After a year off, wXw’s FAN returns, with the first half of the show featuring the mask vs. hair handicap match that was delayed from Drive of Champions.
Quick Results
Bobby Gunns submitted Michael Knight in 12:47 (***)
Tayra Gates pinned Delia in 4:32 (**)
Fast Time Moodo submitted Norman Harras in 7:33 (**¾)
Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc submitted Vincent Heisenberg, Maggot & Baby Allison in 13:53 – Heisenberg lost his hair (***)
Ender Kara pinned Paris in 6:07 (**¾)
Prince Ahura pinned Levaniel in 11:16 to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship (**¾)
We open with this excellent video of the wXw roster bemoaning the lack of fans at shows, and what they miss about it all. It’s a good video and a different looking graphic set that’s making this show really stand out from the pack. In a weird way, as a fan, it’s nice to feel missed…
Dave Bradshaw is back for English commentary as they run down the card… and we go to Andy Jackson with Bobby Gunns backstage ahead of the opener. The rather benign question on Gunns’ opinions of his opponent tonight leads to Gunns hoping for a good match as he seemed to have respect for Michael Knight.
Meanwhile, Dan Mallman’s retort with Knight has the “German Highlight” calling out Gunns’ armbar as something to be wary of.
Michael Knight vs. Bobby Gunns
Gunns is still looking to get on track after losing the wXw title back in April…
Gunns tries to work Knight’s arm early, before the former champion went to the mat, looking to tie up the legs, before he found a way in with a hammerlock. Knight got back to his feet, but gets taken to the corner as Gunns snuck in an uppercut before Knight came back with some quick pinning attempts and an armdrag to turn the tide. A backslide from Gunns transitions into a half crab, but it’s right by the ropes as Knight’s brief period on top came to a shuddering end. Gunns’ stomp to the elbow takes Knight outside, and opened the door for Gunns to work over the arm.
More stomps lead to more arm work, as Knight stretches for the rope, but ends up getting taken into the corner for some elbows. Knight manages to avoid a charge into the corner, then met Gunns with clotheslines and dropkicks, with a springboard clothesline almost getting him the win. Gunns hits right back with a high-angle Saito suplex, but Knight shrugged it off to hit an Exploder… then an enziguiri for good measure. We resume with back-and-forth uppercuts as the pace increased, but the prolonged series ends with Knight landing a forearm, only to get pulled down in a guillotine as Gunns switched to an armbar.
Extra torque from Gunns eventually takes the hold into the ropes, before Knight surprised Gunns with a Sliced Bread that almost got us the upset. Knight tries to push on, but Gunns slips in with a rear naked choke… the rope break just earns Knight a German suplex, from which he popped up from… only to get rolled through into a Swish armbar for the quick tap. Knight caused some trouble for Gunns here, but when that switch flicked, the former champion was able to get the win. ***
Post-match, Gunns told us he focused too much on talking, but now “daddy is back”…
Backstage, we’ve got Tayra Gates who’s looking to win today after her debut ended in defeat.
Tayra Gates vs. Delia
After both lost on their debut earlier this month, someone’s getting their first win here…
We open with a lock-up as both women took the other into the ropes… for a fistbump. Gates looks for an O’Connor roll, but Delia held on and returned with an armdrag, then a drop toe gold and a low dropkick to take Gates into the corner. Delia looks to fly, and lands a springboard armdrag out of the corner before some Vader Bomb Knees on Gates’ back drew a two-count. Gates throws Delia into the corner, then rolled her down for a low dropkick, before she shrugged off an attempted fightback. Forearms keep the Frenchwoman in the corner, with running double knees keeping Delia there for a near-fall. A bodyslam’s next, but Gates misses an elbow drop as Delia instead hit the ropes and landed a roundhouse kick, before a swinging Flatliner drew a two-count.
Delia catches Gates off the middle rope, then rolled her into a Rings of Saturn-like submission… but Gates rolled back on the hold and managed to sneak out a pin as Delia was too focused on getting the stoppage. **
We’ve recaps from We Love Wrestling #5 (hi there, logo!) when Norman Harras snuck out a win over Fast Time Moodo in dodgy circumstances. Andy Jackson then joins a very nervous Norman Harras backstage, who’s still burnt out and perhaps thinking everyone’s out to get him. Norman reckons the new chapter will start for him tonight, because “there is no other way.”
As for Fast Time Moodo, Dan Mallman reminds us of how Harras played dirty last time, but this time out Moodo’s healed up… and looking for a fair rematch.
