Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling #38 10.15.2022 Review

Quick Results
Robert Dreissker defeated Elijah Blum via referee stoppage in 8:49 (**¾)
Bobby Gunns pinned Nick Schreier in 9:53 (***¼)
Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma defeated Jurn Simmons & Vincent Heisenberg via count-out in 2:36 (NR)
Tristan Archer pinned Michael Knight in 16:26 (***½)
Baby Allison pinned Ava Everett in 7:38 (**¾)
Laurance Roman submitted Danny Fray in 6:56 (***)
Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc vs. Maggot & Ahura ended in a no contest at 22:56 (***½)

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The show opens with highlights from the World Tag Team Festival final, with the double count-out… the restart… and of course, the Frenchadors winning the tag titles. Dave Bradshaw is on English commentary this time.

Thommy Giesen welcomes everyone to the Forum in Bielefeld, and then we’re backstage as Dan Mallman’s with Robert Dreissker and Laurance Roman.

The AMBOSS lads are asked about what happened at World Tag Team Festival, with Dan calling their tournament run a success, despite not winning the tag titles. He brings up the question over whether Dreissker and Icarus were the best tag team for AMBOSS, but Dreissker notes that both of them had tag team experience – with Icarus being part of the best tag team in Europe, while Dreissker had won the wXw tag titles four times. There’s a dig at the “good for nothing” Anil Marik as Dreissker mentioned the range of wrestlers he’d won tag titles with.

AMBOSS are still sour over losing in the finals though, and both Dreissker and Roman’s opponents tonight aren’t going to have it easy..

Robert Dreissker vs. Elijah Blum
Dreissker’s back to singles action here against an Academy graduate… which might spell trouble for the Bochum native.

We start with Dreissker charging and clubbing Blum into the corner, before a side headlock lead to a takedown. A push off from Blum just gets him bounced into the ropes with a shoulder tackle, before wristlocks from Dreissker kept the newcomer at bay. Blum rolls free and reverses the hold, before an armdrag and uppercuts took Dreissker into the corner. A clothesline follows from Blum, but he’s taken into the corner and met with a back body drop… before he came back with an armdrag and a dropkick.

Another shoulder tackle from Dreissker dropped Blum, who’s then tossed over the top rope to the outside. Dreissker followed him, throwing Blum into the side of the ring, then back inside, getting a two-count from a pin attempt. Blum tried to fight back with forearms, but they got swatted away, just like a side Russian legsweep attempt did as the Bielefeld crowd started mocking chants for “Ro-bert.”

Blum’s left laying after a couple of suplexes, before he tried to surprise Dreissker with an inside cradle. From the kickout, a ripcord clothesline gets Dreissker a near-fall, as Blum came back with more forearms, before he got caught with a springboard crossbody out of the corner.

Dreissker grounded Blum with a chinlock, then took him to the ropes for a back body drop… but Blum escaped and countered with a side Russian legsweep. A jawbreaker’s next for Blum, then some clotheslines that led to a neckbreaker. Dreissker’s right back up but runs into another lariat, while Blum followed up with a shotgun dropkick.

Blum thought he’d outsmarted Dreissker by dropping down to avoid another springboard crossbody, but Dreissker spots it and crushes him with a Dreissker bomb, before some clubbing overhand forearms to the chest eventually forced the referee to wave it off. A good little match to get some heat behind Dreissker, while also showing that Blum isn’t someone to entirely write off. **¾

Backstage, Dan’s with the Frenchadors… they’re defending their newly-won titles against the Pretty Bastards tonight. Aigle Blanc notes that the Bastards beat them during the World Tag Team Festival, while Senza Volto said that winning the tag titles was more important for him than hiding his identity with a mask. That whole thing’s pushed aside… for now.

Nick Schreier vs. Bobby Gunns
It’s another tough ask for Schreier here, but at least this match started friendlier than the opener.

After a handshake, the pair go for a knuckle lock, which Gunns kicked apart so he could work over Schreier’s wrist. Eventually Schreier rolled free, following with armdrags and a roll-up, before a springboard armdrag and a dropkick had Gunns on the back foot.

Schreier heads up top, but leaps over an on-rushing Gunns before a missed dropkick allowed the former champion to roll Schreier into an armbar. The ropes save Schreier, but couldn’t for a snapmare and a kick to the back, which gets Gunns a two-count, before Schreier tried to chop his way back into it… and earned himself a jumping high kick.

