El Phantasmo

2.1. Early Career: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (2005-2017)

Riley Vigier began his professional wrestling training in 2005, training alongside notable wrestlers such as Kyle O'Reilly and Gurv Sihra. He adopted the ring name El Phantasmo, a reference to a song from White Zombie's album Astro-Creep: 2000. His debut match for NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) was in a battle royal at Halloween Hell in October 2005.

Early in his career, El Phantasmo formed a tag team with Halo, known as the Masked Dudes of Doom. On March 3, 2007, they became the number one contenders for the NWA/ECCW Tag Team Championship by defeating Models, Inc. in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match in Vancouver. After three prior unsuccessful attempts, the Masked Dudes of Doom finally captured the tag team titles in another TLC match against Chill Town on May 5, 2007, in Vancouver. However, their reign was short-lived, as they lost the titles to Greatness on Demand in a six-man tag match on July 27 in Surrey, after only one successful title defense.

El Phantasmo was a regular participant in the ECCW Pacific Cup tournament, reaching the finals in two consecutive years. In 2008, he competed in a three-way final against Billy Suede and Kyle O'Reilly, with Suede ultimately winning the tournament. The following year, in 2009, Phantasmo finally secured the Pacific Cup by defeating Rick The Weapon X and Azeem The Dream in the finals. In 2010, he was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual tournament winner Artemis Spencer. Despite his sportsmanship in presenting Spencer with the trophy, Phantasmo was met with an unsportsmanlike kick to the groin from his former teammate and rival.

On July 6, 2013, El Phantasmo won his first ECCW Championship. He lost the title to "Ravenous" Randy Myers on January 18, 2014, in a ladder match at Ballroom Brawl 1. His second reign as ECCW Champion began on January 16, 2016, at Ballroom Brawl 5, where he defeated Scotty Mac in a steel cage match. He subsequently lost the championship to Kyle O'Reilly on January 14, 2017, at Ballroom Brawl 7, during an open challenge to any TV wrestler. His final match in ECCW for 2017 took place on May 27, where he was defeated by Andy Bird for the Canadian Championship.

2.2. Revolution Pro Wrestling (2017-present)

El Phantasmo debuted for Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) at Cockpit 17 on June 4, 2017, where he was defeated by David Starr. In 2018, he competed in and won the British J-Cup, a significant tournament in the British wrestling scene. On May 19, 2019, he defeated David Starr in a ladder match at RPW's Epic Encounter event to win the RPW British Cruiserweight Championship for the first time. His impressive reign lasted for 280 days before he lost the title to Michael Oku on February 14, 2020. El Phantasmo continues to make appearances for RPW, especially in conjunction with his activities in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

2.3. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2019-present)

El Phantasmo's tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling has been a pivotal period in his career, marked by his rise in the junior heavyweight division, controversial tactics, a significant transition to heavyweight, and a dramatic shift in allegiances.

2.4. Impact Wrestling (2021-2023)

On the April 29, 2021, episode of Impact!, a vignette announced El Phantasmo's impending debut in Impact Wrestling. He made his in-ring debut the following week, soundly defeating enhancement talent VSK. The week after, Phantasmo won a six-way number-one contender's match for the right to challenge Josh Alexander for the Impact X Division Championship at Under Siege. However, he was unsuccessful in winning the title at the event on May 15, 2021.

Phantasmo returned to the company on the September 23, 2021, episode of Impact!, assisting fellow Bullet Club members Hikuleo and Chris Bey in their rivalry against FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson). In October, he entered a tournament to crown a new X Division Champion, where he defeated Willie Mack and Rohit Raju in the first round. However, he lost to Trey Miguel in the final at Bound for Glory on October 23, 2021.

On May 7, 2022, at Under Siege, Phantasmo returned to Impact, teaming with Bullet Club in a 10-man tag team match against Honor No More, though his team lost. His final notable appearance for Impact Wrestling was on August 20, 2023, at Multiverse United 2, where his team, "The World" (Phantasmo, The DKC, Josh Alexander, PCO, and Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)), lost a 12-man tag team match to Bullet Club (Kenta, Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, and David Finlay).

3.1. Finishing Moves

El Phantasmo utilizes several potent finishing maneuvers to secure victories:

