1 Called Manders looked to put Ahura behind him as wXw returned to Oberhausen.
Quick Results
Hektor Invictus pinned Axel Tischer to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 10:00 (***)
1 Called Manders pinned Ahura to retain the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship in 19:05 (***¾)
Bobby Gunns submitted Kidd Bandit in 8:23 (**½)
Marius al-Ani submitted LJ Cleary to retain the wXw European Championship in 10:17 (***¼)
Mike D Vecchio, Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire pinned Nick Schreier, Aigle Blanc & Laurance Roman in 15:18 (***½)
Peter Tihanyi won Shortcut to the Top in 52:55 (***½)
— Check out the Auf Die Fresse podcast for further wXw coverage… Links to stream are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
It’s the last big stop before next month’s Pro Wrestling Grand Prix – as we’re back in the Turbinenhalle for wXw’s annual “chuck everyone over the top rope” outing. English commentary comes from Mett Dimassi…
wXw Shotgun Championship: Axel Tischer vs. Hektor Invictus (c)
You know they think the card’s stacked when this is on the pre-show…
This was Hektor’s first match in wXw since May after taking paternal leave, and that perhaps played into some rustiness early on as Tischer took down the champion with wristlocks. Hektor was able to escape and apply some of his own, adding a dropkick before a springboard crossbody clattered into the challenger for a near-fall.
Using the referee to create a distraction, Tischer’s able to get back in it, shoving Hektor into the ring post before landing an old school shoulderbreaker a la Papa Shango to exacerbate things. Despite having one arm, Hektor’s able to return fire eventually with a spinebuster, only for a springboard from Hektor to get cut off with an uppercut as Tischer looked to make the most of his new opening.
Hektor deadweights himself to avoid a powerbomb, but can’t avoid a German suplex, nor a death valley driver after Tischer caught a leapfrog. A Hektor-Knie’s blocked, but a ‘rana proves to counter the counter before a flapjack from the champion opened things up some more… with a powerbomb and the Hektor-Knie getting the job done in ten minutes flat. It was hard going for Hektor, but business as usual in the end. ***
Onto the main show…
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Ahura vs. 1 Called Manders (c)
My word, Oberhausen were really behind Ahura going into this – as Manders made his 15th defence of the title in what was a rematch of this year’s 16 Carat Gold final.
Starting with a back-to-back duel, Manders eked out a lariat to start before the pair just swung for the fences. Ahura’s able to draw the proverbial first blood, sending Manders outside from a springboard missile dropkick, before grabbing Manders by the teeth just so he could throw a chop on the outside.
Manders retaliates, but he Trent Sevens his chop, hitting the ring post as Ahura kept things on the outside, judiciously breaking the ref’s count to extend it. On the outside, Ahura bounced Manders off the ring post… but once we got back inside, Manders was able to pick up his challenger, walk him across the ring and slingshot him into the ropes. Ahura tries to go for Manders’ jaw and teeth, but biting quickly breaks that up… only for Ahura to go for a finger snapper after he’d gotten free.
Shrugging it off, Manders caught a kick from Ahura, before a double lariat left both men laying…
From their knees, Manders and Ahura just fling themselves head-first into the other, before they opted to use their elbows to tee off. A short-range lariat from Ahura out of nowhere nearly puts an end to it, before Manders hit back with a Stampede… albeit for a near-fall. The oneupmanship continued with Manders going up for a moonsault… to the back of Ahura, but it’s still not enough, so Manders goes for an avalanche slam… only for Ahura to flip free.
A Salamandra out of the corner just about comes off, but Manders grabs the rope to break up the count… and moments later launched Ahura deep into the crowd with a lariat on the outside. Somehow though, Ahura’s able to get back up and make it back to the ring as he offered himself up for a lariat – a la the Carat final – but this time it’s a fake-out as Ahura countered into a cross armbreaker.
