Match three of the Catch Grand Prix is our final one from block A this week, with new wXw world tag team champion Fast Time Moodo taking on Avalanche.
We’re back with Bobby Gunns, Nico Schmidt and Dään Jokisch, as they throw up the lay of the land in block A… this time, Bobby takes umbrage to Dään bringing up how Norman Harras lost to Avalanche in the wXw Academy Match a few weeks back, and accuses the panel of not being impartial.
It’s experience vs. kicks today, and we go to Avalanche backstage with Andy Jackson. He congratulates Moodo and Stephanie Maze for winning the tag titles, before noting that Moodo’s kicks are his strong point. Still, Avalanche is confident his experience will be the edge…
…then we go to Andy with Fast Time Moodo, who’s still buzzing over the tag title win. Moodo has respect for Avalanche, but hopes his recent success will take him to victory today.
Sebastian Hollmichel, as always, is on commentary for this one from the Steffy in Oberhausen.
Catch Grand Prix 2020 – Block A: Fast Time Moodo vs. Avalanche
We’ve another big ask here, as Moodo starts his Catch Grand Prix with a tough opponent.
Round 1: Moodo offers a handshake, which is accepted, as a lock-up ends with the pair of them heading into the corners before Avalanche shoved Moodo away. There’s a front kick to push Avalanche back… but Avalanche comes in with a side headlock that he clung onto. I’m really digging the John Tenta-ish throwback gear from Avalanche today… that side headlock keeps Moodo on the mat, but he rolls them back to their feet… as Avalanche kept a firm grip. Eventually Moodo counters with a headlock of his own, but Avalanche shoves him off before bouncing the newcomer with a shoulder tackle. Moodo comes back with some kicks, stinging Avalanche ahead of a back elbow and some chops. Avalanche avoids a leg sweep, but misses an elbow drop as Moodo dives in with a chinlock… which he transitions into a front chancery before Avalanche got to the ropes as time ran out.
Round 2: Avalanche goes for a lock-up, but Moodo ducks and goes for a waistlock instead. Avalanche tries to elbow free, but just pulls Moodo down by the leg, before a kick to the quad saw him target the legs – trying to neutralise Moodo’s biggest asset. A leglock keeps Moodo down, but the tag team champion’s able to stretch and make a rope break… but Avalanche is right back in with a DDT to the leg as he persisted on that left leg. Some kicks from the mat barely register as Moodo was being dominated, with clubbing forearms to the back before a toe hold from Avalanche kept Moodo on the defensive… until he tried for a neck tie-like submission, which Avalanche instantly forced a break on as he rolled Moodo into a pin for a two-count. Moodo’s back up with kicks, but couldn’t lift Avalanche and gets slammed and splashed for a near-fall. Another chinlock ends in the ropes, as Moodo took the remaining time to recuperate as the round ended.
Round 3: Avalanche charges at Moodo at the bell, knocking him into the corner for some right hands and shoulder charges. A Beele takes him out of the corner, as Moodo tries to mount a comeback… but he’s knocked back down as an Irish whip bounced him out of the corner for a near-fall. Moodo gets back up to try his kicks again, looking to cut the legs out from under Avalanche before he booted him into the corner. A series of leaping kicks and an eventual leg sweep has Avalanche down in the corner for a sliding punch, before a leaping stomp to the back connected… but Avalanche is right back with a lariat before he tried to pick up Moodo for a Samoan drop. Except Moodo wriggles out and hits a Samoan drop of his own for a near-fall, with time then running out as Moodo’s inexperience in planning wrecked his momentum.
Round 4: Moodo tries to charge at Avalanche, but instead he runs into a Samoa Joe-like uranage out of the corner, before a back senton squished him. Avalanche followed up on that with a Dreissker Bomb, but Moodo rolls away, only to get splashed in the corner as the pair went back-and-forth. Running splashes in the corner trap Moodo, but he comes back out of nowhere with a rear spin kick – the Black Belt Kick – for a near-fall… only for Avalanche to snatch the win with a crucifix barely a minute into the round. This was a nice story that ebbed and flowed, with Avalanche and Moodo both being saved by the bell, but in the end it was Avalanche’s experience that saved him from a near-upset.
Result: Avalanche pinned Fast Time Moodo in 0:58 of Round 4 (***¼)
Moodo offered Avalanche a fist bump afterwards, but Avalanche is absolutely knackered. He had an almighty scare here, that’s for sure.
At ringside, Andy Jackson interviews Avalanche, who’s a little dazed from that kick. He puts over Moodo in defeat, then wished him well for the remainder of the tournament. Backstage, Dään Jokisch is with Moodo, who’s more than a little gutted at that narrow defeat. Still, he knew how he lost, and he’ll learn from that. Next up for these guys is Hektor Invictus (for Avalanche on Monday), and Metehan (for Moodo next Wednesday).
The standings…
Block A
Avalanche, Hektor Invictus, Cara Noir (1-0; 2pts)
Bobby Gunns (0-0; 0pts)
Anil Marik, Metehan, Fast Time Moodo (0-1; 0pts)
Block B
Senza Volto, Emil Sitoci, Prince Ahura, Vincent Heisenberg, Norman Harras, Marius al-Ani, Tristan Archer (0-0; 0pts)
Tomorrow, we see the start of block B action – with Bobby Gunns starting the tournament with a week off. Tristan Archer vs. Vincent Heisenberg kicks that off, with Senza Volto vs. Norman Harras on Friday, and Emil Sitoci vs. Marius al-Ani wrapping up the first week on Saturday.