wXw returned to Papenburg as Hektor Invictus made his first defence of the Shotgun title – against one of the title’s previous holders in Bobby Gunns.
Quick Results
Metehan pinned Fast TIme Moodo in 10:11 (**¾)
Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker pinned M4 & Tim Koslowski in 7:54 (***)
Jane Nero pinned Madison Marley in 6:13 (**¼)
Elijah Blum pinned Aleksander Bellamy in 4:47 (***)
Ahura pinned Nick Schreier in 13:47 (***)
Hektor Invictus pinned Bobby Gunns to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 11:35 (***½)
Anil Marik & Norman Harras pinned Yokai & Pahlevan Nima in 7:31 (**½)
Axel Tischer pinned Laurance Roman in 15:10 (***¼)
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After a month off, wXw’s back at the rather nice Alte Kesselschmiede in Papenburg for a show that’ll deal with the issue of the Big Bucks… and namely, Alex Duke, who’s on the shelf with a shoulder injury. We’ll get to that… English commentary comes from Mett Dimassi.
Metehan vs. Fast Time Moodo
These two have met once before in wXw, with Metehan getting the win back in October 2022 in Leipzig.
Things headed into the corner in the opening minute as Metehan shrugged off a cheapshot… only for Moodo to scurry outside. The ensuing game of cat and mouse worked in Moodo’s favour though, as he took down Metehan once they’d made it back inside. The former Carat winner’s able to break free, only to get distracted as Moodo threw some string his way ahead of a rear spin kick as Moodo was all about the shortcuts.
Moodo keeps frustrating Metehan with kicks, as he landed one to the back of the head for a two-count, but Moodo gets too carried away and ends up having to defend a back body drop. Unsuccessfully, I must add. That sparked a comeback for Metehan, whose handspring back elbow and uranage almost won it, before Moodo went back to the kicks as he cut off another handspring.
A Made in Japan almost nicks it for Moodo, weirdly generating a chant for Peter Tihanyi from the crowd. Moodo absorbs more strikes but a second Made in Japan’s avoided before a diving forearm in return drew a near-fall for Metehan. Some faked-out kicks from Moodo caught out Metehan for a Pedigree, but it’s not enough as things spill outside as a plancha from Metehan looked to have him on course…
Back inside, a deadlift German suplex sets up for the Passions Flame (Tiger Drive), and that’s enough for the win. This was fine, but I still get the sense that there’s something missing with this run with Metehan – you can stack the wins high, but it’s feeling very paint-by-numbers. That match with Mike D in Hamburg will be a big test. **¾
Earlier today, Mett Dimassi’s with the Big Bucks – Alex Duke’s got his arm in a sling and seemed to suggest that they’d have to vacate the belts. Norman Harras said that he was fit and would be able to defend the belts solo… before we were interrupted by Robin Christopher Fohrwerk, who seemingly had an offer to temporarily replace Duke. Uh oh.
Swole Patrol (M4 & Tim Koslowski) vs. Planet Gojirah (Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire)
We’ve got a card change as the tandem of M4 and Tim Koslowski have moved on from their days as the Y2Kuties. Unfortunately, their patrols may need to be assisted if they get squished here…
Starting off, Dreissker backs M4 into the corner with a lock-up before M4 pushed back and forced Dreissker back into the corner. Retaliating, a shoulder tackle takes down M4 as Empire came in… but it’s not long before Koswlowski enters the match for the first time to trap Empire in the corner with clotheslines.
A quick turnaround sees Empire propel Koslowski out of the corner as Dreissker returned to score a snap suplex. Koslowski stays in it though, charging down Dreissker as some double-teaming and push-ups from the Patrol got an interestingly-mixed response. Pulling the Patrol into each other, Dreissker’s able to forge a new opening as duelling clotheslines in the corner, then fallaway slams had the Patrol in trouble.
A double-team Biel out of the corner launches Koslowski to the mat for a two-count… but another overpowering suplex from Koslowski cleared the way as M4 and Empire came in. M4’s uranage finds its mark on Empire, then another on Dreissker as this felt like the most sustained offence from M4 so far in wXw.
Hell, he even went up top… but had to fight off Empire before Dreissker caught him with a superplex, with Empire’s follow-up diving headbutt finally being enough to get the win. An impressive outing for the newly-named Swole Patrol, but in the end Planet Gojirah’s size and experience was too much for them to overcome. ***
Madison Marley vs. Jane Nero
Nero is looking to make a mark on the main roster – but so is Madison Marley, making her second appearance for wXw.
