We might not have had deathmatches, but wXw paid homage to its extreme roots with an over 18s show over World Tag Team Festival weekend.
Quick Results
Robert Dreissker pinned Nick Schreier in 8:25 (***)
Aigle Blanc pinned Latigo in 15:41 (***)
Aaron Insane & Sasa Keel pinned Alex Duke & Norman Harras in 9:28 (**½)
Vaughn Vertigo and Axel Fox went to a no-contest in 3:06
M4, Ava Everett & Jacob Crane pinned Pahlevan Nima, Danny Fray & Kelsey Raegan in 3:16
Drunken Ambition Match: Fuminori Abe defeated Fast Time Moodo in 11:34
Dog Collar Match: 1 Called Manders defeated Mad Dog Connelly in 7:46 (***)
TLC Match: Mike D Vecchio pinned Gringo Loco in 30:55 (**½)
— In the next week or so, I’ll be chatting about this show with Mike Kilby on the Auf Die Fresse podcast. Links to stream that episode when it drops, as well as back episodes are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
We’re back inside the Turbinenhalle for a late start on Friday night – and it’s a show that started as almost a fever dream with a homage to the old school ECW/Nine Inch Nails TV intro with suitable footage (blood, plunder and what not)… there’s no growly Paul Heyman impression though as we switch to the Turbinenhalle and… Enter Sandman?! Christ, that’s the music budget blown for the rest of the decade.
It’s the cue for Nick Schreier to come out through the crowd with a Singapore cane, lit cigarette and can of beer, and yes, he smashes it into his head, drawing blood, as he made his way to the ring for his Hardcore Nick Schreier Invitational.
Dave Bradshaw and Robin Christopher Fohrwerk are on the English commentary track here, with Fohrwerk loving life…
Hardcore Match: Nick Schreier vs. Robert Dreissker
The open challenge was answered by Robert Dreissker, who came out with a customised chair that was instantly launched at Schreier. Hey, he asked for this.
Schreier’s able to get free of Dreissker and head up to the top rope… only to get cut off with an avalanche fallaway slam. Heading outside, we get plunder as Schreier cracked a no entry sign off of Dreissker’s back, before a chair came into play with fans holding it up for Nick to use.
Heading up to the stage, Schreier helps himself to some freshly-draughted Bahkauv Brew from a makeshift bar that was on the stage… but Dreissker decided to be the Devil like with Homer Simpson and the doughnuts, forcing Nick to down more than he wanted. Unlike Homer, Nick couldn’t hold it in.
Back into the ring, Schreier’s drop toe hold put Dreissker through a chair, before the Singapore cane was cracked repeatedly off of Dreissker’s back. A White Russian legsweep’s blocked as Dreissker just obliterated the cane, but Schreier justs gets a second cane and hits the move, before a Rob Van Dam-esque chair assisted dropkick into the corner almost got the win.
In the end, Dreissker wedges a chair between the ropes, eventually throwing Schreier into it before a spinebuster got the win. Hey, if you’re going to gimmick it up, Schreier worked the “Hardcore” gimmick well here – mixing up the entrance with some good throwbacks to ECW… but on the night it was not to be for him. ***
Backstage, KXS celebrated their tag title win earlier in the night – something that added Tischer to the short list of triple-crown champions in wXw. Tischer left for an early night and told Fast Time Moodo to be ready in the gym in the morning… but Moodo’s got that Drunken AMBITION match later on. Oh boy.
Latigo vs. Aigle Blanc
With Latigo not being from the continent of Europe, this wasn’t for Aigle’s European title…
Latigo cracked the whip to start this one, then flipped off Aigle as things eventually got going, with Latigo’s pinning attempts leading to him scoring a bunch of two-counts. Aigle returned with almost a Skayde special as a double backslide nearly ended things in a draw.
Flipping off of Latigo’s shoulders, Aigle began to take to the skies, adding a springboard ‘rana before a flip senton caught Latigo on the outside. Back inside, Aigle got the knees up to block a crossbody in the corner, before Latigo recovered and dumped Aigle across the buckles.
A slingshot elbow drop crashes into Aigle on the apron as Latigo was going for more high-impact stuff, adding a tope con giro into the second row as that part of the crowd was getting used to having to move away. Taking advantage of the anything goes rules of the evening, Latigo used cracked the whip into Aigle Blanc some more before he loosened the Frenchman’s mask.
Aigle’s left on the defensive for a while as Latigo teased some running knees into the corner, only to kick him in the head instead, before a crossbody took down the Mexican. That’s the cue for Aigle to mount a comeback, landing a Meteora to the back of the head before Latigo rolled his way out of a Desert Eagle for a near-fall.
