We continue our look back at 2015 wXw with a stop in Hamburg – and a stacked card as the company prepared for 16 Carat Gold.
Quick Results
Mike Schwarz pinned Jurn Simmons in 3:57 (**¼)
Michael Schenkenberg pinned Timothy Thatcher in 13:14 (***¼)
Sasa Keel defeated John Klinger via disqualification in 10:53 – Klinger retains the wXw Shotgun Championship (***)
Big Daddy Walter & Robert Dreissker pinned Michael Dante & Tommy End in 12:02 (***¾)
Damian O’Connor pinned Scotty Saxxon in 5:44 (**)
Karsten Beck pinned Ivan Kiev to retain the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship in 16:15 (***¼)
Axel Dieter Jr. & Da Mack defeated Lucas di Leo & Peter Fischer via disqualification in 11:06 – di Leo & Fischer retained the wXw World Tag Team Championships (***¼)
We’re less than a week out from 16 Carat Gold, but wXw’s made the trip up north to Hamburg and back in front of das Powercrowd. We’ve got dubbed over entrances, and we’ve got Sebastian Hollmichel and Christian Bischof on German commentary once more.
Mike Schwarz vs. Jurn Simmons
This was Jurn’s wXw debut in the Markthalle, and he’s quickly backing off into the corner as Schwarz went for him.
Clotheslines bounce Jurn to the mat, ahead of a back body drop and a fallaway slam. Jurn sidesteps a charge into the corner, allowing him to retaliate with a DDT for just a one-count, then with a suplex out of the corner, before he proceeded to whip Schwarz into the buckles.
Schwarz sidesteps a boot into the corner and began his comeback with elbows and boots, before a leaping clothesline dropped Jurn. The Rhein-Ruhr-Schwinger drops Jurn from there, before the Schicht im Schacht chokeslam made short work of things. **¼
Timothy Thatcher vs. Michael Schenkenberg
Schenkenberg hadn’t won a match in wXw in over a year at this point, with a win over Sha Samuels in a 16 Carat Gold 2014 qualifying tournament having been followed by several losses, mostly in Hamburg. I can only presume the “USA” chants were to mock Thatcher’s “British Messiah” gimmick…
Thatcher took Schenkenberg into the corner early on, before he picked the leg and took down Schenkenberg… working over the arm. Schenkenberg flips free, but was taken back into the corner as Thatcher was controlling the opening stages with ease. The ropes save Schenkenberg again as Thatcher torqued on the arm, before Schenkenberg scored with a waistlock takedown… only for Thatcher to free himself and go back to the arm.
A finger snapper keeps Schenkenberg grounded, but he’s able to get free and work a toe hold on Thatcher… who again gets free and went back to the arm. Thatcher’s cross armbar gets countered into a roll-up for a two-count… before he again targeted Schenkenberg’s left arm, stomping it into the mat.
Thatcher retains control with a snap suplex to get a couple of two-counts, before Schenkenberg pulled him into a backbreaker to try and turn things around. A butterfly suplex stopped that though as Thatcher again goes back to the arm, with Schenkenberg again trying a roll-up to get free… and then finally take Thatcher down for a kick to the back.
Schenkenberg’s chinlock is countered out of as Thatcher manipulated the fingers en route to another armbar, using the boot for extra pressure as he manipulated Schenkenberg into a pinning attempt. Yep, it’s back to the armbar after another kick-out as we crossed the ten-minute mark, before an exchange of uppercuts led to Schenkenberg getting lifted to the top rope.
More uppercuts left Schenkenberg rocked… but he’s able to avoid a superplex, shoving Thatcher down before a crossbody off the top almost got the upset. Thatcher swings the match right back around with an arm whip, dumping Schenkenberg for another armbar… but the ropes force a break. Thatcher stays on Schenkenberg, using a Karelin lift into a suplex, before Schenkenberg rolled his way out of another armbar attempt to snatch the win. A big upset here as Thatcher’s one-track mind ended up costing him. ***¼
wXw Shotgun Championship: Sasa Keel vs. John Klinger (c)
During his entrance, Keel draped his Croatian flag over the banner of Klinger that was part of wXw’s stage… Klinger didn’t notice on his way out, so the flag stayed there.
When we got going, Keel cheapshotted Klinger and took him into the corner, before Klinger hit back with a crossbody off the ropes for a two-count. A backslide quickly follows, but Keel kicks out before he got chopped around the ring. Someone’s empty beer cup’s chucked into the ring as Klinger went up top… and landed a missile dropkick to take Keel outside.
Klinger’s dive’s cut off with an uppercut from the floor, as Keel then took control back inside, throwing a headbutt into the corner. A crossbody out of the corner gets Klinger a near-fall, but Keel quickly gets back on top, hammering Klinger’s back with punches before the crowd called for a 619.
