One week on from 2015’s Back to the Roots, wXw hit the road for their first tour stop in the small town of Steinheim, featuring Karsten Beck’s first appearance as champion.
Quick Results
The Rotation pinned Marius van Beethoven in 8:01 (**¼)
Kim Ray pinned Darksoul in 9:12 (**)
John Klinger pinned Kevin Roadster in 5:39 (**¼)
Big Daddy Walter pinned Sha Samuels in 9:42 (***)
Axel Tischer pinned Mike Schwarz in 13:06 (**¾)
Tommy End submitted Axel Dieter Jr. in 10:04 (***¼)
Absolute Andy, Laurance Roman & Franz Engel pinned Bobby Gunns, Vinny The Beast & Karsten Beck in 27:50 (***)
In the timeline, we’re a week on from Back to the Roots where Vince Russo debuted as an investor and finagled Karsten Beck into becoming champion. Unfortunately, at time of writing, old episodes of Shotgun still aren’t on wXw NOW, so these tour stops are our “fill in the blank” shows.
We’re coming live very-much-on-tape from Stadthalle in the town of Steinheim, two hours east of Oberhausen… and the show opens with the newly-crowned champion Karsten Beck and Sha Samuels in the ring.
Beck tells the crowd he’s not only the best wrestler in Europe – he’s the best in the world – and demanded the crowd stand for him. They don’t, and he’s interrupted by some overdubbing as I’ve Got A Bazooka Man… and eventually, the former champion Walter emerges from where the devil don’t stay.
Walter chases Beck and Sha, then greeted Steinheim before demanding a fight with Beck. Of course, Beck denies Walter, and we’re back to the overdub as more Teknoaxe greets Absolute Andy… who mocked Karsten’s claims about having to earn title shots. We get the German “what?” chants as Beck scurried away to end the segment.
When we get going, commentary comes from Tassilo Jung, Christian Jakobi and Sebastian Hollmichel.
The Rotation vs. Marius van Beethoven
We don’t even get overdubbed entrances here…
Things open with Marius backing Rotation into the corner, only to get taken down as Rotation looked to work the leg. Marius kicks his way free, but going hold-for-hold allowed Rotation back in with headscissors before a snapmare takedown and a cradle pin drew a two-count.
A step-up ‘rana’s next, as was some hand-walking headcissors, before a dropkick took Marius down. Marius hits the ropes to stop Rotation from going for a 450 splash, press slamming him off for a two-count as the tide turned. We’ve a missed knee into the corner from van Beethoven, but he recovers before he pulled Rotation back down by the hair.
Some Ron Garvin-like stomps see Marius work around the body, before Rotation’s wheelbarrow got him free, taking Marius into the corner for a dropkick. A swift lariat turned it back in Marius’ favour though, and looked to bloody up Rotation’s nose in the process. He places Rotation across the top turnbuckle, then punted him in the ribs.
The finish comes when Rotation elbows away a back superplex, knocking Marius down… before the Victory Over Gravity landed for the win. Decent given both weren’t even two years in at this point… **¼
Darksoul vs. Kim Ray
Ray got in Darksoul’s face before the bell – as CMJ on commentary was giving us a crash course on wXw original Darksoul.
A knuckle lock has Kim Ray down to his knees early on, before a lock-up saw the pair head into the corner for a break. Kim Ray slaps Darksoul on a break, then rolled him up for a one-count before bailing as he got under his opponent’s skin… then feigned a cheapshot in the corner as referee Tassilo Jung was separating them.
Eventually Darksoul found a way in with a throat thrust, then a bodyslam, before he bounced Ray around the turnbuckles. Ray returns by pulling Darksoul into the buckles, but that advantage is short-lived as Ray’s Thesz press put him back in control as kicks wore down Darksoul by the ropes.
Darksoul fight back with a diving kick, then with a throat thrust and a Manhattan drop… before a flying back elbow dropped Ray for just a one-count. A telegraphed back body drop is kicked away, but Darksoul is right back… only to get caught with the roundhouse Jet Kick as Ray took the win. **
Kevin Roadster issued an open challenge next… which was answered by about the only non-overdubbed theme they’ve used in 2015, as John Klinger emerged, sans Shotgun title belt.
Kevin Roadster vs. John Klinger
The Shotgun title wasn’t on the line here, as we started with Klinger taking down Kevin with a dropkick…
Kevin tried to offer a response, but he’s chopped into the corner by Klinger, before a back body drop propelled Kevin into the air for a two-count. Klinger slaps the arse before a Shadow Driver attempt was elbowed away… only for Kevin to run into a knee to the gut. A deadlift suplex takes Kevin outside… where he finally found an opening thanks to a distraction from Marius van Beethoven.
