We’re going back to Canada for the main event from Nation Extreme Wrestling’s second evening show, which pitted a wrestling genius against a member of the Bullet Club.
For their second show, NEW moved to the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada… so we’ve waved goodbye to the huge glass-windowed room. We start the match at 2h 23m into the free VOD on YouTube…
Daniel Makabe vs. El Phantasmo
Ah, a battle between two of the scant few wrestlers I’ve actually gotten mark pics with… Once upon a time, Vancouver used to be ELP’s wrestling home – having held the ECCW title on three occasions, including one while he was still based in the UK. Phantasmo poked fun at the ring announcer and sound guy, then rattled off his list of accomplishments to make sure the crowd booed him.
Oh yeah. Saying video games suck will also get you booed at an event that’s at a gaming convention. Hey, there’s even “your local sports team sucks” heat (in his own home town, which… is certainly a move), as ELP walked off. Makabe baited Phantasmo back towards the ring by asking “if a tree falls in the Tokyo Dome and nobody’s there, does it make a sound.” A low blow ELP would be proud of, among the ethering from Makabe on the mic. Anyway, we finally get the match as the somewhat clash-of-styles sees Phantasmo powdering to the outside following the early exchanges. Back in the ring, ELP goes for the springboard crossbody, only to miss a quebrada as Makabe kicked out his leg to make Phantasmo sit like a baby. From there, Makabe continues to confound ELP on the mat, forcing the former IWGP junior tag champion into the ropes from a cross armbar attempt.
Phantasmo tries his luck with a knuckle lock, getting a couple of two-counts as he tried and failed to break a bridge, before we got monkey flips and double pins as a slap fight broke out as both men bridged. A stomp to the hand stops that, as Phantasmo proceeded to work over Makabe’s fingers, then take things outside for chops. Makabe tries to fight back, but he chops the ring post as we head back inside with Phantasmo springboarding up for a multi-jumping rope-walking lucha armdrag. A Tree of Woe’s next as Makabe tried (and failed) to free himself ahead of the Gas Pedal… after ELP’d argued with the ref, that is.
Phantasmo played to the crowd too much and fell to an Uncle Togi Spider German suplex, as Makabe followed in with uppercuts and body blows that looked to lead to some mounted punches in the corner… only for ELP to rake the eyes. A whirlibird neckbreaker’s countered as Makabe instead found his way in for a Tiger Driver for a near-fall. Makabe follows with a running dropkick into the corner, but his top rope ‘rana’s escaped as ELP finally pulled him out of the top turnbuckle for the whirlibird neckbreaker. It gets Phantasmo a two-count, as he then went back up top for a senton bomb, following up with a big splash that saw ELP bounce off of Makabe for another near-fall. Phantasmo teases a CR2, but Makabe spins out and went back to the arm… ducking an enziguiri to lock in a STF, but ELP goes all Yujiro Takahashi and bites his way free.
An enziguiri only delays a Big Unit punch from Makabe, as he fell onto ELP for a near-fall. Makabe goes for a Makabe Lock, but ELP backs them into the corner to squish the ref… Danielson elbows follow as Makabe tries again, instead opting for a Tiger Suplex before the Makabe Lock ends with Phantasmo in the ropes.
Phantasmo digs deeper into the Bullet Club lore with a Styles Clash for a near-fall, before a V-Trigger in the ropes keeps it going. The One Winged Angel tease leads to the pair trading German suplexes, before a big clothesline spun ELP to the mat. The pair fight back to their feet, trading elbow strikes, then chops, before ELP went for the nipples.
Going to the arm breaks that hold, but ELP shoves Makabe back towards the referee… cue a dick punch, then the CR2, and that’s enough for the three-count. A bit of a mixed bag – it didn’t entirely feel like Makabe was having to mould himself around an ELP match, but having ELP heel it up in his hometown in that manner felt similarly odd. I don’t think the loss does too much damage, unless Phantasmo’s staying around as a semi-regular, but I’d certainly like to see a rematch without the odd “my home town’s sports team sucks” stuff.
Result: El Phantasmo pinned Daniel Makabe in 17:14 (***½)