wrestling / TV Reports
Hamilton’s wXw Fight Forever #1 Review 08.07.2022
Loading...Quick Results:
Peter Tihanyi pinned Alex Kane in 9:05 (***)
Robert Dreissker & Icarus pinned Elijah Blum & LSG in 13:43 (***)
Robert Dreissker pinned Orsi in 6:05 (***)
Norman Harras pinned Danny Fray in 8:17 (**½)
Michael Knight pinned Jacob Crane in 7:34 (***¼)
Fast Time Moodo pinned Nick Schreier in 7:24 (**¾)
Bobby Gunns pinned Ender Kara in 11:37 (***½)
Just a quick note on “how I’m covering this” – I’m following the match ordering from Cagematch for this, rather than “the order the matches were uploaded.” At least until something major breaks in the flow of the stories being told. Anyway, for the first time we’re coming from the new wXw Wrestling Academy in Gelsenkirchen, which looks rather snug.
Dave Bradshaw is on hand for English commentary…
Alex Kane vs. Peter Tihanyi
The Suplex Assassin’s gone 1-1 in his wXw outings thus far, and the former MLW Openweight champion’s providing a stern test for Peter Tihanyi here.
A side headlock from Kane’s pushed off by Tihanyi, but a shoulder tackle provided a quick response. Kane’s back with the side headlock, before Tihanyi blocked an O’Connor roll, only to get met with a shoulder block to take him into the corner.
Kane persists with that side headlock, and again charged down Tihanyi after the shove off, before a sunset flip scored a two-count. Kane walks through a chop, but went down to a knee after a dropkick before the Hungarian threw some more chops… only to get caught with an Exploder into the corner.
Tihanyi tries to return with a crossbody, but it’s caught and turned into a twisting brainbuster as Kane picked up a two-count. A release back suplex pancakes Tihanyi, who then fought out of a side chinlock on the mat… only to get thrown onto the apron. Tihanyi’s able to escape a draping DDT and slingshotted back in to take down Kane with a cutter, which took Kane outside as a plancha awaited him on the floor.
Back inside, Tihanyi heads up top for a Meteora, but it’s not enough for the win as Kane tried to come back with a suplex. A sleeper escape from Tihanyi’s thrown off, but a tornado DDT lands seconds later for a near-fall, before Kane avoided a 450 splash and waffled Tihanyi with a clothesline. Kane nearly snatched a win with a sit-out gutwrench powerbomb, before Tihanyi found a way out of an X-Plex as a suplex of his own took Kane down.
From there, Tihanyi heads back up top and hits that 450 splash… and that’s enough for the win for a Tihanyi that took a beating, but managed to beat Kane at his own game towards the end. ***
Amboss (Icarus & Robert Dreissker) vs. Elijah Blum & LSG
This was originally the Arrows of Hungary representing Amboss, hence the sneaky bit of overdubbing you’ll hear if you’re wearing headphones.
Dover starts out, with his left elbow heavily bandaged up. Blum rolls past Dover to start, as a side headlock was escaped, allowing Dover to whip Blum into the corners for clotheslines. Blum blocked one and ducked under Dover for a neckbreaker, forcing the Hungarian to scurry to the corner… but he refused a tag out as he pulled himself to his feet.
Blum kicks away a back body drop, then hit some dropkicks as Dover went back to the corner. Icarus tagged himself in, raking Blum’s eyes before taking the rookie down for a gift-wrapped armbar. A wristlock’s reversed as Blum had Icarus on the defensive, before LSG tagged in… and got charged down.
LSG kips up, then hit a dropkick before a sleeperhold was shoved off. Dover tagged back in as the Arrows looked for a double-team, but LSG kicked Dover in the arm, knocking him off the apron before a dropkick through the ropes seemed to be the killer blow. Dover makes his way to the back as that elbow was just causing too many problems for him… but icarus is willing to continue, catching a through-the-ropes dropkick before LSG took him back inside.
Icarus kicks out at two from an elbow drop as a pair of back elbows led to a two-count for Blum, who hung onto an armbar as Robert Dreissker came out to replace Dover. Referee Tassilo Jung allowed it, and it seemed to spark fresh impetus for Icarus, who choked on Blum in the corner. Going back to the arm, Icarus stretches out Blum before Dreissker tagged in and began to wear down Blum with clubbing forearms.
