One week out from the Pro Wrestling Grand Prix, wXw made their debut in Bad Hersfeld with KxS looking to unseat Planet Gojirah as tag team champions.
Quick Results
Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker pinned Fast Time Moodo & Axel Tischer to retain the wXw World Tag Team Championship in 13:00 (***)
Peter Tihanyi pinned M4 in 6:19 (**½)
Dennis Dullnig and Hektor Invictus ended in a double disqualification in 4:39 – Hektor retains the wXw Shotgun Championship (***)
Norman Harras pinned Dieter Schwartz in 7:47 (**½)
Laurance Roman & Nick Schreier pinned Bobby Gunns & Marius al-Ani in 15:29 (***½)
Aleksander Bellamy pinned Metehan in 10:17 (**½)
Ahura pinned Masha Slamovich in 15:30 (***)
Elijah Blum pinned Matthew Justice in 15:14 (***)
— Don’t forget to keep up to date with the Auf Die Fresse podcast… Links to subscribe and stream are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
We’re at the Stadthalle in Bad Hersfeld for this show – and with a week to go before the autumn festival, we’ve two title matches that could change the complexion of that weekender somewhat. English commentary comes from Mett Dimassi…
wXw World Tag Team Championship: KxS (Axel Tischer & Fast Time Moodo) vs. Planet Gojirah (Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire) (c)
Starting off hot here with a tag title match as KxS look to regain the titles they lost during last year’s World Tag Team Festival.
Dreissker’s in the early stages of a mohawk, and we had a fairly receptive audience in the middle of Germany here. A straightforward start saw Dreissker slam and drop an elbow on Tischer for a two-count after three minutes, before Fast Time Moodo got launched into an Empire headbutt as the champions had control.
A sneak kick in the ropes from Tischer turns thing around, with Dreissker finding himself isolated. A back body drop looked to clear the way for him to make a tag out, but Empire’d been knocked off the apron as his woes continued, before a crossbody out of the corner flattened Moodo for long enough for Empire to get into the match.
Another turnaround sees Empire battered in the corner with a sliding D, but things go awry as Tischer sent Empire into the ropes… accidentally crotching his own man up top. KxS recovered though, powerbombing Empire out of the corner as Moodo’s Descent into Badness elbow drop almost won it. With all four men in the ring, KxS tried to pull ahead once more, but things backfire as a back suplex from Dreissker and an Empire splash off the top secured the win – in a perfectly solid opener that had the crowd on board. ***
M4 vs. Peter Tihanyi
We’ve only got one half of the Swole Patrol here, with Tim Koslowski on the shelf… and a big test for M4 as Robin Christopher Fohrwerk strolled out to eventual chants of “halt die Fresse.” Indeed.
This was Tihanyi’s first singles match in wXw since January’s Käfigschlacht. I suspect this one’ll be a little more straightforward. Mind you, Tihanyi was acting like M4 was leagues beneath him here, and ended up paying for it as M4 slingshotted Tihanyi from the apron into the ring as a counter to that slingshot cutter.
Problem was, M4 didn’t follow up quickly enough, and ended up back on the defensive as Tihanyi looked to wear him down. M4 broke free with a suplex as his chest was showing the results of Tihanyi’s chops… but his lack of experience eventually cost him as a running Meteora and a slingshot cutter got the win. An extended squash, but not really an impactful first-singles-match-back for Tihanyi. **½
Post-match, Tihanyi stood on M4 some more… then got run off by Elijah Blum… only for Matthew Justice to hit the ring and blindside Blum. A spear took Blum out before Justice finally got to use the mic. We’re not Heyman-specialing into this match – it’s going to be our main event instead!
We’ve a video package of the rise and fall of the Dennis “Cash” Dullnig and Hektor Invictus team – starting with their win at 2023’s World Tag Team Festival, and jumping to last month’s fake-out retirement from Dullnig.
wXw Shotgun Championship: Dennis Dullnig vs. Hektor Invictus (c)
Dullnig’s got new music and has finally ditched the wall of Super Mario coins. I’m going to miss that combo…
Hektor charged at Dullnig, fighting in the aisle as this one started off hot with a back body drop in the ring… and a Cactus clothesline to ensure Dullnig and Hektor couldn’t get much distance between themselves. Brawling around ringside, Dullnig tried to drown Hektor with a bottle of water before he almost slipped on the floor he’d wet seconds earlier.
