Middle Saturday – the memorable day of these weekenders… and it was certainly the case today!
We open with a video for “middle Saturday”, building up to the Unified World Wrestling title match later on: Ilja Dragunov gets his shot against Bad Bones – one on one! In the World Tag Team League, the Young Lions and Massive Product lead group A, whilst EYFBO and RINGKAMPF top group B with 3 points each.
World Tag Team League – Group B: Briscoe Brothers (Mark Briscoe & Jay Briscoe) vs. EYFBO (Mike Draztik & Angel Ortiz)
A loss would effectively eliminate the Briscoes here, and we started with some nice back and forth as both teams jockeyed for an advantage.
Things looked to be settling down as the Briscoes took over with Mark stomping down Ortiz into the corner, only for Draztik to get in a cheapshot on the apron that helped the LAX members switch around… and then a clothesline from Jay drops Draztik high on his back to keep the momentum swinging.
A double shoulder tackle just gets a one count for the Briscoes, before Draztik’s Russian legsweep out of the middle rope gets a similar result. EYFBO have the upper hand, hitting a double back suplex, but Mark finally breaks free and after hitting a Pele, he rolled in to tag Jay back into the match.
Jay’s neckbreaker gets a near-fall on Ortiz, before a springboard cannonball and a big boot assisted Tower of London left Mark down. A double-team backflip suplex keeps things in EYFBO’s favour. At least until Draztik missed a 450, then ate a Jay clothesline as a springboard Doomsday Device put away Draztik… that’s the Briscoes and EYFBO level on points after an incredibly good back-and-forth contest. What a way to get night two going – with a hot crowd as well! ***¾
wXw Shotgun Championship: Ivan Kiev (c) vs. Alexander James vs. Avalanche vs. Bobby Gunns
A surprise title match here, as Alexander James gets a title shot whilst Avalanche has a rematch after yesterday’s shenanigans. We also get Bobby Gunns into the mix as everyone went after Kiev early, and we’re straight into the two-in, two-out formula.
Gunns and James combine to shove Avalanche into the ring steps, but they quickly turn sights on each other, with James withstanding an armbar in the ropes from Gunns. Kiev makes a comeback and drops Gunns with a Pele kick, only for James to sweep the leg and kick away his arm. A Tower of London drops Kiev, but in true four-way fashion, it doesn’t even lead to a cover!
A German suplex from Gunns dumps Kiev, but James slingshots into a Blockbuster as everyone gets a go… and now Kiev pulls himself up to the top rope, which of course leads to a Tower of Doom sparked by a returning Avalanche! James comes back with whatever he calls the Shankly Gates, but Avalanche wrecks it with a double Samoan drop, only to fall to a leg lariat off the top from Kiev… with Kiev getting the win seconds later with a death valley driver to James. Despite the odds, Ivan is still your Shotgun champion. ***¼
Jinny comes out for her Women’s Championship Tournament match… except Melanie Gray is injured. She buries Gray as a Diva, then says that she’d never beat her “because she’s shit”. Don’t mince your words, eh? Jinny gets the three points from today, by the way… so she’s joint top with Martina based solely on more points from fewer matches.
Jinny calls her Femmes Fatales loss a fluke, and issues an open challenge… answered by Oberhausen’s new favourite, Killer Kelly!
Jinny vs. Killer Kelly
They work on the mat early, with Jinny trying to neutralise Kelly’s offence, but she starts working the wrist… as Jinny’s only escape is via hair pull.
Kelly starts kicking away, but Jinny slaps back… and Kelly laughs it off! A Japanese armdrag stops the laughing, as does a seated surfboard as Jinny tried to end things rather quickly. The pair start trading off kicks, before a series of clotheslines put Kelly ahead, as do some Wrecking Ball knees… and a Shibata dropkick into the corner.
A high German suplex nearly dumps Jinny on her head, but she cuts off Kelly and gets a Rainmaker for the win. Pretty good stuff – Kelly’s won this crowd over, but she’s someone who would benefit a lot with experience against different folks. **¾
After the match, Jinny keeps stomping on Kelly in the corner, then heads off triumphantly…
World Tag Team League – Group A: Young Lions (Tarkan Aslan & Lucky Kid) vs. A4 (Marius al-Ani & Absolute Andy)
A rematch from Superstars of Wrestling and the tour opener here – but the belts aren’t on the line! A4 start off hot, with Andy dropping Lucky Kid into a spinebuster then a Sharpshooter, but they escape and Andy’s forced to hit a plancha to the outside instead.
Marius goes for his dive, but it’s way too early and the Lions cut him off as Lucky Kid’s antics nearly cost him… the Lions low bridge Marius to the outside, and that confusion distracts Andy as he was expecting the leapfrog splash instead. The Lions try to isolate Andy for a spell, Aslan doing his best, landing a DDT to the leg to keep Andy down.
