One week on from Dead End, Marius al-Ani celebrates winning his first Unified World Wrestling Championship on the latest We Love Wrestling event.
Quick Results
Vincent Heisenberg pinned Alpha Kevin in 4:00 (**)
Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg pinned Tim Stübing & Leon van Gasteren in 13:47 (**¾)
Robert Dreissker pinned Paris in 5:17 (**)
Aytac pinned The Rotation in 6:47 (**¼)
Icarus & Dover pinned Dennis Dullnig & Hektor Invictus in 12:47 (***)
We open with a recap of last week, as Dave Bradshaw’s on English commentary from the Steffy in Oberhausen… before we’re thrown to some footage from “earlier today” with the Pretty Bastards.
It’s an interview with Dään Jokisch, but they chase him away… the cameras still roll as the Bastards argue about how their plan fell apart. Prince Ahura had designs on something bigger than the tag titles… and they agree to go their separate ways.
Andy Jackson’s with Ender Kara, who’s apparently out with an ankle injury. He’s not cleared to compete, so his trial series is on ice for now. We then cut to an interview with Alpha Kevin that’s also a plug for this week’s sponsors: Just Bring It, das Nerd Podcast. As for Kevin, he ponders if Vincent Heisenberg is as wide as him. I’m not saying anything. Too busy trying not to laugh as Alpha Kevin tries to tell us he’s a relative Buddy Rogers.
Alpha Kevin vs. Vincent Heisenberg
Last week we saw Heisenberg with Baby Allison after he lost his Shotgun title match… and she accompanies him to ringside this week.
Kevin tries to bait Heisenberg into a posedown to start, but the Hamburg native’s in no mood for that. Nor for Dusty punches. Heisenberg stayed a step ahead of Kevin throughout, taking him to the corner for a double chop, before Kevin tried to force an opening… his piledriver’s countered as Heisenberg lifts him in a back body drop, before a sit-down splash counters a sunset flip. Right hands from Kevin lead to nought, so he kicks out Heisenberg’s knee for a clothesline… only for the big lad to clothesline back before he countered tiltawhirl headscissors into a tombstone for the win. A brief showing for the new-attitude of Heisenberg, and wherever this may head. **
Backstage, Heisenberg’s quizzed by Andy Jackson. He’s fed up of being “left in the lurch,” so he’s getting mad to show people what he’s capable of. Heisenberg refuses to address his connection with Allison, and she takes the same path too, with a very British insult…
Another interview, this time with Robert Dreissker to address Ender Kara’s injury. Dreissker repeats his belief that Kara’s underestimated the competition in wXw, but he’s interrupted by someone who asks to take Kara’s spot. Dreissker tells us he’ll try to convince the office, and is impressed that our never-named-guy has his gear with him.
“Earlier today,” Rott und Flott’s interviewed by Andy Jackson. Who else! Nikita Charisma’s upset that all they’re asked are “gotcha” questions, before Michael Schenkenberg congratulate the new champions – then threw in some backhanded compliments. Of course, that’s followed with the response from Leon van Gasteren and Tim Stübing – another teacher and student pairing. Leon reckons the pairing makes sense, while Tim looked a little apprehensive at comparisons to Dreissker and Marik. Van Gasteren says this partnership is just to help Stübing get some more ring experience, and “we’ll see where it goes.”
Rott und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) vs. Leon van Gasteren & Tim Stübing
Rott und Flott are still a little sore over their loss in the tag tournament – and were looking to start staking a claim for a title shot.
Stübing tries to go for Schenkenberg early, but he’s quickly taken into a neck crank from Charisma. He finds a way through to start some pinning attempts, nearly winning with a backslide, before a shoulder tackle had Charisma down. Charisma’s leaping stomp caught Stübing to turn things back around briefly… but Stübing’s dropkicks let van Gasteren tag in to try and take the advantage. It doesn’t last though as Charisma goes back to the neck to roll van Gasteren down for a hammerlock. Leon manages to find a way back, with headscissors and a German suplex to flip Charisma onto his front, before Schenkenberg’s failed run-in saw him take a double-team. Stübing’s crane pose confounds Charisma, but it’s shrugged off as Rott und Flott take the upper hand again, aided by van Gasteren’s protests distracting the referee.
Stübing tries to get back in with a sunset flip, but Schenkenberg caught him and popped him up into a powerslam for a two-count, before a double-team spin out into a neckbreaker gets Charisma a near-fall. A tiltawhirl DDT from Stübing gets him time, but van Gasteren’d been knocked off the apron… so no tag! A few moments later, Schenkenberg’s down as van Gasteren gets the hot tag in, clearing house before back body dropping Charisma into Schenkenberg. Van Gasteren uses Charisma like Terry Funk uses a ladder ahead of a death valley driver, before Stübing accidentally crane kicked van Gasteren… and with Stübing legal, he’s quickly caught with an elevated DDT as Charisma took the win. This was starting to feel a little long, but a good outing in defeat for Stübing, as Rott und Flott get back to winning ways. **¾
You know what’s next! Post-match promo with Stübing and van Gasteren… Leon repeats that he’s not mad about the loss because this team’s just about getting experience. Andy tells them that they had interested parties watching their match… in the form of Dreissker and Marik. Dreissker’s got news: he’s challenging van Gasteren and Stübing to a tag title match, “because it’d be a stand up match without any dirty tricks.” Stübing was more than happy to accept, but van Gasteren turns it down. For now. Tim didn’t look too happy with that, but agreed to a non-title match next week nevertheless.