We’ve a back body drop after Blum’s bounced out of the corner, before Icarus returned to throw more chops. A chicken wing restrains Blum as Dreissker tagged back in to throw a knee to the midsection, then some snap suplexes, which almost got the win. It’s back to an armbar on Blum, who was able to break out and hit a neckbreaker… which bought him time as LSG and Icarus get the tags in.
LSG runs wild with forearms and a front kick, before a stunner and an enziguiri had Icarus dazed. Dreissker comes in to take a crossbody for Icarus, but a facebuster from LSG keeps the momentum going as Icarus nearly was down for the count. Blum’s back to help double-team Icarus, but LSG heads up top and gets crotched by Dreissker, who quickly tagged back in as LSG was in a Tree of Woe… unable to make a save on the Crossfire as Blum was put away. This one could have gone horribly off-track after Dover’s injury exit, but things picked up well after Dreissker’s substitution as Amboss continue to run roughshod. ***
Robert Dreissker vs. Orsi
These two are no strangers to each other, having had several outings on the main roster… most notably back at True Colors.
Dreissker takes Orsi into the corner from the opening lock-up, before Orsi got clubbed to a knee. She slaps Dreissker in return, then sidestepped a charge into the corner as Dreissker ended up taking a crossbody off the top for a near-fall. Rolling outside didn’t keep Dreissker out of harm’s way though, as Orsi followed out… but an eye rake put a stop to the Hungarian briefly.
Orsi’s dumped onto the apron with a back suplex, as Dreissker then slid in to break the count. Back inside, Dreissker stayed on Orsi, throwing her outside as she telegraphed a back body drop, before a snap suplex kept Orsi on the defensive. Forearms from Orsi looked to set up for a spear, but instead she’s slammed down then met with a big splash that drew a near-fall.
More forearms and chops eventually find a way through for Orsi, who swatted away a boot and hit a back elbow into the corner that bloodied up Dreissker’s nose… although the was able to club away a suplex. A knee to the midsection has Orsi down, but an Irish whip into the corner saw Dreissker rebound into a back body drop, while a spear nearly put away the Amboss leader.
Dreissker blocks another suplex then hit the turnbuckles for a springboard crossbody… and that’s all folks. A spirited fightback from Orsi, but that crossbody out of the corner was too much to take. ***
Norman Harras vs. Danny Fray
“The boss” gets a match here too, and he opened up with a lock-up that Fray broke apart.
A second lock-up backs Fray into the corner, before Fray came in with a hammerlock that Harras spun out of, as a headlock takedown grounded Fray. Harras is pushed off, but Fray’s shoulder block just seemed to amuse Harras, who took another one… this time backing him up a little. Third time was the charm as Fray downed Harras, then went for a suplex, but Norman slips out and shoved Fray the outside.
Harras lets Fray get back inside, before a boot knocked Fray back to the outside… back inside, Fray fought back with some forearms, only to get caught with a jawbreaker and a charging knee. Fray’s up at two, but gets snapmared and kicked in the back before a leaping elbow drop drew a nonchalant two-count for Harras.
Fray fights out of a chinlock, but Harras is back with forearms before Fray hits a suplex. A running back elbow crashed into Harras, while a sidewalk slam only got a one-count, as Harras returned with a sunset flip… only to get caught with a Samoan drop moments later. Clotheslines in the corner trap Harras, ahead of a Bossman slam, before Fray took Harras up top.
Fray tries for a press slam off the top, but Norman goes for the eyes as an uppercut off the middle rope proved to be enough to get the win. **½
Jacob Crane vs. Michael Knight
I wonder if Jacob’s still scared of bodyslams…
Knight offers a handshake to start, which was accepted… but Crane pulls him into a side headlock, only for Knight to break free and pull him down into an armbar. Knight’s going for the nipple, tweaking Crane in the process for a four-count before a grounded armbar was countered with a roll-up.
Crane’s back up, but rolled down into more pinning attempts before he took a wheelbarrow bulldog that saw him faceplant into the canvas. Mounting a comeback, Crane clubbed Knight into the ropes, before he knocked away Knight’s springboard and suplexed him back into the ring.
