We’re going back to Essen in 2005 again, as we see a three-way for the wXw Lightweight Championship.
Andy Jackson brings us another match from Full Force 4 in July 2005 – this time a match that saw Emil Sitoci reach new heights as he challenged for the wXw Lightweight title… a belt that Steve Douglas had lost a week earlier in Orpington, Kent.
wXw Lightweight Championship: Stevie Douglas vs. Jonny Storm (c) vs. Emil Sitoci
Storm flips off Douglas at the bell… so did Sitoci, as all three men circled each other.
Hiptosses and misses ensue, but Sitoci’s flip leg drop manages to catch Douglas as we reached a stand-off. A double dropkick takes down Douglas, who then took a double-team pancake and a pair of low dropkicks before a hiptoss/facebuster took him to the outside. Sitoci and Storm stay in the ring, where the Dutchman took a clothesline as Storm then teed up for a tornillo to Douglas on the outside. We don’t get a dive from Sitoci, who dropkicks Storm off the apron, then went after Douglas, only to get lifted onto the apron before returning with armdrags.
Storm’s back with a missile dropkick to Sitoci, as Douglas then hit the Brit with a slam and an elbow drop. Two more elbows follow as Douglas drew a two-count, before a snap suplex led to Sitoci trying to come in… but he played to the crowd as Douglas just knocked him off the apron. A big boot choke from Douglas traps Storm in the corner, but Jonny’s springboard ‘rana gave him a way back, as did a leaping spinning forearm into the corner. Douglas gets kicked in the head before an enziguiri sent him sailing to the outside… right as Sitoci hit the ring for a springboard armdrag. Storm blocks a monkey flip, and hit a standing Spanish fly for a two-count as the pace finally slowed for a moment. Leapfrogs and roll throughs ended with Sitoci eating a cutter, as Douglas’ attempt to return to the match came to nought.
Sitoci catches a crossbody from Storm and turned it into a gutbuster… but doesn’t go for a cover before a wheelbarrow facebuster led to nought, with Douglas hitting the ring to prevent the pin. Douglas takes Sitoci into the corner, but ends up eating a front kick as Sitoci took control, but he took too long to follow up as Storm German suplexed him off the top rope… which led to a convenient moonsault landing onto Douglas. Sitoci and Douglas combine to hit a side Russian legsweep-ish off the middle rope on Storm… but Sitoci’s able to react first, hitting a slam before heading up top. Shadow – Douglas’ valet – distracts as Sitoci went for the elbow drop, allowing Douglas to capitalise, only for Storm to hit a sunset flip to trigger the mini Tower of Doom.
Douglas and Storm trade blows, leading to Storm hitting a wheelbarrow DDT for a near-fall. A snapmare driver from Sitoci’s blocked by Storm, but he couldn’t avoid a side Russian legsweep nor a split-legged moonsault for a near-fall, as Douglas returned, hitting Sitoci with an Electric Chair driver to almost regain his title. Storm broke that pin up, then nailed Douglas with Wonder Whirl… but Shadow ran in to distract again. She’s caught by Storm, who hit Wonder Whirl on her before more run-ins led to Tengkwa making a save. Storm disappears in the melee as Sitoci then countered an Electric Chair driver into a Snapmare Driver for the win. An enjoyable, if not spotty mid 00s match as Sitoci won his first gold in wXw.
Result: Emil Sitoci pinned Steve Douglas in 12:07 to win the wXw Lightweight Championship (***½)