Hamilton’s Smash x wXw London 11.20.2022 Review

Quick Results
Carter Mason pinned Robert Dreissker and Matt Cross in 7:37 (***)
Psycho Mike pinned Maggot in 11:53 (***¼)
Nikita submitted Miley in 8:34 to retain the Smash Women’s Championship (**½)
Michael Greyson & Rodney Matthews pinned Idris Abraham & Joe Coleman in 10:29 to win the Smash Tag Team Championships (***)
Axel Tischer pinned Vaughn Vertigo in 16:20 (***¾)
Cara Noir submitted Jake Something in 12:55 (***½)
Tristan Archer pinned Kevin Bennett in 10:46 (***¼)

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We’re coming from the Music Hall in London, Ontario for the final part of wXw’s jaunt to Canada last year… with commentary coming from Scott Hunter and KC Andrews.

Matt Cross vs. Robert Dreissker vs. Carter Mason
Mason came up short against Tristan Archer the previous night in Toronto…

Dreissker kicked at Mason to start, then went after Cross… but ended up getting double-teamed quickly after that as he was sent packing with two back elbows. Cross stays in there with Mason, hitting a shoulder tackle before he dove onto Dreissker, before Mason added one of his own.

Cross posts Mason afterwards, before a flagpole press from Cross was picked away by Dreissker, who then lawndarted him into another ring post. Mason takes aim at Dreissker, but got caught with a ripcord lariat instead for a two-count, as Dreissker then ripped off a corner pad for the hell of it.

Cross tries to cut off Dreissker, but gets POUNCED into the ropes, before Mason leapt over the exposed corner and threw some chops at Dreissker. A back elbow drops Mason, before Cross returned… only to get swept away from the middle turnbuckle as he went after Dreissker.

Mason’s back, but had to fight away from Dreissker… hitting a V-trigger and a thrust kick before Cross hit a double stomp to the back of Dreissker. A follow-up pump kick gets a near-fall as Mason breaks up the pin, before Mason hit a draping Detonation kick out of the corner for another near-fall.

That cover’s broken up by Dreissker, who planted Mason with a death valley driver as Mason breaks things up. Dreissker charged into the exposed corner as Cross followed up with a cutter… then a shooting star press… only for Mason to throw Cross to the floor and steal the pin. ***

Post-match, Mason took the mic to brag about his win… and challenge Cross to a singles match in January.

KC Andrews is in a toy shop to hype up the Kevin Bennett vs. Tristan Archer match… naturally, they’re picking Bennett for the win.

Psycho Mike vs. Maggot
Two men universally-beloved in Oberhausen… facing off in London. Not that one…

Mike took offence at the crowd stopping their chanting when the bell went, as we started with Maggot locking up with him into the corner. Maggot’s flexing impresses Mike, who grabbed a wristlock and maintained a death stare with the hard cam… which goes all wonky, so he called for a stand-in (also wearing Psycho Mike trunks) to maintain the hold as Mike went to fix the camera.

“Psycho Mike” sees his hold reversed as Maggot took the upper hand… with the real one taking over in the hold after he’d fixed the camera. Business is back to usual after all that, with Mike regaining the hold, only for Maggot to break his focus and reverse the hold again. Maggot’s drop toe holds trip up Mike, who regained his vertical base before Maggot told him to bunny hop to the ropes to break the hold. A freebie.

Maggot demonstrates that hold again, but Mike doesn’t quite get the swivel needed to trip up Maggot, who just walked out of the hold. Mike manages to take down Maggot with a shoulder tackle, before he offered the London crowd a bodyslam. So Maggot rolls away from a pick-up attempt… then another… then another… before Maggot poked him in the eye as he silently went for one.

A wet willie has the blinded Mike even more angry, leading to a nipple twister that Tassilo Jung inadvertently broke. He tried to console Mike, but got picked up for a bodyslam, which Maggot talked him out of, only to get slammed himself. And again. And again. I’m getting visions of Jacob Crane here as Maggot kicked out at two.

Maggot hangs up Mike in the ropes, then commandeered a fan’s seat to put Mike in ahead of a running pump kick. Mike staggers into another seat, with Tass berating the fan who gave up his seat, before we headed back in with Mike eschewing the comedy stuff. Except he ran into a back body drop and a spear for a near-fall.

