Some call it the best wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship match of all time… so let’s take a look and see how it holds up.
From what’s become known as “Mitte Samstag” in 2012’s 16 Carat Gold tournament, this was the third time that Sekimoto and the future WWE UK champion would meet in singles action, after the pair traded the wXw title in January and May 2011 – with Sekimoto winning at Back to the Roots in Oberhausen before dropping the belt at a Big Japan event in Tokyo.
Watching through the show beforehand was really weird experience – nevermind the the old school wXw lighting, but seeing the likes of Absolute Andy with hair, Steve Lynskey as a ref alongside Big Japan official Nikkan/Yuki Lee … oh, and Doug Williams swinging a bar stool while making a save was quite the thing. Our main event comes from wXw’s usual haunt in Oberhausen – the Turbinenhalle.
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Big Van Walter
I mean this entirely tongue-in-cheek, but look how little they are!
Walter gets a smattering of boos here, but he starts out the aggressor, at least until Sekimoto reversed a wristlock, forcing Walter to grab the top rope to force the break. Sekimoto throws the first chop in the corner, but Walter comes straight back out with a headlock takedown, before a simple boot to the head left Sekimoto on the mat. After getting back to his feet, Sekimoto’s caught with an armbar, only for him to use a forearm to get free ahead of a good ol’ fashioned test of strength. Sekimoto bridges back, but Walter can’t break the bridge… and the look on Tass’ face here says it all!
Sekimoto repeats the trick, but Walter expected the bridge break, instead switching around as he had Sekimoto land in his guard, where the former champion happily threw some shots before a double arm stretch was reversed, with Walter and Sekimoto showing off their power. Walter throws Sekimoto down for a stomp, then to the outside as they brawled into the crowd. You couldn’t see much among the smoke, but you could sure as hell hear the chops as they wandered deeper into the fans.
There’s allegedly a back body drop on one of the raised stages as commentary was able to see more than we could, and that had Sekimoto on the advantage as Walter was left with a sore back to say the least. Walter made sure Daisuke had the same feeling though, throwing him to the mat before he used Sekimoto’s back “like a trampoline”, before we got some chops back-and-forth. A snapmare and a kick just angers Sekimoto, as does a second which cracked around the Turbinenhalle, getting Walter a near-fall. The camel clutch followed as commentary bust out some Iron Sheik references… but Sekimoto freed his arms and began to drag himself to the ropes to force the break.
Walter keeps up the pressure with a dropkick for a near-fall, before he threw Sekimoto back outside for more chops in among the crowd. He stops to charge Sekimoto’s back into the apron, before he got some payback with a slam and a kick onto the raised stage… and I swear that’s the Rotation in among it all. Tass starts a count-out, with Walter trying to prolong it with a baseball slide dropkick as Sekimoto eventually comes in and began a fight back. Chops just earned him another snapmare and a kick to the back, before a standing butterfly suplex earned a near-fall for the champion.
More chops trap Sekimoto in the corner, but he gets the feet up to block Walter’s charge as Sekimoto looked to respond with a suplex… and gets it! From there… good God no, he racks Walter, but he can’t hold it in too long as he had to drop Walter as all of the back work had saved the champion. Lariats from Sekimoto just earned him a German suplex, as Walter tried to fight back, eventually dropping his challenger with a lariat of his own. Both men had to answer the standing ten-count as Walter’s back in with chops… as was Sekimoto. Ahem. HOSS FIGHT! The stinging chops barely seemed to have much effect as Sekimoto switched it up with a dropkick… but Walter just wants to kill Sekimoto with chops, as the sound of skin on skin rang around my ears. And the Turbinenhalle.
They continue to tenderise each other’s pecs as Emil Sitoci on commentary suggested that Walter’d gotten a bloodied mouth, just as Daisuke had him down. Sekimoto heads up top from there and hits a picture perfect frog splash for a near-fall as the crowd began to believe they’d see a new champion. A Sharpshooter’s next, as Sekimoto sits down low on Walter, who had to press up and teased tapping before he got to the rope. A lesser ref would have called that tap…
Sekimoto looks for a deadlift German suplex, but picking up Walter was a bad idea as he came back with a boot and a discus lariat for an ultra-near fall, before a bridging backdrop suplex led to another near-fall. A powerbomb’s next, rattling Sekimoto off the mat as he’s folded in for another two-count, before Walter decided to head up. The crowd called for a shooting star press… but instead they saw a press slam from Sekimoto, then a bridging German as the repeat feats of strength drew plenty more F-bombs on commentary.
It’s back to the top for Sekimoto, who cracks into Walter with a missile dropkick to the back as another German suplex folks Walter in half… only for the pair to run into duelling lariats as the standing ten count started in earnest. They butt heads again as we’re back to chops as we pass the 20-minute mark, with Sekimoto throwing in a rolling elbow and an enziguiri ahead of one more German suplex… but Walter kicks out!
Sekimoto held on though, rolling Walter up for a second, deadlift German… but it’s still not enough! Things upgrade into paintbrushing slaps, but Walter edges ahead with some knees and another slap as a powerbomb smacked Sekimoto off the mat… and it’s still not enough to get three count! A Fire Thunder Driver’s next… but still Sekimoto’s got life left in him! Walter tries to end that by lifting Sekimoto to the top rope, then using a uranage-like powerbomb to take him down… and finally the resistance is over! An absolute goddamn war between two men who were in the relative formative years of their careers here… and while I can’t say this was the best championship match in wXw history, there’ll be no argument with anyone who holds this on that level. ****¾
- If you have a wXw Now subscription, catch this match as part of night two of 2012’s 16 Carat Gold at https://www.wxwnow.com/en/events/wxw-16-carat-gold-2012/day-2