• CR II (Canadian Revolution II): This is his current signature finisher. The move involves placing the opponent's head between his legs, securing both of their arms behind their back (similar to a Drill-a-Hole Piledriver setup), lifting them, and then dropping them forward into a modified Facebuster. The name and execution are a direct homage to Milano Collection A.T.'s IR II (Italian Revolution II).
• CR III: A derivative of CR II, this move was first unveiled on August 16, 2022, during a G1 Climax 32 match against Shingo Takagi. Like CR II, it involves lifting the opponent with their head between his legs and arms trapped, but then Phantasmo sits down to deliver an arm-trapped modified Piledriver. This move was instrumental in defeating Takagi and preventing his advancement in the tournament.
• Spinning Neckbreaker Drop: A modified Neckbreaker Drop. Phantasmo wraps one of the opponent's arms around their neck, lifts them into an Argentine Backbreaker position, and then spins to slam them backward for a neckbreaker drop, targeting the back of their head and neck.
• Thunder Kiss '86: A spectacular Diving Body Press from the top turnbuckle. As he jumps, Phantasmo arches his body and grabs both of his ankles with his hands, maintaining this contorted posture as he crashes onto his opponent.
• Swanton Bomb Combination Moonsault Press: A combined aerial maneuver that incorporates elements of a Swanton Bomb and a Moonsault Press.
• Styles Clash: A move adopted from former Bullet Club leader AJ Styles.
• One Winged Angel: A high-impact move famously associated with former Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega. Phantasmo's use of this move, sometimes in conjunction with a V-Trigger (also an Omega signature), demonstrates his willingness to incorporate techniques from his former stablemates.
• Sudden Death ("Doubtful Right Foot"): This Superkick, frequently used since 2021, gained notoriety for its purported one-hit knockout power. El Phantasmo himself boasted it was the "strongest kick in professional wrestling" and compared himself to legendary strikers like Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, KENTA, and Katsuyori Shibata. However, the move was shrouded in controversy as opponents suspected Phantasmo was illegally concealing a metal slug or other foreign object in his boot. This led to the nickname "Doubtful Right Foot." After executing the kick, Phantasmo was often observed subtly checking his right boot, while his opponents reacted with exaggerated pain, often clutching their groin or back. Phantasmo publicly claimed his increased power came from training in Canadian coniferous forests during a self-isolation period and would sometimes remove his boot after matches to "prove" there was nothing inside. Despite his denials, wrestlers like Ryusuke Taguchi commented that Phantasmo's boot felt "clearly heavier than normal." El Desperado even attempted to use the boot himself in a match, only to experience intense pain, further fueling suspicions. The controversy culminated at Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 5, 2022, during an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match, when Phantasmo's boot was forcibly removed, revealing a lead slug, which led to his team's disqualification. Since then, Phantasmo has continued to use Sudden Death without the illegal object, and while it may no longer be a guaranteed one-hit knockout, it remains a powerful and effective move in his arsenal.

3.2. Signature Moves

El Phantasmo's arsenal includes a wide range of offensive techniques:

• Striking Moves:
  • Elbows: Includes standard Elbows and Elbow Stamps.
  • Chops: Utilizes Horizontal Chops and Chop Smashes.
  • Slaps: Open-hand Harite strikes.
  • Punches: Features Knuckle Punches.
  • Kicks: Incorporates various kicks such as Enzuigiri, V-Trigger (a running knee strike), Jumping Knee Bat, Big Boots, and Bicycle Kicks.
  • Face Wash: A taunting move where he traps an opponent in the corner, rubs their face with the side of his boot, and finishes with a powerful boot to the face.
• Throwing Moves:
  • Suplexes: Performs standard Suplexes and top-rope Superplexes.
  • Canadian Destroyer: Executed in various forms, including the standard version, a top-rope variation, and as a counter.
  • DDT: Employs regular DDTs and spinning Tornado DDTs.
  • Jumping Cutter: A variation of the Diamond Cutter.
• Aerial Maneuvers:
  • Moonsault Press: A standard Moonsault press.
  • Rope Walk La Quebrada: A unique move where he twists his opponent's arm, then walks along the top rope before springing into a La Quebrada (reverse Moonsault press) using the momentum from the rope.

  

3.3. Foul and Deceptive Tactics

El Phantasmo is infamous for his unsportsmanlike and deceptive tactics, often relying on rule-breaking to gain an advantage in matches, which has often drawn the ire of fans and referees alike.

• Scratching: A signature move where he scratches his opponent's back or chest, often making it a slow, deliberate act while holding them in a powerbomb position. He may also jump from the corner to scratch an opponent's back upon landing. If an opponent is wearing a shirt or full body suit, he may attempt to remove it first, as the tactic is less effective through clothing.
• Nipple Twisting: He frequently twists his opponent's nipples with both hands, causing them to writhe in pain. This move is effective even through clothing and can result in a referee's disqualification count if witnessed.
• Groin Stomp: When an opponent is hung upside down in the corner, Phantasmo will run from the opposite corner, feign a follow-up attack, then climb the second rope and repeatedly stomp the opponent's groin. He may also perform a sliding kick before climbing the ropes for the stomps, or simply go directly to the ropes. In tag team matches, he often performs this with his partner. This overtly illegal tactic consistently draws disqualification counts from referees and strong boos from the audience.
• Low Blow: A direct straight punch to the groin, typically used in the latter stages of a match when the referee's attention is diverted. This tactic has occasionally backfired if his opponent is wearing a foul cup, resulting in Phantasmo hurting himself.