Some nice double teaming keeps Andy down, but he finally broke free and tagged Marius back into it. Marius was taken outside, but Lucky Kid again fell to his backside and acted like a nutcase… and again he was caught as Andy tried to lift him up for a German suplex. That didn’t go to plan as the Lions then went on to isolate al-Ani, helped by Andy distracting the ref.
Marius gets choked in the front row… then licked by Lucky Kid, as the Lions keep up with their cheating ways. The tag rope is used to choke Marius, who monstered up… and got punched back into the corner. Marius eventually tags in Andy, who unloads on Tarkan with right hands, then Lucky Kid with chops. An Absolute Knee Drop takes down Lucky, as does a superkick… but Tarkan tries to break it up and finds himself in a Sharpshooter!
Marius locks in a single leg crab because apparently everyone’s legal. The Lions cut-off the A4 Stunner, and now I’ve lost track of the legal men here. Another stuffed A4 Stunner almost led to death by roll-up, before Marius leapt over onto Lucky Kid as things broke down some more. The ref gets tied up by Aslan for reasons… and the Lions come back to knock Andy on the top rope.
Lucky Kid’s superplex is blocked, before his cross body onto al-Ani turns into a Marius F5. Andy does the frog splash in a neat role reversal, but it barely gets a one-count before it’s broken. When Marius does do his frog splash, it gets nothing but knees… but Andy becomes superhuman and monsters back into life! The crowd roars for A4 as Andy dumps Lucky with an F5, before the Marius frog splash connects for the win! This was pretty good, but it had a bit of a lull in the middle as the Lions were on offence. ***½
Group A has Massive Product on top with 3 points from 1 match. The Lions and A4 are middle on 3 points from 2 matches, whilst the Spirit Squad are bottom. Group B is the same situation, RINGKAMPF top with 3 points from 1 match. EYFBO and the Briscoes have 3 points from 2 matches, and the Rottweilers are pointless so far.
World Tag Team League – Group B: The Rottweilers (Low Ki & Homicide) vs. RINGKAMPF (WALTER & Timothy Thatcher)
Expect lots of hard hits in this one!
Thatcher escapes a cheapshot from Homicide, who’s mad about that, but Thatcher ends up going to his book o’ suplexes, pulling out a gutwrench. Homicides so mad he throws a fan’s chair into the ring and tries to go for the ring steps, but Low Ki is the voice of reason there. Imagine that.
Hitman Low Ki tags in, but he insists on facing WALTER. He’s got a death wish. Thatcher obliges, so WATER tries a test of strength as Low Ki was on the top rope, and gets suckered into a kick. Not the matter… WALTER slams him down with ease, but the sit-down splash is easily missed as Low Ki rolled away. A double clothesline takes the Rottweilers outside, where WALTER murders them with chops.
All the chops.
ALL. OF. THEM.
A long spot of brawling around the crowd follows as WALTER dumped Homicide on the hardest part of the ring, before Thatcher uppercutted Homicide into a see-saw spot in the ropes. Homicide frees himself and flung himself in Thatcher… and they end up outside as WALTER press slammed Low Ki back into the ring.
This is insane!
Low Ki gets powerbombed onto the apron by WALTER, and the ringside area is looking like a warzone. Homicide chops the ringpost as he went for Timmy, and now we finally setle down back into the ring. A Gojira clutch from Thatcher is escaped, but the belly-to-belly hits Homicide as Low Ki’s forced to elbow out of a powerbomb.
That worked, but he couldn’t escape a butterfly suplex as WALTER ran amok briefly. Thatcher gets the tag and falls into an Octopus hold… which WALTER boots away with ease, only for Homicide to drop him with a cutter. RINGKAMPF recover as Homicide eats the WALTER powerbomb for a near-fall. They looked to go for the double Gojira clutch finish, but Low Ki single handedly breaks it up.
Low Ki and WALTER end up on the ramp, with Low Ki flying off the top with a double stomp onto him. WALTER never came back, and a Doomsday Cutter to Thatcher proved to be too much as the Rottweilers got their first win. Absolute insanity and one that you owe it to yourself to watch back on the VOD when it hits next week! ****¼
It’s all square in group B – everyone’s 1-1 with 3 points! All to play for tomorrow then!
They ran through their 2018 shows – Back to the Roots on January 20 in Oberhausen, Dead End on February 9 in Hamburg, #Wrestling Deutschland on March 10 in Oberhausen, Superstars of Wrestling on May 5 in Oberhausen, and finally 16 Carat Gold! March 9 through March 11 in Oberhausen!
