A rematch from this year’s 16 Carat Gold finals closed out wXw’s 2024 as Laurance Roman looked to recapture gold from Peter Tihanyi.
Quick Results
Levaniel pinned Marc Mentzer in 1:19
Bobby Gunns pinned Stephanie Maze in 12:08 (***¼)
Dennis Dullnig & Hektor Invictus pinned Alex Duke & Norman Harras in 9:31 (**¾)
Baby Allison submitted Calypso in 6:22 (**½)
Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker pinned Anil Marik & Icarus in 6:06 (***½)
Anita Vaughan pinned Rhio to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 11:44 (***¼)
Joseph Fenech Jr. pinned Nick Schreier in 13:25 (***¼)
OSKAR & Anita Vaughan defeated Axel Tischer & Fast Time Moodo by 2 falls to 1 in 16:34 – Young Blood retain the wXw World Tag Team Championships (***½)
Peter Tihanyi pinned Laurance Roman to retain the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship in 18:46 (***¾)
— Check out the Auf Die Fresse podcast, where we’ve just dropped an episode reviewing 2024 in wXw. Links to stream are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
We’re at the Turbinenhalle for the final time this year… English commentary comes from Mett Dimassi as wXw celebrates their 24th year.
The pre-show started with footage from after Borken last night with Marc Empire getting confronted by Anil Marik and Icarus… but that’s not our pre-show match.
Levaniel vs. Marc Mentzer
M4’s Academy title wasn’t on the line here – I guess Levaniel didn’t want to lower himself to that.
What he did want to do was jump M4 from behind as he looked to make short work of things, but a quick uranage in return from M4 turned it back in his favour… only for Levaniel to just snap back with a Galactic Facecrusher for the win. Under 90 seconds, thanks for coming M4!
Post-match, Levaniel took the mic to remind us of his dream of winning the European title – one year on from when the Sigma was born. Levaniel runs down Mike D, which gets “war machine” chants out of the Oberhausen crowd…
We go backstage, as Dan Mallmann’s with Stephanie Maze and Bobby Gunns, who face each other tonight. Maze reminded Bobby that he was pinned by Norman Harras of all people last night – and I guess tonight’s gonna be a “friendly fire” kind of match.
Stephanie Maze vs. Bobby Gunns
The main show opened with a battle of Fighting Spirit, and it was very much cordial to begin with as Gunns and Maze traded holds.
A strait-jacket choke from Gunns is eventually escaped as Maze returned with a kick to the side of the head, before a suplex flung Gunns across the ring for just a one-count. Snapmares and kicks to the back follow from Maze, ahead of the inevitable receipts, leading to a wild lariat from Gunns to put a pin in everything.
Gunns stayed on Maze with a Cobra twist, but a hiptoss stopped that before Gunns got booed for reapplying the hold. Getting free, Maze quickly finds herself on the deck as Gunns began to work over her knee… but Maze tries to slap her way out of trouble as things spilled outside as they continued to scrap. Returning to the ring, the pair resume back-and-forth strikes until Maze’s kicks took Gunns off his feet, building up to a dropkick for a two-count as Maze continued to pull ahead.
Gunns’ own kicks stopped Maze for a while, as we find ourselves back to the palm strikes and kicks either side of a hug. Maze’s German suplex just earns her a lariat in response though, before she hoisted up Gunns for a suplex that nearly won it. A trip up top from Maze backfires horribly as Gunns meets her with a superplex, but it’s quickly shrugged off as a Saito suplex followed, before a lariat to the back of the head and an Ehrenmann Driver from Gunns proved decisive. There were some loud boos from Gunns as he’d targetted Maze’s neck throughout the match – but this was a pretty damn good opener between tag partners. ***¼
Post-match, Maze went for another hug from Gunns… but instead he lays her out with a lariat before going after her neck with a rear naked choke again. Ehrenlos indeed! The return of the King of Smoke Style was then cemented as he revealed he’d smuggled a pack of cigarettes in his ring towel, before sparking up…
Big Bucks (Norman Harras & Alex Duke) vs. Dennis Dullnig & Hektor Invictus
Big Bucks were perhaps not quite the team you want to see when you’re dealing with the lump of coal we just got for Christmas just there.