Mike gets punched in the corner as he avoided a cutter – bouncing off of every buckle on his way down – before mounted punches somehow went across multiple corners. Psycho Mike threatens a Fisherman’s suplex out of the corner, only for Maggot to cradle him for a near-fall, before a spear was kneed away as Mike took the win with a Fisherman buster. That’s not a bodyslam!? An enjoyable comedy match that didn’t labour the gags too hard – and brought in some new stuff too for those who had seen it before… ***¼

After the match, Litigator Luke comes out and tells us he’s not out here to get bodyslammed by Mike. Kevin Bennett’s brought out alongside Vikram Prashar and Bryce Hansen, who’ve both fallen to Mike’s bodyslams in the past, as Luke’s apparently going all class action on Mike’s rear end. Unless Mike forfeits his current – and all future – title shots as long as Bennett is champion.

Mike signs the agreement, and gets waylaid by Bennett before the bad guys exited stage left…

We jump cut to Nikita smashing Violet Lee with flowers, only to be interrupted by Miley… who suggests we have a title match now, and with the ring covered in petals, we get it.

Smash Women’s Championship: Miley vs. Nikita (c)
Nikita jumps Miley before a referee could hit the ring… and we get going.

Miley takes things to the corner for some rapid-fire elbows, before things headed outside with Miley taking some shots. Miley took too long to play to the crowd and got caught with a wicked boot between the ropes, before she recovered to head up top for a crossbody that nearly got her the upset.

Nikita escapes a Fisherman suplex, then kicks out of a backslide as Miley almost ran into the referee… that hesitation allows Nikita back in with some hanging headscissors in the ropes. We’re back outside with Miley getting thrown into the side of the ring, then back inside as Nikita looked to have things under control.

Mudhole stomping in the corner keeps Nikita ahead, but she’s rolled up after a missed charge for a near-fall… before a lariat from Nikita dumped Miley back to the mat. Choking follows in the ropes, then a backbreaker out of the corner, before a suplex from Nikita led to Miley somehow snatching a cover.

A knee to the face from Nikita cuts off Miley once more, ahead of a cartwheel elbow drop… but Miley’s got one more comeback in her as she took Nikita to the corner for a monkey flip, before a STO drew a near-fall. Nikita escapes a Michinoku driver, then came right back with a reverse DDT… but it’s too close to the ropes as Miley saved the match… before Nikita grabbed the ropes to avoid a German suplex… then pull Miley into a side Russian legsweep and a Tequila Sunrise by the ropes for the submission, despite the referee not noticing Nikita’s grabbing of the ropes. **½

We cut to a pre-tape as Michael Greyson’s uncharacteristically (I assume) cussing up a storm as Miley calmed him down… Rodney Matthews and Miley step in as the team of Books and Looks vow to take the titles or send Halal Beefcake to the hospital. Okay…

Smash Tag Team Championship: Books and Looks (Michael Greyson & Rodney Matthews) vs. Halal Beefcake (Idris Abraham & Joe Coleman) (c)
Books and Looks’ gear – a cut-off shirt and a sweatervest – is quite the choice…

The challengers cut off Halal Beefcake during their pre-match shtick, but it’s overcome as Abraham focused on Greyson early on. Greyson ducks a double clothesline and returned with a springboard back elbow into the champions, before Rodney Matthews came in to splash Coleman in the ropes for a one-count.

An assisted splash for Greyson gets a two-count, before the champions came right back in with a Coleman uranage as the match spilled outside. Matthews is charged and chopped into the side of the ring, before an overhead belly-to-belly back inside proved enough for a two-count. Abraham’s in to beat down on Matthews, before a double-team elbow drop added another near-fall for Coleman.

Abraham’s back to get thrown into Matthews as the challengers looked to be down and out… even more so when Matthews was fighting out of a chinlock. A leaping shoulder tackle from Abraham took Matthews back down, as Coleman tagged in to do press-ups off the back of Matthews in the ropes.

A roll-up from Matthews gave him hope, but a Coleman lariat stops him for a two-count before Matthews scored with a bulldog on Abraham… then made the tag out to Greyson, who charges through Coleman, then took him to the ropes with a dropkick. Greyson’s neckbreaker’s good for a two-count, before Books and Looks combined for a stomp-assisted reverse DDT that nearly led to the title change.

