Hamilton’s wXw Drive Of Champions 2022 11.12.2022 Review

Quick Results
Vincent Heisenberg pinned Kevin Martenson in 5:52 (**¾)
Laurance Roman pinned Michael Knight in 11:17 (***)
Aliss Ink submitted Baby Allison in 8:48 to retain the wXw Women’s Championship (***½)
Peter Tihanyi & Elijah Blum pinned Robert Dreissker & Icarus in 12:12 (***½)
Axel Tischer pinned Cara Noir in 14:38 (***½)
Fast Time Moodo pinned Ender Kara in 10:38 (***½)
Tristan Archer vs. Levaniel ended in a no-contest in 6:36 (**¾)
Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc pinned Ahura & Maggot and Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma in 20:54 to retain the wXw World Tag Team Championship (***½)

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We’re back at the Batschkapp in Frankfurt… Dave Bradshaw’s back on English commentary.

Vincent Heisenberg vs. Kevin Martenson
It’s a pre-show match, so you know what that means… it’s on YouTube!

Martenson was over for the Fight Forever tapings in Gelsenkirchen – he’s been doing this for a while, having been a part of PWG’s early days, and more recently can be seen on the Championship Wrestling from Hollywood TV show.

Up against Heisenberg, Martenson was shoved away early, sent rolling back into the corner as he was left on his hands… Wash, rinse, repeat, before Martenson caught Heisenberg in the midsection, taking him to the corner for some mounted punches that were easily pushed away.

Martenson heads up top but got press slammed down, then was met with a big boot for a two-count, while chops and clubbing forearms helped send the American onto the apron. Returning to the ring, Martenson’s met with an elbow before he got sent into the corner… booting away Heisenberg, Martenson thought he had a shot, but his crossbody’s caught and countered into a fallaway slam.

Heisenberg squashes Martenson in the corner for another two-count, while a slam earned just a one-count. Another one led to a missed elbow drop as Martenson then headed to the apron to hang up Heisenberg in the ropes. A bulldog into the ropes leads to a diving elbow to the back as the big man was still in the ropes, before a missile dropkick earned Martenson a two-count.

A Fireman’s carry from Martenson stopped when his back gave out, allowing Heisenberg to squash him back into the corner before a powerslam out of it got the win. Pretty definitive, with Martenson’s comeback being all too short as Heisenberg picked up another W. **¾

Post-match, Dan Mallmann tries to interview Heisenberg, but was told to leave him alone… Heisenberg heads to the back, but gets beaten back towards the ringside area by Jurn Simmons, who took him into the ring, only to get back body dropped as he went for a piledriver. Jurn escapes a powerslam and clotheslines Heisenberg to the outside, where Heisenberg gets posted as Jurn was left standing tall…

Michael Knight vs. Laurance Roman
It’s a rematch from World Tag Team Festival weekend, where Knight picked up a pre-show win…

Roman takes Knight to the corner to start, but Knight’s trip takes Roman down into a wacky leg grapevine that led to a two-count on the AMBOSS man. An armbar from Roman is countered out of as Knight tripped him up for a toe hold, then a side headlock that gets shoved away.

Knight lifts Roman onto the apron, then hit a springboard dropkick to the floor ahead of a tope into the aisle that Knight wildly took out Roman on. Returning to the ring, a lofty crossbody nearly got the win, before Roman blocked some Sliced Bread and pulled Knight down into a Tree of Woe.

A dropkick gets Knight free, but Roman took his time following up as he instead opted to mock Knight. We’ve a snap suplex out of Roman for a delayed two-count, while an Irish whip bounced Knight into the corner for another two-count as Roman was getting visibly annoyed. Knight’s back elbow turned it around ahead of a sunset flip, but Roman kicks out and rakes the eyes in a two-for-one deal.

Roman adds a discus lariat to the blinded Knight for another two-count, before another Irish whip bounced Knight into the buckles. Kicks from Knight led to a tumbleweed on Roman, then a clothesline into the corner and a springboard clothesline for a two-count. Uppercuts from Knight keep him ahead, as did a top rope ‘rana, before we moved to yay/boo strikes as Roman was forced to dig deep.