First entrants for Carat: Jeff Cobb! Travis Banks! Penta el 0 M! That’s a heck of a line-up already!
World Tag Team League – Group A: Spirit Squad (Mikey & Kenny) vs. Massive Product (Jurn Simmons & David Starr)
The looping Spirit Squad music gets irritating quickly. Kenny cuts a heel anti-Germany promo, before Massive Product get a huge roar for their entrance. I’m not listing the nicknames here!
Kenny tries to open up with a chop, but it’s a swing and a miss as Starr laid in with pleasure… as did Mikey! The crowd wanted some rapid fire chops and got them, forcing the Spirit Squad into the ropes for cover… but instead they were joined by Jurn, as a pair of sunset flips eventually led to their trousers getting pulled down.
Fortunately, their singlets saved their modesty.
Things blew up into a scuffle as ring nnouncer Thommi Giesen was fored to enter the ring… to announce an arm wrestling contest. Complete with new intros! Jurn eases ahead of Mikey, who needed help from Kenny to get a chance… but the ref spots the interference, kicks it away and Jurn wins!
Back to the real wrestling now… and Mikey shoved the bar table into Jurn, but Starr ensured that Massive Product kept in it, clearing house before Mikey tripped him up. A blind tag gets Jurn back in, and it’s just a matter of time before there’s a spike piledriver that gets Massive Product the win! Fun match, but it was pretty simple behind the comedy stuff. ***
I do believe that’s the Spirit Squad eliminated. Goodbye.
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Ilja Dragunov vs. “Bad Bones” John Klinger (c)
With added lasers, the Ilja Dragunov entrance is even more epic. Bones had all of RISE with him, but Ilja quickly dispatched them before the bell, as Tassilo Jung ordered that RISE be gone – else Bones be disqualified AND lose his title.
Bye bye RISE.
Ilja started off hot, but Bones quickly switched it around, whipping Dragunov with force into the turnbuckles. Still, Ilja shrugged it off and looked to go up top… but instead he had to abort as Bones hits a sunset bomb into the bottom turnbuckle for a near-fall. The rebound continues as Ilja knocked down Bones with a clothesline, and now we’re going to the chops.
WHY ILJA? WHY DO YOU LIKE YOUR CHEST SO RED?
Bones quickly shoves him down and locks on the crossface after being spat on, but it’s escaped and eventually countered into a Northern Lights. Ilja keeps hold of the wrists, Okada-style, but despite a Judo throw, Bones finds himself in the throes of a crossface. Pete Bouncer reappears for a distraction, but Ilja doesn’t fall for it, and instead dropkicks Bones onto the top rope. One superplex later, Bones replied with a suplex that took both men to the outside with an awkward bump.
It got even worse for poor Ilja, who got thrown into (and broke) some chairs, but narrowly beat the count-out, and managed to get in a top rope back senton for a near-fall. The spectre of Pete Bouncer remained at ringside, which Tassilo Jung was fine with for some reason, as Ilja’s Coast to Coast was met with a lungblower to spark an insane series of fighting spirit pop-ups!
Out comes the rest of RISE, but they’re neutralised by A4 and Massive Product! Cue a stand-off and a good old fashioned Pier 6 brawl breaks out! Ivan Kiev planchas onto the pile, as Ilja throws in a tope. So does David Starr, and those poor chairs…
It was bedlam once more around ringside, but Bad Bones had a breather during all that. Pete Bouncer slides in the belt, then provides a distraction… but Da Mack comes out and makes the save, blasting Bones with it! Ilja gets the belt, and the referee catches him with it! RISE try to make the ref make a bad call. Da Mack owns up to it, and Tassilo Jung loudly dropped an F bomb at Mack’s admission as he was forced to call an unpopular DQ. Until the weird finish, this was quite the war, but that finish really took it down at the end. ***¾
A really unpopular DQ at that… and that’s because Da Mack has joined RISE?
Julian Nero rushes out to make things crazier, but he’s beaten down… until Avalanche comes out to confront RISE! Avalanche clears house, and decimates Lucky Kid with Boulder Dash to leave us happy-ish… and that’s because Cerberus is BACK? Or that’s what we thought… Afterwards, Ilja cut a promo apologising for not winning the title, and I’ll be going back to the VOD for the translation. It seemed that Ilja thought he was no longer unbesiegbar, and then walked out.
“Middle Saturday” tends to produce the hotter shows, and this was no exception. Starting out hot with EYFBO vs. Briscoes, then picking up with the epic RINGKAMPF/Rottweilers match (which was everything we thought it’d be and then some), before culminating in the historic title match. Night two of this year’s World Tag Team League will hit wxwNOW.de on Tuesday… don’t you dare miss that!