It’s a little earlier than usual, but wXw’s weekend tournament of tag team wrestling returns in September – and they’re bringing some friends over from the States…
In addition to the usual array of festival shows, GCW make their Germany debut with shows late on the Friday and Saturday night – with the assumption that those will be live-streamed on Fite+.
Here’s the 12 teams announced as World Tag Team Festival is shifting formats this year:
Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura)
Finally arriving in wXw, Fuminori Abe is tagging with his usual partner for this year’s Tag Festival, having missed out on making last year’s finals with Irie by the slightest of margins. The Astronauts have been in demand for a while, and they’ll be making their European debut on these shows, hopefully with the Big Japan tag titles still around their waists!
AMBOSS
Announcing their entry after Shortcut to the Top, Robert Dreissker and Laurance Roman declared that AMBOSS will be part of tag festival – but it won’t be under Freebird rules as wXw have demanded they put forward a team of two for the tournament, so Icarus is sitting this one out.
Dennis Dullnig & Hektor
One of the last announcements, the reunited duo make it to World Tag Team Festival – even if Hektor isn’t exactly thrilled about it…
Frenchadors (Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc)
Last year’s winners are looking to repeat the feat, but seemingly all is not well with the former tag team champions, after Senza Volto got unmasked earlier in the year. Senza’s not been around as much since he lost his mask, and not in the best of moods either…
Los Vipers (Arez & Latigo)
Arez is back in Germany after taking part in Carat this year, and he’s bringing Latigo with him. The two are part of the Los Vipers faction in AAA in Mexico, but only have about a dozen matches under their belts as a two-man unit.
Massive Love (Jurn Simmons & Levaniel)
Announced just before the summer break, Jurn Simmons and Levaniel are looking to move on from the finally-over feud with Norman Harras.
Only Friends (Bobby Gunns & Michael Knight)
It’s only fair for the champions to be in the tournament that will see their titles go to the winners… but they’d be the first team to retain their titles over the festival if they went all the way!
Psycho Mike & Maggot
A partnership that previously stirred up issues with Maggot and Baby Allison, we’re reuniting part of the group that stole some of the show over 16 Carat Gold weekend, albeit that was mostly down to Psycho Mike wanting to bodyslam everyone.
RENEGADES (Shigehiro Irie & Mizuki Watase)
These two are reuniting for what’ll be Watase’s debut in Europe, let alone in wXw. Of course, Irie won 16 Carat Gold earlier in the year, and will likely be hoping to complete a festival double this year.
Rott und Flott (Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg)
Back for their second World Tag Team Festival, Rott und Flott are looking to reclaim the belts they lost a year ago…
Second Gear Crew (Manders & Mance Warner)
We’ve got some GCW representation in World Tag Team Festival itself – with Manders looking to hit the pay window if the SGC can bring gold back to the States with them…
Y2Kutie (Ava Everett & Aaron Rourke)
An injury-enforced change sees B3CCA drop out of the tournament, replaced by the woman who first brought the term to wXw… Ava Everett will be alongside the “Dimepiece” Aaron Rourke over for this iteration of the Y2Kuties…
We’re looking at a 12-team knock-out format tournament, as opposed to the previous round-robin format.
Weekend Schedule
Inner Circle
We’re back in Gelsenkirchen for the 14th go around of the Inner Circle – September 21st with doors at 6.30pm, and a 7pm bell time for what’s previously been an entire mystery card… however we already know we’re getting Jacob Crane vs. Psycho Mike.
World Tag Team Festival – Night One
The tournament kicks off on Friday in Turbinenhalle 2. in Oberhausen – doors at 6.30pm and bell at 8pm for the first set of tournament matches, with six first-round matches on tap.
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: AMBOSS (Robert Dreissker & Laurance Roman) vs. Los Vipers (Arez & Latigo)
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: RENEGADES (Shigehiro Irie & Mizuki Watase) vs. Frenchadors (Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc)
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: Massive Love (Jurn Simmons & Levaniel) vs. Y2Kutie (Ava Everett & Aaron Rourke)
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: Rott und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) vs. Only Friends (Bobby Gunns & Michael Knight)
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura) vs. Second Gear Crew (Manders & Mance Warner)
World Tag Team Festival 2023 – First Round: Hektor Invictus & Dennis “Cash” Dullnig vs. Maggot & Psycho Mike
Also announced:
The Final Arrow: Icarus vs. Dover
Long. Live. GCW.
The first of two shows from GCW that weekend – doors open at 11.30pm on Friday night, after the tag festival show, with the show itself starting at one minute to midnight… this show is a separate ticket, even if you’ve got a festival pass for the weekend. Announced matches so far:
GCW World Championship: Peter Tihanyi vs. Blake Christian (c)
GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Jimmy Lloyd vs. Rina Yamashita (c)
Joey Janela vs. Nick Gage
Gringo Loco vs. Leon Slater
Dark Sheik vs. ? (replacing B3CCA)
Arez vs. Shigehiro Irie
Jordan Oliver vs. The Rotation
Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner & Manders) vs. BUSSY (EFFY & Allie Katch)
Femmes Fatales
Saturday’s events start with doors at 1.30pm – so you’ll have a lie-in of sorts after GCW – and bell time at 2pm as wXw’s single-show women’s tournament returns, but this year it’s only going to be a four-woman field.
Semi-Final: Hyan vs. Rina Yamashita
Semi-Final: Nicole Matthews vs. Calypso
Other matches announced:
wXw Women’s World Championship vs. GWF Women’s Championship: Ava Everett vs. Devlyn Macabre
Baby Allison vs. Michelle Green
Regina Rosendahl vs. Julia
Anita Vaughan vs. Iva Kolasky
World Tag Team Festival – Night Two
Doors at 5, bell time at 6 for the “middle Saturday” of the tournament – which typically includes the big world title match of the weekend… but since Robert Dreissker and AMBOSS are in the tournament, the showcase spot is going to the best-of-five finale, in addition to the three World Tag Team Festival semi-finals.
Best of Five Series Finale: Axel Tischer vs. Peter Tihanyi.
GCW vs. The World
The second GCW show of the weekend has a slightly earlier start – doors at 10.30pm and a 11pm start time… and this show is included in the festival passes. Announced matches:
GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Lou Nixon vs. Rina Yamashita (c)
GCW World Championship: Axel Tischer vs. Blake Christian (c)
BUSSY (Effy & Allie Katch) vs. Maggot & Baby Allison
Shigehiro Irie vs. Joey Janela
Jordan Oliver vs. Latigo
Mizuki Watase vs. The Rotation vs. Arez vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Gringo Loco vs. Aigle Blanc
Robert Dreissker, Laurance Roman & Icarus vs. Manders, Mance Warner & Dark Sheik
We Love Wrestling #50 Taping
Sunday starts off with the usual array of matches for a future We Love Wrestling release – doors at 12.30pm with the show starting at 1pm, and if past shows are anything to go by, you’ll perhaps get one or two matches teased at the end of the second night of tag festival…
Announced for the show so far: Luke Jacobs vs. Fast Time Moodo.
World Tag Team Festival – Night Three
The big finale has doors at 4pm, and a 5pm bell time as we wrap up with a three-way final for the wXw tag titles.
Announced so far: Francesco Akira in action.
Tickets for everything from the Inner Circle show, to the GCW cards and of course, the World Tag Team Festival itself are currently available via wXw’s Eventim.de platform.