Heading into the lobby, Dullnig used Hektor to clear a merch table while Tassilo Jung had to shepherd a fan out of harm’s way. Back at ringside, Hektor made Dullnig use the floor as an impromptu slip n slide, before… Dullnig kicked a sandwich board into Hektor. Not what I thought I’d be writing about today, that’s for sure.
Things didn’t stop there though – Dullnig punted Hektor low, before having the sandwich board popped over his head as the referee called a double DQ to end the official match… but the pair continued to fight towards a loading bay, with Hektor chucking Dullnig into it before help finally came to separate the pair. ***
Backstage, Dan Mallmann’s joined by Masha Slamovich to hype up her match with Ahura later – the two almost were finalists in Carat this year…
Norman Harras vs. Dieter Schwartz
Time for our second unadvertised match – with Harras accompanied by Aleksander Bellamy ahead of the rookie’s match with Metehan later. I wonder if Norman as keen as mustard to face Schwartz here?
Schwartz didn’t take kindly to being patronised early on, and quickly set about taking Harras to school, focusing on the wrist as a main point of contact. My Internet dropped for a moment, recovering with Harras losing his momentum as Schwartz chopped him into the corner, but a cross-chop helped Harras get back in it before he sent Dieter to the outside.
A chinlock from Harras is fought out of as Schwartz returned fire with a hiptoss, before a bridging German suplex almost got the win. Bellamy again popped up to interfere… with the distraction allowing Harras to poke Schwartz in the eye and get the win with a chokeslam. **½
We’re backstage again as Dan Mallmann’s joined by Bobby Gunns and Marius al-Ani. They’ll be teaming tonight, but against each other next week… and in fact, they’re teaming… now!
Bobby Gunns & Marius al-Ani vs. The Grind (Nick Schreier & Laurance Roman)
With Gunns and al-Ani renewing their old rivalry, the early going here felt like it was going to descend into a game of “can you top this?” between the two – particularly when Marius got hold of an ankle lock on Roman.
Gunns tags in, but found himself on the back foot as he was beaten into the opposite corner as the Grind enjoyed a spell on top… with Schreier’s wheelbarrow roll-up sparking a series of back-and-forth pinning attempts. A back elbow from Gunns stopped that as the tables turned, with an overhead belly-to-belly flinging Schreier across the ring for a straight-forward two-count.
A stunner bought Schreier some time before a tag brought in Roman, who had to deal with both al-Ani and Gunns for a spell. Marius’ kick stops Roman’s swinging DDT as the Grind again found themselves on the defensive. Problem was, the alliance between Gunns and al-Ani began to look fractured, with the pair tagging out to let the other one take over, rather than the usual “music between the notes” you’d see with tag teams.
Roman rolls back on a rear naked choke to almost force a pin, before a side suplex finally broke him free… Schreier’s in and instantly dives on Gunns and al-Ani on the outside, before a crossbody back inside set up for a Spirit Shock… but Gunns kicks apart the pin instantly. A Parade of Moves breaks out with all four men in the ring, ending with al-Ani blocking a satellite DDT before Roman broke up a pin from a powerbomb.
Schreier shoves al-Ani into the corner for a forced tag as Gunns and Roman became the legal pairing… but all four men staying in the ring led to an errant Superman punch from al-Ani to Gunns, before a roll-up allowed Roman to snatch the win. A solid tag match that didn’t delve too deep into the “can they co-exist?” trope – but provided just enough at the end to spice up the Gunns/al-Ani match for next Friday. ***½
Promo package time, this time for 1 Called Manders as he recapped his time in wXw, and built up to his big title defence with Peter Tihanyi next weekend…
Aleksander Bellamy vs. Metehan
Coming out out of intermission, we’ve got Robin Christopher Fohrwerk on commentary and Aleksander Bellamy in action, with the rookie being thrown up as fodder against Metehan by Norman Harras.
