Time for another look at wXw as we review this week’s Shotgun TV show. Yes, we’re posting it on a Saturday night to make that joke…
Alan Counihan starts on commentary by telling us that this is the “all new Shotgun” which is going up every Tuesday evening. I’m guessing that means they’ve dropped the “Plus” version, but for now we’re straight into action here, from a January 21 house show in Bielefeld…
Alpha Female vs. Toni Storm vs. Melanie Gray
Gray starts by immediately chasing after Marius von Beethoven at the bell, following him outside before Alpha Female goes after her. That just leaves Toni Storm in the ring by herself, so she launches herself into Alpha with a tope, before she rolls Gray into the ring with some chops.
On the outside, von Beethoven and Alpha set up a table, but out comes Alpha Kevin to chase away von Beethoven and keep the match even. In the ring, Gray hits a Northern Lights suplex and a back senton for a pair of near-falls, before Female comes in with a clothesline to Gray that ends up giving Storm a DDT – because those accidental spots in multi-person matches are the new black now!
Alpha goes after Gray rather than focus on Storm, dumping her with a spinebuster for a near-fall, before the Australian Storm took down the monster Alpha with a backcracker in the ropes. Gray follows up with double knees in the corner before Storm throws a hip attack to Alpha, who then retaliated with a double suplex to her opponents, as a side slam gets a near-fall over Storm.
There’s a bunch of broken-up pins, as is the norm for three-ways, until Storm takes a big slam from Alpha. Gray wriggled out of a crucifix buckle bomb and drops Alpha with a spear, before going after von Beethoven on the apron. He’s brought in the hard way, before providing a distraction as Alpha attacks Gray from behind.
Alpha and Marius stand by the apron, but Gray charges at the pair of them, ending with her spearing von Beethoven onto a table… which he just bounces off of. There you go Maffew – “ich bin der Tisch!”… With Gray on the outside, Storm gets another backcracker for a near-fall on Alpha, before she goes up top and misses with a leg drop… which leaves her open for the Dominator as Alpha Female gets the win. A decent TV-length match; it’s just a shame that the big spot they were going for with the table didn’t quite come off… ***
We go backstage to a segment with Karsten Beck and Melanie Gray. Thankfully, subtitled! Gray is still mad at what happened at Back To The Roots, and she wants to take on Marius von Beethoven… who’s still chickening out of every challenge she’s making. Gray wants Beck to make the match: Marius and Alpha Female vs. Melanie and Kevin in an intergender streetfight. Those last two words are the same in German as they are in English, apparently!
Beck wants Gray to reconsider if that’s a good idea, but she’s fed up of playing by the rules. Understandably, Beck doesn’t want to be responsible for man-on-woman violence, so Gray tries to push his buttons by saying that doing so would piss-off Christian Michael Jakobi. We then fade… to a graphic that confirms that match is taking place at Dead End XVI in two weeks’ time in Hamburg.
Also on that show, Emil Sitoci vs. Michael Dante, Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov, and Avalanche vs. Bad Bones. That last one was quite good in London… however, since Shotgun went live, the Dunne/Dragunov match has been pulled, with Ilja facing Alexander James instead, as Dunne took a booking for Rev Pro in Portsmouth against the former Pentagon Jr.
Another backstage segment has Karsten Beck with John Klinger. Bad Bones wasn’t expecting Robert Dreissker to come back stronger from his injury. Neither was Beck, who’s now worried that Bones is going to fall behind Avalanche. Their match is taking place in “Bad Bones City” (Hamburg; Klinger’s home town), and Klinger promises to leave Bad Bones City on top.
We’ve got a new backstage interviewer – Verena Fischer – who’s with “the academic without remorse”, Julian Nero. She asks Nero why nobody from Cerberus attended the meeting that Dirty Dragan called; Nero seems to suggest that Dragan is being rejected as he wasn’t the original Cerberus. Apparently Adam Polak is in South America “on time-out”, and Nero tells us that he won’t ever follow orders from Dirty Dragan.
Up next is clips of Bobby Gunns making Alpha Kevin submit in their match in Bielefeld on January 21, which leads to a segment called the “Smoking Break” – a chat segment with “King of Smoke Style” Bobby Gunns. He’s talking about some bad decisions – mostly in Alpha Kevin thinking he could beat him, along with his desire to get married. The segment ends with Gunns’ catchphrase: “smoking kills, but Bobby Gunns is the killer”
They show us some brackets for the “Road to 16 Carat Gold” – a tournament on the house shows where the winner gets into the tournament proper. We just saw Gunns beat Alpha Kevin – other matches on the docket are Da Mack vs. Marius Beethoven; Hakeem Waqur vs. Johnny Evers, and Chris Colen vs. Francis Kaspin. All but Colen/Kaspin have happened, but we’ll get footage of those next week.
