Ahura makes his in-ring return to wXw as the final build for next week’s Dead End gave us Jurn Simmons and Tristan Archer opposite each other in a trios main event.
Quick Results
Ahura pinned Norman Harras in 11:01 (***)
Levaniel pinned Hektor Invictus in 8:54 (***)
B3CCA pinned Orsi in 8:29 (***)
Dover, Icarus & Robert Dreissker pinned Peter Tihanyi, Elijah Blum & LSG in 14:54 (***½)
Maggot and Vincent Heisenberg went to a time limit draw in 15:00 – Maggot retains the wXw Shotgun Championship (**¾)
Michael Knight, Jurn Simmons & Bobby Gunns submitted Nikita Charisma, Michael Schenkenberg & Tristan Archer in 17:20 (***¾)
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We open with clips from We Love Wrestling #34 of Ahura returning to wXw and switching out his contract for one that gave him a number one contender’s match against Norman Harras.
Cue titles as we’re coming from the hot Batschkapp in Frankfurt for this one, one week out from Dead End 2022.
Ahura vs. Norman Harras
The winner gets a shot at the wXw Unified World Wrestling title at Shortcut to the Top next month. Of course, we’ve got history here as Ahura squashed a rather paranoid Norman Harras last year at Drive of Champions to win the Shotgun title that he’s still carrying around with him…
Ahura’s got some rip-apart trousers and the “holy hell, those trunks are at least one size too small” black leather-ish gear… and we get going with Ahura getting a decent reaction for his hometown comeback. Good news is, Norman lasted longer than he did last time, but mostly because they didn’t touch in those seventeen seconds!! Ahura poses with the Shotgun title, which Harras pulled out of his hands… before he waked Ahura’s eyes behind the ref’s back. A Dominator into a neckbreaker gets Harras a near-fall, then another, then a one-count, before Ahura got back up and took Norman into the corner with some right hands.
Mounted punches follow – over twenty of them – before Norman pushed free so he could club Ahura in the back. Ahura charges back to the corner, before he got hotshotted into the ropes and lariat’d by Harras. There’s no pinning attempt at first as Harras threw some punches before stopping to get a two-count, as things spilled outside with the pair trading chops. Ahura rolls Harras across the ring rather than risk chopping the ring post, only for Norman to charge Ahura into the ring post. Then chop it himself. DOH! Back inside, a Finlay roll from Harras turned it around, as did a charging knee to the ribs, before a stalling brainbuster nearly won it for Norman. A chinlock keeps Ahura down, but he breaks free and connected with some leaping forearms… leading to a German suplex for a one-count.
Ahura pulls Harras up for a second German suplex, rolling around before he wheelbarrowed Harras for a third and final German suplex. Harras kicks out at two, then rolled to the apron, where Ahura elbowed him some more… only to get caught with a back suplex as Harras proceeded to scatter the crowd. Norman can’t quite chuck Ahura into the crowd, before Norman grabbed the ref as a human shield. It allowed him to sneak through a right hand, as Ahura rolled back into the ring and hit a corkscrew tornillo as referee Rainer Ringer shoved Norman into the path of it. Kicks follow back inside, before a Paradise Waterfall – think a leaping neckbreaker like the Zig Zag – got the win. That’s Ahura in the title match at Shortcut to the Top, after a successful return in Frankfurt. ***
Backstage, Ahmad Dimassi’s with Elijah Blum, Peter Tihanyi and Leon St. Giovanni (LSG) ahead of their trios match with Amboss later. Ahmad asks Leon about how things are going as he’s back with wXw to help as a trainer… but LSG’s not happy with how Robert Dreissker’s treating The Rotation as of late. Of course, Tihanyi’s still got a bone to pick with the Arrows of Hungary, while Elijah vowed today was payback time.
Hektor Invictus vs. Levaniel
Hektor’s been growing himself a mighty beard while Dennis Dullnig’s away… while Levaniel brings up how his tag partner, Jurn Simmons, is wrestling in a tag match later without him. Hektor’s clearly fed up with Levaniel’s chatter…
We got going with a split crowd as Hektor took Levaniel into the corner. A lucha-style roll-up gets Hektor a two-count, before Levaniel took him down for a toe and ankle hold. Hektor kicks away at Levaniel to trip him up, before he pulled Levaniel down with a hiptoss and a crucifix for a near-fall. Levaniel returns with a snapmare and a legdrop to the arm, before a short arm scissors tried to force a stoppage… but Hektor rolled him up and lifted Levaniel onto the top rope to force a break. Impressive power to go with that beard, eh? Stunned, Levaniel hits the ropes for a lucha-style roll-up into a Skayde special, but Hektor’s up at two before a spinning suplex had Hektor down.
