wXw made their debut in Gotha as the More Than Wrestling tour took in the Mitteldeutschland Cup.
Quick Results
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: John Klinger pinned Da Mack in 6:50 (**¾)
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Ilja Dragunov pinned Marius al-Ani in 6:26 (***¼)
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Absolute Andy defeated Kim Ray via disqualification in 13:31 (***¼)
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Robert Dreissker pinned Axel Dieter Jr. in 7:02 (***¼)
The Rotation pinned Marius van Beethoven in 5:06 (**½)
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Final: Robert Dreissker defeated Absolute Andy, Ilja Dragunov & John Klinger in 15:30 (***½)
Axel Tischer, Big Daddy Walter & Franz Engel pinned Vincent The Beast, Bobby Gunns & Karsten Beck in 19:40 (***¼)
We’re coming from the resplendent Stadthalle in Gotha – with German commentary from Christian Bischof and Tassilo Jung to start with. Christian Michael Jakobi’s in the ring with everyone involved in the Mitteldeutschland Cup – kind of like how we did for the Four Nations Cup the other week… the hard cam really wants to show us the fancy chandeliers!
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: John Klinger vs. Da Mack
This one quickly went to the ground, with Mack and Klinger trading holds.
Getting back to their feet, Klinger’s quickly taken back down after a double leapfrog into a ‘rana, before he got pulled into a backslide for a two-count for Mack. Tiltawhirl headscissors have Klinger down again, but he then began to make a comeback with shoulder blocks, then with a leaping crossbody for a two-count.
Mounted punches follow in the corner, but Mack shoves Klinger away, before an Irish whip into the corner and a back body drop flung Mack skyward. It’s good for a two-count, as Klinger continued to control things.
Mack fought back with a dropkick into the corner, before his charge into the corner led to Klinger just throwing him down to the floor. Mack’s okay though, cutting off a Klinger dive as he returned to the ring to hit a Slingblade for a two-count, then a Rolling Thunder senton. From there though, Klinger struck back with a Kitchen Sink knee, before a buckle bomb and the Wrecking Ball Knees booked Klinger’s ticket to the final. **¾
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Marius Al-Ani vs. Ilja Dragunov
This was one of Marius’ first wXw matches, having debuted for the company about a year earlier in Fulda… and given Ilja’s record in singles matches, I don’t fancy Marius’ chances here.
al-Ani took Dragunov to the corner early on, while a waistlock from al-Ani led to a roll-up for a quick one-count. Dragunov returned with a shoulder tackle, before he got rolled up again by al-Ani… dropkicks keep the local al-Ani ahead, as did an armdrag, before a Torpedo Moscau-like headbutt turned it around for the Shotgun champion.
Dragunov keeps Marius grounded briefly with a neck crank, before Marius slipped out of a suplex and came close with another roll-up. Marius ducks a clothesline and hits a drop toe hold, leading to yet another roll-up… a strike exchange breaks out from there, leading to a crossbody off the top that almost got Marius the win.
A rear spin kick from al-Ani drills Dragunov from there, before Ilja hit back with the Grüße aus Moskau lariat out of nowhere to get the win. For a short match, this was absolutely fantastic – with the home crowd really pushing Marius towards an unlikely win, only for Ilja’s one-hit kill to do the job when it mattered. ***¼
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Absolute Andy vs. Kim Ray
We’ve a jump start here with Kim Ray attacking Andy in the corner… catching Andy with kicks before Andy began to hit back with chops.
An Irish whip into the corner leads to a back body drop and a clothesline as Andy threatened to steamroll through Ray… leading to a stalling suplex for a two-count. Kim looked to fight back, taking Andy to the outside for some kicks by the side of the ring, but that ends with Ray accidentally kicking the post.
Andy gets some payback as he chopped Ray into a chair, then kicked him out of it as the pair headed back inside… where a big boot took down Ray. A set-up for a superkick led to Kim using referee Tassilo Jung as a human shield as he mounted a sneak attack to get back into things.
Kim’s mudhole stomping and a dropkick into the corner gets him a two-count, while a clothesline into the corner and another kick kept Ray ahead. Throwing Andy into the ring post sees Kim look to get a count-out win, but of course that wasn’t happening anytime soon.
Andy manages to hit back with a flying forearm after he’d been sent into the ropes, before a series of right hands saw him bounce Ray around the ring. A clothesline out of the corner’s next, along with some shoulder tackles and an Absolute knee drop for a near-fall. From there, Andy lands a spinebuster, then a superkick, but it’s not enough as Ray kicked out by the ropes.