Norman Harras vs. Fast Time Moodo
Norman’s continuing to have rematches with guys he took shortcuts against as Shotgun champion…
Harras is still trying to gee himself up at the bell, as Moodo came out swinging. Instead, Moodo grounds Harras for a chinlock, before another swinging kick has Norman powdering onto the apron. Almost seeming scared of his own shadow, Harras tries to get into the game by, erm, headbutting the ring post before he worked an armbar on Moodo back inside. Only for Moodo to kick Harras back outside…
Moodo lands more kicks back inside as Norman stalled, falling to a knee drop as Moodo then measured up for a Black Belt Kick… but Norman powdered to the outside. Moodo tries to drag him back in, but Norman bites back. He tries to hang up Moodo in the ropes, but gets blocked as a front suplex dropped Moodo instead as Harras manages to hit a kick on the apron. We get the callback as Harras ripped off the turnbuckle pad, then landed an elbow drop for a two-count. A back elbow’s next as Norman started to look like his old self, with a suplex following for another two-count. Harras rubs his knee and shin into Moodo’s face too, but Harras ends up getting kicked into the corner he’d exposed earlier.
Moodo teased a sliding punch, but stopped himself as Norman tried to repeat history… a Black Belt Kick followed from Moodo, before he instead pulled Harras into a triangle choke for the submission. One step better for Moodo this time, but Harras’ wavering form continues as he tried to repeat old tricks. **¾
Post-match, Moodo was clearly mad that Norman tried to injure him again.
They recap everything that led to the mask vs. hair match, the lies leading to the postponement, and how Maggot got found out…
No Disqualification, Mask vs. Hair: Maggot, Vincent Heisenberg & Baby Allison vs. Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc
The loser of the fall loses their mask or their hair… and we’re under tornado rules here.
We start out with shotgun dropkicks to Maggot and Allison as the masked Frenchmen tried to go after Heisenberg… but with the numbers against them, stick and move would have to be their game plan. Heisenberg swats away a flying Aigle, but a dropkick from Blanc takes him to the floor as Senza Volto connected with step-up tope con giro. Blanc recovers with a moonsault, then threw Allison inside. She’s quickly begging for mercy, but the low blow’s caught as she manages to use the Frenchmen against each other ahead of a stacked-up Octopus stretch.
Volto escapes and manages to break the hold, as the French lads ganged up on Maggot, rolling him to the mat for a kick while Senza’s tope to Heisenberg was caught, with Heisenberg charging Senza into the ring post for good measure. Out comes a Kendo stick, but Senza ducks as Heisenberg shattered it against the post. Allison went for a slap, but Senza blocks it before lifting Maggot onto the apron. Heisenberg saves, but didn’t stop Aigle hitting a ‘rana driver to Maggot through the ropes. Still, the extra body counted as Allison jumped on Aigle, before Heisenberg blocked a ‘rana from Volto and powerbombed him onto Blanc for an eventual two-count.
Maggot grabs a chair, and throws it at Aigle Blanc in mid-air as he tried to make a save… with Blanc down, the chair’s jabbed at Volto, with Allison then wearing it out over his back for a two-count. Heading outside, Maggot grabs his crutch (the literal one) and struck Blanc with it, allowing Allison to hit a back suplex as they then targeted Senza Volto. Another back suplex from Allison nearly puts Volto away, before Maggot speared Blanc for a near-fall. The mugging continued with another spear on Senza, but even a stacked up pin doesn’t get it done. Allison goes for a spear, but gets Maggot by mistake as Heisenberg stood there… Allison eats a superkick, before enziguiri staggered Heisenberg, who came right back with a clothesline for a double two-count.
Heisenberg surveyed the scene, but got lifted to the outside… he catches Blanc’s plancha, but Senza’s tope made the save as they then focused on Maggot again. Gamengiri trap Maggot, who’s then sent flying with a Meteora to the back of the head for a near-fall. Another turnaround sees Allison throw Blanc off the top rope, before a boot-assisted crucifix almost got the win… but then things go sour. Heisenberg accidentally charges Allison off the apron, and turned around into a handspring cutter from Volto. Maggot’s back to catch a handspring before he threw Senza with a back body drop… then caught a springboard and turned it into a cutter on Aigle Blanc for another near-fall. Another crucifix from Maggot’s caught, with Senza coming back to help Blanc tombstone Maggot… with a double jump moonsault from Senza leading to a near-fall as Heisenberg pulled out the ref.
A double chokeslam from Heisenberg came to nought as he proceed to slam/powerbomb the French lads for another close call. Out comes another chair from Heisenberg, but out comes Feyyaz Aguila – the trainee who was attacked earlier in the feud – to make the save… and with no chair, Heisenberg’s teamed up on as Senza and Aigle take him down into a headscissors/leglock combo, and Heisenberg’s left with no choice to tap. This was solid, breathless stuff as Heisenberg follows in the steps of Jurn Simmons losing their hair after a wXw match. ***
After the match, out comes the scissors and shaving cream as Heisenberg had to fulfill his end of the bargain. Starting with the Road Warrior Hawk look was a particularly strong choice by Senza and Aigle… who didn’t finish the job and left Heisenberg with quite a haircut…
Of course, Andy Jackson has to try for an interview, but just gets yelled at. Dann Mallman tries again backstage, but instead was just there watching as Allison and Maggot laughed. He throttled them, as Maggot blamed Feyyaz for the loss.