A spinebuster put Hektor right back in it as I’m wondering how Levaniel’s going to try and match or better that… he goes for a leg-sweep roll-up out of the corner before a big Hektor dropkick wiped him out for another two-count. A second dropkick misses as Levaniel held onto the ropes, before the comeback continued with left hands. Hektor’s decked with a back elbow before he reversed a whip… but couldn’t avoid a spinning heel kick. Nor a backbreaker or a discus lariat, which nearly won it for Levaniel. An Intergalactic Facecrusher’s blocked as Hektor instead came out of the corner with a moonsault, following up with a running boot, a German suplex and another clothesline for a near-fall. From the kick-out, Levaniel tries his luck with a small package, but a Pele kick has Hektor in it before he moonsaulted onto Levaniel’s knee… and that’s enough for Levaniel to snatch the come-from-behind win. I was really impressed with Hektor’s arsenal here, but it was an upset of sorts for Levaniel. ***
Backstage, Maggot, Vincent Heisenberg and Baby Allison are interviewed about the upcoming Shotgun title match – which Allison will be refereeing. They’re all a little peeved at Norman Harras’ games here, and because they’re not stupid, they’ve got a plan to neutralise Norman’s own. Ahura walks up to interrupt things, as he’s pumped to have won the number one contendership earlier… and the question over Ahura’s shinier Shotgun title comes up, as Ahura noted he never lost it, so he’s still the champion.
B3CCA vs. Orsi
This was B3CCA’s debut in Germany, after her planned debut earlier in the year was thwarted due to injury.
Starting with a side headlock, B3CCA’s initial offence is broken up as Orsi threw her down in a waistlock. B3CCA tries a waistlock of her own, but Orsi breaks it up, only to get caught with a kick to the midsection… which she shrugged off ahead of a shoulder tackle on B3CCA into the corner. B3CCA sidesteps and chops Orsi in the corner, before she was given chops and forearms in return. Hitting the ropes, B3CCA’s crossbody is caught and turned into a fallaway slam, before Orsi was thrown outside, where B3CCA followed with a cannonball off the apron. The crowd’s chants for Orsi just wind B3CCA up some more, as she choked Orsi in the ropes, then hit a dropkick to the back.
Orsi fights back with forearms out of the corner, but B3CCA cuts her off with a knee, then with a running bicycle kick into the corner. Another low dropkick lands for a near-fall, with B3CCA staying on top of Orsi… mounting her for a chinlock that ends in the corner. More big hits from Orsi have B3CCA on the back foot, with a back body drop and a spinning sidewalk slam almost getting the win. A spear followed from Orsi for another near-fall, before Orsi went for a Boston crab… just for the delicious irony. The Boston native B3CCA’s dragged away from the ropes as a submission looked likely, but she rolled free and hit a standing double stomp to Orsi, before a Shining Wizard out of the corner got the win… with Orsi kicking out just too late. I really enjoyed this one – B3CCA on her debut got the crowd firmly against her (as opposed to the dreaded non-reaction), while Orsi’s really coming into her own as a star rookie. ***
After the match, B3CCA bragged about winning the match without using her finisher – and demanded a title shot. Good save…
Backstage, Ahmad’s with Tristan Archer and Rott und Flott. They’re all impressed with Ahmad’s intro… then things go sour when Ahmad brings up that Tristan lost his title last time in Frankfurt. Tristan leads him away as Nikita Charisma and Michael Schenkenberg say this trios match is a preview for their match with Only Friends next week – a match where not only will the tag titles be on the line, but the losers won’t be able to take part in World Tag Team Festival. Tristan’s back to tell us Jurn’s match at Dead End is his last shot at the wXw Unified World Wrestling title, and he’d better prepare for a disappointing trip back home afterwards.
Amboss (Dover, Icarus & Robert Dreissker) vs. LSG, Peter Tihanyi & Elijah Blum
The first of two trios matches on the show… and another outing for AMBOSS…
Icarus and Blum start us off, eventually locking up as Icarus took the rookie Blum to the mat in an armbar. It switches to a hammerlock, as Blum countered out with an armdrag and an armbar, which Icarus broke with some hairpulling… only for Blum to get right back with a wristlock. LSG tags in to keep it going, before an O’Connor roll was blocked… with Icarus taking a back elbow and a butterfly suplex for a near-fall. Dover tags in and immediately locks up with LSG… getting sent into the ropes for a shoulder tackle. LSG kips back up and tries shoulder tackles of his own, riling up Dover ahead of a leaping shoulder block that saw Dover tag in Dreissker. The battle of trainers sees Dreissker take LSG into the corner for an elbow, then into the over for a splash, before LSG came back with armdrags.
