On the week that wXw announced a return to shows with fans – in the form of September’s Catch Grand Prix festival – the We Love Wrestling shows continue their focus to FAN at the end of the month.
Quick Results
Paris pinned Dennis Dullnig in 2:20 (NR)
Dover & Icarus pinned Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg in 15:01 (***¼)
Iva Kolasky pinned Tayra Gates in 4:35 (**)
Heisenberg pinned Levaniel in 6:28 (**¼)
Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik pinned Peter Tihanyi & The Rotation in 10:50 (***¼)
Tristan Archer pinned Michael Knight in 11:51 (***¼)
We’re back inside the Steffy in Oberhausen as we’re two weeks from FAN – a two-part super-show. As usual, Dave Bradshaw’s on the English language call…
After the rundown, we’re taken to Dennis Dullnig who’s backstage doing his best Hektor Invictus. It’s still very Jed Maxwell. He shoos away Dan Mallmann, and tells us he’ll not let Hektor down this time.
Dennis Dullnig vs. Paris
Dennis still hasn’t found a new flagpole…
We start with a lock-up as Paris is taken into the corner, with Dullnig roughing up the Grecian early on. A dropkick followed from the Swiss native Dullnig, as did some stomps and a suplex, before Paris got caught in the corner with an enziguiri. Dullnig followed up with a Fireman’s carry facebuster, but broke his own pin to do some push-ups and posing for the hell of it… and that costs him instantly as Paris cradles him to get his first singles win!
Post-match, Dullnig was beside himself at the loss. He again shoos away Dan’s attempt at interviewing him.
After they replayed clips from the Arrows of Hungary’s loss at Drive of Champions, the Hungarians are backstage with Dan. They’re annoyed with how often people bring up their near misses and promise to earn the titles.
Rott und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) vs. Arrows of Hungary (Icarus & Dover)
I really dig the Eurovision-ness of Rott und Flott’s music, even if all the ring music sounds a little… different on these tapings.
Icarus and Schenkenberg start off, with a Schenkenberg front facelock forcing Icarus to counter in kind. It’s escaped as Schenkenberg’s armbar was countered out with a chinbar before Icarus tried for some flash pins in a bid to end this quickly. Another attempt at the Heart of Europe submission ends in the ropes, as Dover (the man, not the place) tagged in and took some elbows out of a hammerlock. In comes Charisma, only to get charged into the corner. A tie-up has Charisma back there, but he floats over Dover and began to annoy him like a fly buzzing around. A fly that got dumped with a fallaway slam, that is…
Dover chokes away on Charisma in the ropes, before a slam led to Icarus coming in for a standing moonsault. That gets a near-fall, with Icarus moving to a grounded overhead wristlock. Charisma claws his way free, but gets pulled in to the corner as Dover returned to hit a backbreaker for a two-count. The referee needs to separate Dover as he stomped away on Charisma in the corner, but the Hungarians remained aggressive as Charisma was met with a cannonball in the corner from Icarus. Schenkenberg helps make the save as Charisma headed to the apron for a springboard… but he crashes and burns as he landed on his shoulder. He’s able to tag out to Schenkenberg, then sneak under the ring as his attempt to cheapshot Dover backfired. It leads to Dover distracting the ref before a cheapshot from Charisma on a springboarding Icarus led to a Schenkenberg back suplex for a two-count.
Elbows from Schenkenberg keep Icarus down, as did an eye rake on the ropes, before Icarus managed to sunset flip past Schenkenberg. A head kick keeps Icarus on the back foot, while Dover again distracted the referee with his moaning, which led to a Gory stretch into a neckbreaker double-team as Rott und Flott were controlling the pace. Eventually Icarus hits back with a springboard enziguiri, as both men were able to make the tag out. Dover’s got the hot tag, shoulder tackling everything in sight, then booted away Charisma’s leap for a two-count. Schenkenberg gets a blind tag in as a Manhattan drop and an enziguiri nearly put Dover down. Dover powers free and tags Icarus back in, only for him to wander into an inside cradle before a Charisma tornado DDT with his feet on the ropes led to another near-fall.