Keeping things in the corner, Andy heads up top in search of a Frankensteiner, but Ray blocks it and sends Andy back to the outside. Andy’s able to regain the upperhand as he chopped Ray back into the chair, but Kim finds a way to stop himself from being kicked out of it for a second time… he just throws the chair at Andy, and there’s the DQ. ***¼
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Semi-Final: Axel Dieter Jr. vs. Robert Dreissker
This was Dreissker’s first outing since Carat weekend – where he’d turned on Big Daddy Walter.
Junior’s all over Dreissker early on with dropkicks, before he got himself distracted with Adam Polak in the corner, allowing Dreissker to charge back with a clothesline. It’s pretty one-sided from there as slams left Junior in agony on the mat. Uppercuts from Junior earned him another clothesline, before he had to elbow Dreissker after a caught crossbody.
Dreissker still manages to throw Junior down though, following in with a sleeperhold as he looked to squeeze out Junior. Breaking free, Junior begins to trade strikes as he tried to chop down Dreissker with a clothesline… before he had more luck with a running European uppercut. A Blockbuster follows out of the corner for a two-count, before a front facelock tried to put Dreissker out.
Dreissker manages to push free, faceplanting Junior on the way out, before a clothesline out of the corner wiped him out. A back senton gets Dreissker a two-count, ahead of the Boulder Dash… and that’s enough to get the decisive win. ***¼
The Rotation vs. Marius van Beethoven
A breather before the Mitteldeutschland Cup final…
Marius had Alpha Kevin with him at ringside here… and started with a hammerlock on Rotation. Headscissors help get Rotation free, as did a ‘rana, before a dropkick took Marius down by the ropes. Alpha Kevin gets involved as he pulled Rotation to the outside for a backbreaker behind the ref’s back, which led to a two-count back inside.
Stomps from Marius keep him ahead, as did a bodyslam… a second one’s escaped as Rotation snuck in a roll-up for a two-count. Marius hits back with a boot to the face for a two-count of his own, before Rotation took the win with a dropkick and the Victory Over Gravity. **½
Mitteldeutschland Cup 2015 Final: Absolute Andy vs. John Klinger vs. Robert Dreissker vs. Ilja Dragunov
We’re running under elimination rules here… and we seem to be pipe wrench vs. cow bell at the start as Andy and Dreissker had their signature gimmicks.
Dreissker powders outside before the bell, so when we got going, Ilja Dragunov went after Andy and Klinger by himself. A shoulder tackle from Klinger stops that as the Champion of Champions duo combined to work over Ilja, mostly with shoulder tackles. We’ve a double stalling suplex on Ilja, before the Shotgun champion tried to fight back.
Of course, the numerical disadvantage doesn’t work well for Dragunov, as he’s taken into the corner and held by Andy as Klinger just railed Ilja with chops. They switch places so Andy can have a go too, but Ilja breaks free and scores a Torpedo Moscau after he stacked them up the corner. Cue Dreissker to avalanche all of them in the corner, as he then began to pick his spots.
Andy tries to make a way through, but he’s knocked down… while Dragunov ate a clothesline, then a body slam. Klinger tries a slam of his own, but he’s squished by Dreissker for a two-count, with Andy trying to break up the pin (in an elimination match, yes I know…)
Andy’s back up to chop away on Dreissker, as was Klinger, before a double clothesline wiped those two out. Andy’s superkick takes care of Dreissker for a spell, as Dragunov ran in… and ate a Manhattan drop. Klinger adds a missile dropkick to take Ilja outside, before he and Andy began to turn their sights on each other.
A powerslam off the ropes gets Klinger a two-count, before Andy came in with a back cracker for a two-count of his own. Andy and Klinger go back-and-forth over a suplex, with Klinger eventually landing it before he made his way outside to dive on Dragunov and Dreissker. Andy joins in as he kicks Dreissker out of a chair on the floor, while Klinger and Dragunov picked up their old rivalry, brawling around ringside as Dragunov then got kicked out of another chair.
Back inside, Dreissker eats a Frankensteiner from Andy… Klinger’s Wrecking Ball Knees looked to derail things, before a Cactus clothesline from Dragunov took him and Klinger to the floor… and apparently out of the match too? We’re 10:21 in, and only now they’ve decided battle royal-style eliminations count here? Alrighty…
Those two continue to fight around ringside anyway, with Klinger throwing Dragunov into a double door. Back in the ring, Dreissker chucks Andy into the corner, leading to an attempt at the Dreissker Bomb… but Andy rolls away! Picking up, Andy hits the ropes for some shoulder tackles, finally knocking down Dreissker for a knee drop that almost wins it.
