wXw returned to Gelsenkirchen for their latest Fight Forever tapings, as Yota Tsuji’s trip to Germany led to a treat against Axel Tischer.
Quick Results:
Peter Tihanyi pinned Brendan White in 7:58 (***¼)
Massimo Pesca pinned Maria de la Rosa in 5:47 (***)
Ava Everett pinned Kiah Dream in 6:35 (**¾)
Axel Tischer pinned Yota Tsuji in 17:05 (***¾)
Laurance Roman pinned Danny Jones in 6:28 to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship (***½)
Fast Time Moodo submitted Anil Marik in 10:51 (***¼)
Elijah Blum pinned Justin Daniels in 8:25 (***)
Aliss Ink pinned Ahura in 19:53 (***¼)
We’re dealing with a two-part release here after wXw released the second Fight Forever tapings as individual matches. We’re coming live on tape from the wXw Wrestling Academy in Gelsenkirchen, with Marc Shuttle and Mett Dimassi doing studio commentary for these live streams.
Peter Tihanyi vs. Brendan White
Robert Dreissker’s injury the night before forced a change of plans, with the Greedy Souls getting singles matches here.
Opening with a lock-up, Tihanyi’s taken into the corner before he clung onto White with a side headlock. Brendan shoots off and charges down Tihanyi, who replied with some right hands… then a leaping dropkick before he clotheslined White to the outside. Chops from White on the outside sting Tihanyi, who then avoided a trip to the ring post as the Welshman got posted instead. Back inside, White caught a crossbody and slammed Tihanyi, then landed a back senton for a two-count before uppercuts began to wear through Tihanyi. A suplex from White’s blocked at first, but Brendan’s able to muscle Tihanyi over, before the Hungarian found himself getting chucked into the corners.
A suplex and a diving knee from Tihanyi bought himself some time, as did a swinging DDT, before a Black Hole Slam almost got the win for White out of nowhere. Picking Tihanyi up, White’s baited into the corner, but misses Tihanyi who went up top for a crossbody… and that’s enough to get the win! I see what they did there, with Tihanyi outlasting White – and I’d not be against that crossbody being put over more in the meantime. ***¼
Massimo Pesca vs. Maria de la Rosa
We started with de la Rosa exchanging wristlocks with Pesca, before a side headlock was shoved off… only for de la Rosa to return with an armdrag.
Pesca’s able to sidestep a low dropkick, but he’s taken down as Maria swung with a kick… as the pair then traded a bunch of two-counts to troll the ref. A floatover in the corner from Maria’s caught, but she swings around into some headscissors on Pesca, before a spinning sidewalk slam landed for a two-count. De la Rosa grounds Pesca with a chinlock from there, but the Italian frees himself to hit a tiltawhirl slam. The pair trade forearms from there, but a snapmare and a diving kick proved to be enough for a near-fall for Pesca, who then looked for a wacky submission, pulling de la Rosa into almost a T-pose before going for a pin.
A double-stomp from de la Rosa puts her back in the match, as did some chops, but a butterfly suplex from Pesca turned it around in a hurry. De la Rosa’s right back with a Fisherman buster, which nearly wins it, before Pesca floated out of an ushigoroshi and came back with a wacky spin-out package powerbomb for the win. I have no idea what that finisher was, but it was effective here… ***
Ava Everett vs. Kiah Dream
Everett’s getting introduced as “the best wXw women’s champion of all time,” and is up against another American in Kiah Dream, who was in the midst of a brief European tour here.
Dream looked to win it early as she caught Everett with roll-ups in the opening minute, before she got sent onto the apron… then kicked in the ropes. A dropkick from Everett took Dream down, where some hair pulling followed, then a neckbreaker as Everett picked up a two-count. Ava’s nerve hold keeps Dream on the back foot, and earned the referee a ticking off from Ava… but Dream’s able to respond… only to get kicked into the ropes then thrown down for a two-count. Some boot choking followed, but Kiah fights back with forearms, only to get knocked back down again.
A Dragon sleeper followed from Everett, before she threw Kiah into the ropes… she wedges herself, then leaps back out for a cutter on Ava. Dream’s not able to follow up on that though, but she was able to continue her comeback with clothesline and a running knee, only to miss a springboard crossbody moments afterwards. Everett takes advantage with a superkick… then lands the Golden Gate Swing fisherman’s neckbreaker for the win. **¾
Axel Tischer vs. Yota Tsuji
Tischer still had a few cheers – perhaps by fans who agreed with his actions to Levaniel the prior day…
We open with Tischer and Tsuji shoving each other, as things… buffered amid a wristlock. Tischer countered out into a side headlock, but Tsuji goes back to a hammerlock, which Tischer countered out of before a roll-up drew Tsuji a two-count… and forced Tischer into the ropes for respite. Tsuji uses headscissors to get out of a wristlock, but Tischer floats free… then came back in with a Test of Strength, which gets broken as the pair hit the ropes for shoulder tackles. Tischer goes for Tsuji’s beard, but ends up getting charged down anyway before Tsuji launched back in with a tijeras to send Tischer to the outside.
