The final two teams for the World Tag Team Festival earned their spots in Bielefeld, on a show that saw the return of an Avalanche.
Quick Results
Pahlevan Nima pinned Nick Schreier in 6:53 (**½)
World Tag Team Festival Qualifier: Elijah Blum & LSG pinned Alex Duke & Norman Harras in 10:36 (**¾)
Baby Allison submitted El Hijo de Performante Jr. in 00:10
World Tag Team Festival Qualifier: Jacob Crane & Ava Everett pinned Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg in 9:01 (**)
Levaniel pinned Max St. Giovanni to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 6:22 (**¼)
Ahura pinned 1 Called Manders in 12:59 (***½)
Laurance Roman submitted Anil Marik in 7:56 (**½)
Bobby Gunns & Stephanie Maze pinned Yuto Nakashima & OSKAR in 9:45 (**¾)
“Avalanche” Robert Dreissker pinned Axel Fox in 3:54 (**½)
Aigle Blanc pinned Danny Jones to retain the wXw European Championship in 19:06 (***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
It’s the first We Love Wrestling show since May, and we’re at the sold-out Forum in Bielefeld for the last stop before next month’s World Tag Team Festival. We’re live in German, with Mett Dimassi and Robin Christopher Fohrwerk on the headsets… and we’ve got a pre-show match too…
Nick Schreier vs. Pahlevan Nima
This is Nima’s second “main roster” match, having had that outing against Yokai in Hamburg interrupted by Levaniel. Nick Schreier’s now gotten the nickname “Mr. Full Circle” as well…
Schreier looked to work over Nima’s, err, moustache early on, and of course Nima’s not taking any of that crap. Problem was, Schreier looked to be a step ahead, taking him down with a clothesline, then with a dropkick, before taking Nima into the corner for some mounted punches.
A bulldog out of the corner gets Schreier a two-count, before Nima rolled outside to avoid a Shining Wizard. Of course, Schreier gives chase as he remained ahead, at least until Nima crotched him in the ropes. Nima’s dropkick gave him a near-fall, but Schreier’s able to return with a pop-up dropkick, before a teardrop suplex sent Nima rolling to the outside.
This time Schreier followed up with a dive, connecting with a plancha… and Nick celebrated too long back inside as he was caught with a leaping neckbreaker in the ropes – like the Zig Zag – as Nima picked up the upset win out of nowhere. **½
Onto the main show…
World Tag Team Festival Qualifier: Big Bucks (Norman Harras & Alex Duke) vs. LSG & Elijah Blum
The winner of this one goes to the World Tag Team Festival – and will face Young Blood in the first round.
Opening off, LSG’s taken into the corner by Harras as the former Shotgun champion enjoyed the best of the opening minute… before he got stunned with an atomic drop. Blum’s in to help with a double low dropkick, but a wristlock’s fought out of as Harras took him in to the corner and tagged in Alex Duke.
Blum’s crossbody and dropkick has Duke on the ropes, as LSG came in to pick up a two-count from an elbow drop, only for the Big Bucks to finally find their stride as they double-teamed LSG, holding him by the corner as Harras and Duke took their shots. A blind tag from Harras saved Duke from being pinned as LSG remained on the back foot, at least until he began to mount a comeback with chops before rolling his way into the corner for a tag.
Blum cleared house with clotheslines and neckbreakers, before a back body drop to Duke set up for a froggy crossbody off the top. Harras had to dive in to break up the cover, as the Big Bucks again combined for a double-team powerbomb… before a wheelbarrow DDT almost put Blum away.
LSG’s able to neutralise Harras on the outside as Duke’s ripcord knee was shrugged off… allowing Blum back in for a side Russian legsweep assisted by LSG’s Launch Code springboard forearm… and that’s Blum and LSG in next month’s festival. Blum as ever was wildly popular in Bielefeld – having not lost here for a year now…**¾
Post-match, Blum took the mic and called out Peter Tihanyi – having been furious at Tihanyi for the way he turned on him to join High Performer Ltd. last month. That was the cue for the High Performer Ltd. music, but it’s Robin Christopher Fohrwerk out instead to tell Blum that he wasn’t worth Tihanyi’s time.
My feed dropped out here, returning as LSG dragged Blum from the confrontation… as Fohrwerk switched to his day’s other business with Maggot. Except Maggot’s apparently not here due to illness, but Fohrwerk wants the match anyway. He wheels out his new hire: “El Hijo de Performante. Jr.” – dressed like a mash-up of Rey Mysterio Jr. and John Cena.
El Hijo de Performante Jr. vs. Baby Allison
Fohrwerk wanted to take a forgeit, but Baby Allison interrupted because this match had stakes – a win for Allison earns Maggot a match with Robin Christopher Fohrwerk at World Tag Team Festival, but a loss means that Maggot is done in wXw.
Anyway, there wasn’t anything to this. Spear. Baby Exorcism. Submission. We’re getting Maggot/Fohrwerk next month.