Schenkenberg and Dover tumble to the outside, with the former getting posted before Icarus’ STO and a Heart of Europe submission looked to force a stoppage… but Charisma powers up. Dover tagged back in, but went under the ring for his mask… he sneaks in and clocks Charisma with it, and that’s enough for the win. The dark arts get the Arrows the win, but it seems that Icarus isn’t fully sold on their new tricks… ***¼
Backstage, Dan wants to interview the Arrows, but Dover tries to blow it off. In comes Robert Dreissker to chew out Dover for his cheating, before he tried to warn them off their “stupid bullshit.”
Next up, more interviews. Andy Jackson’s with a debutant in Tayra Gates, who’s of course excited about what’s coming up for her in wXw. Meanwhile, Iva Kolasky tells Dan she’s not afraid of anyone on the roster.
Iva Kolasky vs. Tayra Gates
We’ve another pair of debuts for wXw’s women’s roster here. Trained by Alex Wright, Gates has been wrestling around Germany for several years, while Kolasky has wrestled around Europe as Emese.
We open with a tie-up as the two head into the ropes before eventually breaking apart. A side headlock from Gates is countered as Kolasky slipped out for a Magistral cradle, but Gates is up at one before Kolasky cartwheeled over her foe. A wheelbarrow armdrag is next, then a handspring back elbow into the corner, before Kolasky’s springboard crossbody out of the corner drew a two-count. A draping DDT from Gates turned it around for a two-count, following up with elbows into the corner and a running Meteora for another near-fall. Gates looks for a neckbreaker, but Kolasky escaped and returned with clotheslines, only to get caught with a roll-up. A splits from Kolasky avoids Gates’ charge, before a Fisherman’s suplex drew a one-count.
Kolasky keeps going with a head kick from the apron, knocking down Gates ahead of a moonsault off the top… and that’s enough to get the win. Pretty short and even, with Kolasky’s quick one-two at the end proving to be enough. **
Levaniel vs. Vincent Heisenberg
This was Levaniel’s first match since losing to Marius al-Ani at Drive of Champions… he still wants to compete with the best, because the feeling in that match was “almost as powerful as love.”
Baby Allison and Maggot (still on crutches) came out with Heisenberg, and they were indeed invited by Levaniel for this. Heisenberg tries for a big boot early, but Levaniel’s able to escape and go for a spinning heel kick as he tried to stick and move on Heisenberg. A shoulder tackle has Levaniel down, before stomps led to a simple one-count for the big man. Levaniel tries to fight back, but a missed low dropkick opened him up for a Heisenberg elbow drop. More of those follow, as does a short clothesline as Levaniel’s game plan just wasn’t working. Another clothesline flattened him for a two-count after Levaniel unwisely tried for a suplex.
Heisenberg chokes on Levaniel in the corner, then misses a charge as Levaniel began to find form with some kicks. Clotheslines keep Levaniel ahead, as did a diving dropkick and a discus lariat, before a handful of hair blocked a Galactic Facebuster. Baby Allison trips Levaniel in the ropes, allowing Heisenberg to return with a big boot, then a powerslam for the win. It was hard work for Heisenberg, who gets the win in the end as Levaniel suffered a hangover from Drive of Champions. **¼
Post-match, Heisenberg stomps om Levaniel some more before a crutch-assisted crossface led to Heisenberg threatening to lay out Levaniel with a chair… Aigle Blanc and Senza Volto make the save, before dropkicking the chair into Heisenberg’s head. In among the F-bombs from Baby Allison, Senza Volto tries to trick Maggot into proving he’d faked his injury, before leaving him with a warning that they’re waiting for that mask vs. hair outing.
We join Ahura and Bobby Gunns in the Smoking Lounge… they talk about their past and upcoming matches, focusing on Ahura vs. Rotation for the Shotgun title… Gunns looked annoyed at how Ahura was taking stuff lightly before Norman Harras wandered in like he’d overslept for days. Norman asked for a rematch with Ahura, but was told he’s not due an automatic rematch… and instead is offered the chance to draw his own name out in the lottery. Harras looks perpetually ahem, harassed, and ended up leaving dejected…
Backstage, Dan’s with Anil Marik and Robert Dreissker. He brings up the miscommunication last week that led to Dreissker losing to Marius al-Ani last week. They seem to have patched things up in spite of the rumours around issues… Dreissker takes a few (prompted) digs at the Arrows of Hungary, referring to what went down earlier.
The Rotation & Peter Tihanyi vs. wXw Wrestling Academy (Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik)
Tihanyi’s still looking for his first win in wXw… which may tell you why this was a non-title match.