Marley grabbed a cravat early on, but couldn’t keep it on as Nero rolled to the mat, eventually coming back with an armbar. Armdrags put the Dane back in control, leading to an eventual lucha arm drag and a dropkick for a two-count.
Nero hits back with some crossface punches in the ropes, before a front suplex and a kick to the head forced a kick-out. A flying Codebreaker from Marley stops all that momentum though, before a springboard facebuster almost caused the upset. Marley’s caught up top and thrown down to the mat, before Nero quickly followed with a Twist of Fate for the win – which came with a few boos. This was decent for the time they got, but two relative unknowns on the wXw roster were always going to need time to connect with the crowd. **¼
Aleksander Bellamy vs. Elijah Blum
The debuting Bellamy is from Wuppertal, and as far as I can tell, is no relation to Craig. Or David. Can you tell Google threw up absolutely nothing?
Bellamy’s got quite the attitude to him, as he just walked past Blum after a break in the ropes, only to get taken down with a waistlock. Another rope break led to a cheapshot elbow from the debutant, whose follow-up wristlock was slapped away as Blum’s enziguiri took him into the ropes.
Strikes left Bellamy groggy, as did a crossbody, before clotheslines from Blum in the corner and a back body drop looked to have the number one contender for the Unified World Wrestling title in the driver’s seat. Bellamy goes for an eye rake amid a scramble in the ropes, before a rolling neckbreaker landed for a near-fall.
Another one’s avoided by Blum, who fires back with a shotgun dropkick, before a step-up knee into the corner and a running torture rack-turned-Angle Slam out of the corner got the win. A pretty good showing from the debutant, who you’d expect to be taking a few losses as he gets some experience, but he more than gave Blum a scare here. ***
Backstage, Joey Sensation’s with Axel Tischer ahead of his match with Laurance Roman. Tischer’s still a little sore over losing to Roman during 16 Carat, and he’s vowed to leave Papenburg with the win.
Nick Schreier vs. Ahura
Schreier was originally advertised to face Anil Marik… but a reshuffled card gives us a rematch from Leipzig six weeks ago.
Ahura controlled Schreier from the off, backing him into the corner before Schreier returned the favour. We wash, rinse and repeat, before Schreier scored with an armdrag and an armbar ahead of a leg drop to the arm. A dropkick from Nick takes things outside, with Schreier eventually giving chase, only to get caught with a chop.
Back inside, Nick’s able to connect with a crossbody for a near-fall, before his trusty mounted punches were quickly pushed away. Second time’s the charm though, but a follow-up bulldog is pushed away as Ahura booted Nick on the rebound, leading to a spell of pressure from the 16 Carat Gold finalist.
Ahura’s missile dropkick goes through Schreier as things were almost beginning to look too comfortable here. An abdominal stretch with a claw to the ribs exacerbated things for Schreier, but a hiptoss frees Nick, whose pop-up dropkick bought some time ahead of a big crossbody off the top.
Schreier almost snatched the win with that, before a Shining Wizard was caught and almost turned into a powerbomb… but Nick ‘rana’s out, then scored with a tope to the outside. A quick beer from the front row keeps Nick hydrated, but a follow-up satellite DDT’s blocked by Ahura and turned into a stalling suplex.
From there, Ahura powerbombs Schreier into the ropes as a set-up for a rebound lariat that almost won the match, before Schreier’s latest comeback saw him crack Ahura with a superkick. Heading up top, Schreier gets caught with chops as Ahura left him groggy on the ropes… then joined him for an avalanche something or other… it’s avoided, but Schreier can’t avoid the Salamandra seconds later as Ahura finally got the win. This was fine, but was missing a spark, especially as the match headed towards its finish. Nick continues to be dependable, but we’re very staring down that old saying about “potential can’t pay the bills” when it comes to his place on the card. ***
A fairly long interval gave time for the sun to set in Papenburg, so the second half of the show’s going to be in more darkness…
wXw Shotgun Championship: Bobby Gunns vs. Hektor Invictus (c)
This was Hektor’s first defence of the Shotgun title – but there’s a mixed response as both guys were cheered by the crowd going into this.