Manders rolls out and powerbombed his way free, only for Ahura to reclaim the hold… eventually the hold’s broken as Manders again went back to the lariat. It’s not enough, and this time Manders’ bid to go up to the top goes awry as Ahura brought him down with almost a Burning Hammer for a near-fall. Ahura telegraphs a Boss Lariat and eats one of his own in the end, before one more thunderous strike put paid to Ahura’s title dreams. Some of this perhaps felt a little over the top, but this was a heck of a showing from Ahura as Manders looks set to defend his title over next month’s festival weekend. But against whom? ***¾
Post-match, Manders took the mic and asked the crowd to cheer for Ahura… then declared that he’s here to stay in wXw. That got the crowd back onside!
Bobby Gunns vs. Kidd Bandit
This was Bandit’s debut in Germany, but without any sound her theatrical entrance kinda felt a little off on the live feeds.
Gunns was stopped in his tracks as Bandit feinted kicks at the bell, only to get caught out as Gunns grabbed a wristlock. Breaking the hold, Bandit’s delayed head kick took down Gunns before her armdrags had the former multi-time champion on the proverbial back foot.
Retaliating with a shotgun dropkick, Gunns sent Bandit sailing into the buckles, but more kicks from Bandit proved somewhat successful. A tijeras from Bandit’s got Gunns in more bother, before the Leaf Hurricane roundhouse kick almost got the unlikeliest of wins.
Gunns’ death valley driver starts a turnaround, but a head kick stops Gunns’ charging uppercuts. Her Tiger Feint kick’s caught and countered into an ankle lock, with Gunns scissoring the leg for good measure, only for Bandit to break the hold via the ropes. Pushing on, Bandit’s stunner, then a heel kick dropped Gunns en route to a near-fall, but you never got the sense the crowd were buying the threat of an upset that was on sale here.
Another tijeras from Bandit’s caught… and with Gunns countering it into a Stretch Muffler, the airplane spin on it forces the submission. This was alright, but Gunns clearly was on a much different level here. **½
wXw European Championship: LJ Cleary vs. Marius al-Ani (c)
God damn, that LJ Cleary Ear-Worm is back…
Marius enjoyed the better of a tentative start, with LJ being forced to use his speed to try and create an opening, with a lofty springboard armdrag catching out Marius briefly. Problem was, that moment was fleeting, and Marius was able to smother LJ pretty soon afterwards, taking him down with a clothesline before a rear naked choke forced the Irishman to escape.
LJ has to keep evading an ankle lock, as Marius kept shooting for the leg, but that one-track mind gave Cleary opportunities to counter, rolling up the champion for a near-fall before a gamengiri in the corner found its mark. A springboard stomp from the apron into the ring gets a near-fall for the challenger, before another overhead belly-to-belly saw LJ land on his feet… but not by choice!
A butterfly suplex from al-Ani’s chained into a cross armbreaker from there, before Marius finally scored with an up-kick as the near-falls continued. LJ’s backslide goes awry, allowing al-Ani to go for the ankle lock… before almost a Diamond Driver forced LJ to dig deep for the kick-out.
Al-Ani’s Superman punch gets cut off by a head kick from LJ, but despite a brief flurry, LJ’s caught with that punch at the second attempt before the ankle lock finally forced a submission. A brave effort from LJ, but Marius getting the win felt like it was always on the cards given the two’s relative positions here. ***¼
Aigle Blanc & The Grind (Laurance Roman & Nick Schreier) vs. Mike D Vecchio & Planet Gojirah (Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire)
This was wXw’s send-off for Mike D Vecchio and Aigle Blanc, who are headed stateside at the end of the month. An emotionally-charged send-off at that, with Aigle Blanc struggling to hold back the tears as he hit the ring.
In among this, you had the dynamic of Nick Schreier going up against his mentor in Mike D, but we started with Dreissker and Roman as the old AMBOSS pair faced off. Their exchanges of wristlocks and chops eventually ended in a handshake offer… but it’s shrugged off as Marc Empire was tagged in to plough through Roman.
Roman’s able to break free with an enziguiri… but he just charges into Marc Empire’s Samoa Joe impression after Nick Schreier had tagged in. Nick had some more luck with mounted punches in the corner, before Roman returned to combine with Schreier to hit Cryme Tyme’s old G9 finisher – the fireman’s carry/spinning neckbreaker combo.