Peter Tihanyi tags in and hits a double sledge to Dreissker’s arm, then tagged in Blum to do the same. Blum’s wristlock is broken with a forearm, before he got rudely thrown outside after telegraphing a back body drop. Icarus and Dover swarm Blum on the floor, before Dreissker took him down with a back suplex in the middle of the ring for a near-fall. Icarus tags in as Blum’s kept cornered by the Hungarians, with Dover joining in with those quick tags island body blows. It lead to a slam from Dover, then from Dreissker, who followed up with a splash off the ropes for a near-fall. Icarus is back for a standing moonsault that nearly wins it, as he then kept Blum grounded in a side headlock…
It’s back to the corner as Dreissker tagged in, but a back suplex is flipped out of as Blum rolled past to tag in Tihanyi, whose Meteora took down Dreissker. Tihanyi followed that with a DDT to Dover, an enziguiri to Icarus, then a tope to Dover for good measure, before he returned to the ring and got wiped out by a Dreissker lariat. Tihanyi tries to fight back on Icarus, but couldn’t get out of the corner as a Dragon screw hauled him down ahead of a Figure Four. A crossface followed from Icarus, who hooked the mouth as well, before Dover came in to trade strikes. Tihanyi tries to chop free, but got caught as Dover looked to take him into the corner… that’s stopped, as was Tihanyi’s escape, before a knee strike from Icarus almost ended this one.
Icarus keeps Tihanyi grounded, but a slingshot cutter gave Tihanyi some hope before he tagged out to LSG… who knocks Dover off the apron before scoring a dropkick through the ropes. A crossbody back in from LSG takes down Dreissker, while a Stunner has Icarus down. The Launch Code springboard forearm nearly beats Dreissker, but the ring fills for a Parade of Moves, with Blum’s dropkick and swinging neckbreaker clearing out the Arrows. Dreissker’s on his own as he ran into a back body drop from Blum and LSG, before they teased… A THREE POST MASSACRE?! LSG and Blum’s knocked off the top as Tihanyi misses a 450 splash, allowing Dreissker to charge in with a spear in response, before he held Tihanyi up for a Crossfire as AMBOSS took away the win. There’s rarely a bad trios match in wrestling, and this one was pretty damn good – AMBOSS stood tall but LSG, Tihanyi and Blum had some moments before the emphatic finish. ***½
wXw Shotgun Championship: Vincent Heisenberg vs. Maggot (c)
Baby Allison had been assigned as the special referee for this one… and there was a plan from Maggot and Heisenberg to not cause too much infighting here.
Allison tries to play it on the level to start, as Maggot and Heisenberg gave each other the thumbs up, then climbed to the outside, looking to take a double count-out. Maggot teases breaking the count, but he just wants this over with as Norman Harras wandered out to spoil their party. He told them the match had to be decided in the ring… and if they didn’t wrestle, he’d strip Maggot and Allison of their titles. Cue a new plan, which saw Heisenberg lay down for Maggot, but he kicked out with some force at two, not wanting to lose like that. Maggot tries to talk him into it, but got shoved across the ring before he broke out with kicks and forearms. Heisenberg chopped him back, before he got caught in the corner with mounted punches before Heisenberg tried a powerbomb… then opted to sit down on Maggot.
Maggot avoided that and went up top for a Thesz Press off the middle rope, then a kick to the side of the head, which just seemed to piss off Heisenberg some more. A boot gets a slow two-count before Heisenberg caught a spear and slammed Maggot… but Baby Allison refuses to count the pin. Heisenberg picks up Maggot for a chop, then squashed him in the corner ahead of a fallaway slam as another charge into the corner was sidestepped…
Heisenberg caught Maggot’s crossbody and turned it into a slam before a headbutt left Maggot on the deck. Again he goes for a cover, but Allison refuses to count… so he pulled Maggot up by the hair for a bodyslam. That draws a super-slow two-count from Allison, before Maggot’s comeback ended with a clothesline for another laboured two-count. A neck crank keeps Maggot down, but he escaped and took Heisenberg down to a knee in a sleeperhold. Heisenberg threw Maggot aside though, before he got caught with a satellite DDT as Maggot countered out of a sidewalk slam. We’re down to the final five minutes of the time limit, as Heisenberg took Maggot up top, only for the champion to escape for a gamengiri… before he tried a superplex, eventually bringing down the big guy.