Coleman tries to power his way back into the match, as Abraham tagged back in and got thrown into Greyson and Matthews in the corners with dropkicks. It’s good for a two-count on Greyson, before Matthews broke up a double-team suplex to dropkick Coleman into Abraham… before a neckbreaker/Samoan drop combo managed to get Books and Looks the win! A real come-from-behind win as Halal Beefcake’s recent dodgy form culminated in them losing the tag titles. ***

We’ve got a video package of Vaughn Vertigo, covering his globe-trotting over the past few years… including his spell in wXw just before lockdown… and his return after the world opened up again. He tells us that his trips have changed him, and he wants the best…

Vaughn Vertigo vs. Axel Tischer
Right, back to some familiar faces here…

From the opening lock-up, Vertigo looks to go after Tischer’s arm as I assume Psycho Mike was tweaking the hard cam again. Vaughn’s taken down by the arm though, before he fought free and tried to repeat the trick, only for Tischer to take him back down to the canvas.

Another scramble led to Tischer taking the leg of Vertigo, who tried to kick his way free… only for Tischer to hit a grounded Dragon screw for a two-count. A side headlock grounds Vertigo again, which led to Vertigo rolling it into a pinning attempt, before he shoved away the next one.

A shoulder tackle charges Vertigo down as its back to the side headlock once more, before the next shove-off ended with Vertigo tripping up Tischer with a drop-down. Vaughn’s low dropkick finds a way through, as did a standing moonsault for a two-count, before a crossbody was caught by Tischer and turned into a powerslam for a two-count.

Uppercuts from Tischer take Vertigo into the corner, before Tischer raked the eyes and elbowed the Canadian in the head. Tischer takes Vertigo up top as he… recited Rammstein lyrics? Du hast mich gefragt… A superplex is headbutted away as Vertigo’s froggy crossbody found its mark, before back elbows and clotheslines led to Vertigo hitting a leaping leg lariat as he continued to pull ahead.

Vertigo’s floatover Edge-o-matic keeps him on top, as did a knee strike and a tiltawhirl DDT for a near-fall. A second tiltawhirl DDT’s blocked though as Tischer ends up countering an O’Connor roll, as he then put his foot through Vertigo. A Horrible Slam’s next, but Vertigo countered with a cradle before eating a death valley driver as Tischer almost took the win.

Tischer calls for a sit-out powerbomb, which Vertigo blocked… then almost stole the win with a jack-knife cover. He pushes on with a knee strike, only to run into a lariat and a German suplex as Tischer tried to shut the door on him. An enziguiri takes Tischer outside for a flip senton, before they rushed back in… where Tischer crotches Vertigo on the ropes.

Vertigo tries to ‘rana out of a powerbomb, but Tischer rolled through and hit the Ligerbomb anyway for a near-fall. Tischer’s standing tall over Vertigo, who tried to fight back out of a Ligerbomb, only to get popped into the corner. A half-and-half suplex gives Vaughn hope, but Tischer drops doing to avoid a Shining Wizard before a senton bomb and a Shining Wizard would have gotten the win… but Tischer’s arm slid under the ropes in the nick of time. You jammy so-and-so…

Right hands from Vertigo looked to have Tischer loopy, but the German blocks another half-and-half, then cracked him with an uppercut. A pump kick and a knee followed, then a head kick, before Tischer slammed the door shut on Vertigo with a Horrible Slam… and my word, that was a masterclass in making those of us more familiar with Tischer believe that Vertigo was achingly close to the win. wXw… feel free to run this one back in Germany next time Vaughn makes that trip! ***¾

We cut to clips of Jake Something from the previous night vowing to start a winning streak…

Jake Something vs. Cara Noir
After losing to Tischer in Toronto, Something’s still looking for his first win in Smash…

Cara puts on the fake lats as he squared up to Something, grabbing a side headlock that’s shoved off as Jake collided with him. Wash, rinse, repeat as Cara’s shoulder tackles were coming up fruitless, so he ended up kicking Jake in the quad, only to get charged down seconds later.

More kicks from Cara lead to rope-running, drop downs and leapfrogs, culminating in a dropkick that barely moved Jake… who responded quickly with a leaping body attack. Chops follow as Cara’s taken into the corner, then thrown chest-first into the buckles a la Bret Hart for a two-count.

