner. They go up top and MD corkscrew headscissors him down. MD then topes him. MD then 2nd rope ssp's him outside. MD misses a top rope ssp. Sob fire thunder drivers MD. Sob is headscissored on a tombstone attempt. MD goes up top and top rope ssp's Sob to win.

Thoughts: Like the big matches from yesterday, it was pretty much a spotfest. They did a lot of big moves and spots that meant nothing here. This wasn't much of a lucha match and was like a lucha attempt at a Japanese match. I didn't like it at all and think if you see a highlight reel of this one, you have seen the whole match.

MLW World Middleweight Title Match - Mistico (c) vs Averno

They shake hands. Av backrolls him and is armdragged. Mist legsweeps him and they stand off. Mist armdrags Av and Av pushes him over. Mist headscissors him from the mat. Mist flips off of Av and nearly hurt himself. Mist then tilt-a-whirl armdrags Av out.

Mist slides out after Av. Mist goes for a dive but is pulled down face first onto the apron. Mist's crotch is rammed into the post. Av unties Mist's mask on the buckles then rips the mask up. Av unmasks him and the ref doesn't do anything about it.

Av then powerbombs Mist into the post. Av boots Mist off the apron. Mist is then catapulted into the post. Av running facekicks Mist multiple times for 2. Mist superkicks Av then 619's him. Mist springboard headscissors him. Mist tornillo's Av outside.

Mist springboard twisting crossbodies Av then flying headscissors him. Mist then headscissors Av while on his shoulders. Mist slingshot plancha's outside onto Av. Mist springboard crossbodies Av. Mist then toyota rolls into a sunset flip on Av. Mist code red's Av for 2. Mist handsprings into a dropkick from Av. Av flying armbars Mist. Av knocks Mist off the apron and tope con hilos him. 

Mist springboards at Av and is powerbombed off of it. Av hits a 2nd rope angel's wings on Mist for 2. Mist superkicks Av, walks up the buckles and hits a corksscrew armdrag. Mist kicks Av from the apron then topes him outside. Mist 2nd rope twisting crossbodies Av outside.

Mist springboard diving hurricanrana's Av for 2. Mist misses a top rope moonsault then dropkicks Av in the knee. Av la magistral's him for 2. Av blocks Mist's spinning headscissors and rolling armbars him. Mist then ropebreaks.

Av hits an angel's wings off the apron onto Mist on the floor. They go back in and Av hits another angel's wings for 2. They go up top and Mist hits a top rope spanish fly. Mist springboard twisting crossbodies Av. Mist then taps out Av with la mistica.

Thoughts: It was similar to the other big matches on this tour. They did a lot of big moves they don't normally do and while they did put out a lot of effort, it just wasn't that great. The selling just wasn't there and they didn't make the most of what they did do. You wouldn't know it unless you watch regularly, but these two have had a lot better matches often n much smaller scales. I didn't like this one.

The luchadores all then pose together to close the show.

Overall thoughts: I didn't like the show. The wrestlers went all out in their singles matches but they didn't sell very much and overdid it on big moves. They basically had big main event indy style matches and I didn't care for them. The show may have had luchadores, but it had little to do with lucha. If you really want to see what lucha is like, just watch a normal CMLL show and I think you will be much more satisfied. I'd give this a 4 out of 10 and wouldn't recommend this.