Hanging up Aigle in the ropes put Latigo back in the driver’s seat though, at least until he got spiked through the ropes with a ‘rana driver as the tide continued to shift. After figuring out how to uncouple the chairs, Latigo grabbed one from the crowd before he suplexed Aigle into it on the floor.
After Fohrwerk almost wandered into a “Make Mexico European” debate on commentary, we’re back with Aigle and Latigo on the top rope, which led to a crack at a springboard DDT onto the apron from Aigle. A turnaround sees Latigo crash into Aigle with crossbodies in the corner, but things started to get a little loose as the pair began to counter each other’s offence. Latigo got the knees up to block a 450 splash, but in the end fell to the Desert Eagle as Aigle took the win in a match that never quite seemed to get out of second gear. ***
Ring announcer Dan Mallmann’s interrupted by the Big Bucks next, coming out in turtle necks looking like they were announcing a new iPhone back in the day. Norman Harras waffles auf Deutsch about these 18+/late shows were no good last year when GCW were in town… before he was interrupted by…
Keel Holding?! I thought Sasa Keel had retired… but sure enough, we’ve got Aaron Insane and a returning Sasa Keel (“der Gute Keel”)
Big Bucks (Alex Duke & Norman Harras) vs. Keel Holding (Aaron Insane & Sasa Keel)
This was Keel’s first appearance in wXw since 2016’s Shortcut to the Top, but before we got going the Big Bucks laid out referee Alex Heinke. The Big Bucks were interrupted on their way to the back by Shigehiro Irie. You’ll have to speak up, he’s wearing a towel… which came off to reveal nothing but black and white trunks, as he’s now our special ref.
Dave Bradshaw nearly breaks Fohrwerk on commentary before we got going, with Aaron Insane having his way on Duke, throwing him head-first into the top turnbuckle ahead of a back body drop for a two-count. Tags brought in Keel and Harras, with Sasa stomping a mudhole in Harras in the corner as referee Irie took his time separating them.
Keel keeps going with a gutwrench suplex before a distraction from Duke allowed Harras in with a clothesline. Harras followed up with a charging knee to the ribs for a two-count as the Big Bucks tried to make inroads… leading to Keel accidentally laying out referee Irie in the corner.
Insane’s in to stop some double-teaming on Keel as he then cleared house on the Big Bucks, only for Duke to cut him off with a ripcord knee. Keel’s back up, and so was Irie as he wiped out Harras with a Beast Bomber lariat, while Duke’s met with the Vijak uranage ahead of a big splash from Insane for the win. **½
Backstage, the “shot commissioner” Rainer Ringer gives some advice to Fuminori Abe ahead of the Drunken AMBITION match later. Painkillers and coffee were about the sum of it…
Axel Fox vs. Vaughn Vertigo
This feels a little out of place on this show, but lets see where this goes…
It turns out, not far as Fox and Vertigo barely got through the feeling-out process where they traded pinning attempts before Vertigo’s springboard Edge-o-Matic took down Fox. A brief response from the Pole was the cue for the arrival of Pahlevan Nima, Danny Fray and Kelsey Raegan to attack both men for the no-contest.
Exit Fox and Vertigo, enter the Y2Kuties, complete with M4 Security, as we had a wild six-man brawl while their music played throughout. Jerome Young would be proud.
Danny Fray, Kelsey Raegan & Pahlevan Nima vs. M4 & Y2Kuties (Ava Everett & Jacob Crane)
This brawl spilled all around ringside, with Raegan hitting a cannonball senton off the apron, while M4 got laid out by Fray in the ring. The ongoing Parade of Moves naturally sees Crane hit a bodyslam to Fray, before a Samoan drop and a chokeslam got M4 the win over Nima.
Drunken AMBITION Match: Fast Time Moodo vs. Fuminori Abe
The rules here were inspired by UWFi and the ROH Pure rules – there’s rope breaks, and if you want some more you need to down a shot, but let’s be real, we’re in for some drunken graps here. Especially with the way Rainer “Not John Virgo” Ringer was dishing out the booze at the ringside bar.
Moodo intentionally burns up all of his rope breaks in the opening minute – although it wasn’t to break any holds, but Moodo just wants a shot. Abe does the same, as he didn’t want to spend any bons on a shot either. We’ve more drinks for Abe before he took Moodo down for a leg lock, forcing Moodo into the ropes as he needed to down a shot to stay alive.
Gut shots between Abe and Moodo saw them try to make the other throw up as Dan Mallmann sprayed bourbon into the mouths of fans at ringside. Like I said, this show’s a bit of a fever dream! Forearms from Abe take down Moodo, forcing him to beat the standing ten count… and take a swig of something to keep going.