Empire’s able to recover and tag Dreissker back in… before Nick Schreier out of instinct tagged in Mike D, who obliged. Until he realised they weren’t on the same side. Schreier’s able to make some inroads with the mounted punches to Dreissker, but a sit-out powerbomb out of the corner rudely stopped that before tags brought in Aigle and Mike D. Who’da thunk it?!
Aigle popped up after an exchange of forearms, before Mike D’s tijeras took the Frenchman into the corner. An attempted Meteora from Aigle’s blocked, but he saves it with a Dragon’rana and a headscissor driver before Mike D flipped his way in for a gorilla press slam and a standing moonsault for a two-count.
Aigle clears Planet Gojirah off the apron, before he was used to clear the Grind off of his own corner… inadvertently, of course. Things keep going as Mike D’s springboard got him shoved to the outside ahead of a slingshot DDT onto the side of the ring, sparking some attempted dives. Nick Schreier’s tope didn’t work, nor with a flip senton from Aigle, who got powerbombed onto the side of the ring.
Nick tries a plancha afterwards, and just got flung back inside the ring as Mike D caught him. The safer bet. Back inside, Schreier tries to get a step ahead of Mike D, landing a flying Destroyer off the middle rope as the Grind began to combine… but that just sparks a big ol’ Parade of Moves among all six men in the match.
Aigle counters a Dreissker bomb with a sunset flip powerbomb out of the corner as the departees exchanged blows once more, leading to an avalanche Dragon suplex from Aigle Blanc, who quickly followed that up with a flip dive to the outside. It all goes horribly wrong when Aigle leapt into a Mike D cutter off the top, before Nick Schreier dawdled up top and found himself taking a Spanish Fly for a near-fall. A Doctor Bomb’s next from Mike D, then a big ol’ lariat… and that’s all she wrote for Mike D Vecchio and Aigle Blanc in wXw. Some party catch to send the lads off. ***½
After the match, it was Robert Dreissker’s time to do the goodbyes – for the second time this year in wXw. Mike D dropped a few F bombs as he thanked the German fans for accepting him, before his dad, Pat Derudder joined the ring before Mike recounted his wXw debut two years ago. Aigle Blanc finally got the mic, as he labelled Mike D his “wrestling soulmate” since they’d tried out together and travelled to new promotions together… before the pair were sent on their way with the applause of the crowd.
After the interval, we had the appearance of Dennis “Cash” Dullnig – who was accompanied onto the stage by members of the wXw locker room, which wasn’t a good omen. Ring announcer Thommy Giesen mentioned how Dullnig had picked up a head injury back in February, before a clearly-emotional Dullnig announced his retirement. That brought out Hektor Invictus, Dennis’ long-time friend (albeit unwillingly at first), who wanted one last hug from his former tag partner.
BUT IT WAS A SET UP ALL ALONG!
Dullnig attacked Hektor with the microphone, then laid him out with his own Hektor-knie before declaring that the crowd were dumb. After months out with injury, we’re finally getting back to the Cash vs. Hektor feud we were meant to have had at Carat…
Shortcut to the Top Match
The winner of this gets the obligatory title shot – likely at the Pro Wrestling Grand Prix weekend – and we’re running under usual over-the-top-rope rules. Let’s get into it!
Zoltan and Gringo Loco started in the first two spots, with Gringo’s surprise appearance getting by far the louder reaction. Zoltan tried to jump Gringo, but was taken down ahead of a Switch-sault and an avalanche Falcon arrow before Fast Time Moodo hit the ring.
Moodo’s first kick landed, as did a leg sweep, before he backed away from a flying cutter from Zoltan. The Hungarian’s met with a scissor kick instead, before the counter introduced Kidd Bandit in at number 4. Bandit went right after Moodo with a kick, before sending Zoltan into the ropes for a dual Tiger Feint kick. A dualling crossbody off the top left Bandit alone with Gringo Loco, who caught a tijeras and almost powerbombed Bandit out of the ring… before he booted her out of the match at 4:45. Here for a good time, not a long time.