Something swats Cara back to the corner as the former PROGRESS champion tried to fight back… and followed up with shoulder charges and a bodyslam for a two-count. A suplex follows out of the corner for another two-count, while a clothesline shut down another attempted comeback as Cara’s kept on the deck with a chinlock.

Cara finally breaks free with a jawbreaker, before he dropped down… and feigned exhaustion as he suckered in Something for an up-kick. Cara pushes on with leaping forearms to Something in the ropes, before kicks and a rebound German suplex took him down. A Rude Awakening neckbreaker lands for a two-count, before Something powered back with a back body drop.

A hangman’s choke from Cara Noir’s elbowed away in the corner as Something fought back with a back superplex that almost led to a double ten-count. Something’s met with a forearm, but fights back with one of his own before he clotheslined Cara to the outside… then followed him out with a pescado.

Something almost wins with a Burning Hammer back inside, before a rear naked choke from Cara ended in the ropes. He reapplies it, turning the hold almost into a Million Dollar Dream before Something dove into the ropes, sending the strands into Cara’s neck. A headbutt from Cara sinks Something, as did a Gotch-style piledriver, but it’s not enough to get the win.

The pair go corner-to-corner as the look for the finishing blow, which Something thought he’d landed with a gutwrench powerbomb, only for Cara to kick out… then come back with a Blackout sleeper that Something rolled out into a pin… but Cara kicks out and reapplies it for the quick submission. Something remains winless, as he was unable to crack the code that was Cara Noir – who himself didn’t find this one easy going. ***½

We’ve another pre-tape with KC Andrews looking for thoughts from fans ahead of the main event… a kid thinks Tristan Archer’s going to win because he’s jacked, while his dad backs him up.

Kevin Bennett vs. Tristan Archer
This one’s non-title, but Bennett’s got his entourage with him… along with his Smash, ESW and Xcite titles…

Bennett shrugs off a lock-up and throws a forearm to start… but Archer’s more than willing to engage in that tit-for-tat as he took Bennett into the corner ahead of see-saw shoulder tackles that took Bennett down. A leapfrog from Bennett’s caught, with Archer charging him into the corner ahead of a spinning wheel kick that earned a one-count.

Running uppercuts from Archer trap Bennett in the corner, ahead of a clothesline and a T-bone suplex for a two-count. Bennett rolls outside, and meets a diving Archer with a forearm in the ropes, before Bennett’s entourage began to put the boots to Archer behind the ref’s back.

Archer’s forced to kick out at two from a suplex, but he’s thrown outside again as Kevin Bennett’s lads continue to put a beating on the Frenchman. Bennett does it again, but this time Archer meets the entourage first, before he teased a suplex on Bennett from the ring into his cronies. Eventually, after a scrap on the apron, Archer hits a back suplex that bounced Bennett onto the edge of the ring, then a Tiger feint kick on the apron… before a tope connected with the whole Kevin Bennett Experience.

Archer introduces some of Kevin’s lads to the ring post, then rolled back inside to hit a single-knee Codebreaker for a two-count on Bennett. A Coup d’Etat’s rolled out of for a two-count as Bennett looked to snatch a win with a senton and a Vader Bomb elbow… but Archer’s up at two from those before a Twister suplex drew a similar result.

Bennett tries for a cutter, but Archer blocked it… then ducked as a leaping Bennett sent himself to the corner. An Olympic Slam nearly won it for Archer, as a La Terreur and a Decapite lariat drew Bennett’s legal representative – Litigator Luke – out. Psycho Mike’s out to chase Luke away, as everyone (including the camera crew) missed Archer getting low blowed.

Mike’s still around as he prevented a belt shot from Bennett, who then wandered into an inside cradle from Archer for a near-fall… before Archer hit another lariat, then a Coup d’Etat for the win. This one felt like the backdrop to the wider Smash storylines, rather than the “how do we avoid beating either of our champions?” that you sometimes get with these outings. A good match for the time they had, that’s for sure, and one that gave you an inkling of what Tristan Archer as a good guy could be like back in Germany… ***¼

7.8

The final score: review Good

The 411

A solid show to end wXw’s tour of Canada - with a couple of Smash’s roster members perhaps putting themselves in contention for dates in Europe, while that Tischer/Vertigo match being an unexpected show-stealer. Tischer’s gotten a few of those under his belt in 2022, that’s for sure!