Knight’s up at two after that, as Crane stayed on him with a chinlock. Heading to the corner, Crane sets up for a running kick, but it’s pushed away as Knight then pulled himself up top and flew with a crossbody for a two-count. A Sliced Bread’s escaped as Crane returned with a clothesline that almost won it, as it’s then back to the chinlock as Crane looked to push on.
Crane can’t keep Knight at bay though, and ends up getting pulled into a Gory bomb/backpack knee, before Knight hit a corner clothesline, then a springboard clothesline for a near-fall. From there, Knight went for a Fireman’s carry, but Crane escaped to hit a back suplex, before a Ki Krusher almost got the win. A Perfect Driver?
Heading up top, Crane’s caught by Knight, who brings him down off the top rope with an ushigoroshi… then followed up with a Sliced Bread out of the corner for the win. A really good outing for the time they had, with Crane coming real close to a breakout win – but in the end it’s the former Shotgun champion that left with the W. ***¼
Nick Schreier vs. Fast Time Moodo
Schreier’s had a few “main roster” outings, most of them ending in defeat…
We open with a knuckle lock as Moodo pushed down Schreier for some pinning attempts. Nick bridges up though and monkey flipped Moodo as duelling pinning attempts broke out, leading to neck bridges and a handshake…
From the resumption, Moodo works the wrist of the relative rookie, who flips and armdrags his way free, before he missed with an armdrag. That allowed Moodo back in with kicks, before a chop downed Schreier. Jabs from Moodo trap Schreier in the corner, ahead of a snapmare and another kick to the back that gets the former tag champion a two-count.
Moodo uncorks some more kicks as Schreier threatened a fight back, leading to an Octopus stretch and a spinning heel kick as this became one-way traffic. A pop-up dropkick from Schreier gave him hope, as did a flip in from the apron as Moodo got spiked with a satellite DDT for a near-fall.
Schreier looks for Sliced Bread, but Moodo takes him to the corner for a spinning heel kick, then a sliding punch, before heading up top to land a double stomp to the back. From there, the Black Belt Kick’s cued up, connecting with Schreier as Moodo left with the win. **¾
Ender Kara vs. Bobby Gunns
It’s been too long since Ender Kara’s been in wXw – save for an unaired dark match at Shortcut to the Top the night before, this was Kara’s first outing since 16 Carat Gold weekend.
We open with a scramble on the mat as the search for a hold ended with the pair resetting… Kara comes back with a quick kick to the inside of the leg, before he sent Gunns into the ropes… but a monkey flip’s avoided, with Kara having to make do with an armdrag. Another kick’s caught, with Gunns rolling up Kara for a two-count as the pair stared down one another again.
They trade kicks to the chest, with them both getting some impressive noises out of each other, before a snapmare and a kick to the back from Kara found its way through. Gunns returns the favour, as they go back and forth on those in a seemingly-endless round of “can you top this.” Kara goes all Shibata on us, sitting down to ask for another kick, then another, as Gunns continued to volley at him.
Kara gets back up and slapped down Gunns, who threw a response moments later as Kara tied up his hair so they could pepper each other with more strikes. Gunns’ rear naked choke is switched into a release German suplex, before another rear naked choke looked to set up for a PK… but Kara blocked it and took Gunns down for a stomp.
Gunns is left in place as Kara adds a PK, then a rebound German suplex, before a mid kick left Gunns down for a near-fall. Seated, the pair refuse to change tactics as they kick each other while they were down, before a leg lock from Gunns forced Kara to roll the pair of them into the ropes for an eventual break.
Running uppercuts from Gunns followed in the corner, but Kara sneaks out and hits a springboard missile dropkick to break the momentum. A wacky Dragon Sleeper from Kara sees him tie up Gunns in the middle of the ring, but Gunns was able to drag his way to the rope for another break.
The pair beat a standing ten count as we resume strikes, upping the ante until Gunns shrugged off an enziguiri, then slid under Kara for a rear naked choke. Ender escapes for a Euro clutch for a near-fall, then hit a twisting Pele kick, before Kara ran into a clothesline. Gunns returns with a kick and a sleeperhold, taking down Kara for a PK… and that’s enough to bring this one to a close. Bloody hell lads, these two held nothing back in the 11 minutes they had – in a match that wouldn’t have looked out of place just down the road at the Turbinenhalle. ***½