Tischer swats away a dive from Tsuji, but couldn’t avoid being suplexed back into the ring. Some misdirection from Tischer allows him to pull Tsuji into the corner. An eye rake followed as Tischer began to take control, grabbing Tsuji’s beard once more as things headed into the corner for some uppercuts. A running forearm and a half-hatch suplex out of the corner gets Tischer a two-count, before things were slowed down with a chinbar from Tischer. Tsuji makes it to the ropes, but Tischer instead pulls him up… and brought him back down with a snap suplex for a two-count. Tischer milks the referee’s five-count as he went back to the hair, then threw some rights at Tsuji, who began to tee off with elbows… only for Tischer to stomp the foot.
Tsuji gets the boot up after being whipped into the corner, stomping down Tischer before going back to the elbows. Tischer fires back in kind, only to get caught with a springboard crossbody and a satellite armdrag to the outside… with Tsuji quickly joining Tischer with a tope. Back inside, Tsuji corners Tischer for a cannonball, which gets a near-fall, before a leaping leg lariat from Tischer turned things around. A German suplex plants Tsuji for a near-fall, ahead of a running death valley driver that almost won it. Tischer tees up for a Ligerbomb, but a back body drop frees Tsuji, who then sat down on the sunset flip to almost win it. An Alabama Slam followed from Tsuji out of the corner as he keeps the pressure up, before a powerslam added yet another near-fall.
The pair go nose-to-nose as they tee off on each other with elbows and forearms, as Tsuji then ran through a Tischer clothesline and took him down as Tischer was seemingly hanging onto the match by a thread. Going back to the beard sees Tischer stall Tsuji, landing a dropkick to the knee before a knee trembler and a Horrible Slam shut the door. A fair amount of rule-bending from Tischer, but a hell of an outing for Tsuji who left a mark in Germany – in spite of his two losses. ***¾
wXw Shotgun Championship: Danny Jones vs. Laurance Roman (c)
This was Roman’s first defence of the Shotgun title – and unscheduled, after Danny Jones’ scheduled match was changed.
Jones looked to dictate the pace early on, but Roman backed into the ropes as the pair looked to grapple. An armbar from Jones had him on offence, leading to a quick one-count before Roman took things back to the corner. Roman’s armdrag sparks a bunch of pinning attempts before he dove in with a forearm on the Welshman, looking to change tactics his after grappling was being stifled. Roman chokes Jones in the ropes, before a snapmare and a kick to the back drew a two-count for the new champion. Jones looks to respond with forearms, then with a bicycle knee before he knocked Roman into the corner. Another running knee, then an Exploder out of the corner drew a near-fall, while a diving knee almost led to a title change.
A step-up enziguiri from Roman, then a cradling Fisherman’s suplex turned it around, as the pair began to trade forearms once more… then clotheslines… before Roman went to the knee with a chop block. A discus lariat to the back of the head followed, and that was enough for Roman to get the win, albeit with a sneaky hold of the trunks. A heck of a first defence for Roman, who had a tricker task than perhaps he gave credit for… ***½
Fast Time Moodo vs. Anil Marik
Marik’s had a tough go of it since returning from injury, still waiting for his first main roster win…
Marik takes Moodo into the corner early, but ran into a boot as Moodo swung for a Black Belt Kick in the first minute. A wristlock from Moodo’s held onto before Marik again had to avoid Moodo’s feet, leading to dual dropkick attempts and a stand-off. A side headlock from Moodo’s pushed off, but he charges down Marik before getting dropkicked into the corner. Moodo eats a Slingblade for a two-count, before Moodo kicked Marik as he came off the top rope. More kicks from Moodo follow, such as a spinning heel kick that cracked Marik for a two-count, while a PK left Marik laying again. We’re back to a side headlock, with some more kicks for the hell of it, before Moodo left himself open for a cradle as he was going for a standing toe hold.
The pair trade strikes, but it’s a chop that fell Marik, ahead of a Figure Four from Moodo that ended with Marik dragging himself to the ropes. Eventually, Marik responds with a flying forearm out of the corner, only to get flipped back for a superkick that almost won it. More back-and-forth strikes end with Marik landing forearms and clotheslines, then a back suplex before another trip up top allowed him to hit a missile dropkick. Moodo kicks out at two, then blocked a Codebreaker before a knee strike ended a sequence for a near-fall. A double-underhook facebuster’s next, but still Marik had enough to kick out… then to avoid a Black Belt Kick, before some see-saw pins gave way to a swinging DDT from Marik. Another Codebreaker attempt’s blocked as Marik then ran into a kick to the chest… followed by a Made in Japan for a near-fall… then a triangle choke for the submission. ***¼
Justin Daniels vs. Elijah Blum
It’s a wXw debut for Daniels, who’s filled out since I saw him in a sweatbox in Ireland back in 2018.
