We’ve got a pair of matches from Limback-Oberfrohna to look at this time around…
We’re live via on tape from the Stadthalle in Limbach-Oberfrohna for this selection of matches coming from behind the wXwNOW paywall, with Emil Völler on German commentary.
Big Bucks (Norman Harras & Alex Duke) & Robert Dreissker vs. Laurance Roman, Marc Empire & Zoltan
It’s good that Norman’s able to memory hole that time in the past when he was beaten around the academy in Essen and made to munch some dog food. He deserved it, to be fair.
This was Zoltan’s main-roster debut for wXw as the Hungarian continues to put in the work after a break-out match against Laurance Roman back at Project Nova earlier this year. Dreissker and Roman start us off ahead of their street fight in Hamburg later that month, as the pair locked up going into the corner.
A series of strikes from Roman’s stopped with a knee to the midsection as Dreissker cuts off his former AMBOSS buddy… but it’s incredibly even as Roman chopped Dreissker into the corner ahead of a discus clothesline that finally took the big man down. Zoltan wants in… and gets in as he charged into Dreissker with a dropkick in the corner.
Problem was, Dreissker shrugged it off before a bicycle kick knocked Zoltan down ahead of a fallaway slam that dumped the 17-year old into the wrong corner. A tag surprisingly brings in Norman Harras… but an instant blind tag has Alex Duke in as the Big Bucks double-team Zoltan with a suplex for a two-count.
A turnaround sees Zoltan tag in Marc Empire, who chucks Harras skyward with a back body drop before crashing in with a hip attack in the corner. A spinning back suplex is next as Empire nearly shuts things down, before Zoltan tagged back in and confused Harras with some misdirection ahead of another dropkick.
Dreissker tries to storm Zoltan, but he’s booted out of the ring, while Duke ate another dropkick as the rookie was on good form. Zoltan’s able to add a gamengiri on the apron to Harras before Robert Dreissker distracted the ref to allow Duke to knock Zoltan off the top rope… and into the path of a spear from Harras. Boo those men.
Duke gets the tag in as they picked apart Zoltan for a spell… and don’t think that the Avalanche didn’t miss his chances either, as Laurance Roman and Marc Empire ended up distracting the referee, inadvertently providing a shield for some double and triple-teaming. Zoltan tries another dropkick, but Dreissker’s got through first, as another suplex left Zoltan in the wrong corner once more.
Duke and Harras stay on Zoltan in the corner as things slowed down somewhat, but right on cue Zoltan breaks out of the corner, dropping Harras with a cutter before diving out to tag in Marc Empire… just before Robert Dreissker got to him. Both teams’ big lads traded blows from there, with a rebound lariat from Empire and a spinebuster seeing the then-Academy champion pull forward.
A quick turnaround sees Dreissker springboard crossbody out of the corner find its mark, only for a bodyslam from Empire to stop him in his tracks. Tags bring in Duke and Roman, but Norman Harras tries to sneak in too as the Big Bucks’ double-team proved ineffective as a double dropkick took them out. Corner-to-corner clotheslines keeps the Bucks in check ahead of a stalling suplex to Harras… before Duke ran into a sit-out powerbomb that almost ended things.
Zoltan’s back up and gets the tag in… proceeding to dive onto Harras on the outside, only to get caught on the top rope by Harras. He shakes it off, only to miss a big splash, before the Bucks swarmed him as a double-team pop-up powerbomb put away the rookie.
Result: Norman Harras, Alex Duke & Robert Dreissker pinned Zoltan, Marc Empire & Laurance Roman in 14:28 (***¼)
Another entry in the “there’s rarely a bad trios match” list – Zoltan looked pretty good in this, but his inexperience repeatedly was his undoing.
Landon Hale vs. Hektor Invictus
Hektor’s been mostly a singles guy since losing the tag titles in October – but that team with Dennis Dullnig will be reunited at the Anniversary show…
We start off slowly here, with Hektor getting taken into the ropes, before he forced Hale into the ropes following an exchange of hammerlocks. Hale snaps into it with a ‘rana and a dropkick, before a discus clothesline into the corner set up Hektor for a dropkick to the back. Getting back into it, Hektor takes down Hale with an uppercut, before a dropkick off the ropes forced a kick-out out of the American.
Hale’s almost through through the corner as Hektor continued to push on, only for Hale to find a way back with forearms before he lawn-darted Hektor into the middle turnbuckle. Heading outside, a Golden Triangle moonsault ensures Hektor couldn’t get too far away, before a springboard froggy crossbody back into the ring picked up a near-fall.
A handspring stunner’s next out of Hale, then the back suplex and standing shooting star press… but Hektor avoids the moonsault out of the corner as a Hale Of A Combo didn’t quite come off. Chops and forearms looked to keep Hale in it, before he tried to catch out Hektor with flash pins. A backbreaker, then a back cracker out of the corner has Hektor in trouble, as an Adjustment Bomb – a half-Styles Clash sit-out powerbomb – almost got Hale the win.
Hale looks for an SPO Driver… but Hektor’s able to avoid it as one more comeback led to a spinebuster… a pop-up flapjack and the Hektor powerbomb for the win.
Result: Hektor Invictus pinned Landon Hale in 9:34 (***)
A decent showing for Hale, but in the end this was a good win for Hektor, who’s been keeping busy while Dennis Dullnig’s been away.