Meanwhile, Metehan’s gone a little Pascal Spalter with his clapping to his ring music…
As you’d expect, Metehan controlled proceedings from the off, with Bellamy unable to even get into first gear. Powdering outside, Bellamy returned to… bite Metehan’s ear before scarpering again. The tactic worked though, as Bellamy attacked Metehan from behind as he argued with the referee… but Bellamy’s trash-talking threatened to set off a timebomb, as Metehan seethed.
Bellamy had to bite his way out of a crossface before he resumed stretching the veteran, before Metehan broke free with forearms and a handspring back elbow. A uranage’s next for a near-fall, before Norman Harras popped up on the apron to offer a distraction… and it worked as well as Bellamy snatched the win with a roll-up – and a handful of tights. **½
Post-match, Harras exited stage left, but the inexperienced Bellamy stayed behind… and got beaten up by Metehan afterwards.
Ahura vs. Masha Slamovich
We had the return of the Bremen sound system here (if you know, you know), prompting Ahura to take the mic and cut a promo on Masha to kill time. She quickly interrupts, coming out with her Jersey Championship Wrestling title as commentary covered for the sound system by trying to blame Ahura for it. He’s got form.
Masha reacted to Ahura going for her wrist by flipping free… and quickly taking down the Carat finalist in an armbar. Ahura didn’t take too kindle to that, but Masha’s right back on him with a clothesline to take things outside, with a wild tope sending the pair into the front row… despite the seating being quite a ways back from the ring!
Ahura caught a Jushin Thunder Liger-esque cannonball off the ring and turned into a powerbomb onto the side of the ring that hushed the Bad Hersfeld crowd. Back in the ring, Ahura piled on the pressure, albeit with little urgency at times, as he seemed willing to take a few shots in order to deliver a big one in return.
Problem was, Masha finally was able to add several big strikes in a row, booting Ahura in the corner ahead of a rolling Koppo kick for a near-fall, before an Air Raid Crash was countered with a roll-up. A second powerbomb attempt’s countered into a ‘rana by Masha though, before a package piledriver attempt was back body dropped away with ease.
Ahura straight up called for a Manders lariat, but Slamovich counters it by eventually rolling Ahura down into a cross armbreaker… only for Ahura to roll up to his feet and single-arm powerbomb his way free. In the end, Ahura took his time once again, powerbombing Masha into the ropes before his version of the Boss Lariat almost got the win. The pair resumed with back-and-forth strikes, but a front kick and a pair of Salamandras got Ahura the win in a match that was solid, but could have been a hell of a sprint. ***
Matthew Justice vs. Elijah Blum
It’s a wXw debut for the final Blackcraft Wrestling champion. That’ll bring back memories for some!
Justice attacked Blum from behind for the second time tonight to start this one off, before an instant retort from Blum set the tone for some early back-and-forth. They managed two minutes before things spilled to the outside, with Blum chopping Justice into a lighting rig, before Elijah shooed the crowd away so he could… get bowled into the second row by the American.
Remaining on the outside, Justice ran Blum into the ring post… then had the favour returned before Blum got shoved into the corner as he tried to leap back into the ring. We’re quickly back on the floor again though, as Justice clearly felt more comfortable outside the ropes than within.
Back inside, Blum’s falling Angle Slam got him a near-fall, and of course we go back to the floor for another scrap, ending with Blum getting suplexed on the floor. A suplex in return moments later keep it even, before a neckbreaker back inside looked to give Blum some momentum.
Blum’s slingshot springboard moonsault out of the corner almost wins it, as did a spear from Justice, before Justice headed outside and chucked some chairs into the crowd. They weren’t the typical folding chairs either – they’re the expensive-looking venue chairs… and of course, Justice broke one after he was booted onto them, before the Parting Gift led to the win. This was a somewhat tone-down version of Justice’s usual brawling (we’ll probably get that at the Extreme Wrestling Party next week), but a solid enough main event for Blum to pick up a win going into the König der Catcher. ***
All in all, wXw’s debut in Bad Hersfeld was a solid, if unspectacular outing – with plenty on here to keep things ticking over going into the Grand Prix weekend.