The pair get up to their knees and trade right hands, then kicks before Baby Allison stopped Heisenberg. Maggot threw in a pump kick, then got slapped by Allison for it, as she tore into both champion and challenger, putting them in the proverbial naughty corner… as her idea was to have them sit out the remainder of the match. Which they did, as a spirited discussion took us to the final bell, with this ending as a draw – and a successful defence, of sorts, for Maggot. There’s clearly trouble in paradise, and this was a match for seed sowing… **¾
After the match, Norman Harras ran out to try and remonstrate with the trio, but got slapped for his troubles.
Rott Und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) & Tristan Archer vs. Jurn Simmons & Only Friends (Bobby Gunns & Michael Knight)
We’re building up two big matches at Dead End in Hamburg with this one…
We’ve bedlam before the bell as Bobby Gunns jumped Michael Schenkenberg, while Jurn Simmons went after all three opponents. Nikita Charisma’s bulldogged onto Schenkenberg as Rott und Flott were bounced all over the place, before Jurn cleared the ring and hit a plancha to Archer and Schenkenberg. Knight and Gunns double-team Charisma ahead of a German suplex and a springboard clothesline for a near-fall right at the start of the match. Charisma’s knocked into the ropes as Gunns then sent him into Knight, who stretched Charisma in the ropes as referee Tassilo Jung embarked on a super slow five-count.
Tristan Archer pulled Charisma out of the ring as the double-teaming looked to continue… but the threatened walk-out was stopped as Simmons, Knight and Gunns gave chase, with all six fighting in the crowd with Jurn clubbing Archer in the front row while Charisma was trying to twist Gunns’ head off with a cravat. Up on the stage, Archer, Schenkenberg and Charisma triple-team Knight, before we returned to the ring as Charisma had Knight in a chinlock. Archer’s in to keep Knight grounded, while Schenkenberg snuck in a kick for good measure. A slam from Archer has Knight down ahead of a back senton… but Knight gets the knees up, only to get pulled away from a tag as Archer managed to hit that back senton anyway for a near-fall. Schenkenberg’s back in to make Jurn Simmons read what’s on his trunks – masking some more cheating behind the ref’s back.
A spin-out facebuster and dropkick nearly puts Knight away, before Bobby Gunns came in to break up a cover… that distracts the ref as Knight’s stomped on behind the ref’s back. Gunns’ remonstrating earned him a €50 fine from the ref, as Schenkenberg’s backbreaker and stretcher looked to force a submission out of the former Shotgun champion. Knight grabbed the rope to break the hold, but again all three of his opponents got in the ring as they set up for a Cerberus powerbomb… but Knight ‘rana’s free before he pulled himself up top for a crossbody into all three, giving himself enough time to make the tag out to Bobby Gunns.
Gunns ran wild on Rott und Flott, charging into them with uppercuts in the corners, before back suplexes and a clothesline nearly put away Charisma. Jurn Simmons is in, but his Massive Boot takes down Schenkenberg as Charisma tried to steal a win with a roll-up… Jurn kicks out, then caught a spear before he suplexed Charisma into Schenkenberg for good measure. Jurn teases a press slam on Charisma, but Archer caught him… only to get accidentally dumped with a reverse DDT after some help from Gunns. Charisma’s scooped up for a Gunnslinger from there, before Jurn’s standing moonsault splatted him for a near-fall. Schenkenberg’s in to surprise Jurn with a Michinoku driver to spark a Parade of Moves, featuring a backpack knee from Knight and a spear from Simmons, as all six men were left laying.
Knight tagged back in after that, with Jurn lifting up Archer… but a Doomsday something or other’s stopped as we end up with Gunns going after Schenkenberg, motioning to the leg that had gotten cut up in Oberhausen a month earlier in that tables match. The pair trade boo/yay right hands, then clotheslines, before Knight and Charisma tag in to keep it up. All four men fall down after elbows, as Simmons and Archer returned for a double clothesline. They roll outside as the two tag teams pick up the pace, leading to a dropkick to Gunns from Charisma as double-teams backfired. Gunns helps Knight DDT Schenkenberg, before a Knight ushigoroshi and a Gunns PK left Charisma laying for a near-fall. A Dragon sleeper followed on Charisma from there, while Gunns trapped Schenkenberg with an Octopus stretch… and with no respite in sight, Charisma tapped! You know what I said about trios matches earlier? See that, and then some. A fantastic main event that sent Frankfurt home happy. ***¾
Some may be tempted to see this as just as “warm up” show for Dead End in Hamburg, but this was a two-and-a-bit hour show that’s well worth your time with some cracking trios matches.