Fantastica Mania
Fantastica Mania, sometimes spelled as Fantasticamania, is a series of annual professional wrestling shows co-promoted by Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Japanese New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Fantastica Mania is a series of two to seven shows that have taken place in Japan, in January of each year since 2010. At the end of the 2020 tour, 56 Fantastica Mania shows will have taken place.
Fanastica Mania | |
---|---|
Promotions | |
Other names | Fantasticamania |
First event | Fantastica Mania 2011 |
Event gimmick | Inter-promotional matches between CMLL and NJPW |
Event history
The Fantastica Mania event series was a result of the working relationship between Japanese-based New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Mexican Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) who had been exchanging wrestlers for short or long periods of time for several years before 2011. In late 2010 NJPW and CMLL announced that they would co-promote two shows in January 2011 under the name Fantastica Mania. The shows would take place in Japan organized by NJPW with CMLL sending a number of their wrestlers to Japan to work the shows. In 2011 and 2012 some CMLL wrestlers toured with NJPW prior or after the shows, while some of the wrestlers flew in just for the show. In 2014, the Fantastica Mania tour was expanded to five days, with events for the first time scheduled to take place outside of Tokyo's Korakuen Hall, in Osaka and Kyoto.[1] In 2015, Fantastica Mania was held over six shows in Osaka, Takamatsu, Kyoto and Tokyo.[2] In 2016, Fantastica Mania was again held over six shows in Kōchi, Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.[3] The following year, the tour expanded to seven shows, held in Osaka, Matsuyama, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo.[4] In 2018, the tour is set to include eight shows.[5]
As of the conclusion of the 2017 Fantastica Mania tour 78 individual wrestlers have competed in 207 matches split over 31 shows in total. Gedo, Jyushin Thunder Liger and Okumura have worked at least one match on each of the seven tours. King Fale, Kenny Omega and Toru Yano have only worked on one show in total. The Fantastica Mania events have hosted 24 championship matches, with five title changes; Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Máscara Dorada to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) defeated Golden☆Lovers (Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, La Sombra defeated Dragón Rojo Jr. to win the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship, Máscara Dorada defeated Bushi to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship and Kamaitachi defeated Dragon Lee to win the CMLL World Lightweight Championship.[6][7][8][9][10] The CMLL World Heavyweight Championship, CMLL World Middleweight Championship, IWGP Tag Team Championship, CMLL World Trios Championship, CMLL World Welterweight Championship, NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship, IWGP Intercontinental Championship, Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship, CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship, Mexican National Welterweight Championship and Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship were all successfully defended.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Fantastica Mania has hosted one Lucha de Apuestas, or bet match; while the Luchas de Apuestas match is the most important match type in CMLL, NJPW hardly ever promotes matches of this type. The match saw Tiger Mask put his mask on the line against Tomohiro Ishii, who lost and had his hair shaved off after the match.[6][8][9]
Dates, venues, and main events
Mexico
Fantastica Mania: Mexico | |||
---|---|---|---|
Promotion | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre New Japan Pro-Wrestling | ||
Date | June 30, 2023 | ||
City | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
Venue | Arena México | ||
Tagline(s) | 50th Aniversario Del El Satánico | ||
Event chronology | |||
|
Fantastica Mexico, also known as CMLL Presenta NJPW Fantastica Mania México 2023, was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which took place on June 30, 2023, at the Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the 12th edition of the Fantastica Mania event series. The event also celebrated the 50th anniversary of El Satánico.
Six matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Rocky Romero defeated Volador Jr. to retain the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship. In other prominent matches, Máscara Dorada 2.0 defeated El Desperado, Tiger Mask vs El Satánico ended in a time-limit draw in a match relámpago and in the opening contest, Las Infernales (Dark Silueta, Zeuxis and Lluvia) defeated La Catalina, La Jarochita and Stephanie Vaquer.
