We’re going back to the past for this one – the first ever match between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov.
This one’s from Borken – a show that we’d probably have skipped in the 2015 lookback after eschewing the town shows. However, while Walter and Ilja had met a month prior at FAN 2015 – in what was the start of a long feud with Walter and Cerberus.
We’re coming via stream from the Stadthalle Vennehof in Borken… and listeners to the podcast might have an inkling of why we’re posting this!
Big Daddy Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov
We’re going back to their first-ever meeting at the Stadthalle Vennehof in Borken (and no, that’s not a typo). This was back when Cerberus was a leading group in wXw, and Walter’s match graphic had him in a sweet furry jacket… but here it’s the early days of RINGKAMPF.
We’ve a jump start as Walter side-stepped a charge from Dragunov at the bell, before they quickly broke into chops. Ilja side-steps a big boot, but couldn’t avoid a side suplex that sent him outside… but Walter gives chase, catching him with a kick before he posted the Russian. Chops bounce Dragunov against the apron before they headed inside, where chops from Walter neutralised Dragunov momentarily.
Ilja tries to chop back, but the size difference on Walter meant he was able to overpower him… so Ilja’s got to stick and move to have any chance. Except Walter just ended him with a chip into the corner that had Dragunov stagger to the mat, ahead of the ol’ Earthquake sit-down splash for a near-fall. They head outside again, where Walter chops and boots Ilja around ringside again, but back inside Dragunov’s able to surprise Walter in the ropes with a Dragon screw.
They’re back outside, where Ilja manages to edge ahead with chops, taking Walter towards the post where he wrapped a leg around it… but Walter used his other boot to push Ilja away. Not to worry, Dragunov just wraps the leg around the post again. Dragunov stays on the leg back inside, but when he relents, Walter’s right back with chops, before a slam from Walter ended with Ilja wriggling into a counter that nearly ended the match.
Dragunov measures Walter for some stomps and a boot choke, but Walter’s back to his feet and fights back with a back elbow… before another boot’s caught as Ilja tied him up and hit him with a Torpedo Moscau to the knee for a near-fall. A toe hold from Ilja’s next as he proceeds to drive Walter’s knee into the mat for another two-count, with more stomps following to the knee as Dragunov tried to remove that vertical base.
Another toe hold keeps Walter on the mat, before a back senton to the knee and a leg lock exacerbated things further. Except Walter’s able to reach Ilja when he sits up, and throws some chops to try and free himself, but the damage to the knee restricts him as the Austrian needed to roll to the ropes for safety. Pulling himself up, Walter’s prone for a lariat as Dragunov looked to pull ahead, but a big boot and a German suplex got Walter right back in it.
Walter pulls himself up again, and cracks into Dragunov with a corner clothesline, then a butterfly suplex for a near-fall, before Ilja hit a backfist. An attempt at a Saito suplex is blocked as Walter hauls him up for a powerbomb, before an elbow from Walter, then a retaliation Torpedo Moscau from Ilja drew a near-fall. A powerbomb from Walter lands next, but Adam Polak – Ilja’s manager – pulls out the referee to keep the match going.
Walter heads outside to go after Polak, who flees onto the raised walkway, then onto the stage… but Dragunov saves him… only to get suplexed on the ramp as the referee’s count reached ten. Apparently it wasn’t reset when Dragunov joined Walter outside, but not to worry – the double count-out just set the table for an ongoing feud with Walter and Cerberus, which would culminate in January 2016’s Käfigschlacht (War Game-ish) match.
Result: Big Daddy Walter and Ilja Dragunov went to a double count-out in 12:30 (***½)