There’s a lot packed into this episode of Shotgun, as we’ve got Dieter Schwartz going for the European title, while we find out all the remaining names for the Pro Wrestling Grand Prix.
Quick Result
Dieter Schwartz submitted Zoltan in 7:52 to win the wXw European Championship (***½)
— In the next week or so, I’ll be chatting about this show with Mike Kilby on the Auf Die Fresse podcast. Links to stream that episode when it drops, as well as back episodes are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
We open with Mett DiMassi in his second home of the Turbinenhalle, and of course we’re straight into the highlights from Saturday’s show – including how Ahura won the wXw Unified World Wrestling championship, the shenanigans that led to CSI winning the World Tag Team title, and Manders’ title at Bandido’s ROH title. After that, there’s clips from the time limit draw between Axel Tischer and Daniel Garcia, and a variety of bits from throughout the Shortcut to the Top match.
We’re back with Mett, who confirms that the wXw Women’s World title is back, and then pitches to some backstage promos. Firstly, Ahura and all the gold just glares at us before he walks off… while Jane Nero’s upset over Kanji getting the credit for bringing back the women’s title. Of course, Jane adds herself into Femmes Fatales.
Dennis Dullnig’s being all obnoxious and screaming at Peter Tihanyi with his mouth full. Tihanyi points out how Dullnig was the last man to enter Shortcut and still couldn’t win. Next up, medics are learning how to put a neck brace on a training dummy… oh wait, that’s Robin Christopher Fohrwerk, who’s now topless and covering his nipples.
Quick & Dirty are bragging about eliminating the Greedy Souls from Shortcut to the Top, but the Welsh lads are on standby to chew them out before wandering into the Turbinenhalle car park.
Back inside, CSI’s celebrating their tag title win… when Luca de Leone realises that Nordino’s not done the paperwork to enter them into the World Tag Team Tournament. They quickly meet up with Tassilo Jung to try and talk their way into the tournament, but since they all ghosted Tas, they’ve missed the cut.
A team that will be in the tournament is the reunited Grind… and then we’re backstage with a more dressed Ahura, who’s told by Ben Thamer that he’s got to hand back the König der Catcher trophy. Except Ahura wants his flowers before he gives it back.
Elsewhere, we’re with the Cowboy Way, with Manders still upset over Thomas Shire eliminating him – foreshadowing that they may meet in a tournament next month, eh? We’re jumping again, this time to Elijah Blum with the König der Catcher trophy that’s been turned into a vase, with flowers. That was quick.
Back with Mett and Ben now, we’ve got our info dump, but not before Ben tells us how Ahura built his entire year off the back of winning König der Catcher last year. We then get the field for this year’s tournament: 1 Called Manders, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Axel Tischer, Dennis Dullnig, Dieter Schwartz, Thomas Shire, Peter Tihanyi, and Elijah Blum.
They’ll be split into two blocks nearer the time…
Femmes Fatales’ line-up gets confirmed as Killer Kelly, Mercedez Martinez, Jane Nero, Stephanie Maze, Manami, Madison Marley, Chihiro Hashimoto and Kanji.
World Tag Team Tournament is filled out with Best Bros, Better Together, Hyperactive, Greedy Souls, Quick & Dirty, 10/10 Next Level, Planet Gojirah, and The Grind.
I assume we’ll have another Shotgun in the coming weeks to announce the matches…
We’ve also got matches for the Extreme Wrestling Party show: Killer Kelly vs. Steph de Lander, Zoltan vs. Myron Reed, and Ahura defending the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship vs. Joey Janela.
wXw European Championship: Dieter Schwartz vs. Zoltan (c)
Norman Harras joins Mett on commentary, taking cracks at Mett’s age…
Schwartz has a pretty good part of the crowd backing him as he immediately focused on Zoltan’s left arm, while the young Hungarian tried to use his agility to get ahead. Zoltan took Schwartz into the ropes, only to get pie-faced on the break… prompting Zolan to wind up Schwartz with the sign language for clapping.
Zoltan whiffs on a springboard cutter, and got shoved shoulder-first back into the corner ahead of a half-hatch suplex as Schwartz went back to work. A Regalplex nearly wins it for Schwartz as we approached the five-minute mark, before Zoltan’s diving boot out of the corner bought him some time.
Making a comeback, Zoltan’s able to land a cutter for a near-fall of his own, before his piledriver was countered out of… allowing Schwartz to go right back for the arm. A diving European uppercut from Dieter looked to have him back on track, but a flash knee from Zoltan almost led to a KO… only for a frog splash to miss seconds later as Schwartz ended up pulling Zoltan down to the mat for the arm trap submission. This was a very good outing for the time they had, with Schwartz going for the arm like a dog with a bone – and it paid off in short order. ***½
After the crowd’s celebrations, we headed back stage as Elijah Blum bumped into Kanji backstage… Blum congratulated Kanji on her win, then put over her call to give up the title shot in the name of bringing back the women’s title.
Elsewhere, Axel Tischer celebrated with Dieter Schwartz, but Schwartz mocked Axeman for only being able to retain by way of time limit draws. They get into it, and I have a feeling they’re going to be in the same block in König der Catcher as they both reckon they’re the best technical wrestler in Europe… and we’re out!