They replay clips from Ender Kara’s trial series – and how Paris took his spot after injury… all the way through to their ill-fated and short-lived tag team last week.
Backstage, Ender Kara tells us he’s no fan of Paris, blaming him for their loss last week…
Paris vs. Ender Kara
Paris is the one here who has a win, with the win over Dennis Dullnig being the only W on these guys records.
Paris takes Kara into the ropes, but gets slapped as a waistlock takedown leads to an armbar on Kara, who’s then rolled down for a one-count. A chinlock keeps Kara down, but after getting free Kara hit the ropes and knocked Paris into the corner. Ender ducks an uppercut and returned with a shotgun dropkick, taking Paris to the corner for some forearms. Kara can’t build on that as Paris nails an uppercut, but had trouble with a Fisherman suplex as Ender slipped out for an Octopus stretch. Paris manages to break free with a hiptoss, but Kara takes out the legs for a low dropkick again to get a one-count. A guillotine from Kara has Paris in trouble, but he’s able to suplex his way free as that Fisherman suplex landed for another two-count for Paris.
An inside cradle nearly nicks it for Kara, as he followed up with a spinning enziguiri to keep Paris down… while Kara measured up for a Hidden Blade that got the win. A nice, competitive match as Kara finally gets a W with a move that is mighty familiar to some… **¾
We get a promo video from Jaxon Stone for his ShopForEverybody.com store – they’d sponsored this show, which raises money for charities of your choice. Go check it out – he’s doing some great work with Everybody and the charity initiatives he’s been a part of.
wXw Shotgun Championship: Levaniel vs. Prince Ahura (c)
After winning the lottery last week, Levaniel’s got his second title shot in as many big shows…
Norman Harras apparently joined German commentary, but the English feed made no mention of it as Ahura and Levaniel locked up into the corner. We’ve a clean break and some tomfoolery as both men started shoving each other before a lock-up took things into the corner again. This time, Ahura’s shove is a little more playful as he again backed Levaniel into the corner, before Levaniel finally broke free with some strikes. He floats over Ahura, then scored a waistlock takedown as a front facelock had Ahura in some trouble. A leapfrog and an armdrag has Ahura rocked, before a butterfly suplex drew a two-count for Levaniel.
Levaniel looks for a Galactic Face Crusher, but Ahura staggers away, claiming an injury… it gave him a chance to rake Levaniel’s eyes as he magically healed, following in with stomps as he took Levaniel to the mat. Slowing down the pace nearly backfired as Levaniel came back with a slam, but Ahura trips the challenger and winded him with some boots. Measured shots from Ahura drop Levaniel again, whose hair gets pulled on the mat, before Ahura indulged in some trash talk as he ended up missing a spinning heel kick. Levaniel had no such woes with his, before he took Ahura into a Randy Orton-ish backbreaker. Uppercuts follow, then a knee to the gut as Levaniel nails a Fisherman’s suplex for a near-fall.
Levaniel scoops up Ahura for a slam into a stalling suplex… but Ahura slips free and hits a clothesline to the back. Regardless, Levaniel gets that suplex moments later for a two-count as the 15-minute time limit looked to become a factor. Rushing to his feet, Levaniel looks for the Galactic Face Crusher, but Ahura pulls the hair and hits a right hand before an elevated German suplex dumped Levaniel. Ahura gets back up, but eats a discus lariat as Levaniel almost won out, before Ahura came back with an axe kick, a spinning heel kick and one more punt for the win. A solid outing, as you could see where the fun and games gave way for Levaniel – but that slight increase in urgency backfired as Ahura’s kicks led to the win. **¾
Post-match, Ahura celebrated as Dan Mallman was on hand to do the Shotgun lottery. Norman Harras appears as he looks to draw his name, but his leather jacket and tracksuit bottoms look horrified Ahura, who then baited Harras to play rock, paper scissors for a title shot instead. Ahura continues to belittle Norman as he was rapidly doing mathematics in his head, settling on rock, paper, scissors instead of the lottery.
Of course, Norman lost the game, as Dan instead pulled a name from the tumbler… Ahura’s next opponent is Maggot. Why do I sense a big lad from Hamburg getting involved?
We’re back tomorrow for the second “half” of the show, headlined with Tristan Archer challenging for Marius al-Ani’s wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship. Today though, saw a solid first-half of the show with some notable moments – which’ll lead to some interesting directions after the promotion’s summer break as Heisenberg could well pivot into being more of a monster after the humiliation tonight.