Gunns gets another two-count from a kick to the back, before he overcame Schreier in a battle of elbow strikes. A pop-up dropkick got Schreier some hope, leading to a slingshot and a bulldog on Gunns. Heading back up top, Schreier nails a crossbody for a near-fall, only to get thrown down with a German suplex seconds later.

Running uppercuts from Gunns trap Schreier in the corner, ahead of an Exploder suplex for a near-fall. Kicks to the chest follow on Schreier, but he fires back with a forearm to Gunns… who laughed it off and threw back. The pair trade forearms for a while, until Schreier hit a superkick and a satellite DDT for a near-fall.

A running neckbreaker from Schreier cuts off Gunn’s comeback, as did an enziguiri, before Gunns pulled Schreier down with another German suplex. A headbutt followed, then a Saito suplex, before a PK got the win as Gunns avoided the upset. ***¼

They replay clips from Vincent Heisenberg’s streetfight win over Jurn Simmons over World Tag Team Festival weekend… and then Jurn’s backstage attack on Heisenberg the next night… before we got a replay of Norman Harras’ decree that Jurn and Heisenberg would be forced to team up tonight.

Jurn Simmons & Vincent Heisenberg vs. Rott Und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma)
It’s the first match for Rott und Flott since they failed to win World Tag Team Festival – and thus, lost their titles. We get alternating entrances, with Rott und Flott sandwiching their opponents.

Jurn and Heisenberg seemed more hell bent at going after each other, which they did with clotheslines before the bell as Rott und Flott just watched from the corner. Heisenberg’s taken outside, with Jurn following… Schenkenberg goes to bring Jurn in, but got clobbered, while Charisma’s plancha saw him thrown onto Heisenberg.

Schenkenberg throws Simmons inside so the match can start, but Jurn catches Schenkenberg with boots and elbows instead. A gorilla press slam dropped Schenkenberg, who had Charisma slammed onto him… before Heisenberg came in to slam Simmons onto Schenkenberg for the hell of it.

A fallaway slam from Heisenberg takes Simmons across the ring, but Jurn’s back with a spear as the tag partners continued to go at it. The referee’s smart enough to not try and enforce the legal man, given who’s at it, while Rott und Flott lift Jurn and Heisenberg to the outside… then demanded Felix Schulz start a count-out. Given Simmons and Heisenberg were more focused on fighting through the crowd, the result’s pretty academic, as this was more an angle than a match… with Rott und Flott officially leaving as winners.

The fight continues into the merch area though, but Jurn’s cracked with a chair as went to go after Heisenberg… who instead covered Jurn with a Yorkie trolley and a ladder of all things, before he chased Rott und Flott away.

Michael Knight vs. Tristan Archer
It’s a non-title outing as we get the show back on track here…

We open with a good ol’ fashioned Test of Strength as Archer forced Knight backwards, only to get taken into the corner. A wristlock from Archer’s countered out of as Knight tripped him up for a toe hold, with the ropes saving Archer as he was able to catch a follow-up leapfrog and charge Knight into the corner.

A gutshot from Archer leads to a wheelbarrow bulldog attempt from Knight… which was blocked as Archer then shoved away a Sliced Bread attempt. Knight’s back elbow leads to the wheelbarrow bulldog, before a springboard dropkick took Archer outside for a plancha.

Archer nails a Tiger Feint kick on the apron to knock Knight down, then wandered towards the raised seating area, so he could drop Knight on the raised floor with a back suplex. Rather than take the count-out, Archer heads back outside so he could try to suplex Knight… but that’s fought out of as a springboard elbow from Knigth left Archer laying on the floor.

Knight stays on top of Archer with a tope, before Archer distracted the referee so he could kick the rope into Knight as he came back inside. A neckbreaker followed as Knight was hanging in the ropes, which was good for a two-count, before an inverted gutwrench suplex earned the champion another two-count.

Archer’s camel clutch gets broken as Knight slips free, then returned with a side Russian legsweep. A missed enziguiri from Knight allowed Archer back in with a back senton for a two-count, before a right hand took Knight into the corner… but a leg sweep and a Whisper in the Wind turned the match back on its head. Knight followed up with a clothesline into the corner, then the springboard clothesline, only for a clothesline from Archer to get him back on top.

Knight tries to elbow out, but couldn’t escape an Exploder, as the match then descended into some back-and-forth strikes. A headbutt from Knight had Archer rocked, as did an enziguiri, only for a rolling elbow to crack Knight down to the mat. Knight manages to avoid Archer in the corner, but got caught on the top rope with an avalanche Olympic slam, before Archer rolled through a Victory roll for a near-fall.