Johnny Rancid joins at number 5 in our regular throwback spot… Rancid threw Zoltan over the top, but not down to the floor as the Hungarian saved himself. In at number six was Yokai, who looked like he’d been tangoed. Rapid-fire entrants bring in Mecca of the Hype Dawgs for our first monster roar spot, before he caught a flying Rancid and Zoltan and hit the fallaway slam/Samoan drop combo.
Mecca chucks out Yokai at 9:12 before Fast Time Moodo did the Pascal Spalter toilet seat spot, waiting for Robert Dreissker to come out. Dreissker splats Zoltan with the crossbody out of the corner, before Johnny Rancid’s attack earned him a swift exit at 10:32 after he was booted off the apron.
Dreissker and Mecca square off from there for a World Tag Team Tournament teaser. M4 interrupts them, with Marc Mentzer staring down Fast Time Moodo… and getting kicked for his woes. Kuro is next. He doesn’t get his jacket off as he instead heads for M4 with dropkicks, before Mecca scooped up M4 for a double team Big Ending/facebuster before chucking out M4 at 13:53.
Marc Empire joins next, saving Dreissker from elimination by the Hype Dawgs. A double-team suplex on Mecca goes nowhere as Kuro broke it up, before they chucked Dreissker at 15:22. Kuro’s out at 15:27, then Empire at 15:32, leaving Mecca standing alone out of those four… just as Norman Harras entered.
Norman’s brief flurry threatened to be ended by the hands of Mecca, but an uppercut stopped that before Gringo Loco pulled a Rick Rude on Harras. Moodo’s spinning heel kick took down Norman in the corner as the counter brings in xAhmed Chaer, GWF t-shirt and all.
Chaer cleared house, before Gringo Loco pointed out that the letters on Ahmed’s shirt weren’t on the turnbuckles. Which were blank. The point stood though as Harras and Moodo took their shots, before Moodo was knocked out at 19:14 by Chaer. Aleksander Bellamy is next, eventually saving Harras from elimination by Chaer, before Axel Tischer joined the fray.
Tischer flings Zoltan with a German suplex, before Zoltan got thrown over the top. He’s not eliminated though, as Tischer changed his target to Gringo Loco. Mecca’s on the apron too, and gets kicked off at 22:00 by Gringo Loco… who’s tossed seconds later by Tischer as we had some more rapid-fire exits. Metehan is in next, as Harras and Bellamy beat up Ahmed Chaer.
Metehan’s in to save his trainer… but he’s not long as Harras chucks out Metehan at 23:40, with Chaer clotheslining Harras out of the match five seconds later. Blink and miss it. Elijah Blum is in next as we’re at number 17 in and we’re not even 25 minutes deep into the match. Chaer got eliminated during Blum’s entrance, as Blum looked to clear the ring, laying out Bellamy with the Total Depravity (the modified Angle Slam).
Tischer looks to throw out Blum, but to no avail as Anita Vaughan joined for her first appearance in wXw since Carat. She too clears house, chucking Blum across the ring with a fallaway slam, before Bellamy tried to grab her. It’s shrugged off as a Ki Krusher proved to be the prelude for Bellamy’s departure at 27:11. Laurance Roman follows in next, and almost had Blum out instantly, before instead going after Tischer.
A superkick from Zoltan stunned Tischer, before he and Roman tried to gang up for an elimination… it’s broken up though, with Tischer dumping Roman with an X-Plex instead. In at number 20 is Bobby Gunns, who lifts out Zoltan at 29:46… agonisingly short of the half-hour mark for the first man in.
Tischer’s looking for a breather as Jane Nero came in… she goes after Vaughan with an Exploder, before a cannonball in the corner looked to lead to a Twist of Fate. Anita shoves her off into Laurance Roman, who got slapped… and retaliated with a quick Burning Nail piledriver. Hey, equal fights.