Back inside, Kevin got charged down with shoulder tackles and a crossbody for a two-count, before van Beethoven grabbed Klinger’s leg in the corner. Kevin grabs the referee to mask Marius’ interference… before he threw Klinger outside, presumably so Marious could get his licks in. Problem was, the tripod hard cam zoomed in on Kevin, so we only saw bits of Klinger ducking Marius before he punched him out… with Kevin turning around to see the unexpected results.
A Drive By kick from Klinger finds its mark as he returned with a missile dropkick back inside… before Marius’ latest attempt to intervene was snuffed out. That left Kevin open for some Wrecking Ball Knees, which he turned around into, before Klinger took home the straightforward win. **¼
Sha Samuels vs. Big Daddy Walter
Sha bails at the bell, knocking Walter was still steaming mad after what happened at Back to the Roots a week earlier…
Sha demanded absolute silence, and of course didn’t get it, so he continued to stall out, earning himself a €20 fine for bad sportsmanship. Walter gives chase, eventually getting the upper hand back inside with some chops before he ran Sha into the buckles. Sidestepping gave Sha an opening, which led to him throwing Walter shoulder-first into the turnbuckles.
Chops and elbows got Walter back into it, but he again charges shoulder-first into the buckles as Sha proceeded to choke him while the ref was distracted with the braces. A chinlock keeps Walter down, as did an armbar as Sha looked to force a stoppage.
Walter broke free, but is instantly met with a spinebuster for a near-fall, before he found a way back with chops and right hands. A back body drop followed, as did a double sledge off the top for another near-fall, before a shotgun dropkick knocked Sha into the corner. From there, Walter picks up Sha for a powerbomb, and that’s your lot – decent enough for the time they had, with Sha playing off of Walter’s war wounds, only to come up short. ***
Axel Tischer vs. Mike Schwarz
CMJ on commentary’s bringing up catch grappling in Africa as the opening lock-up here yielded little as the pair both went for a leg at the same time.
They try again, but this time Schwarz charges Tischer into the corner, before the pair tried their luck with shoulder tackles. Schwarz pulls ahead from there, following up with a bodyslam before things spilled outside… where Tischer got distracted for so long, Schwarz was able to attack him from behind.
Tischer recovers to spray beer into Schwarz’s eyes, but Mikey fought back around ringside, posting Tischer before the pair headed back inside. Tischer kicks the ropes into Schwarz… so we’re back outside as Tischer followed up with an apron PK, before some sneaky punches in a side headlock had Schwarz reeling.
Schwarz gets worn down ahead of a suplex for a two-count, before Tischer rolled him down… only to get goozled as Schwarz teased a chokeslam… with Tischer fighting free before it could be done. Things head into the corner as Tischer applied an abdominal stretch… hooking the rope for extra leverage right in front of the ref. It’s the small details that matter…
Wash, rinse and repeat, as I question just how much extra leverage Tischer’s getting from that position… before Schwarz hiptossed his way free. The pair trade strikes from there, as Schwarz pulled ahead, landing a sidewalk slam for a near-fall. Tischer’s enziguiri helps him avoid another chokeslam, only for Schwarz to boot him down seconds later. Tischer forces another opening with a German suplex seconds later for a near-fall, only to get caught with a Bossman slam as the pair swerve pulling out the big guns.
Schwarz again calls for a chokeslam, but Tischer slips out and hit back with a Ligerbomb… stacking up Mikey for the win. **¾
Tommy End vs. Axel Dieter Jr.
Surprisingly, this was only the second time that these two had met one-on-one… they’d have another run a few years later on NXT house shows.
A tentative start led to Junior trapping End in some headscissors on the mat… but they’re quickly escaped, as Junior instead looked to work over the Dutchman’s arm with the bridging hammerlock. Getting back to their feet, End takes things into the ropes for a break, before he got met with a dropkick and a headscissor takedown from Junior.
Junior’s Northern Lights suplex bridges for a near-fall, before End sidestepped a Blockbuster attempt. He can’t follow-up though as he’s quickly met with a guillotine… which he suplexed away from, before a Kitchen Sink knee dumped Junior for a two-count. A high kick from End drops Junior for another two-count, but a turnaround sees End and Junior trade uppercuts into the corner.
A floatover suplex out of the corner drew a two-count for End, but a dropkick takes him outside as Junior gave us our first dive of the show. Junior tries to follow it up with a top rope dropkick back inside, but End sidesteps it… only for Junior to connect at the second attempt for a near-fall.