A tornado DDT from Knight looked to put him back in control, as did a Code Red, but Archer kicks out at two. La Terreur from Archer lands, then a Coup d’Etat… and that’s the win in a decent match, but one that the crowd seemed to struggle to get into until the end. ***½

They replay Aliss Ink beating Baby Allison for the wXw Women’s title over World Tag Team Festival weekend, as we then have Dan Mallman interviewing Baby Allison, who acknowledged that that weekend was… how to put it… shit. Dan asks about the Pretty Bastards, but Allison’s washed her hands of them because Maggot was “dumb enough to forgive Ahura.” Rightfully so, she also got offended that she’s not being asked about her match tonight, and this interview is over…

Ava Everett vs. Baby Allison
Allison’s of course looking to get back on track after the events in Oberhausen…

Ava took offence at the crowd’s chanting, so she hopped up onto the top turnbuckle to let things die down… then took Allison into the corner with a lock-up. Allison responds with forearms in the opposite corner, only to get whipped back across the ring… where she returned with a Thesz press and some punches too.

Allison’s taken into the ropes for a thrust kick, which doesn’t get a cover since Ava kept them in the ropes, so Ava followed that up with a neckbreaker for a two-count. A nerve hold’s next on Allison, then some Danielson-ish elbows, before an Allison roll-up earned a two-count. Ava kicks back and took a two-count for herself… then some more off of a suplex.

Allison’s thrown outside by Ava, returning into the path of a DDT as Ava was dominating things here. Ava pulls Allison through the ropes, but a superkick misses as Allison’s Scorpion kick and German suplex turned it around. A crab walk spooks Ava, who’s waffled with forearms and clotheslines from there, while a Northern Lights suplex nearly won it.

From there, Allison ducks a head kick, but couldn’t avoid a cutter as Ava came close to victory. Ava hits the ropes, but got caught on the middle turnbuckle for a back superplex a la Razor Ramon… as a spear then earned Allison the win in a hard-fought outing. **¾

They replay the interview with Metehan from World Tag Team Festival, where he told us all he’s back to collect some receipts… then had a chat with Bobby Gunns over their prior “business.”

Danny Fray vs. Laurance Roman
Roman’s had a close shave since tag festival…

We opened with Fray backing Roman into the corner, before Roman returned the favour in the opening lock-ups. A side headlock from Fray’s escaped and met in kind, before Roman’s shoulder tackle earned a similar result from Fray, who knocked him down, then followed up with a bodyslam.

Forearms from Fray led to a sidewalk slam attempt, but Roman escaped, then chopped out Fray’s knee. Kicks to the leg follow as Roman eventually kicked Fray’s leg out of his leg, taking him into the corner and wrapped Fray’s leg around the rope. A kick to the back gets Roman a one-count, as things then moved to a toe hold with Roman looking to get a submission.

Fray kicks Roman away, but is taken down again with a dropkick to the knee, as Roman stayed on the joint like a dog with a bone. Ahem. A leg lock forces Fray into the ropes, but he returns with some forearms, before he had to give up a sidewalk slam attempt because of the bad knee. Roman swarms Fray from there, but an elbow out of the corner, then a big boot gave Fray some hope.

Roman’s met with clotheslines and back elbows from there, before he finally took the sidewalk slam at the third attempt. Fray’s able to get a two-count from that, before a clothesline in the corner looked to put Roman on the back foot. Unfortunately for Fray, he’s still having trouble with the knee, and when Roman caught him with an enziguiri, it looked to be over… as Roman then escaped a Black Hole Slam and pulled Fray down into a knee bar for the submission. A well rounded game-plan from Roman ensured that AMBOSS won both their matches today, and in short order too. ***

The Pretty Bastards are backstage with Dan ahead of their tag title match in the main event… The aloof Ahura’s taking comfort in the fact that they’d beaten the champions during the group stages of the tournament, then went on to say that if “we” had gotten their act together on night two, they’d have won the whole tournament. Ah, selective memories are a hell of a thing. Ahura doesn’t want any “relationship drama” and accused Maggot being under the thumb… Maggot got mad, then was told to “be happy I let you walk around with that (Shotgun) title” as Maggot then asked to end the interview so he could get unprofessional. Trouble in paradise, eh?

wXw World Tag Team Championship: Pretty Bastards (Ahura & Maggot) vs. Frenchadors (Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto) (c)
It’s a first title defence for the Frenchadors… who have taken to doing a “French kiss” by clinking their title belts together, while Ahura’s throwing of a water bottle had the crowd baying for a water fight.