Blum took Daniels into the corner as the 19-year old tried to slow the pace down, heading to the ropes to break up holds. A side headlock from Richards led to a shoulder tackle on Blum, who returns with a crossbody off the ropes to send the Irishman packing. Taking his time to return, Richards ends up getting chopped into the corner, before he outmuscled Blum… only to get taken back to the corner for a clothesline. Blum ducks a chop, then hit a dropkick for a two-count, before Daniels threw away a Parting Gift attempt and responded with a sit-out splash.
A running gamengiri into the corner cracks Blum, who tried his luck with a roll-up, only to get caught with a back elbow instead. Blum floats out of a package piledriver, then caught Daniels with a side Russian legsweep, continuing a comeback with forearms and a neckbreaker. Kipping up, Blum charges in with a knee in the corner, then a shotgun dropkick before Daniels just waffled him with a big headbutt after Blum came off the top. Daniels goes back for the package… instead hitting a package sit-out side slam for a near-fall, before Blum snapped back with a Parting Gift for the win. ***
Ahura vs. Aliss Ink
Ahura gets a fan to tie his boots up before the bell, as we start with Ahura backing off as Ink feinted some strikes.
Ink lands a kick to the midsection, taking Ahura into the corner before he lifted her up into a bear hug as Ink went for a front facelock. A wristlock from Ahura takes Ink down for an armbar, before a side headlock had Ink on the defensive. Eventually freeing herself, Ink applies a side headlock of her own, but it’s pushed off… so Ink begins to pepper Ahura with kicks ahead of some headscissors. A charge into the corner’s caught, but Ahura’s met with more headscissors before a ‘rana driver planted Ahura in the middle of the ring. Ink adds a Dragon sleeper to the mix but Ahura breaks the grip before Ahura worked on his boot laces again. Chops keep Ink down, as her knee’s then driven into the mat before Ahura went for a toe hold.
Ahura switches to a half crab, then let go of the hold so he could stomp on her leg, then throw it into the mat. Can’t throw a big kick if you can’t stand…
Ink gets back to her feet, but a Fireman’s carry takeover was broken up with an elbow as Ahura tosses her to the outside. A dropkick through the ropes finds Ink, who’s then thrown into the wall (brother), before she got stretched around the ring post. Back inside, Ahura mouths off to the crowd, but it gave Ink too much time to respond as she came back with some kicks… then got spun down to the mat as a downward forearm kept her on the mat. Ink responds with some strikes of her own, sweeping the leg after a missed Dragon’s Tail, before a flip senton caught AHura.
Ink’s floatover DDT’s countered, but she counters a Michinoku driver into a Dragon sleeper, forcing Ahura to throw his way free. A tornado DDT sees Ink stay on her man, taking Ahura outside… with Ink following outside with a tope, before her follow-up guillotine was lifted out of. Ahura can’t avoid Ink again as a ’rana off the apron led to another tope, before a Meteora back inside almost won it for Ink. More kicks from Ink lead to forearms as the pair trade blows, forcing Ahura into the corner as the pair looked to be heading towards running on fumes. Ahura hits the ropes for a wicked lariat, which he followed up with some slaps from the mount as Ink was left defenceless. Ahura’s chastised by the crowd for not looking for a pin, so he gives the crowd another present… a slap that Ink returned in kind.
Ahura blocks a Dragon’s Tail, but just enough for through as Ink was able to haul him up… only for Ahura to slip out and hit some kicks of his own. A powerbomb dumps Ink, but again Ahura takes the piss, repeatedly pulling up Ink’s arm as he was about to win the match… which led to Ahura getting a €100 fine for unsporting conduct. Ahura ragdolls Ink for a second powerbomb, planting her in the middle of the ring again, before he again mouthed off to the crowd. His hubris costs him though, as Ink cradles Ahura out of nowhere… and that’s the win! It’s a bit of a banana peel win for Ink, who looked good on offence, while Ahura’s own attitude costs him once more. ***¼
Having names come over for a weekend – such as the Greedy Souls and Yota Tsuji here – gives wXw a second look at them as well, and creates a shop window for up and comers like Justin Daniels. wXw has done a good job of adding variety to these Fight Forever shows – they’re not straight up Academy shows, nor are they “preshow-level” matches, as seen by the addition of a Shotgun title match – but it’s clear that they’re still tinkering with how they release these… with only Streamyard hampering things.