Dreissker avoids an A-Klasse, but runs into a spinebuster as Andy stayed on the front foot, only to miss an elbow drop off the top rope. From there, Boulder Dash from Dreissker gets a near-fall, only for Andy to hit back with a F5. Dreissker’s able to kick out at two after a delayed cover, before he countered a superkick into a Samoan drop, following with the Dreissker Bomb out of the corner for the win. ***½
Axel Tischer, Big Daddy Walter & Franz Engel vs. Die Schilds (Bobby Gunns & Vincent The Beast) & Karsten Beck
With all due respect to Franz, he kinda looks like the odd-one-out here as Tischer began what was legitimately his final farewell weekender. It feels like he’s had a lot of those in this run!
Walter and Vinny get us going as Beck tagged out to start, with an early side headlock shoved away by Walter, as the pair traded shoulder tackles. Walter wins out there, before he crashed in with a dropkick ahead of a tag to Tischer. We’ve a big bodyslam from Tischer, who added an elbow drop for just a one-count, while a Northern Lights suplex picked up a two-count on Vinny.
Bobby Gunns tags in and is quickly met with a suplex for a two-count, before Engel tagged in to hit a double sledge to Gunns’ arm. A wristlock turns into a hammerlock from Engel, only for Gunns to break free of a follow-up side headlock and begin to work over Franz’s arm himself.
Gunns heads to the corner where Vinny gives him a cigarette and a lighter… Bobby sparks up and keeps hold of an armbar as he puffed away. Engel finds a way to make Bobby choke on it though, and hit back with some headscissors as the ring began to fill up… and empty out just as quickly.
When we resume, Tischer tagged in for an airplane spin on Gunns, prompting Walter to come in and knock Gunns down with a front kick. A stalling suplex followed from Walter for a two-count, before Tischer returned to trade uppercuts with Gunns.
Vinny tags himself in and quickly goes after Tischer, hitting a clothesline and a side suplex, before Gunns lit up another cigarette and tagged back in. He fakes out a PK, allowing Vinny to hit an elbow drop before he blew smoke in Axeman’s face. A kick takes Tischer into the ropes, where Beck snuck in a cheapshot, before he tagged in himself to add to Tischer’s woes.
A knee strike took Tischer to the corner, but Axeman’s able to respond with a neckbreaker before Engel came in to batter Beck with kicks. Headscissors take Karsten down, and drew in the Schilds, who were met with dropkicks while Vinny ate a crossbody off the top rope. Tischer’s finally in to dispatch of Gunns, then help Engel double-team Beck en route to a near-fall.
Beck catches more headscissors as he proceeded to lawn dart Engel into the corner, but the ref’s otherwise engaged and was late to count a near-fall. Engel’s able to clear the Schilds off the corner with dropkicks, but Beck just shoved Engel off the top rope… causing Franz to get hung up on the way down.
Vinny and Bobby attack Engel on the floor, then rolled him back inside as Beck picked up a two-count from a front facelock suplex. Gunns comes in to get a two-count from a suplex of his own, while Vinny tagged in to club away on Engel, whose attempts at headscissors were blocked, with Gunns coming in to catch him in the midsection with a dropkick for good measure.
Beck returns and took Engel into the ropes for a back elbow, while Gunns gets a two-count from an elbow drop – despite tagging in behind the ref’s back. Engel remained very much on the back foot for a while, but he’s able to sneak in a moonsault to the Schilds, only for Beck to prevent him from tagging out. Another dropkick from Engel gets him free as he finally tagged out to Walter, who clears house before Beck hung him up in the ropes.
Gunns and Vinny double-team Walter, but quickly get taken down with a clothesline as Beck intervened again with a dropkick. A low bridge from Tischer takes Beck outside before the Schilds combined to hit an Alabama Slam then a German suplex for a near-fall on Axeman. We keep going with Engel’s low bridge taking Gunns outside, before he paired up with Tischer on Vinny… leading to more headscissors from Engel, then a Ligerbomb from Tischer on Vinny for the win. ***¼
We’ve got six minutes left on the VOD after the final bell… filled by Walter ripping up Gunns’ cigarette and a farewell speech from the Axeman.
wXw’s debut in Gotha was a solid enough card – but you’ll be happy to hear that we’re done with one-night cups for the year after the Mitteldeutschland Cup kept up the Four Nations Cup’s pattern of shortish matches leading to a decent finale.