The final day of World Tag Team Festival kicked off with a We Love Wrestling taping, featuring a qualifier for the first spot at next year’s 16 Carat Gold tournament.
Quick Results
Laurance Roman pinned LSG to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 8:13 (***¼)
Hyan pinned Calypso in 5:40 (***)
Anil Marik pinned Massimo Pesca in 7:20 (**¾)
Jurn Simmons, Levaniel, Psycho Mike & Baby Allison pinned Aaron Rourke, Jacob Crane, Norman Harras & Michelle Green in 13:33 (***¼)
Iva Kolasky pinned JC Storm in 6:55 (**½)
Nick Schreier pinned Tristan Archer in 8:04 (***¼)
Icarus pinned Patrick Bork in 5:09 (***)
Luke Jacobs pinned Fast Time Moodo in 13:50 (***¾)
— If you want to catch this before it’s uploaded to Peacock/WWE Network, head over to wXwNOW.de
We’re back in the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen for the first show of the final day of this year’s World Tag Team Festival – a We Love Wrestling event… Dave Prazak is back on the call alongside Robin Christopher Fohrwerk.
wXw Shotgun Championship: Laurance Roman (c) vs. LSG
Of course, LSG made his return to wXw the prior evening, as a surprise partner for Elijah Blum…
LSG controlled Roman early on with a wristlock, but he’s taken to the ropes and elbowed by Roman, before a shoulder tackle took LSG down. A battle of hiptosses ended with an O’Connor roll out of the corner, before a Manhattan drop from LSG and a dropkick had Roman down for a two-count.
Roman struggled to break free of a cravat, with LSG rolling through before Roman got free to hit a back suplex. Stomps from Roman take LSG into the corner, while forearm shots focused on LSG’s lower back. An Irish whip into the corner keeps the pressure up, before LSG fought back with a boot and some Dusty punches.
A wind-up punch decked Roman, while a clothesline gets LSG a two-count, before Roman hit back with a cross-chop to the throat. LSG’s quickly back with a facebuster for a near-fall though, before a swinging DDT almost secured the win out of nowhere for Roman. Another facebuster from LSG finds its mark, but his springboard’s swatted away as Roman hit back with a package piledriver out of nowhere for the win. ***¼
Earlier today, Michelle Green’s trying to recruit Norman Harras onto her team for a 4-on-4 tag later tonight. Norman’s not too thrilled with the offer of Swiss Francs, so Green brings up her appearances on the Netflix show, Wrestlers, and seemingly pitches a show for “Norman Netflix.” Other streaming platforms are available…
Jacob Crane and Aaron Rourke interrupt after Michelle’d gotten Norman onside… and Harras seems a little unhappy with the rest of the squad he’d just acquired.
Calypso vs. Hyan
Calypso threw one of her three faces aside on the stage as she took on the Femmes Fatales runner-up here…
From the opening lock-up, Hyan backs Calypso into the corner… leading to some frustration from Calypso. Even more so when Hyan patronisingly patted her on the head before armdrags and dropkicks took Calypso back into the corner. A suplex out of the corner lands, before Calypso found a way in, cornering Hyan for a seated dropkick for a two-count.
Another seated dropkick keeps Calypso ahead, ahead of some running knees to the back of Hyan in the ropes. Calypso uses the hair to keep Hyan on the back foot, but Hyan begins to fight back with forearms and chops, before a running crossbody out of the corner set up for the Wasteland and the legdrop. Hyan’s charge into the ropes is sidestepped as Calypso hits a rebound German suplex, then a Fisherman suplex for a near-fall. A roll-up from Hyan offered some hope, as did a spear out of the corner, before the Beauty Sleep planted Calypso for the win. ***
Massimo Pesca vs. Anil Marik
After Pesca’s introduction, Robin Christopher Fohrwerk left the English commentary position, then emerged through the darkness to announce his arrival… and get shocked at Pesca’s knowledge of German. Fohrwerk finally announces the first signing of his High Performer Limited group – and it’s a returning Anil Marik.
Pesca offers a handshake, but Marik ignored it as we opened up with Marik working the arm, thwarting an attempt by Pesca to springboard free of the wristlock. A springboard armdrag from Pesca’s blocked as Marik eventually lets go after some stomps, before Marik once again took wrist control.
A heart punch from Pesca gets him an opening, but the Pegasus Ride from Pesca is blocked as he’s shoved onto the apron… ahead of a trip up top that saw him leap into a Marik dropkick. Marik adds a chinlock, then took Pesca to the corner for a clothesline as a bulldog took the Italian out of the corner for a near-fall.