When we finally get going, it’s Duke and Hektor that start the match, with Hektor enjoying the best of the opening minute… before Dullnig tagged in and missed a dropkick. Harras tags in and hits an atomic drop on Dullnig, who looked a little out of sorts so far, before a tag brought Hektor back in to clear house. I sense a pattern continuing from last night.
Dullnig wants back in after Hektor had done the hard work, but the Big Bucks swarm him as Hektor ended up using Dullnig for a Rocket Launcher to clear the way. Heading outside, Hektor takes out the Bucks with a tope, but Dullnig’s again caught out back inside as Duke proceeded to ground him with a chinlock.
A twisting European uppercut gets Harras a near-fall as he continued to smother Dullnig, staying one step ahead with a charging knee to the ribs after Dullnig had missed a crossbody attempt. Leaping over Harras helps Dullnig get free as Hektor came in to clear house again… and we’re back to Dullnig looking to capitalise.
Harras pulls Hektor out of the ring to stop that, before a uranage-like takedown and a double-team powerbomb almost put Dullnig away as Hektor barely broke up the pin in time. The Big Bucks’ double-teams don’t quite work on Hektor, as Harras is resorted to crotching Hektor on the top rope before tying him up in a Tree of Woe.
My stream gives out – and recovers just in time for a chaotic finish as Dullnig’s big boot led to a ref bump… Dullnig capitalises with a low blow and a TKO to Alex Duke for the win, but the post-match is marked by Hektor shoving away Dullnig before limping away on his own steam. All is clearly not well with the former tag champions. **¾
Calypso vs. Baby Allison
It’s our first airing of the High Performer Ltd. music tonight, and we’ve got almost all of High Performer Ltd. (minus Joseph Fenech) out for Robin Christopher Fohrwerk’s usual spiel.
Calypso’s looking for hugs, and instead got kicks from Baby Allison, then a slap before Calypso found her way back with a shoulder tackle as she eventually got her hug. Sorta. Armdrags follow, but Calypso just goes for another reluctant hug before she headed outside and gave Fohrwerk a hug.
A baseball slide interrupts that as Allison proceeded to post Calypso, before a backdrop hold back inside drew a two-count as the former women’s champion pushed on. Allison’s rolling suplexes are countered in kind, as Calypso added some Slingblades and a low dropkick going into the corner.
My feed drops here, returning for the end where Allison pulls Calypso into the ropes… then followed up with the Baby Exorcism for the submission. **½
Post-match, Fohrwerk’s back on the mic to crow about things – and told Baby Allison to go to the back to celebrate a good night’s work. Fohrwerk then blamed Marc Empire for Anil Marik’s failure to win the Shotgun title last night… that got a cheer. The lights go out as Fohrwerk kept on yapping, and it looks like the High Performer Ltd. challenge of a tag match has been answered?
Planet Gojirah (Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker) vs. High Performer Ltd. (Anil Marik & Icarus)
So much for taking time off, eh?
Empire and Icarus start us off as Robert Dreissker dumped Anil Marik onto a guardrail outside… Dreissker tags in to lay into his former running buddy with forearms, before Marik saved Icarus from a trio of avalanches. Avalanchii?
Marik tags in as they double-team Dreissker, but a springboard crossbody out of the corner stops all that ahead of a fallaway slam. You know what’s next. Except Fohrwerk distracts to delay a Dreissker bomb, allowing Marik to powerbomb Dreissker out of the corner, while a Slingblade turned it around as two ghosts of Dreissker’s past had him cornered.
