NJPW/CMLL
Korakuen Hall (Toyko, Japan)
This match was largely about pushing the ongoing Ishii/Naito issue as well as setting up La Sombra vs. Ultimo Guerrero for the next day’s final FantasticaMania show. It was effective in building up both of those future matches, but the match I came out most wanting to see was La Sombra vs. Okada. Early on La Sombra and Okada mix it up with Okada showing off some impressive agility and flying spots that you don’t often see from him, including a nice rope walk arm drag. Sombra got the better of the exchange, causing Okada to bail leaving everyone wanting a little bit more from those two. It is a matchup I would have been indifferent to a day ago, but now hope we really see in either Japan or Mexico sometime in 2014. As a hype job for a future match, you cannot do much better than getting people to go from indifference to genuine anticipation.
This was arguably the best match on the penultimate 2014 Fantasticamania card. Good action throughout that also built to two (or three) future matches. Ishii’s style seemed a tad out of place but not distractingly so and his interaction with Naito on both shows did a very good job in building excitement for the February match. Ultimo Guerrero picks up the win over Sombra leading into their featured singles match the following afternoon.
Lucha Trios | Watch It | Quality/Booking