Background
The 2023 Fantastica Mania tour was the twelfth year in a row where Japanese wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promoted a series of shows with their Mexican partner Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Due to the co-promotional nature of the shows, they rarely featured any development in ongoing NJPW or CMLL storylines, opting instead to focus on inter-promotional matches. The Fantastica Mania shows featured various professional wrestling matches planned out by CMLL and NJPW, with some wrestlers involved in scripted feuds. The wrestlers portray either heels (referred to as rudos in Mexico, those that play the part of the "bad guys") or faces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they perform.[29]
Storylines
Fantastica Mania Mexico featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes (referred to as técnicos in Mexico; the good guys), villains (referred to as rudos in Mexico; the bad guys), or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[30]
Results
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Las Infernales (Dark Silueta, Zeuxis and Lluvia) defeated La Catalina, La Jarochita and Stephanie Vaquer 2-1 | Lucha de Amazonas | 5:34 | ||
2 | Douki and Okumura defeated Audaz and Capitán Suicida 2-0 | 2-out-of-3 falls tag team match | 10:54 | ||
3 | Tiger Mask vs. El Satánico ended in a time-limit draw | Match Relámpago | 10:00 | ||
4 | Máscara Dorada 2.0 defeated El Desperado 2-1 | 2-out-of-3 falls match | 12:35 | ||
5 | Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Tetsuya Naito and Titán) defeated Atlantis Jr., Místico and Soberano Jr. 2-1 | 2-out-of-3 falls six-man tag team match | 18:28 | ||
6 | Rocky Romero (c) (with Tiger Mask) defeated Volador Jr. (with Máscara Dorada 2.0) 2-1 | 2-out-of-3 falls match for the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship | 22:02 | ||
|
References
- "来年もやります!! "ルチャの祭典"『Fantastica Mania 2014』はなんと5大会!! 大阪、京都にも初上陸!!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). October 25, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "来年も"ルチャの祭典"がやって来る! 5年連続の「NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2015」 開催、スケジュールも決定!!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- "来年も"ルチャの祭典"が日本上陸! 『CMLL Fantastica Mania 2016』開催決定! 後楽園ホール3連戦も実現!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- "『NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2017』 1月16日(月)名古屋大会の追加開催が決定!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- "来年も"ルチャの祭典"がやってくる!『NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2018』の全日程が決定!名古屋、京都、高松、大阪、富山、後楽園で開催!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- Flores, Manuel (January 24, 2011). "NJPW CMLL Presents Fantasticamania 2011". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: CAMSAN Impresores, S.A. de C.V. pp. 3–7. Issue 398. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Flores, Manuel (January 22, 2011). "Resultados "Fantasticamanía" – CMLL/NJPW en Japón – Los mexicanos perdieron todos los duelos por campeonatos". Súper Luchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- Zayfreb (January 23, 2011). "Resultados NJPW PRESENTS CMLL FANTASTICA MANIA 2011, 23 de enero". Súper Luchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "Results: New Japan x CMLL, 1/23/11". Puroresufan. January 23, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2013". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "Results: New Japan x CMLL, 1/22/11". Puroresufan. January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2012". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- Soy Rudo (January 21, 2012). "NJPW-CMLL: Resultados "Fantasticamania 2012" día 1". Súper Luchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2012". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). January 22, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
- Soy Rudo (January 22, 2012). "NJPW-CMLL: Resultados "Fantasticamanía 2012" Día 2". Súper Luchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved January 22, 2012.
- "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2013". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2014". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- Rose, Bryan (January 21, 2017). "NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania results: Maximo vs. Hechicero". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- "January/February cards including Tanahashi vs. Anderson!". Strong Style Spirit. January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- "Los programas oficiales de la gira NJPW Presents: CMLL Fantastica Mania 2014". Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). January 6, 2014. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- "『Fantastica Mania 2015』全カード決定!! 1.17新木場でタッグトーナメント開催! 1.19後楽園でマスカラ・ドラダvsラ・ソンブラ!!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- "Cartelera oficial: CMLL-NJPW FantasticaMania 2017". Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). January 5, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- Rose, Bryan (January 11, 2019). "NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania results: Eight-man tag team action". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- Gallegos, Ricardo (January 16, 2019). "NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania 2019 (January 16) results and review". Voices of Wrestling. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- Renner, Ethan (January 16, 2019). "NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania results: Family tag team tournament". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- Renner, Ethan (January 7, 2020). "Full lineups revealed for NJPW-CMLL Fantasticamania 2020". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- Esparza, Alfredo (January 7, 2020). "Lucha report for 1/7/20". Lucha World. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- Lambert, Jeremy (October 27, 2022). "NJPW And CMLL Fantasticamania Returning In February 2023". Fightful. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- Madigan, Dan (2007). ""Okay... what is Lucha Libre?"". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
featuring clearly distinguished good guys and bad guys, or técnicos and rudos
- Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.