Dreissker manages to break free and make the tag out to Empire, who clears the way with clotheslines, avalanche splashes and hip attacks, before he pulled Marik up out of the corner and into a powerbomb. Icarus intervenes with a discus forearm to Empire, only for Dreissker to sneak in with a spinebuster before a double-team muscle buster got the win. Hey, as a surprise match, I loved this – Empire and Dreissker as a tandem on day one offer something completely different from anyone else on the regular wXw roster, and having the matching look already is a real good sign. ***½
We’re taken backstage as Yuto Nakashima has been laid out at the feet of a deadpan Fast Time Moodo. I must say, I do like how morose KxS have been in promos.
wXw Shotgun Championship: Rhio vs. Anita Vaughan (c)
It’s a rematch from Femmes Fatales – except this time Anita’s got the spoils of her recent victories to put on the line here.
A slow start has Vaughan on the defensive as she and Rhio traded side headlocks, before Anita cut away a leapfrog from her challenger, then added a dropkick. Rhio fought out of a fallaway slam as Vaughan instead took her into the corner for a European uppercut, before a crossbody from Rhio was turned into that fallaway slam.
Rhio snaps back by kicking Vaughan’s leg out of her leg, following up with a Dragon screw as the challenger quite clearly had picked her target out. Irish whips taking Vaughan into the corner silence the crowd before a missed enziguri from Anita opened herself up for an ankle lock.
The ropes save Vaughan as she pulled Rhio to the outside, following up with an apron PK, before the pair fought on the apron… with Rhio snapping back with a sudden back suplex onto the side of the ring. Ow. Rushing back inside, Rhio picks up a two-count, but Vaughan’s able to dig deep to hit a Ki Krusher… but it’s not enough as the champion had been worn down.
We cross the ten minute mark with Anita getting a flash two-count, before Rhio crashed back in with a headbutt to put herself back in control. A pumphandle slam’s kicked out of by Vaughan, who can’t get away from a crossface, nor a crucifix, before she cradled out of a package piledriver and rolled up Rhio for the win. This was pretty good, but I got the sense a lot of the Oberhausen crowd needed time to warm up to Rhio. ***¼
We’ve a video from Masha Slamovich… who was last here a year ago almost to the day. She’s currently TNA’s Knockout’s Champion, and she’s entering 16 Carat Gold next year – which is the perfect segue for the interval replay of 2016’s 16 Carat Gold world title match with Absolute Andy, Karsten Beck, Bad Bones and Jurn Simmons…
Joseph Fenech Jr. vs. Nick Schreier
You know the music… but it’s a new main track for Joseph Fenech Jr. after everyone’s favourite sleep paralysis intro. At least Fohrwerk didn’t hijack the mic yet again though!
Nick Schreier was joined to the ring by a hobbling Mike D Vecchio, as we get going with chants for “Hardcore Schreier.” An offer of a handshake just ends with Schreier getting thrown outside by Fenech, only to return to hit some dropkicks that prompted Fenech to just smother Schreier.
Fenech tries to throw Schreier back outside, but it’s reversed as Schreier added a springboard dropkick, before Fenech walked away from a teased dive… instead choosing to get in Mike D’s face, as Schreier eventually joined them on the outside. Fenech keeps stopping to get in Mike D’s face, before resuming on Schreier back inside… only for Nick to break through once more with a dropkick.
Mounted punches in the corner come next from Nick, before a springboard was stopped as Schreier was unceremoniously shoved between the ropes ahead of an eventual fall to the floor. Returning to the ring again, Schreier remained on the back foot as Fenech chopped him back down to the mat as a chinlock provide something else for Nick to fight out of.
When he does, Schreier’s able to add a springboard crossbody as he started another comeback, charging out of the corner to take down Fenech with a clothesline… before a stunner almost caused the upset… only for Fenech to take him down with a handspring cutter for a near-fall going the other way.