Marik cuts of Pesca’s attempted comeback with a Slingblade for a near-fall, before a Victory Roll headscissor takedown nearly nicked a win for Pesca. A quick turnaround puts a bloodied Marik back in control… even though a shotgun dropkick followed as Pesca escaped a double-underhook DDT. Pesca keeps pushing with the running double knees into the corner, while a missile dropkick drew another two-count for Pesca. Another attempt at a Pegasus Ride gets blocked by Marik, who quickly turned it around into the double-underhook DDT for the win. A pretty straightforward win for the repackaged Marik. **¾
Earlier today, Mett Dimassi’s with Massive Love as they bemoaned their semi-final exit in the World Tag Team Festival… Jurn reckons they didn’t take things seriously, then put over Cash and Hektor as his picks to win the tournament later on in the day. Baby Allison enters, complaining about how she didn’t even get to take part in the tournament because Maggot picked a guy who “announces everything he does.” That’s the cue for Mike to pop up with a peace offering… a bag of powder? Don’t worry, it’s protein powder…
Michelle Green, Norman Harras & Y2Kuties (Aaron Rourke & Jacob Crane) vs. Massive Love (Jurn Simmons & Levaniel), Baby Allison & Psycho Mike
That powder’s certainly had an effect on Massive Love, judging by their entrance… and I’m not entirely sure it was just protein.
We eventually get going with Baby Allison and Michelle Green, as Fohrwerk returned to commentary to gloat about his “coup of the century.” Green and Allison trade pinning attempts for a spell, ahead of a Thesz press from Allison, who followed up with a clothesline in the ropes before Psycho Mike ordered Allison to hit “the move I showed you.” Yup. Bodyslam.
Norman Harras tags in, and gets chants of “coward” (although in German) for refusing to engage with Allison. She slaps him… prompting Norman to hit back before Levaniel tagged in. Shoulder tackles led nowhere as Harras ate an atomic drop instead, then a spinning heel kick before Psycho Mike tagged in and suggested a bodyslam.
Jacob Crane interrupts as Aaron Rourke intervened, allowing Harras to put the boots to Mike before Crane tagged in and stomped a mudhole in Mike in the corner. A dropkick followed to Mike in the corner for a two-count, before Crane actually hit a bodyslam. My God, he’s through the trauma! Mike kicks out at two, but gets swarmed by Aaron Rourke… who began hitting up the referee. Quite literally.
The ref acts disgusted, then counted two on Psycho Mike’s roll-up before a slightly slower count met Rourke’s pinning attempt. That upset Rourke, who berated the referee for his earlier reaction, before a rear naked choke looked to put Psycho Mike away… but he finds enough of a second wind to, erm, reach into his trunks and pull out that baggie of protein powder to help him power up for a back suplex.
Mike makes the tag out to Jurn Simmons, who runs wild to spark a big ol’ Parade of Moves, before we reached Michelle Green and Psycho Mike. Forearms from Green led to a crossbody that saw her just bounce off of Mike, before Mike’s bid for a bodyslam was stopped by the referee. They argue, so Mike unzips his trunks and puts on some lip balm before he kissed the ref.
That’s got the ref all hot and bothered, as Rourke returned and… grabbed Mike’s chapstick from his trunks. Rourke wanted something other than a bodyslam, which he ended up getting as Jurn Simmons slid in to take the pin. ***¼
Backstage, Robert Dreissker congratulates Icarus for his win on Friday as AMBOSS celebrated their successes. Dreissker seemed a little annoyed that Laurance Roman defended his Shotgun title earlier, as he felt it risked their end goal of leaving the weekend with all the (men’s) gold.
Iva Kolasky vs. JC Storm
Kolasky’s not been around wXw much this year, and has a potential banana skin of an opponent here in Storm.
Storm grabs a wristlock early on, but Kolasky threw her way free before Storm came back with a Fireman’s carry takeover. A patronising pat on the head awaits Kolasky, ahead of a wrist-clutch Fireman’s carry takeover for a two-count.
Kolasky’s charged down with a shoulder tackle, then with a crossbody off the ropes before Kolasky headed onto the apron. She caught Storm in the ropes, then brought her down with a splits kick on the side of the ring for a two-count. Back inside, Storm came close with a sunset flip out of the corner as they went back-and-forth,with Storm mounting another comeback with clotheslines.
Storm runs into a boot though, only to hit back with a ripcord Flatliner for a near-fall before a head kick from Kolasky looked to spark a turnaround. A tornillo off the top, then a spear nearly won it for Storm, who then looked to take Kolasky back up top… but Iva knocks her down before scoring with a moonsault off the top for the win. This match wasn’t bad, but thrown out there cold did nobody any favours. **½
Nick Schreier vs. Tristan Archer
That singles losing run for Tristan Archer is sticking out like a sore thumb… having not won a match since June.