Aigle and Ahura start us off, but it’s a waistlock takedown from Ahura that drew the proverbial first blood, before the pair separated. A lockup from Ahura ends with him in the corner, before Aigle took down Ahura in a leg lock… ending with Ahura pulling himself to his feet in the ropes.

Chops from Ahura corner Aigle, as Ahura rolled outside to take the sting out of things. Ahura eventually rolled back in to beat the count, as everyone seemed to get frustrated at his time wasting. Maggot tags in and trades leapfrogs and dropdowns with Aigle, leading to a stand-off. A Thesz press takes Aigle down after that, along with a strutting kick, before Ahura tagged back in… and got swarmed with uppercuts from Aigle.

Senza Volto’s in, only to get lifted to the apron as the Frenchadors double-team Ahura in their corner ahead of a senton atomico from Senza. Duelling lucha armdrags see the champions bounce off the ropes before sending the Bastards into each other, only for Ahura to shove Maggot into Senza Volto as he opted to try and become a one-man wrecking crew.

A double Eat Defeat from Ahura stunned the champions, as did a springboard double armdrag, before a kick to the back and an assisted standing moonsault got Aigle back in it for a two-count. The Bastards get tied down for a Cattle Mutilation and an Octopus stretch, before Senza threw Maggot to the outside as the champions weren’t allowed to keep the holds on for longer than five seconds.

Ahura’s focused on from there, as a chop took him back into the Frenchador’s corner… where he fought free with chops of his own, only to get stomped into the turnbuckles. Senza holds Ahura over the ropes for a back senton, which gets a two-count, while a snapmare and a single leg low dropkick got Aigle Blanc another two-count.

Senza’s back for mounted punches in the corner, as Ahura kept trying to fight free… throwing chops before booting Aigle Blanc in the face. A delayed-as-heck tag out brings Maggot in as he ran wild with a back body drop to Aigle, then with a crossbody off the top and a leaping forearm. An enziguiri dropped Aigle ahead of a crucifix driver for a near-fall, as Maggot then began to blister Aigle Blanc with chops.

Mounted punches and a Bionic Elbow from Maggot followed in the corner, while a suplex out of the corner drew another two-count. Ahura’s back to lift up Maggot for a kick, before he picked his tag partner up… and placed him on the apron. Gotta follow the rules, I guess!

Ahura elbows Senza Volto off the apron as he then pulled up Aigle for a short-arm clothesline, which was good for a two-count, while a stomp gave Ahura time to rip off his trunks to reveal that thong… Aigle kicks out from a STO, then got pulled into a chinlock, as Ahura then teased ripping at the mask.

Aigle finally takes down Ahura with a springboard crossbody, but another short-range clothesline stopped Aigle from making a tag out. A Twister suplex from Aigle gives him another window of opportunity, as both men got the tag out… but yet again Maggot has to tag himself in as Ahura seemed to want to make a show out of going it alone, like Maggot had to during tag festival weekend.

Senza Volto struck first with clotheslines and a handspring back elbow, before Maggot was pulled out of the corner by Ahura. Senza stays on Maggot though, taking him to the corner for some double-teams and a Code Red for a near-fall, while Aigle Blanc’s rapid Meteora earned a second near-fall. Aigle’s in to charge Maggot into a gamengiri from Senza, before the champions’ double-teaming led to a double Dragon suplex on the Shotgun champion.

A double-team sit-out slam gets a near-fall as Ahura’s Divine Sand Storm tornillo into the ring breaks up the pin. Another tag brings in Ahura as a Parade of Moves was sparked, leading to Ahura throwing Senza Volto into the corner… with Senza changing it into a cannonball on Maggot… who then pushed away Ahura to take a handspring cutter from Senza.

Ahura’s Paradise Waterfall leaping STO takes care of Senza as the Parade of Moves kept going, while a sit-out 450 from the legal Aigle Blanc nearly won the match. Maggot added a cutter to Aigle Blanc from there, before Rott und Flott ran in from out of nowhere to attack both teams. We’ve got a no-contest as this match was starting to plateau – and I guess the deposed tag team champions are looking to stake a claim for the belts they used to hold. ***½

We Love Wrestling 38 was a steady show after the intensity of tag festival earlier in the month – keeping a couple of storylines going, while ensuring that key players stayed in the spotlight.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

We Love Wrestling 38 was a steady show after the intensity of tag festival earlier in the month - keeping a couple of storylines going, while ensuring that key players stayed in the spotlight.