The burgeoning feud between David Starr and WALTER stayed in the tag team ranks, as 2016’s World Tag Team League played host to round four…
We’re still on wXw NOW for this match from the Turbinenhalle – and it’s a match we’ve already seen, so we’re recycling. Commentary comes in English from Alan Counihan and Rico Bushido.
October 01, 2016 – wXw World Tag Team Festival 2016 (Night Two) – Block A: Ringkampf (WALTER & Timothy Thatcher) vs. JML (Shane Strickland & David Starr)
Before the match, Strickland asks a fan to explain a chant – and it turns out that “WALTER’s heel” is actually English. Good to see the wXw fans self-explaining their storylines. Speaking of, JML seem to have stuffed their crotched to beyond adult-film star levels… their trunks were stuffed with Ringkampf scarves, which you can imagine pleased their opponents.
So, from a jump start, WALTER ends up taking down Strickland with a shoulder tackle, before Strickland low bridges the big guy to the outside. WALTER locks in a sleeperhold briefly from the apron, but gets dropkicked to the outside as Timothy Thatcher (and his only facial expression) is waiting for Strickland with an European uppercut. Strickland gets cornered as WALTER stretches in him the ropes, before a back suplex on the apron sets up Thatcher for some strikes in the corner. After some European uppercuts in the corner, Thatcher takes an enziguiri, before pulling his facial expression as he swats down Strickland in mid-air with another uppercut. WALTER returns, but gets rolled up for a two-count from a crucifix, before he gets a near-fall himself from a sit-down splash.
Thatcher tags back in and throws Strickland around with a gutwrench suplex, but after a tag WALTER takes a roundhouse kick before David Starr comes in and lights up WALTER with chops and forearms. Starr avoids a WALTER powerbomb and tosses the big guy onto the ramp, where a springboard clothesline knocks down the Austrian. Thatcher gets an uppercut to cut-off a dive from Starr, and it’s back to WALTER and Thatcher working over him. Another gutwrench suplex from Thatcher takes Starr down, before WALTER comes in for one of his own, with an added risk of concussion as Starr’s head snapped back wildly. More gutwrenches (moar!) follow, and this rag-dolling is running the risk of getting boring. It’s like I’m playing a video game against a guy who only knows one more…
Starr kicks out at two after some more gutwrenches, and Thatcher pulls his face as he grounds Starr with a chinlock. In comes WALTER again, and his decision to switch the move backfires as he and Thatcher take superkicks, before Thatcher yanks down Strickland from the apron to prevent the tag. A double underhook suplex from WALTER gets a near-fall, as Thatcher returns for a rear chinlock. Another attempted tag from Starr fails, as Thatcher keeps cutting the ring off, but Starr finally reverses a suplex into a brainbuster over the knee and finally makes the tag to Strickland, who clears house on WALTER and peppers Thatcher with strikes. A dropkick to the head takes down a seated Thatcher, before a dropkick to WALTER’s knee sets him up for a diving Ace crusher.
Strickland hits a 619 as Thatcher went to throw him outside, before a missile dropkick gets Strickland a near-fall. A 450 splash is aborted from Shane, as he’s thrown into a big boot and a lariat from WALTER. Thatcher follows with a back suplex for a near-fall, but WALTER’s flirtation with the top rope ends badly as Starr brings him down with a belly-to-belly superplex, as Strickland hits the 450 Splash for a near-fall with Thatcher breaking it up. It breaks down into some ground and pound between Thatcher and Starr, before WALTER cuts off Strickland on the top rope and brings him down with a German superplex attempt… but Strickland lands on his feet and rushes into the corner with a dropkick. WALTER returns the favour with a Shotgun dropkick that sent Strickland into the corner, as Starr and Thatcher again battered each other with strikes.
A tope from Starr takes out WALTER on the outside, before a ripcord forearm from Strickland sets up Thatcher for some more strikes, then a headbutt that Thatcher gets the better of for a near-fall. Thatcher’s mean face returns, but he takes a series of kicks and forearms from JML, who finish off with a double-stomp assisted German suplex for the win! That’s twice that David Starr’s been on a team that’s beaten WALTER… but crucially, that direct win still remains elusive… ***½
Two weeks later, Starr and WALTER would lock horns again – but this time it’s back to singles action from Bielefeld, and we’ll pick the feud up again from there..