World Tag Team Festival Qualifier: Y2Kuties (Ava Everett & Jacob Crane) vs. Rott und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma)
High Performer Ltd. await the winners of this one in next month’s World Tag Team Festival – but at least we got to hear the Y2Kuties music again.
Things didn’t start so well for Ava and Jacob as a “messed up” tag saw Ava catch Crane in the head… so Rott und Flott mocked them by showing them how to tag. Ava just about figured it out, but she was taken into the Rott und Flott corner as Charisma worked over her arm. Schenkenberg gets in on the act as this felt very much like a holiday camp outing, complete with the inevitable “tag partner works over his own partner’s arm.” If I couldn’t tell Ava’s arm from Michael Schenkenberg’s, I’d worry too…
That led to a brief argument between Charisma and Schenkenberg, probably caused by the unspoken insult, but they hugged it out. Jacob Crane’s in to get it back on track with a stalling suplex on Charisma, with Ava coming into push it into a regular suplex for a two-count.
Ava couldn’t capitalise though, and almost lost after taking a dropkick-aided side suplex, before a back body drop to Charisma and a Codebreaker to Schenkenberg opened the door for Crane to take over again. Machine Gun chops lay out Rott und Flott in the corner, ahead of an Everest German suplex to Schenkenberg for a near-fall. Charisma’s in and gets superkicked in the head en route to a Crane bodyslam, and that’s your lot. Not what you’d have expected I’d dare say. This just didn’t do it for me, but at least they played off how the Y2Kuties split up last year. **
wXw Shotgun Championship: Max St. Giovanni vs. Levaniel (c)
We’ve a wXw debut for MSG, as “Moonshot” moon-walked right into a Shotgun title match.
Levaniel’s probably using this as a warm-up for the 3-way with Ahura and Matt Cardona next month, but MSG was able to catch out Levaniel with hiptosses after a slow-ish start. An Exploder into the buckles got Levaniel back in it though as he again slowed down the pace.
MSG fought out of a chinlock, then just about found a way in with a springboard enziguiri ahead of a butterfly suplex. Levaniel’s forced to kick out from a diving uppercut off the middle rope… while a second springboard was cut-off as Levaniel knocked MSG into the ropes ahead of a discus lariat.
From there, a Galactic Facecrusher lands… and that’s your lot. A by-the-books win as Levaniel breezed past MSG en route to his tag festival main event. **¼
1 Called Manders vs. Ahura
Business is about to pick up, right?
We’ve a lot of mouthing off from Ahura to start, before an attempt to chop Manders in the throat ended with Manders laying into Ahura… who responded by taking the big man down for a side headlock.
Eventually throwing Ahura aside, Manders broke free… but Ahura just poked him in the eye and went back to the mat as he looked to work over the knee. A DDT to the right leg of Manders had him clinging to the ropes for respite, before Manders hit back with a front suplex to dump Ahura in the ropes.
Back on his feet, Manders picked his spots, laying into Ahura with chops and kicks before getting his own back for that earlier eye poke. Ahura tried to roll away from an elbow drop after a slam, but it just led to an ugly landing for the big man. Recovering, Ahura’s able to sidestep a charge into the corner as he was back to playing stick and move, leading to a springboard forearm that took Manders outside.
Ahura tries to land a plancha, but he’s caught as a front kick on the floor hit its mark instead. Back inside, Ahura unwisely tried for a powerbomb as a back body drop from Manders broke it up instead before the pair began to swing chops at each other. A clubbering clothesline from Ahura barely staggered Manders, but a powerbomb almost got Ahura the win. Shrugging it off, Manders clobbers Ahura with a lariat for a near-fall, before an attempt at another one’s countered into a roll-up as Ahura snatched the win. This started off shaky, but heated up pretty good at the end as Ahura got some steam under him ahead of the Shotgun title match next month. Business… picked up. ***½
Anil Marik vs. Laurance Roman
We’re got an unadvertised bonus match to kick off the second half… and obviously, it’s non-title since Roman has a title defence against Marik’s stablemate Peter Tihanyi next month.
Roman controlled the pace with a headlock takedown early on, before he took Marik into the corner for chops. Marik couldn’t get going until Fohrwerk popped up on the apron and pie-faced Roman… who of course reacted and got caught from behind by Marik.
More cheating from Fohrwerk saw him choke Roman in the ropes, which allowed Marik back in for a spell. A chinlock from Marik gets powered out of, but he’s able to pick up with a bulldog for a two-count before an enziguiri out of nowhere got Roman some breathing room. Clotheslines help Roman build up anew, leading to an Exploder suplex, before the swinging hooking DDT and a crossface led to the quick submission… but… **½
Post-match, Marik popped up to attack Roman from behind and put the boots to Roman… Roman fought back, but referee Rainer Ringer separated him, allowing Marik to grab the belt and lay out Roman with it. Right on cue, there’s Peter Tihanyi who comes out like he’s off to the clubs after this. Tihanyi took the belt and prepared to use it, but Elijah Blum – complete with a 2×4 and some Hacksaw Jim Duggan-esque blue shorts – charged out to chase away the Hungarian.
