Shotgun returns as the race for the Shotgun title tournament continued.
Last week: Absolute Andy had a bunch of segments, announcing there’ll be a Shotgun title tournament… and seemingly planted some seeds of doubt in Bobby Gunns that he’ll be coming for the Unified World Wrestling Title. Oh, and we all but know that both the tag titles and the women’s titles won’t be around for this season. Watch this show over on wXwNOW.de – the subscription is $11 a month, and includes a whack-tonne of the wXw back catalog, including a show they put up this week that they promoted by saying “don’t watch this.” It’s really not THAT bad.
Quick Results
Metehan pinned Alpha Kevin in 4:30 (**)
Hektor Invictus vs. Fast Time Moodo in 7:00 (***)
We open with Alpha Kevin walking outside the Turbinenhalle. He’s seemingly just learned about Shotgun, and he’s over the moon. Well, until EZEL try to jump him, as Kevin had to duck a broom handle before Mike Schwarz made the save and chase away Abdul and Aytac. Kevin wanted to complain to Andy, but Mike didn’t want to involve him…
Cue titles, as we’re back inside the Steffy with Sebastian Hollmichel on commentary. We’ve got Metehan and Alpha Kevin in action this week, while Hektor Invictus takes on Fast Time Moodo. We’ve also got the Himmelschloß with Levaniel and the Pretty Bastards… But first, we recap Bobby Gunns trying to get Absolute Andy to admit he wanted a title shot from last week. We then go backstage to Norman Harras and the Pretty Bastards, as the Bastards want their belts back, but are arguing over who should ask Andy. Norman looks like he’s starting to get fed up of this… and he mentioned that Jay Skillet isn’t around, so they’ll not get their shot anyway.
Anyway, Prince Ahura gets off the phone to Oliver Carter, who apparently decided that Norman had to ask Andy on their behalf. Norman agrees, but wants a favour afterwards. I don’t think the Bastards’ offer of cake will cut it.
Metehan vs. Alpha Kevin
This isn’t the first time we’ve had this match on Shotgun. Go back to Shotgun #312 for that one as the former Lucky Kid showed the first signs he was “more than just a tag team guy.” Here, he’s got new gear in his first match as the leader of EZEL.
Kevin’s “other licensed music” is quite jolly, but he doesn’t seem to be. Having a broom swung at your head will do that to you. We get going with the obligatory lock-up, with Kevin taking Metehan into the ropes. There’s a cheapshot on the break, as Metehan used Kevin’s aggression against him, tripping him ahead of a low dropkick. Kevin avoids a snapmare and hits some Dusty punches before he did his own chants. The spin-out back suplex has Kevin ahead, as does a clothesline, but Metehan’s out at two before he countered a package piledriver.
Metehan fought back with another low dropkick, then with a handspring back elbow before he patted himself on the back. Like a modern day Barry Horowitz! Stomp to the arms keeps Kevin in trouble, but Metehan took Kevin way too lightly and almost invited a fightback, with Kevin landing another clothesline for a near-fall. Kevin gets elbowed in the throat, but his attempt to throw Metehan outside backfires as he skins the cat and catches Kevin with a cutter before a flip stunner got the win. Pretty squashy, as Metehan gets on the board this season. **
I really hope 16 Carat 2021 happens… Absolute Andy is on his iPad in the office. In comes Norman Harras with his own seat as he’s here to ask for the Bastards’ title shot. And to coach Andy on his iPad. Eventually Norman gets to the point, but Andy shoots him down because the Shotgun title tournament takes priority.
Quite some time ago, Karsten Beck was talking to Mike Schwarz, who got interrupted by Marius al-Ani. Oh wow, this really was quite some time ago – they were looking like they were going to do Schwarz vs. al-Ani at World Tag Team Festival before Marius was suspended. Nico Schmidt’s on the set with Marius al-Ani next. That Schwarz/al-Ani match is next week. Marius reckons Mike will need “a lot of luck”, especially because he’s been training while Schwarz “has probably been drinking.” al-Ani reckons it’ll go three minutes as he’s really dismissive of Oberhausen’s own.
Schwarz is next with Nico, as he gets a right of reply. Mikey calls Marius a “cardio beast,” then pokes fun at himself for shaking his fists. It’ll be a fight for Mikey next week, as he thinks he’ll beat Marius with the Steffy-Punch. How apt.
A few weeks ago: Avalanche gave the Rotation and Fast Time Moodo a pep talk.