Fenech looks to add a draping DDT, but Schreier slips out and rolls up Fenech for a two-count, before a satellite DDT and a Shining Wizard would have gotten the win, but Robin Christopher Fohrwerk dived to put Fenech’s foot on the rope. Planet Gojirah run out to send Icarus and Anil Marik packing, but in the melee a hoodies man runs out to attack Mike D Vecchio. He unmasks as Levaniel, who runs off with the belt, as a low blow and a DDT proved to be enough for the win. They perhaps crammed a little too much in that closing stretch, but aside from the finish, this was yet more signs that Nick Schreier is on the verge of breaking out of his place on the undercard – his 2025 will be interesting to follow. ***¼
Best Two Out of Three Falls for wXw World Tag Team Championship: KxS (Axel Tischer & Fast Time Moodo) vs. OSKAR & Anita Vaughan (c)
We’ve got a stipulation on top of this – whoever loses can’t go for the titles again until the champions lose the belts… and remember, Yuto Nakashima was taken out backstage, so OSKAR found a replacement… Anita Vaughan!
We start with OSKAR and Tischer laying into each other as a shoulder tackle took the Axeman down… before OSKAR hiptossed Moodo into the ring. Moodo quickly scurries out as Tischer tries a roll-up, before Anita Vaughan came in and hit a front kick to trigger an OSKAR slam for an early one-count.
Moodo pulls Vaughan outside and kicks away at her leg, exacerbating the damage done by Rhio earlier in the night, before Moodo grabbed a chair and hit Vaughan in the knee for the blatant DQ at 1:59. KxS clearly playing the “take the bullet of going down 1-0” game, particularly since it led to Vaughan getting carried out injured.
So we’re back to the handicap match that we were originally threatened with – and one that wasn’t helped by referee Alex Schneider not enforcing the one-in, one-out rule for a spell. Moodo trips up OSKAR into a calf slicer, forcing OSKAR to the ropes for the break, before Tischer came in and ripped at OSKAR’s nose.
Uppercuts to the back of OSKAR leave him in the ropes as Tischer continued to wear him down with mostly foul means, assisted by Moodo cheating behind the ref’s back. A superplex from Tischer looked to lead to a Descent Into Badness elbow drop from Moodo… but OSKAR avoids it and begins a comeback with charging clotheslines.
Again, the ref’s not enforcing the legal man as this turned into a tornado handicap match, which played right into KxS’ hands as a stomp-assisted gutbuster and the Made in Japan led to a near-fall for Moodo. OSKAR back body drops away a Pedigree attempt, but still can’t evade KxS as he’s caught in the ropes with a choke from Tischer, before finally breaking free to hit a double clothesline.
My feed drops, returning with a Descent into Badness and the Dragon Murder as KxS equalise at 13:00, so it’s next-fall-wins here. OSKAR’s still caught on the bad side of bad officiating as he’s forced to boot away Tischer before hitting a superplex on Moodo. The numbers game yet again comes in as a high/low pair of kicks wiped out OSKAR, as did a pair of front kicks after KxS decided they needed to tag.
Out of nowhere, Anita Vaughan’s back at ringside to pull Moodo outside and into the ring post… that gave OSKAR an opening as he hoisted up Tischer for a Last Ride powerbomb, and that’s enough for the win! With a little help from his friend (and absolutely none whatsoever from the officials!), OSKAR and Young Blood retain the tag titles… and firmly put KxS in the rear view mirror. ***½
Before the main event, Dan Mallmann introduced Aigle Blanc to ringside – Aigle’s been on the shelf with an injury, but has been advertised for a return in the new year for GCW. Aigle wanted some mic time, and was treated like he’d been out for years, not weeks. Aigle shows off some deep squats to show how his knees were holding up, before thanking everyone in and around wXw. The reason for this segment was for Aigle Blanc to get a present… he’s in 16 Carat Gold next year.
Aigle’s celebration’s cut-off by another man on the treatment table – Ahura – who managed to wind up the crowd before pointing out that he’d still be on the road while he was injured, while Aigle… hadn’t. Ahura told Aigle he’d never win Carat “because you’re not that guy,” before he shoved away Dan Mallman, prompting ring crew to get into the ring to separate everyone. The Ahura meltdown continued as he swatted a bottle of water off of the timekeeper’s table, before Aigle Blanc offered a match between the pair at Back to the Roots. Well, that took quite the turn, eh?