Fighting Spirit (Stephanie Maze & Bobby Gunns) vs. Young Blood (OSKAR & Yuto Nakashima)
A preview of World Tag Team Festival followed – Young Blood have LSG and Elijah Blum in their opening match, while Maze and Gunns have a tough test in the form of Shigehiro Irie and Fuminori Abe.
Opening with Nakashima absorbing shoulder tackles from Gunns, Yuto finally took the former champion off his feet with one of his own. Maze tagged in and demanded she face OSKAR… and she got her wish pretty quickly as she managed to knock OSKAR into the corner with some kicks… before OSKAR charged back with a swift bodyslam.
Yuto’s back with a gut punch to Maze, while OSKAR’s Arabian clutch stretched out Maze… at least until Gunns charged in to break it up. Eventually tagging in, Gunns fought back, sidestepping OSKAR in the corner as he came back in with uppercuts, before an abdominal stretch was broken up by Nakashima.
Maze is back to help out with kicks, but OSKAR just throws her aside to escape a German suplex before a big boot to Gunns almost got Young Blood the win. Tags kinda got thrown out of the window for a spell here as Maze returned… only to get caught with an atomic drop/lariat combo.
Maze finally lands a German suplex to OSKAR, but got knocked right out with an elbow from Nakashima. Gunns returns, but he’s met with a kick to the chest, before a flash roll-up got Gunns the win out of nowhere. This one never really got going for me, but I am a fan of using flash finishes – if only to force you to pay attention to the whole thing! You’d have to say that Gunns and Maze are one of the heavy favourites to win the whole thing – and this result won’t do much to change that. **¾
Axel Fox vs. “Avalanche” Robert Dreissker
After a vignette aired for his return last time out in Oberhausen, Robert Dreissker’s gone back to his roots and reverted to the Avalanche moniker. I don’t fancy Axel Fox’s chances, as Avalanche is likely to party like it’s 2015 – squashing relative newcomers called Axel.
Dreissker came through the crowd and blindsided Fox with an avalanche in the corner before the bell. Fox tried to respond, but his crossbody’s caught and turned into a fallaway slam, before Fox ducked a springboard crossbody out of the corner.
A dropkick from Fox took Dreissker outside, but a big boot back inside put the former champion back on track, as did a series of snap suplexes, before a ripcord spinebuster got Dreissker the win. Exactly what you’d expect, and given Dreissker has a promised rematch, you do have to wonder… **½
Speaking of that, Dreissker called his shot – and said he wanted his rematch during World Tag Team Festival. So… night one? Or is the Tihanyi match now a three-way? Time will tell…
wXw European Championship: Danny Jones vs. Aigle Blanc (c)
Danny Jones was making his first outing in wXw since January 2023, as a fill-in for an injured Mike D Vecchio – and he’s walked into a main event. To be fair, they did release a hype video for him in the days before the show, so he wasn’t coming in ice cold… and no, I’m not going to touch the “another Brit challenged for the European title” thing with a barge pole!
Aigle tried to control things from the off, overcoming a shoulder tackle takedown from Jones before some headscissors forced the Welshman into the ropes for a break. Responding, Jones lit up Aigle with a series of chops, knocking the Frenchman off the top rope and sending him to the floor.
Back inside, Jones stayed on Aigle, taking a few elbows before knocking him down with a single shot, before finally making some headway with a springboard crossbody. A ripcord enziguiri followed, along with a back body drop and a corkscrew suplex for a two-count. Jones made a way back in, catching Aigle’s blockbuster and turning it into a Falcon arrow for a near-fall. Alright, that was freaking impressive.
Aigle turned it up himself, DDTing Jones onto the apron before a Meteora off the top back inside almost got the win. A series of elbows from Jones looked to turn it around, but Aigle hit back before the pair exchanged suplexes, with a sleeper suplex from Jones sending the champion flying.
Another exchange ended with Jones thinking he’d scurried into the corner for respite, but a Coast to Coast from Blanc finds its mark… as did a ‘rana driver through the ropes, only for Jones to get some revenge for earlier with a piledriver onto the side of the ring. From there, a clothesline and another piledriver from Jones would have led to the win… but Aigle barely was able to grab the bottom rope to keep his reign alive.
Heading up top, Jones tries an avalanche piledriver, but Aigle slips out and pulled Jones into a Burning Hammer… following up with a diving knee as Jones was checking his teeth. A 450 splash followed, but it wasn’t enough as Aigle ended up getting the win moments later with the Desert Eagle. Aigle’s run with the European title has been solid so far – and while Jones may have been an unfancied opponent, he pushed the Frenchman hard. Now, when do we get our first feud over this belt? ***½
As a “go home” show for the World Tag Team Festival, this tied up a few loose ends and set up a couple of things – but as an event a lot of it just didn’t seem to click for me. It’s a point we’ve laboured on the podcast, but running shows so infrequently has really taken a lot of wind out of the sails around these parts, especially on the undercards. Onward to Oberhausen!