Instead, Keel’s back rakes had Klinger on the back foot, while shoulder charges kept Klinger in the corner. Klinger heads up top, but a flying sunset flip’s blocked as Keel choked him back into the corner, before an attempt at the Vijak by Keel was countered into a roll-up. Kicking out, Keel’s right back on Klinger with an Olympic slam for a two-count, only for Klinger to hit back with a Codebreaker.
Keel heads outside, and this time he’s unable to avoid a tope from Klinger, who knocked him into the stage… where things spilled onto as Keel ended up being bounced with a suplex. A bodyslam on the stage gave Keel an opening, as he then threw Klinger to the back… then pulled down that Klinger banner… revealing the champion with a chair, which was used for the obvious DQ. ***
Post-match, Klinger took the mic and reckoned he’d won because he was the last man standing… then brought up his double KO with Ilja Dragunov in Bielefeld the prior week… which looked to lead to a challenge for Carat.
Sumerian Death Squad (Michael Dante & Tommy End) vs. AUTsiders (Big Daddy Walter & Robert Dreissker)
Little did we know it, but we were in the dying embers of the AUTsiders at this point…
Walter and End got us going, with Walter swinging for a chop early on, while End swung for a kick in the corner, which was ducked. Tempers flared quickly as End connected with a kick, only to get chopped down, then charged down by Walter, before tags brought us to Dreissker and Dante.
An elbow off the ropes gets Dante just a one-count, before Dreissker popped up Dante into a Fireman’s carry… End’s in to make the save, scoring with a push-down stomp to Dreissker as Walter came in to break up Dante’s cover. Kicks from End keep Dreissker down, while Dante’s elbows knocked Dreissker into the corner.
Dreissker fights out of a sleeperhold, but is quickly dropped with a shoulder tackle before he evaded a charging End. Tommy accidentally catches Dante with a knee in the corner, then ran into an overhead belly to belly before Dreissker’s Samoan drop got him a two-count on Dante.
Walter’s back in to chop Dante, before a powerbomb was countered with a back body drop. A front kick quickly dispatched Dante though, with a chinlock following as the AUTsiders began to take control. Dreissker’s falling headbutt gets a two-count as he took Dante into the corner for a Mongolian chop… then tagged Walter back in.
That’s the cue for Dante to try and make a comeback, but Walter cut him off with a DDT for a two-count before the AUTsiders combined for a piggyback… which End broke up with a flying knee. Walter fought back though, only to get waylaid with a knee strike and a shotgun dropkick for a near-fall, before someone from the crowd leapt up onto the apron.
Things calm down a little as Dreissker took over, squashing Dante in the corner before a Walter powerbomb would have gotten the win… but End leaps over Dreissker with a double stomp to break it up at the ten-minute mark. Dreissker slams End from there, but his Dreissker Bomb lands in the knees before a Black Mass took care of him.
Walter’s right back to chop End, with those two then teeing off on each other… End’s ragdolled out of the corner with a German suplex, while Walter’s clothesline dumped Dante. Recovering, Dante’s spear almost puts Walter away, before a follow-up ended with him eating a lariat for the win to end a heck of a sprint. ***¾
Up next, Christian Michael Jakobi’s addressing the crowd – announcing that the Saturday of 16 Carat Gold 2015 will have Ilja Dragunov challenging John Klinger for the Shotgun title under Wladiwostok rules.
Scotty Saxxon vs. Damian O’Connor
Saxxon would probably be better known to later-day wXw fans as Jan Dietrich, part of die Keiler. He’s got a big ask here against Big Damo, but didn’t back down to start as the pair traded shots.
Saxxon tries for a Fireman’s carry, but he just crumples under Damo, who then stood on his chest ahead of a back senton. Damo’s elbows stop Saxxon’s attempted comeback, before he bounced him into the corners. That backfires on Damo as Saxxon sidesteps a shoulder charge, before he looked to mount a comeback with clotheslines.
Damo catches Saxxon in the corner, but got knocked down as a series of double sledges rocked the Ulsterman… leading to a missile dropkick that took Damo down. A death valley driver from Saxxon just riled up Damo though, as he popped right back up before a ripcord lariat sent him sailing to the outside.
Saxxon slingshots in for a sunset flip, but Damo sits down on him to cut it out… then followed up with the Ulster Plantation for the win in a pretty squashy outing. **
Post-match, Damo continued to beat on Saxxon, crushing him with a cannonball until we had some dubbed over Wolfgang Petry signalling the arrival of Mike Schwarz to make the save… then challenged Damo to a tables match next time they were at the Markthalle in May.