Rambo joins next, with Oberhausen remembering his mini run from a few years ago… Rambo goes for Tischer with an overhead belly-to-belly, sending him flying, before Rambo and Roman traded clotheslines. There’s a pop-up powerbomb for Roman next, as the counter brought a returning Baby Allison into the match.
Allison’s spear takes down Gunns… but Jane Nero’s facebuster stopped her celebration as Axel Tischer had to fight to avoid being eliminated on the other side. Thomas Shire is next, presumably licking his wounds from earlier in the day. Irons. Rambo’s knocked out at 35:45 by Shire, so that’s one more score than the Hammers for him!
Shire and Blum square off next, but Shire’s Saito suplex and UFO has Blum in trouble. Nero and Allison’s lifted out at 37:10 as Shire got his hattrick after breaking up a tarantula… before Stephanie Maze came in at number 25. A barrage of body blows from Maze sets her up for a satellite DDT to Shire, but Bobby Gunns grabbed Maze by the hair to interrupt a Skyfall kick.
Tischer eats the head kick instead, as did Vaughan, before Shire looked for another UFO. It’s escaped though, with Maze hitting a Saito, before Blum tried to lift out Tischer. It backfires, but at 39:08, Tischer’s knocked off the apron after a sliding D from Blum, seconds after he’d hung up Elijah in the ropes.
Marius al-Ani is in next for a rapid elimination of Stephanie Maze, before Gunns and al-Ani renewed rivalries. An overhead belly-to-belly stopped Gunns in his tracks, before we were greeted by… a returning Peter Tihanyi at number 27. Despite High Performer Ltd. no longer being a thing, Robin Christopher Fohrwerk’s got his golden boy still.
Elijah Blum’s chucked out by Marius al-Ani at 41:40 as he was distracted by Tihanyi for the second year in a row… hitting the ring, Tihanyi’s cutter led to him chucking out Vaughan at 42:26. Joseph Fenech Jr. is next, rather than the advertised Nick Schreier… and he’s right after Tihanyi while al-Ani tried to take out Roman. It eventually came off at 44:40, right as the ticker brought in Nick Schreier. For real. He gets rid of Bobby Gunns at 45:34 with a springboard dropkick. My feed drops, recovering right before the entry of number 30: Jurn Simmons!
It’s been a long while since Jurn’s been around, but he’ll not be going after his old partner Levaniel today. Instead, he’s clearing house, tossing Marius al-Ani into Fenech and Tihanyi, before Nick Schreier took the press slam and standing moonsault. Jurn and Shire trade blows, but Jurn wins out before Shire was sent flying out at 48:50. Like a Dan Ballard header into the top corner…
A low blow from Tihanyi stopped Jurn in his tracks, before Fenech threw Tihanyi onto the apron. Fenech’s wild boot didn’t move the Hungarian, and with Fenech opting to attack Fohrwerk, Tihanyi’s able to recover ahead of throwing out Fenech at 49:57 – leaving us with Tihanyi, Schreier, al-Ani and Simmons as our final four.
An inverted bodyslam from Jurn drops al-Ani, following up with the Massive Boot before an attempted elimination was blocked. Marius’ Superman punch is caught as Jurn boots Marius out at 51:31… Tihanyi tries to capitalise, but Jurn buts on the blocks ahead of a spear to the Hungarian. Tihanyi recovers to hit a tornado DDT, before he and Jurn found themselves on the apron… a superkick from Tihanyi took out Jurn at 52:30, leaving Schreier with Tihanyi.
A falling powerbomb and a series of superkicks has Schreier on form, but his charge at Tihanyi’s sidestepped… allowing Peter Tihanyi to throw out Schreier to be the first man to win two (and back-to-back) Shortcuts. ***½
Post-match, Tihanyi’s given the mic… which he threw down rather than say anything as all eyes now look to be on the Hungarian going back for the title he was forced to vacate.
All in all, Shortcut to the Top was something of a soft reset of a show – punctuating wXw’s summer break, the returns of Dullnig and Tihanyi sets up stories for the remainder of the year, and ensured that this wasn’t “just” the show known for the farewells to Mike D and Aigle Blanc.