New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/18/2026 Fantastica Mania 2026 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/18/2026 Fantastica Mania 2026 Day 1

Fantastica Mania 2026 Tag Team Tournament First Round Match - Hijo de Stuka Jr. & Shoma Kato vs. Los Viajeros Del Espacio (Futuro & Valiente Jr.)

Val and Stuka go at it. They work a wristlock and Val legdrags him to escape. Val flips off of Stuka's back. Stuka superkicks him. Val boots Stuka out of the corner. Fut springboard crossbodies Kato. Kato and Fut do rolls. Kato shoulders him over.

Fut goes up and over. Fut springboard diving armdrags him. Stuka pulls Fut out and forearms him down. Stuka corner lariats Fut then yanks him into a Kato powerslam. Stuka sunset flips Val then Kato drops Val onto Stuka's knees for 2. Stuka and Kato corner lariat Val. Val takes a double basement dropkick.

Val takes a double spinebuster. Stuka rips at his mask then Val is double stomped on. Fut is popped up then flipped into the ropes and he hits a double armdrag off of it. Val corkscrew dives Kato/Stuka outside. Fut springboard tornillo's his opponents outside.

Kato backdrops Val for 2. Fut dragon suplexes Kato. Stuka sitout spinning torture rack bombs Fut then top rope splashes him. Stuka's on the 2nd rope and Val tilt-a-whirl armdrags him down. Val standing moonsaults Stuka for 2. 

Val enzugiri's Stuka out then 2nd rope inside to outside swantons him. Fut rolls up Kato for 2. Kato dropkicks Fut for 2. Fut falcon arrows him then top rope moonsaults him to win.

Thoughts: It was a bit much for the opener as they had a main event style match to start things. There was a lot of great flying as expected. They overdid it here but it was not boring. 

Hechicero vs. Zane Jay

Zane grabs the mic before the match and says he's not a young lion. He says don't play young lion music for him anymore.

Zane wristlocks him and Hech trips him. Hech rolls Zane and Zane waistlock takedowns him. Hech knee drops the leg and twists his foot. Zane does a grounded kimura. Hech sits on his back with a chinlock. Zane figure fours him. Hech surfboards him and Zane ropebreaks. Zane splits Hech's fingers. 

Zane throws Hech out then dropkicks him outside. Zane tries to untie Hech's mask outside. Hech gets him inside and cranks back on the arm. Hech hits mounted corner punches. Hech dragon screws him around the 2nd rope and stomps on the leg there. Hech slingshot elbow drops him. 

Zane dropkicks him off the apron then topes him outside. Zane comes off the top and runs into a euro. Hech jumping kicks him then Zane dropkicks him for 2. They trade pin attempts. They trade chops. Hech step up knees him in the corner. Hech does a crucifix type of submission and submits him.

Thoughts: It didn't get off the best start early and went a bit long. It picked up a little near the end but it could have been better.

We get a tribute ceremony for Black Cat. 

Fantastica Mania 2026 Tag Team Tournament First Round Match - Averno & Magnus vs. Stigma & Tiger Mask

Mag comes in with a ninja headcover on.

Av waistlock takedowns Tiger and Tiger armdrags him. Tiger backrolls into a spinning reverse headscissors. Tiger is double stomped on by the heels. Mag unties Tiger's mask and Av headbutts Tiger. Tiger takes a double boot. Stig takes a corner lariat and a corner meteora.

Mag then takes off his headcover and has a Black Tiger mask on. Av bites Tiger's fingers then Mag kicks Tiger in the leg. Av drops Tiger with punches and Tiger is double teamed. Mag is pushed into Av. Av gets back body dropped and Tiger forward rolling double mule kicks Mag. Stig springboard double crossbodies the heels. Stig is popped up into a headscissors on Mag.

Stig headscissors Av then tope con hilos him. Mag corner lariats Tiger. Tiger crucifixes Mag. Stig toyota rolls Av for 2 and Tiger rolls up Mag for 2. Stig dropkicks Mag out. Stig hits punches on Av in the corner. Av 2nd rope angel's wings Stig for 2.