Oh hey, an advert for the Academy show at the end of 2019… I miss that place…
We’re told that the mystery man was Paris (formerly Paris Ballis)… he’s filling in for Ender Kara in the trial series, and we get a replay of his background story from a show last year.
Paris vs. Robert Dreissker
The native of Greece has leapt into the fire here…
Paris has had a few matches in wXw previously, but was last seen getting squashed in 50 seconds by Jurn Simmons. He lasts longer here, but is on the defensive from early on, getting charged down as he tried to escape a headlock… and gets taken back down in the same hold. Dreissker continues to stifle Paris with a hiptoss and a slam, before an elbow drop nearly gets the win. Paris gets pushed away as he tries to fight back, but Dreissker bulldozes through him before a fallaway slam and a Dreissker bomb got the win. A perfectly fine TV squash. **
More from Robert Dreissker! He puts over Paris for taking a chance when he saw an opening, calling him a “very talented guy,” before telling us that there’s “quite a few hurdles” waiting for him. We’ll be seeing more of Paris, I take it! Starting next week, against Tristan Archer (and no, we didn’t pick the poison!)
Aytac has an interview next – he’s demanded a rematch with the Rotation after last week so he doesn’t lose face. The Rotation’s reply mocks Abduk’s eyebrows while being confident about repeating his win.
Aytac vs. The Rotation
Aytac lost at Dead End – will he make good for last week?
Rotation looked to get an early shot in, but Aytac drops him with a back suplex before a Dragon screw in the ropes gave Aytac a target. The leg. Eventually Rotation’s back as he avoids a PK, but Aytac is right back on the leg, only to get overhand chopped. Aytac gets thrown outside, but he telegraphs low bridging Rotation as Abdul ends up acting as a human shield as Rotation went for a dive. Aytac pulls Rotation down awkwardly, and a cartwheel back inside from Rotation stops any hopes of a comeback as Aytac nearly wins with a DDT seconds later. Rotation goes back up top, and manages to hit a crossbody before another trip up top led to Abdul distracting the referee as Rambo ran out to push Rotation off the top… giving Aytac the easy pin. **¼
So it looks like Rambo’s joined “the family”, as he beats down Rotation afterwards with a package piledriver before Johnny Evers made the save. After helping Rotation through the ropes, Evers grabs a mic and challenged Ezel to a match.
Backstage, Dään is with Norman Harras, Bobby Gunns and Prince Ahura. Bobby took exception to the line of questioning, saying that Marius only won because it was a “very lucky day.” Dään then points out that the only title the group has is in the hands of the guy they relentlessly bullied last year, but Norman Harras cuts him off… Maggot’s in with Baby Allison and Vincent Heisenberg, and tells his old friends that he doesn’t see any ambition with them anymore.
Gunns freaks out at the avalanche of bad news he’s had to deal with, while Ahura tried to poke Norman into saying something… but Bobby’s just left shaking his head.
We’re shown replays of the Arrows of Hungary going out in the first round of the tag title tournament… and then it’s an interview. Dover says that they lost because Aigle Blanc and Senza Volto had a lucky day… while Icarus reckoned they’ll win tonight because they’re tag team guys against two singles wrestlers.
Dennis Dullnig and Hektor Invictus have a response. Hektor looks unhappy with the tag team partner he’s been given here, and that’s before Dullnig spoke up, as they end up arguing before the bell…
Hektor Invictus & Dennis Dullnig vs. Arrows of Hungary (Icarus & Dover)
Hektor was out waving his flag, so he didn’t sodomise Dullnig with it… even after Dennis grabbed it in the introductions.
Icarus and Dullnig trade holds to start, with a Million Dollar Dream from Icarus forcing Dullnig into the ropes for a break. Hektor tags in, after initially not holding the tag rope, and had trouble early on against Icarus as they again reinforced that the two singles guys were forgetting to hold the tag rope. Dullnig’s back as he’s clearly upset with an overly picky referee… and opponents who mocked them for the tag rope failure. It gets the Arrows beaten down as Dullnig blasts Icarus with a head kick for a two-count as he exploded in with a flurry of offence, repeatedly kicking Icarus down before choking away on him.
Hektor’s back to keep the pressure up, as Icarus was struggling to get anything going… he manages to tag out to Dover, who had more luck, back body dropping Hektor before a standing fallaway slam tossed Dullnig. A clothesline from Dover’s good for a two-count, but when Icarus tags back in he’s quickly on the defensive, eating an enziguiri and a sit-out powerbomb for a near-fall. Dover helps turn it around though, punching out Dullnig before a brief comeback from Dullnig ended with him taking an assisted cannonball in the corner. He staggers into the path of the Crossfire knees, as Icarus gets the win. A shaky outing for the Arrows, but they had fun with their opponents and got back in the winning books here. ***
After the match, Andy Jackson interviews the Arrows, who say that tag team wrestling is in their blood… and they’re still fighting for the tag titles.
They play highlights from last week’s title main event, as Marius al-Ani’s out for his big championship celebration next…
Marius is out, eventually with his trophy, talking about how his new championship and the Catch Grand Prix trophy proves he’s the best… and that he’s shown what a wrestler should be. al-Ani says nobody else has what it takes to be like him, and that draws out Bobby Gunns, who tells Marius to “enjoy it while you can.” Gunns tells us he’s demanded his rematch, and vows to win the title back… so Marius talks his way into saying he can beat him “twice in one match.” Yep, we’re getting a best-of-three-falls rematch, and a staredown to close the show…
This isn’t a complaint, but there sure was a LOT of Robert Dreissker on this week’s show – one that was solid but kept things going after the big title changes of last week.