Archer threw Schreier aside to start, before he dumped the Academy champion with a bodyslam. Schreier tries for a leapfrog, but he’s caught and taken into the corner as Archer’s shoulder charges followed… before a leaping armdrag took the Frenchman down.
Schreier manages to hit a wheelbarrow’d armdrag, then a dropkick before his springboard crossbody was caught and turned into a stretched-out backbreaker by Archer. Heading outside, Archer throws Schreier into the side of the ring ahead of the Tiger feint kick on the apron, which led to a two-count from a cover back inside.
Forearms from Schreier, then a dropkick took Archer to the ropes, while a popped-up dropkick kept Archer on the back foot. Archer lifts Schreier onto the apron, as Nick returned with a crossbody off the top rope for a near-fall, before a Diamond suplex from Archer turned it back around.
Archer punches away a gamengiri attempt as Schreier’s brought back inside with a stomp between the ropes… while a double-underhook sit-out facebuster almost put Schreier away. Schreier elbows away a Coup d’Etat attempt, countering back with a DDT, only to get caught with a Decapite lariat. From there, Archer goes for a pop-up powerbomb, but Schreier countered into a sunset flip… snatching the win at the second try as Archer’s luckless run continues! ***¼
Icarus vs. Patrick Bork
This was a rematch from Ambition earlier in the year – albeit under regular wrestling rules as Icarus looked to right another wrong.
Bork’s waistlock takedown has Icarus in the ropes early on, before an attempt at a cross armbreaker was rolled out of by Icarus for a two-count. A slap from Icarus earns him a head kick as Bork headed outside… Icarus waits for him to come back though, as he proceeded to stuff Bork’s arm into a turnbuckle pad, leaving Bork open for a shot to the back.
Icarus adds a deadlifted Fisherman buster for a near-fall, before Bork hit a German suplex to buy him some time. A knee strike follows as Icarus was then thrown out of the corner with a T-bone suplex… an eventual cover gets Bork a near-fall, leading to an ankle lock that Icarus pushes out of.,
Icarus spins Bork down with a wristlock takedown, then put Bork away with a Crossfire knee to the back of the head as the loss from Ambition was avenged. ***
Post-match, Laurance Roman and Robert Dreissker attacked Bork, before Maggot ran out with a Kendo stick to chase away AMBOSS.
16 Carat Gold 2024 Qualifier: Fast Time Moodo vs. Luke Jacobs
This was made a qualifier for 2024’s Carat – which only upped the stakes for Moodo, who’d been bemoaning his recent performances.
We open with a handshake as Moodo and Jacobs scrambled for a hole, ending with Luke taking down Moodo… before he relented. Jacobs slaps Moodo in the ropes following a break, but Moodo returns the favour as a shoulder tackle from Jacobs left the former tag champion on the back foot.
Moodo found a way through with a chest kick, as the pair resumed by trading forearms… ahead of a hiptoss and some headscissors from Moodo. Kicks from Moodo led to some two-counts on Jacobs, as Luke got taken into the corner, where he invited a series of forearms… only to deck Moodo with a singular forearm in response.
Jacobs returns with a suplex and a brainbuster for a two-count, before chops took Moodo into the corner ahead of a snapmare and a kick out of it. A bodyslam and a back senton squashes Moodo for another two-count, as Moodo finally fought back with a leg lariat out of the corner as Luke was steaming ahead.
The pair trade forearms from there, with Moodo throwing kicks to Jacobs’ legs to switch things up, ahead of a spinning heel kick. A German suplex is next from Moodo, then a spinning enziguiri for a near-fall, before another head kick earned Moodo a powerbomb for a near-fall. Luke keeps pushing on, landing a rolling elbow for a near-fall.
Moodo kicks away a lariat attempt, returning with a knee strike and a Pedigree for a two-count. In return, Jacobs hits a German suplex into the corner on Moodo, then lifted him up top for a rising headbutt and a superplex, before a lariat almost put Moodo away. Getting back up, Jacobs goes back to the strikes, only to take another knee strike before he sidestepped a Black Belt Kick and hit a German suplex.
A headbutt, then a Torpedo from Jacobs finds a way through for a near-fall, before a forearm strike took Moodo down ahead of a wild lariat to get the win. This was some lovely stuff to close out the show, with Jacobs taking the first spot in next year’s Carat tournament – while Moodo’s left wondering just what could have been once again. ***¾
This could so easily have been the “hangover show” – after two late nights in the festival – but We Love Wrestling 50 ended up being a high-end outing, topped off by a cracker of a match to sort out the first entrant in 16 Carat Gold 2024.