Tiger high kicks Mag. Tiger top rope hiptosses Mag down for 2. Tiger and Av trade shots. Av steps on the ref's foot, Mag then unmasks Tiger and pins him.

Thoughts: It wasn't quite as smooth as it should have been and the finish was a bit weak with a stupid ref.

Av stomps on Tiger after. 

Fantastica Mania 2026 Tag Team Tournament First Round Match - Atlantis Sr. & Atlantis Jr. vs. CozyMAX (OKUMURA & Satoshi Kojima) 

Mima Shimoda is with Koji's team.

Koji and Sr go at it. Koji side headlocks him then shoulder him over. Koji goes for a hiptoss but Sr blocks it with an abdominal stretch. Sr hiptosses him and chinlocks him. Jr and Oku get in. Oku armdrags him then Jr dropkicks him. Jr goes for a dive but Koji shoulders him over. Koji then drops Sr with a forearm.

Sr takes a double boot. Jr takes a bridging cutter from Oku. Sr shoulders Koji out then hits tilt-a-whirl backbreakers on Oku. Jr topes Oku. Sr crossbodies Koji for 2. Sr misses a corner splash and Koji hits chops on him. 

Koji flying corner forearms Sr. Koji 2nd rope elbow drops him for 2. Sr trips Koji then half-crabs him. Jr trips Oku then step up enzugiri's him. Sr tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Oku. Jr spinning torture rack drops Oku. Sr plancha's Koji off the apron. Oku cutters Jr for 1. Jr powerslams Oku then top rope frogsplashes him for the win.

Thoughts: It was a few steps above a legend's match. Atlantis Sr. can't really do the crossbody anymore and shouldn't try. He did the best he could here thought. It was just a match for the most part. 

El Desperado, Masatora Yasuda & Six Or Nine (Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi) vs. Philip Marlowe Jr. & Unbound Co. (BONE SOLDIER Jr., Daiki Nagai & Titan)

Yota Tsuji has like an old time comic detective's face on his mask and a detective hat. Taguchi has the Egyptian gear he had on last year and Ishimori has a mask on. Wato wore a pancho and sombrero out.

Despy and TI (Ishimori) go at it. Despy escapes a hammerlock by using the ropes. TI flying snapmares him then flying headscissors him. Wato and Yota fight. Wato rmdrags him off the casadora then spinning reverse headscissors him. Wato walks up the buckles and diving armdrags Yota out. Wato goes for a dive and Nagai stops him. 

Taguchi goofs around and Nagai side headlocks him. Nagai dropkicks him. Nagai neckbreakers Taguchi and sends him out. Yasuda takes corner attacks then a springboard splash from Titan. Despy takes a double back elbow then a double basement dropkick for 2. 

Wato takes corner attacks then a 4 person basement dropkick. Nagai atomic drops Taguchi and Taguchi gets hit in the butt. Taguchi hip attacks Nagai into TI then flying chest headbutts Nagai. Taguchi is group stomped on.

Taguchi and Titan are sent into each other and Wato does a double dropkick off a pop-up. Titan takes corner attacks and a Despy spinebuster. Yasuda suplexes Titan for 2. Yasuda crabs Titan. Nagai breaks it up.

Yasuda dropkicks Nagai. Titan jumping back kicks Yasuda. Titan goes for a hold and Yasuda cradles him for 2. Yasuda gets another 2 count on him and dropkicks him. Titan tornado ddt's Yasuda and does a suplex lift into a cutter on him. Titan top rope double stomps Yasuda and pins him.

Thoughts: It wasn't that serious as expected here. Taguchi goofed around. Yasuda did alright though. 

Yota messes with Taguchi's mask after then Nagai joins in. Taguchi then tries to unmask Yota. Titan and TI try to break it up and Taguchi/Yota both get unmasked.

