With apologies for the pun, we take a look at a trio of matches from wXw’s recent show in Münster.
We’re coming via tape delay from the Sputnikhalle in Münster for these matches from January 17, 2025. German commentary comes from the voice of Emil Völler…
Axel Tischer vs. Aigle Blanc
Let the record show this was wXw’s first match of 2025…
We’ve got a lovely old school feel with the Sputnikhalle being standing room only, as both guys let things sink in to start. Some early grappling saw Aigle and Axel trade wristlocks and takeovers, but Aigle looked to be a step ahead, at least until he got tripped up with a drop toe hold.
A side headlock from Tischer restrains Aigle for a while, whose push-off just earned him a shoulder tackle in return as Tischer busted out some Rene Dupree before he got taken down with a tijeras from Aigle… who tried to fly, only for Tischer to bail away.
Tischer returned to the ring as the crowd chanted Allez for Aigle, but his attempt to cheapshot Aigle with a kick was thwarted as Aigle began to build up a head of steam, surprising Tischer with an up-kick, when with a headscissor/neckbreaker takedown. Chops follow in the corner before Tischer broke free with an eye rake.
Tischer capitalises with a series of backbreakers, as he’s clearly picked a body part to focus on, leading to a big ol’ bear hug on the Frenchman. Aigle elbows his way out of it, before a crossbody began his comeback, with forearms leading to a backslide for a two-count for Aigle… a springboard knee to the face keeps it going for Aigle, as did a flip senton to the outside.
Back inside, Aigle leaps into an uppercut from the Axeman as the match looked to turn on its head, but Aigle flipped out of an X-Plex before he was waffled with a lariat that almost ended things. Tischer takes things up top for a superplex, but he’s knocked down as Aigle looked to counter with a 450 splash… but the Axeman got his knees up, then cradled Aigle for the pin. This started off slow, but grew into a decent match – one that I’d love to see run back with stakes.
Result: Axel Tischer pinned Aigle Blanc in 16:28 (***½)
Big Bucks (Norman Harras & Alex Duke) vs. Yokai & Pahlevan Nima
Mett Dimassi’s not super keen on adding the “baby” to the end of Big Bucks’ introduction. Only Dan’s fallen for that!
Duke and Nima start us off, but it’s Nima who enjoyed the brighter start… at least until he was caught out of the corner with a backbreaker. Harras is in next, but Nima’s able to catch him with an enziguiri, then with a springboard back elbow before making the tag in to Yokai, whose knee strike led to him hiptossing Nima onto Harras.
Yokai hooks himself in the ropes as Harras tried to get back in it, ahead of a draping DDT for a two-count as Harras just couldn’t get any offence going. That’s the writer’s curse of course as a cheapshot from Duke on the apron gave Harras an opening, dumping Yokai with a flapjack for a two-count. Hey, it doesn’t have to look pretty for it to work.
A blind tag brings Nima back in as Yokai’s double clothesline cleared the ring, leading to a tope from Nima to the outside. Back inside, Yokai hits a uranage to Duke, with Nima’s senton bomb almost leading to the upset moments later. Another blind tag brings in Harras, who just ragdolls Nima into the corner as the Bucks finally took over, leading to a Finlay roll from Harras, who added the charging knees to the ribs for a near-fall.
Dukes’ back in to stop Nima from making a tag out… and do so with a lovely lariat before a front suplex led to another two-count. A chop from Duke keeps Nima on the defensive as the Bucks added a wheelbarrow DDT… but it’s still not enough as Nima proved extra hardy… eventually leading to him finding a way back the Bucks to make a tag out.
Yokai runs wild with clotheslines after tagging in, while front kicks cleared away the Bucks as a stalling suplex looked to have the Bucks on the back foot. Unfortunately for Yokai, his next move sees him head up top… with Alex Duke throwing him down to the mat before the Bucks’ double-team powerbomb put him away. This was missing something, but a solid win for the Bucks as they continue to find themselves as a team here.
Result: Alex Duke & Norman Harras pinned Yokai & Pahlevan Nima in 12:18 (**½)
wXw Shotgun Championship: Bobby Gunns vs. Anita Vaughan (c)
We’ve got a 15-minute time limit here as Gunns looked to regain a title he’d not held since the summer of 2018. It’s been a while.
Gunns looked to take the match to the mat early on, as he stomped on Vaughan’s elbow after an even start. Vaughan’s had enough of the grappling and shouts out everyone’s favourite three words of German – Auf Die Fresse – as she eschewed the grappling for strikes, leading to the pair trading blows.
A single-leg dropkick from Anita finds its mark as she proceeded to charge at Gunns in the corner, ahead of a flash roll-up for a two-count. Anita keeps going with a crossbody as we crossed the five-minute mark, only for Gunns to hit back with a lariat as the match turned on its head.
Vaughan tries to fight out of it, but an arm whip dumps the champion onto her shoulder before he caught a hiptoss attempt and dank Anita into a deep abdominal stretch. Eventually, Anita hiptossed her way free, but a simple bodyslam from Gunns put her right back down… but on the mat, Vaughan’s able to force a way back in with a roll-up before Gunns just went right back to the arm.
A suplex from Vaughan keeps things even though, as she finally built up again, taking Gunns down with shoulder tackles to take us to the ten-minute mark. Vaughan’s fallaway slam gets her a two-count as she proceeded to take Gunns into the corner for exchanges of forearms and chops.
Gunns rose out of the corner though and finds a way back in with a sleeperhold a la Minoru Suzuki, taking Vaughan down to the mat… and it remained one-way traffic from there as an enziguiri and a Saito suplex almost put Anita away. The aggression continued as Gunns stood on Vaughan in the corner – but time’s ticking away as Gunns got carried away with himself, resulting in Anita taking him out of the corner with a Ligerbomb for a near-fall.
Anita keeps going with a Ki Krusher as we’re into the final minute of the time limit… a roll-up gets a near-fall, before Gunns hit back with an Ehrenmann driver. It’s still not enough, and by the time Gunns rolled Anita into a Boston crab, time ran out – Anita retains the title with the draw in a match that I have a feeling could have gone another way had the time limit not been a factor here.
Result: 15:00 Time Limit Draw – Anita Vaughan retains the wXw Shotgun Championship (***¼)