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Laurance Roman vs. Peter Tihanyi (c)
Roman’s 2-0 over Peter Tihanyi in wXw this year, beating him in the 16 Carat Gold final, and the rematch the following month in Frankfurt… but the Carat victory looks to have been for nought as Roman comes into this match the challenger.
We’re also told that all seconds are banned at ringside for this main event… and we’ve a teased jump start from Tihanyi before the bell as well. When we did get going, the pair scrap right away as Roman took an early advantage with some chops to the champion in the corner. Things head outside, with Roman very much on the front foot as he brawled with Tihanyi around the crowd… only for his choice to go for a charge to Tihanyi to end with him eating nothing but the ring steps.
Tihanyi exacerbates things by stretching Roman’s neck and shoulders by the ring steps, which then set the gameplan for Tihanyi, as he looked for high impact stuff to wear down Roman. A snap suplex gets a two-count as Roman reached for his neck, before a strait-jacket choke was wrenched away on as he pulled Roman onto his knees for good measure.
Letting go, Tihanyi adds a running Meteora for a two-count as he began to get frustrated at Roman’s hardiness. That prompted Tihanyi to head outside to bring his title belt into the ring… but referee Rainer Ringer stops the obvious DQ, only to miss Tihanyi tying up Roman in the ropes with some loose wrist tape. Absorbing some blows, Roman tries to fight back with one hand… before kicking away an attempted slingshot cutter as Tihanyi crashed and burned.
The referee unties Roman from the ropes, just in time for Roman hit back at the champion, laying in with clotheslines in the corner ahead of an Exploder suplex. Another lariat from Roman shuts down Tihanyi for a near-fall, before Roman’s neck stopped him from following up with an arm wringer.
Tihanyi bails to the outside, where he beats Roman to the punch… but a quick return for a slingshot cutter is paused as the pair instead trade shots, leading to an overhead kick from Roman that had Tihanyi fall onto him… almost causing him to lose despite being on offence! We get some symbolism as Roman stands on the High Performer Ltd. golf glove of Tihanyi… but Tihanyi spits in Roman’s face before pulling him into the corner.
A tornado DDT sees Tihanyi grab a near-fall after all that, before he was caught up top with an avalanche front slam, sending Tihanyi flying across the ring for a near-fall. Roman tries a Burning Nail, but Tihanyi slaps the back of the neck before pulling Roman into a crossface instead, only for Roman to remove the glove to help break the hold.
Challenging Tihanyi to an impromptu duel, Roman slaps him with the glove… and it’s a duel that Tihanyi happily accepted as he went back to the neck of Roman, adding a diving Meteora to the back of the head, before heading up top… and taking way too long to put the glove back on. Cutting his losses, Tihanyi goes “ah eff it” and hits the 450 splash to the back of Roman… and that’s your lot. Finickiness with the glove aside, this was a really good main event to close out wXw’s 2024 – with Peter Tihanyi well and truly putting Laurance Roman behind him… but the question is, who’s next, now the last two champions have been dispatched? ***¾
We’re interrupted by a video of Tassilo Jung backstage… he’s with Elijah Blum, who’s finally paid up his fines! Blum’s given wXw a little more money than he was fined… because he’s off to ringside with a steel pipe, destined for Peter Tihanyi! He throws the pipe at Tihanyi, with the distraction allowing Blum a free shot, before waylaying Tihanyi in the midsection. With Tihanyi down, Blum took the mic and issued a challenge. “Januar. Back to the Roots. Du gegen mich. Käfigschlacht!” That’s a much wanted early Christmas present for the fans… even if we do have to wait a few weeks!
wXw’s 24th Anniversary was a show that neatly put a bow on the company’s year – having used a strong core of wrestlers throughout, there’s plenty of home-grown names ready to take a leap up in the new year – and with the annual Käfigschlacht again being a singles match, Elijah Blum looks to be the next one to really cement himself at the top of the new generation of wXw. It’s been a good year – and 2025’s looking equally promising!