See-saw sunset flips were counted by referee Tassilo Jung… except it’s AMBITION rules, so Tas has to take a punishment shot. We’re back to the action as an airplane spin from Moodo sent Abe stumbling to the mat, before he got up and asked for a drink of water. Except something got lost in translation as he got given a black and white photo of WALTER. Ba dum, tish.
Drinking from the bottle proves too much fo Abe in the end, as he spat it in Tas’ face… the ref kicks him low for that, before spraying bourbon at Abe… the alcohol’s now taking effect as both guys miss kicks, but an Irabu-ish punch from Abe finds its mark, knocking down Moodo for the standing ten-count for the win. I have no idea of how to summarise this, but it certainly felt in place on this entire show.
Dog Collar Match for ACTION Championship: Mad Dog Connelly vs. 1 Called Manders (c)
Connelly has become a bit of a specialist in dog collar matches – and has had two prior dog collar matches with Manders this year, splitting a win apiece. This one’s for the ACTION title after Connelly called his shot at Inner Circle the prior evening (and a bit)…
Squaring off, it doesn’t take long for Manders and Connelly to come to blows before a Cactus clothesline from Connelly took both men to the outside… where Connelly ended up trying to drag Manders into the ring post by the dog collar.
Both men came up red after those trips to the ring post, with Connelly remaining the aggressor as he used the chain to choke out Manders… before dragging him around ringside like he was a reluctant puppy. Making it back inside, punches from Connelly earned him a punch and a gutwrench suplex in return, before Manders bit at Connelly’s bare toes. At least there’s a shot the alcohol in the ring from the prior match would have disinfected something.
Connelly bites his way free, then hit a torpedo-like headbutt off the ropes to nearly put Manders away. A low dropkick keeps Manders down in the corner, but he’s able to recover and use the chain to pull Connelly in for a lariat, before he sidestepped a charge from the Mad Dog, sending him sailing over the top rope as the chain was used to force a stoppage via choke. This wasn’t here for a long time, but it was here for a bloody good time… although something just didn’t seem to translate here as I was left a little underwhelmed given the hype from their prior matches. ***
TLC Match: Gringo Loco vs. Mike D Vecchio
Our main event had the potential to be a car crash… but in what way?
Some early Gator rolls from Mike D were played out to a long dualling chant, before headscissors took Gringo outside for a slingshot ‘rana. On the outside, we get the first usage of the C in the match, with Mike D using chairs on a grounded Gringo, before a fan’s crutch was used to good effect.
Staying on the outside, Mike D took to the ropes for an Asai moonsault into the aisle as he continued to confound, before he went hunting for more plunder… and here comes the table. Instead of setting it up, Mike returned to the ring to hit a long-distance splash off the top, before going back for some more chairs… one of which got cracked over his head by Gringo.
Continuing the turnaround, Gringo’s springboard Vader bomb of sorts gets a two-count, before Gringo countered a counter to bring Mike D off the top with a one-man Spanish Fly. Having set up a crash mat of chairs, Gringo Loco found himself powerbombed through it before he ended up being knocked off the apron and onto a table that gave way. Hi Maffew.
Mike resets the table and draped Gringo across it as he went back inside for a step-up flip senton… which got nothing but the table as Gringo rolled away. Now we get the ladders from Gringo, including a monstrous one as he slid two of them into the ring… only to get knocked off as he tried to climb the monster ladder. Taking his time, Mike surveyed the scene before scaling the ladder… so he could get to the top rope for a springboard cutter to take down Gringo for a two-count.
Recovering, Gringo’s able to shove Mike D head-first into the ladders before using a chair to lay out Mike ahead of a senton bomb off the ladder. Things amp up with a double-jump springboard Destroyer off the top to the Belgian, while a springboard cutter from Mike D gave him a shot.
Out comes another table, with Gringo again being put on it… but again he gets off the table before countering Mike D up top with a Base Bomb through it. It’s not enough to put Mike down for the count, and indeed he’s up first as he went outside in search for another table. With no more under the ring, he wandered over to the merch area and brought a table from there to ringside… eventually setting Gringo up on it as Mike then went up a ladder for a shooting star press… it clips Gringo off the table, which didn’t break, but proved to be enough for the win. Hello again, Maffew. Metallica already got the bag on this show… this one just didn’t do it for me watching the live stream, and on re-watch, it wasn’t much better. No doubting the effort, but a half-hour TLC match at 2 in the morning perhaps wasn’t what the doctor ordered… **½
This was a “vibes show” as the kids say, and while some of the in-ring may have been underwhelming, it was certainly a show that had some memorable moments, be it Nick Schreier indulging in some ECW nostalgia, the Y2Kuties going all New Jack on us, or Rainer Ringer handing out shots.