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Ivan Kiev vs. Karsten Beck (c)
This wasn’t Kiev’s first shot at the title – having had cracks at the big one in the Markthalle before… and apparently he was Vince Russo’s choice for this title defence.
Beck jumps Kiev during the introductions, but Kiev’s able to cut him off, landing dropkicks and a bodyslam, before a standing moonsault drew an early two-count. An armbar from Kiev’s escaped, but he’s able to return with an armdrag into another armbar as commentary were sounding like they were willing for the end of this title reign!
A springboard crossbody from Kiev keeps Beck on the back foot, only to get lifted up top and shoved to the floor by the champion. Beck followed Kiev outside to throw him into the ring post, and it’s one-way traffic from there for a while as Beck controlled the pace, throwing Kiev into the corner… then rebounding with a sidewalk slam for a two-count.
Another sidewalk slam drew another two-count for Beck, before Kiev forged an opening, leaping over Beck before stomping him into the corner. A Stinger splash followed, but some headscissors are caught and turned into a lawndart into the corner as Beck shut down his challenger.
Knee drops follow from Beck, who then decked Kiev with a big boot off the ropes for a two-count. A Northern Lights suplex out of nowhere gave Kiev a hopeful near-fall, only for Beck to beat him into the corner. Things swing back and forth, leading to a leaping Blockbuster from Kiev for a near-fall, before the pair fought on the top rope… leading to Kiev slapping Beck down ahead of a sunset bomb.
Kiev charges in with a knee strike that nearly won it, before he got caught with a Flatliner out of nowhere for a near-fall. Beck adds a knee strike and a Doctor bomb to the mix, but he pulls up Kiev at two before Kiev snatched a near-fall with a roll-up. A superkick bought him some time, only for Beck to crotch him in the ropes… pulling him off the top and into a piledriver for the win. I don’t think many gave Kiev much of a chance here, but he had some bright spots as Beck’s “tomato can” defence caused him more problems than he’d hoped for. ***¼
wXw World Tag Team Championship: Hot And Spicy (Axel Dieter Jr. & Da Mack) vs. French Flavour (Lucas Di Leo & Peter Fischer) (c)
Hamburg’s been the site of a few big wins for Hot & Spicy – and they’d need to pull out another one here if they were to take the titles back from French Flavour.
Di Leo grabbed the mic before the bell and said that the champions would just walk out because they didn’t have to fight to retain the titles. That led to a count-out tease at the start of the match, but Hot & Spicy charged after them as they tried to make sure the match actually started.
When they hit the ring, Fischer blindsides Da Mack… but Junior’s able to help with a high/low as the challengers pushed ahead, with Mack being propelled onto Fischer for an early two-count. Roll-ups from Mack brought di Leo in to break up the covers, much to the annoyance of Junior on the apron… which earned him a €20 fine for his persistent arguing. That went down like a wet fart… except a fan actually paid that fine for Junior, so yay?!
Mack remained cornered though, while commentary seemed taken aback at the tidbit that di Leo used to be a part of WWE developmental. Fischer’s back to score a two-count from an elbow drop, before di Leo’s back suplex drew a two-count amid a long spell on top for the champions.
Fischer’s chinlock keeps Mack grounded, before Mack got caught between the ropes as he went for a comeback, leading to Fischer landing a suplex for a two-count. All French Flavour were doing was winding up the crowd as Da Mack continued to take a beating, even more so when di Leo pulled him off the top rope, forcing Junior to dive in to break up the pin before he celebrated with someone in the crowd. Unfortunately for Junior, that earned him another €20 fine… which another fan eventually paid for him.
Eventually, Da Mack manages to break free with a Slingblade… then made the tag to Junior, who unloaded with diving kicks to French Flavour. The Blockbuster follows out of the corner to di Leo, while an overhead belly to belly suplex from Junior, then a flip senton from Da Mack looked to have the former champions back in it. Fischer’s back in, but is dealt with with kicks and uppercuts before di Leo wandered in and kicked Da Mack in the balls. There’s a belt shot to Junior too as we’ve got an obvious DQ as the champions retained. ***¼
The Hamburg crowd were screaming for them to restart the match, but Hot & Spicy were taking a beating as Karsten Beck came out and took the mic, declaring he’d end Hot & Spicy because they weren’t champions. Ivan Kiev came out to make the save, but Beck and French Flavour overwhelm him, throwing Kiev into the ring post before Axel Tischer came out to clear house as we ended with Tischer, Kiev and Hot & Spicy standing tall.
wXw’s pre-Carat trip to Hamburg was undoubtedly buoyed by the AUTsiders/Sumerian Death Squad sprint – while the two title matches on top ultimately flattered to deceive.