Gunns took control early on with a toe hold on the mat, but that’s rolled away as Hektor mounted a charge with clotheslines and hiptosses, before Gunns caught Hektor in the ropes with almost an Octopus stretch. That focus on the arm continued with an armbar on the apron as Gunns was looking to make this a short title reign for Hektor.
Some short arm scissors were rolled out of by Hektor, who muscled up Gunns into a wheelbarrow suplex to break free, before a snap powerslam laid out the challenger. Gunns almost snatched the win with an O’Connor roll, before he blocked an overhead kick from Hektor as a clothesline laid him out.
Hektor flashes back with the Hektor-knie though, before the pair exchanged elbow strikes from their knees. A finger snapper from Gunns stunned Hektor ahead of a shotgun dropkick and a PK, before Hektor’s pancake and powerbomb combo did the job – a match that perhaps could have stood with going longer, but Gunns did a number on Hektor, only to be unsuccessful in the end. ***½
Backstage, Joey Sensation’s got an interview with Laurance Roman ahead of the match with Axel Tischer… he brings up how Tischer claimed Roman cheated to win at Carat… and my internet dropped out a little here.
Norman Harras & Anil Marik vs. Yokai & Pahlevan Nima
This was billed as non-title, which I guess means Norman at the very least is being allowed to defend the titles with rolling partners? Unfortunately that meant we got the Robin Christopher Fohrwerk speech here as he introduced Harras and Marik as tag team champions. Let’s see if that stands…
We’ve a jump start on Yokai and Nima as the match started with Harras putting the boots to Yokai, before Marik came in to pick up an easy two-count. A Slingblade gets a similar result for Marik, before Harras came back in as the tide turned. We’re shown an exposed turnbuckle after Yokai and Nima had combined on Harras…
Fohrwerk trips Nima as Anil Marik had the referee distracted for a long while, but Harras’ follow-up spear only gets a two-count. A flapjack from Harras and a dropkick from Marik restores order for the “champions”, before Marik’s bulldog and a charging knee from Harras again drew a two-count.
We keep going as Nima fought out of the corner, leaping over Harras to tag in Yokai… whose hot streak ended with an uppercut from Harras. Nima’s still in the ring though to land a rebound clothesline, but Harras shoves Nima off the top rope before Marik rolled Yokai up for a double-arm DDT for the win. **½
Axel Tischer vs. Laurance Roman
Our main event is a 16 Carat Gold rematch – and in singles matches, Tischer has a 3-2 advantage in the head-to-heads…
Tischer looked to control the pace right from the get go, which only ired Roman, who hit back with a hiptoss… that sent Tischer outside to take the sting out of things. The crowd didn’t help things for Tischer, getting in his head before Roman finally gave chase, which led to a scrap that ended with Roman chopping the ring post.
Shrugging it off, Roman goes back to the chops back inside, before a springboard crossbody out of the corner and a brainbuster drew a two-count at the five-minute mark. Tischer hits back with a big boot to turn the match on its head, as Irish whips repeatedly sent Roman into the corner to signify that change.
A half-hatch suplex from Tischer followed as another explosive series ended with a flying clothesline, but Roman’s able to make a new opening, taking Tischer into the corner for clotheslines ahead of a dropkick off the top. Tischer telegraphs another front kick and gets caught with a roll-up… but he’s also smart to Roman’s swinging DDT as Tischer instead hit back with a German suplex.
Roman kicks out in the nick of time from a Ligerbomb, before Tischer telegraphed a Horrible Slam… that allowed Roman to get free as the pair traded clotheslines ahead of an overhead kick from Roman to leave the pair laying. That seemed to be the cue for Fast Time Moodo to come out to lend some support, but that only served to rile up Roman, who cuts Tischer off the top rope with a superplex.
An X-Plex followed in return from Tischer, only for Roman to retaliate with the swinging DDT… which ended with Moodo dragging Tischer’s arm under the rope to break the pin. Roman argues with Moodo… and gets caught with a roll-up for the win. ***¼
Post-match, Roman got into it with Tischer again, but Moodo attacked until Nick Schreier levelled the odds as all four men brawled as the show went off the air.
This was a nice outing of wXw’s We Love Wrestling shows – and while a lot of this show was keeping things steady, it was a solid card ahead of FAN in three weeks’ time… with a real tease of a KxS vs. Schreier/Roman match for Hamburg based on how things ended here.