Lightning Match - Soberano Jr. vs. Templario

Temp top rope crossbodies Sob and headscissors him out before intros are done. Temp goes for a dive and is enzugiri'd. Sob top rope diving headscissors Temp out. Sob's tope con hilo is caught and Temp apron edge powerbombs him. Sob powerslams him on the floor then basement dropkicks him in the back outside.

Sob bites Temp's fingers inside. Sob kicks Temp in the thigh. Temp spinarooni's up then walks up the ropes for a springboard dropkick. Temp topes Sob outside. Temp topes him. Sob superkicks him then is tripped into the ropes. Temp wheelbarrow germans him. 

Sob springboard legdrops him on the back of the neck for 2. Temp powerslams him then asai moonsaults him for 2. Temp rolls into a powerslam. They enzugiri each other near the apron and Sob ddt's him on the apron.

Sob's top rope crossbody is caught inside. Temp flips him into a codebreaker for 2. Temp is on the 2nd rope and Sob asai moonsaults him. Temp 2nd rope powerbombs him for 2. Temp sits up top and is dropkicked. Temp is then 2nd rope hurricanrana'd and the time runs out. This goes to a draw. Sob then fosbury flops him after.

Thoughts: I didn't care for it. It was rushed as they only had 10 minutes. They did a bit much for the time they had and didn't sell enough.

Temp topes Sob after. They trade punches and forearms in the ring. The ref separates them and they want to keep fighting.  

Fantastica Mania 2026 Tag Team Tournament First Round Match - SHO & Ultimo Guerrero vs. El Sky Team (Mascara Dorada & Mistico)

Sho talks trash on the mic then UG whips his opponents with his entrance gear. MD superkicks Sho then Mist flying headscissors UG. MD flying headscissors Sho. UG hits a double clothesline. Shot foot chokes both opponents at once. Mist is abused in the corner.

UG back elbows Mist. Mist then takes a dropkick + superkick combo. MD is chopped down by UG. MD is pop-up dropped then takes a double basement dropkick. Mist is double teamed. Mist is held on the apron for a baseball slide that sends him out. MD gets double teamed. MD flying headscissors Sho then Mist springboard diving headscissors UG. MD is popped up into a double dropkick. MD and Mist hit stereo topes outside.

Mist kicks Sho outside. MD walks up the buckles with Sho's arm then ends up armdragging him by using the ropes. MD flips off the top and armdrags Sho. MD corkscrew headscissors UG. UG and Mist goof around for a bit as they compete for cheers.

UG lariats Mist. Mist corkscrew headscissors UG. Mist handspring back elbows Sho. Mist enzugiri's him from the apron then Mist springboard splashes him. Mist chops Sho, eye pokes him then walks up the ropes for a corkscrew diving armdrag. UG and Sho call for timeout outside.

The faces send Sho and UG into each other outside. Mist and MD's heads are banged together. MD is double hiptossed in. Mist is popped up into a dropkick on Sho. Mist and MD hit stereo slingshot tornillo's outside.

MD takes a 2nd rope gordbuster from UG inside for 2. MD superkicks UG. MD top rope 450's UG for 2. Sho spears Mist for 2. Mist hit a wasteland on Sho. Mist top rope crossbodies Sho for 2. Mist and Sho go at it. Sho eye rakes him and Mist spin kicks him in the gut. Mist springboard twisting crossbodies him. Sho is superkicked. MD top rope ssp's Sho and Mist submits UG with la mistica to win.

Thoughts: It was basically a house show style match for the Mexican's here. They took it easier than they do on lower level Arena Puebla shows. They did a bunch of playing to crowd and goofing around and not that much wrestling. It wasn't that good. 

Mist talks on the mic after in Spanish and the faces celebrate.

Overall thoughts: It was a disappointing show. You'd think the wrestlers would go all out to get the tour off to a hot start and instead, they had a house show level event. The opener probably had the most effort put into it and a that's a problem. The main was really weak and semi-main was a rushed 10 minute battle. I didn't like this show at all and would only give it a 4 out of 10.