Hektor Invictus vs. Fast Time Moodo
The flag made it to the Steffy. Since Moodo debuted two weeks ago, I had a look at his background – he’s been wrestling for five years according to Cagematch, having been trained by Alex Wright and has spent the lion’s share of his career to date at Wright’s New European Championship Wrestling.
Moodo tries to sting Hektor with kicks early on, but the relative veteran took Moodo down to the mat. After a reset, Moodo trips Hektor again, before Hektor came back with a side headlock, following up with a shoulder tackle and a headlock takedown as he took control. Another push-off led to another shoulder tackle before he cracked Moodo with a dropkick as they went back to the mat. Hektor blocks an armdrag but couldn’t avoid Moodo as he came back in with a hattrick of mid kicks, taking Hektor into the corner. A switcharound led to Hektor trapping Moodo’s leg in the ropes, kicking him in the hamstring as referee Tassilo Jung had to check on Moodo.
A chop to the back gets a two-count for Hektor, before he caught a kick from Moodo and countered back with a spinning heel kick for another near-fall. Moodo gets caught in the corner with some boot chokes, before a standing elbow drop drew a two-count as this was looking more and more like one-way traffic. Hektor telegraphs a back body drop, and a knee strike as Moodo came back with a back elbow to start a combination of kicks, but the leg sweeps countered as Hektor leapt up and stomped him on the back. Nice! That nearly ends it all, but Moodo fought on, taking Hektor into the corner for some leaping kicks and a spinning heel kick of his own.
A running elbow traps Hektor in the corner, allowing Moodo to head up top for a stomp to the back. Moodo looks to put the icing on the cake as Hektor took his time getting back up, but Hektor ducks a kick and came back in with a knee strike, a facebuster and a German suplex… which ended as Moodo grabbed the ropes just in time! I liked he didn’t force the kick-out when the ropes were the easier option. Moodo’s back with kicks as he swats away a roll-through cutter from Invictus, but Moodo can’t make the most of it as he hauls up Hektor for a pumphandle slam, only for Hektor to counter out into a Falcon arrow for the win. The pace may have been a little on the slow side, but this was a great little TV match with Moodo getting in plenty of believable offence – while still establishing Hektor on the roster. ***
Last week: Killer Kelly was dismissed by Absolute Andy as she tried to quiz him about the state of the women’s division. We then jump to Killer Kelly on a web chat with Alexander James. Thanks to his Twitch channel, he’s shaved his head a la Jurn Simmons. He doesn’t seem too thrilled that Kelly took Andy at his word over the “secret plan,” as the troubled relationship continues across continents.
From that troubled love, we’ve got some more love, as we get the Himmelschloß with Levaniel. Liebe! Before we can get the Pretty Bastards out, Levaniel addresses the Killer Kelly thing. He doesn’t agree with her getting a title match, mostly because Amale isn’t around. Levaniel will fight to make sure that there’s no title matches without Amale. Levaniel plugs his new t-shirt, then gets around to bringing out the Pretty Bastards. I have a feeling asking them about their love and emotions may be a lost cause here, but Levaniel pushes on… asking them about their big loss over 16 Carat Gold weekend. Maggot responds by saying they have no love for Absolute Andy, suggesting he’s scared to defend the titles without Jay Skillet. I mean, that’s how tag titles usually work.
Prince Ahura reiterates that they want their rematch, as the Bastards mock Andy for seemingly booking himself into title shots while not defending the one he has. Levaniel takes time to figure out what they’re on about, and ends up being on their side. Even if it makes him look like a bit of a hypocrite in the whole “every champion has to defend” stakes… Levaniel tries to leave Amale’s situation out of it, but the Bastards twist his proverbial arm… then wind up Levaniel, who only has the one story of the Bastards losing the titles to beat them with. Their response? They leave him laying, and take a video of him laying, I guess for future use.
Next week: Marius al-Ani vs. Mike Schwarz… and that’s all announced. At some point the Shotgun title tournament fields will have to be announced, right?
Perhaps the lightest of the three episodes so far, where last week was more overt in setting up stories, this was more of a lower-key episode. Advancements with the Pretty Bastards and Killer Kelly stories leave some mysteries in the air, but given they’re both going for title belts that supposedly aren’t in play this season they really ought to be pushing a lot harder to be the irresistible choices when things resume… and given that the wXw Wrestling Academy is starting up again next week, things do look to be inching ever so slightly closer to normality for wXw.