Tihanyi and Marik start… Marik’s side headlock is cartwheeled out of before a leapfrog and a dropkick had the relative rookie ahead. Marik charges into the corner and bulldogs Tihanyi out of it for a two-count, before Tihanyi’s armdrags outfoxed Marik. Rotation tags in and works Marik’s arm, before Marik snapmared out of a cravat… Dreissker manages to tag in and wear down Rotation with some forearms, following up with a Beele throw out of the corner. Rotation tries to use his speed to get past Dreissker, knocking him into the ropes with missile dropkicks before a back elbow just ragdolled the Rotation.
A tag brings in Tihanyi, but his crossbody bounces off of Dreissker, who came back with a back senton before trapping the Hungarian in the corner. Marik’s back with a bulldog as Dreissker throws in a flip senton for a two-count. Tihanyi’s PK gets a two-count as he then grounded Marik in another armbar, then took him into the corner as Rotation returned. Rotation’s knuckle-lock helps tie up Marik… a leg sweep leads to a tied-up armbar as Rotation threw some new tricks Marik’s way, before some simple clotheslines led to a springboard armdrag. A Deathlock from Rotation keeps Marik in trouble, but Marik chops his way free ahead of an enziguiri.
Eventually Dreissker’s tagged back in as Tihanyi tried and failed to prevent it… he eats a tonne of clotheslines and a back body drop as Dreissker pushed on. A splash in the corner leads to a neckbreaker, then a Samoan drop for a two-count, with Rotation getting ragdolled again after he made the save. Rotation heads up top for a springboard ‘rana to Marik off of Dreissker’s back… before Tihanyi hits a Meteora to Dreissker for a near-fall. A tornado DDT from Tihanyi’s blocked as another back body drop breaks Dreissker free… before a Dreissker bomb got the win. Some good stuff here, with Rotation and Tihanyi causing some issues, but at the end of the day it was business as usual for the reigning tag champions. ***¼
Backstage, Tristan Archer is with Andy Jackson ahead of the main event. Archer’s more than familiar with Michael Knight, and sees this match as a challenge ahead of his title match with Marius al-Ani. Meanwhile, Knight’s excited to be in a main event, and is happy the fans are reacting well to him… even if he’s a little irritated to be seen as a “stepping stone” around here.
Michael Knight vs. Tristan Archer
Archer’s got Marius al-Ani at night two of FAN at the end of the month…
We start with a waistlock from Archer that’s countered out of, with a crucifix getting a quick one-count for the German Knight. A hammerlock from Knight is countered with a snapmare as Archer tried to find a foothold in the match, before a chinlock ended in the ropes. Archer’s shoulder block has Knight down, before he countered a crossbody into a slam, following with a back senton and a flip into a spinning forearm as Knight tried to block the knee.
Knight fires back with dropkicks, before a wheelbarrow bulldog looked to build momentum… but Archer just trips Knight into the corner for a running knee. Archer gets a two-count on that, with a neck crank following into the ropes as Knight remained on the defensive. La Terreur is blocked by Knight, who countered with a shin breaker and a Dragon screw before rolling Archer into a Trailer Hitch. Archer pulls his way to the ropes for a break, before he got taken to the corner and took a dropkick to the knee. Another Dragon screw keeps Archer hobbling as Knight worked into a modified Cloverleaf, but Archer escapes… and took a sunset flip as he went for La Terreur again. He’s still hobbling as Knight dropped down to avoid a charge in the corner, following up with a crossbody… but Archer rolls through and manages to power up Knight into La Terreur (the Go 2 Sleep).
Unable to capitalise, forearms and elbows from Archer took Knight to the corner, where a clothesline and a Guillotine (Falcon arrow) gets another near-fall, before a Million Dollar Dream ended in the ropes as Knight looked to be on his last leds. A facebuster and an enziguiri from Knight looked to offer some hope, but Archer shuts the door with a clothesline and the Coup d’Etat for the win. Archer didn’t have it all his own way here as he eked out a win over Knight – and seemingly picked up a knock that could make Marius al-Ani’s job a little easier in a fortnight’s time. ***¼
Post-match, Archer puts over wXw and Knight, before promising to make Marius al-Ani pass out in their title match. This was a really solid episode of We Love Wrestling as the new set of tapings continues its strong start – but with FAN in two weeks, I’m a little surprised that we still only have one match on the books for that double-header.