Another segment now with Robert Dreissker’s photoshoot. The photographer wants a group shot with Cerberus, and Dirty Dragan grabs a chair so he can stand above everyone, mimicking the pose that Cerberus used to do. Nero just walks out, and almost slams his cape in the door during his exit as Dragan mugs for the camera.
Markus Antonius vs. Michael Dante
Also from January 21 in Bielefeld, and they start with Antonius trying to take down Dante with clotheslines… they fail, but a single lariat from the Dutchman knocks Antonius inside out! Dante propels Antonius into the air, before he hits a release suplex-into-a-backbreaker. A spear follows, and that’s all for this squash folks! (Not Rating)
We’re backstage with Thomas Giesen, who’s with Michael Dante. Michael feels good to be back, and it looks like part of the deal that saw his former tag partner Tommy End go to WWE was that Dante got Sami Zayn’s hat! Dante’s going to re-establish himself as a singles wrestler, starting against Emil Sitoci at Dead End.
Up next is a video package of highlights from A4 vs. London Riots at the London Calling event. Hey, I see me a few times! That leads to a segment with Absolute Andy, who’s apparently having his photo taken, and he’s asking what the photographer wants. In comes Chris Brookes, who tells Andy that “he’s not got many Absolute Knee Drops left in you”. Andy shoots down the Calamari Catch King, and tells him that when he’s done with him, he’ll not need a kneepad, he’ll need a neck brace. Them’s fighting words!
Travis Banks attacks Andy from behind, and we get a quick beatdown before CCK (no hashtag) leaves. Of course, Marius Al-Ani turns up just after they’ve gone, which leads to this gloriously translated comment:
Answers on a postcard…
Now we get a video package from the whole London Calling show, featuring more of my ugly mug, and highlights from throughout… including the Jurn Simmons love-fest. If you haven’t seen this yet… why not? That’s followed by more clips from WALTER vs. Jurn Simmons from the London show…
Another backstage segment, this time with WALTER walking in on Christian Michael Jakobi. WALTER’s still mad that he’s not in the 16 Carat Gold tournament, whilst Jurn Simmons faces Axel Dieter Jr. on the same weekend of shows. WALTER apparently turned down other offers so he could work for Jakobi, and he’s fed up of how he’s CMJ is treating him. Jakobi doesn’t say a word throughout…
RINGKAMPF (WALTER & Axel Dieter Jr.) vs. Jurn Simmons & Da Mack
Another match from Bielefeld, and we start with the former Hot & Spicy partners squaring off in Dieter and Mack.
They exchange holds in the middle to start us off, with Mack grabbing a waistlock, before Dieter works free and lands a shoulder tackle.Axel catches a leapfrog, but couldn’t do anything with Mack, who gets a dropkick in for good measure, before he chops away at the wXw champion in the corners.
Dieter comes out with a sunset flip as he sails over Mack, who then replies with a back suplex and a PK for a near-fall. Dieter stays on top of Mack with snapmares and a rear chinlock, as WALTER comes in to chop away on Mack, who returns in kind. An uppercut from Mack rocks WALTER as Jurn tags in, and the two big guys go for a test of strength!
Simmons looks to be bending backwards, but he powers back up only for WALTER to boot him in the gut and follow-up with a dropkick. A slap from Jurn takes WALTER into the ropes, before Simmons hangs onto the ropes to avoid a dropkick from the Austrian. In comes Dieter, who takes a biel throw across the ring, before Axel tries for the Landungsbrücke suplex – but Simmons escapes and tries to counter with a piledriver, which is also countered.
Dieter tries to fly off the middle turnbuckle, only to get hit with a dropkick instead. Mack tags in and immediately get suckered into some distraction from WALTER… so Dieter attacks his former partner from behind as he wears him down with a wristlock. Simmons finally makes a blind tag in and knocks down WALTER, before Dieter attacks Simmons from behind with an enziguiri in the corner.