End responds with a brainbuster for a near-fall, before Junior’s O’Connor roll kept things evenly-poised. We’re back on the mat with another guillotine for Junior, only for End to escape and tie up Junior in a Dragon Slayer (Dragon sleeper) for the quick submission. ***¼
Absolute Andy & Waschbären Auf Koffein (Franz Engel & Laurance Roman) vs. Die Schilds (Bobby Gunns & Vincent The Beast) & Karsten Beck
We’ve a trios main event… and a jump start as the Schilds attacked the Waschbären before Absolute Andy could even make his entrance.
Andy clears house, clotheslining Gunns out of the ring, before Vincent took a F5… leaving Andy free to go after Karsten Beck, who was already begging off. The Schilds attack Andy from behind, as we’ve some double-teaming in the ring with Gunns going all Hardyz with a step-up dropkick to Andy in the corner, before Franz Engel tagged in and cleared house with dropkicks.
Laurance Roman’s in next – and it’s a trip seeing this almost nine years on – to land a dropkick of his own for a two-count. Engel’s quickly back as the Waschbäre kick Gunns into the ropes, ahead of a double-team back body drop for a two-count. Beck’s in to beat down on Engel, while Roman accidentally distracted the ref with some protestations, before Vinny’s suplex kept his trio ahead.
Gunns tags in as Engel’s taken into the corner… before Gunns began to work over Engel with an armbar. Beck’s in next to hit a double sledge to the back of Engel. Randomly, Markus Weiss on commentary (I think) broke out into English with some verbal boot kissing of Vince Russo, before Engel caught Beck with a wheelbarrow bulldog.
Roman’s brought back in with a tag as he took Karsten into the ropes with dropkicks, following up with armdrags and a diving clothesline… before the Schilds stormed the ring to stop him tagging in Andy. Gunns is in to try and keep Roman cornered, while Absolute Andy screamed at Gunns from across the ring.
A grounded straitjacket hold’s forced out of by Roman, only for Gunns to put it back on and connect with a knee to the back for a two-count. Beck’s brought back in as Andy took a dig at the champion for being “Mc Fat”. He was lovin’ it…
Vinny’s brought back in as he elbowed Roman into the corner… the Schilds use their boots to choke on Roman as Beck had the referee distracted. Gunns returns, lighting up a cigarette as he prepared to blow smoke at Roman… but Laurance moved as Vinny took the smoke before a tag finally brought in Absolute Andy, who ran wild with clotheslines and shoulder blocks on the Schild.
Andy stacks up the Schild into the corner for a clothesline, before clotheslining Vinny to the outside. A dropkick staggered Gunns up top ahead of a top rope ‘rana… before Karsten Beck hit back with a dropkick off the top rope. Engel’s back, but he’s knocked off the top rope by Beck before Andy came back and took Beck into the corner for some mounted punches.
Another back body drop sends Beck flying, as he then bailed on an Absolute knee drop… only for Andy to connect with a plancha instead. On the outside, Beck’s kicked out of a chair by Andy, before an Irish whip took the champion into the stage. Back inside, Andy manages to connect with an Absolute knee drop, then a superkick… before the Schild hit the ring to hit a double-team facebuster on Andy.
Clotheslines from Vinny keep Andy in the corner, as did a running dropkick from Gunns, before both of the Waschbäre hit crossbodies off the top. Gunns gets sandwiched between low dropkicks as Vinny wiped out the Waschbäre with clotheslines, leading to an Alabama slam and a German suplex on Roman. A doe-see-doe allowed the Waschbäre back in as we returned to Andy and Beck trading chops and right hands… Beck’s on the ropes after some punches, but manages to break free with a Flatliner for a near-fall.
Andy’s able to retaliate with a spinebuster before we built to a Tower of Doom, with the Waschbäre powerbombing the Schilds out of the corner… and from there, Roman and Engel wipe out Vinny and Beck with dives to the outside, before Andy put away Gunns with a spinebuster and the A-Klasse. This was fine, if not overly long… ***
Post-match, Beck continued to beg off… but Sha Samuels hit the ring to attack Andy from behind. Big Daddy Walter makes the save as Beck prepared to piledrive Andy… Beck and Sha skedaddle as the Schilds end up taking a beating from Walter and Andy, who stand tall as we fade to black.
So… my first taste of a “tour stop” show perhaps wasn’t the best first impression – but I was still blown away at how what was basically a “house show” had much better production values than some promotions do TODAY. Still, on this evidence, this was exactly the sort of show that a lot of wXw’s roster is missing today – a card that really doesn’t have to be taped (and viewed) from end to end, but largely existed for the development of wrestlers and the promotion.