RINGKAMPF take over on Simmons for a spell, with Dieter landing a diving uppercut for a near-fall, before Jurn struggled to slam WALTER, falling back on himself for a near-fall. WALTER deadlifts Simmons off the mat for a side Salto suplex for another two-count, whilst a knee drop got something similar for Axel. Simmons gets worn down for an extended period, before he backdrops WALTER and brings in da Mack once again, who took down WALTER with a Slingblade.
The Mack Magic Crack Smash (rebound cannonball) gets a near-fall, as Mack rocks WALTER with some knee strikes, only to be caught in a Gujira clutch by the giant Austrian. Mack gets thrown to the outside after he makes the ropes, before he’s given a butterfly suplex once he climbed back into the ring. Mack tries a comeback with a springboard towards Dieter, who catches him, before Mack completed a roll-up for a near-fall as RINGKAMPF ensured that the smaller Mack remained in the ring for a little longer.
An enziguiri and a shotgun dropkick from Dieter and WALTER respectively force another two-count, before WALTER goes back to that Gujira clutch. Mack throws himself free, before he Dieter pulls down Simmons just as a tag was about to be made… before they followed up with an uppercut/powerbomb combo gets RINGKAMPF another two-count. Finally Mack makes the tag out to Simmons, who clears house on both Axel and WALTER.
Dieter takes an Oklahoma Stampede, but there’s no cover as Simmons instead lifts up Axel in a torture rack… but WALTER breaks it up as Mack returns to chop away at the giant Austrian. A ‘rana takes down WALTER, who’s then shoved to the outside as he looked for something off the top rope. Axel heads into the crowd with Mack, and we can barely see them as they head up to the stage. WALTER tries to powerbomb Mack off the stage, but he ends up countering with some Mack Magic onto Axel Dieter Jr below him.
Jurn and Axel return to the ring, as a Doctor Bomb gets a near-fall with WALTER breaking up the count. Mack tries for another ‘rana, but it’s caught and turned into the Air Raid Crash by Dieter, who then eats a diving boot from Jurn. It breaks down for a while as all four men end up laid out on the mat. The pair exchange slaps, ending with Dieter going down before he’s taken into the corner for a series of lariats, leading to Jurn going up top for something.
Dieter gets up and catches him with an enziguiri and a draping DDT for a two-count. From the kick-out, Simmons comes back with a uranage and a Massive Kick before WALTER blocks a Royal Piledriver, and hits a clothesline to get Dieter a near-fall. Simmons comes back with a torture rack, and this time Mack cuts off Walter with La Mistica into a Fujiwara armbar, and finally Axel taps! A wonderful final stretch to end a really solid main event – well worth the watch! ***¾
Alan Counihan signs off by saying we’ll have more next week… but first, a recap of Axel Dieter Jr. vs. Marty Scurll from London Calling. Another backstage segment follows with Karsten Beck and Christian Michael Jakobi. Jakobi tries to butter up Beck, but he’s not having any of it… CMJ wants WALTER in 16 Carat Gold, and he reckons that WALTER has to be in the tournament to make it the best possible.
Beck agrees, but he wants Jakobi to make a concession. Jakobi suggests giving Beck first class transport… before switching things up based on the Dead End main event of RINGKAMPF vs. David Starr & Jurn Simmons. If “Beck’s team” wins, he can make a title match. Beck doesn’t accept, but instead he counters by suggesting that if RINGKAMPF loses, Beck replaces Jakobi as the head of the championship board of directors. Reluctantly, Jakobi slaps Beck’s hand, and that match is on. I like the match, but not the whole authority figure stuff that’s playing behind it, but at least it’s not spilling over into ruining the live shows.
We’re back with Verena Fischer, who’s doing the draw for the first round of the 16 Carat Gold tournament:
Robert Dreissker vs. Ilja Dragunov
ACH vs. Mike Bailey
Marius Al-Ani vs. JT Dunn
Koji Kanemoto vs. Timothy Thatcher
Cody (Redacted) vs. Winner of the Road to 16 Carat Gold League (the tournament that’s taking place on wXw house shows)
David Starr vs. WALTER
Donovan Dijak vs. Matt Riddle
Paul London vs. “Bad Bones” John Klinger
The show just fades to black, and that’s it for the debut of the new format of Shotgun – an easy-to-watch hour-long show that flowed much better than previously, without cuts to and from studio segments. Long may it continue – but as a nitpick, since I always go into WCPW for this, I’d have liked to have seen a confirmed tease for what we’ll be seeing next week.