Knight flips out of a back suplex, then came in with a shin breaker and a Dragon screw to Roman, as a Trailer Hitch looked to force a stoppage… but the ropes save Roman. An enziguiri gets Roman back into it, as a Fisherman suplex with a cradle nearly wins it… only for Knight to go back to the kicks as he tried for Sliced Bread again.

Roman blocks, then dived in with a knee strike to Knight, before a facebuster out of an atomic drop got the win. A good, even match which Roman had to come from behind on – and I like that he’s establishing more than one finish. ***

They air the profile piece on Aliss Ink ahead of her first title defence… she’s representing the cold, dark North, and that’s giving her an edge in wXw. That then segued into an interview with Baby Allison, who’s still a little sour over the circumstances before her loss… blaming it all on Ahura for taking her out of her headspace. Allison reckons she can regain the title in her home town, where she first won it earlier this year…

wXw Women’s Championship: Baby Allison vs. Aliss Ink (c)
A rather muted reception for Ink, as the Frankfurt crowd were somewhat hopeful for a title change…

Ink swings for a kick early on, but had more luck with a leg sweep that Allison instantly popped up from. A high kick from Allison breaks a waistlock as she proceeded to batter Ink into the corner, before a Thesz press out of the corner turned into some ground and pound for the challenger.

A second Thesz press follows, as did a roll-up from Allison, before Ink sent herself flying to the outside courtesy of a missed shoulder charge into the corner. A Scorpion kick from Allison keeps Ink on the outside, but a leg sweep from the champion leads to some brawling around ringside, with Allison then getting thrown into the ring post for good measure.

Allison’s still on the defensive after she beat the count-out, as Ink took her into the ropes for some knees to the gut, before monkey flipping her into the middle of the ring for a two-count. A cross armbar’s next, then a series of Judo throws that led to a two-count as Frankfurt tried to get behind Allison. More kicks from Ink led to a 619 to the back of Allison, while a sleeperhold looked to force a stoppage.

Allison manages to throw her way free, as a pull-up Saito suplex bought her some recovery time… Allison crab walks towards Ink, then hit a kick to the head. A missed charge allowed Ink right back in as the pair trade blows, with Allison ducking a Dragon’s Tail kick to hit a spear… but Ink gets a shoulder up at two.

Looking for the finish, Allison hits a second spear into the corner, then another Scorpion kick, but Ink fires back with another Judo throw for a near-fall, then a running Meteora… but Allison cradles out of the pin for a near-fall of her own. Another Meteora’s countered with a roll-through into a Muta lock, but Ink got to the ropes, then returned with a spinning heel kick, before a wacky snapmare into a headscissors/hammerlock forced Allison to tap. I loved this – primarily for Allison’s comebacks, as there’s work to be done on getting Ink to connect with the wider wXw audience. Commentary pointed out that Allison didn’t get hit with the Dragon’s Tail kick, so there’s still that rematch avenue for down the line. Get this on your quick-hit watch lists! ***½

We’ve a replay of the AMBOSS vs. Tihanyi & Orsi match from Dresden last month, and Peter Tihanyi’s vow to go somewhere he’s never been before…

Elijah Blum & Peter Tihanyi vs. AMBOSS (Icarus & Robert Dreissker)
Same opponents, but a new partner for Tihanyi, who’d demanded this one… and I went into this more than a little worried for Elijah.

Blum and Tihanyi jump AMBOSS in the ring, but had to escape a double back suplex before hitting dropkicks to take their foes outside. Icarus waves Laurance Roman back out as they try to compose themselves before the bell.

We finally get going with Icarus running into armdrags from Tihanyi, who settled things down with an armbar. Icarus throws Tihanyi onto the apron, but Tihanyi escaped a Dreissker cheapshot and came in with a cutter for a one-count… then punched Dreissker down as the Austrian broke up the count.

Tihanyi kicks away Dreissker’s arm as a side headlock grounded Icarus, but Dreissker finally got tagged in… only to get vaulted off of as Tihanyi hit an Asai DDT. Dreissker shoves Icarus out of the corner ahead of a back senton as AMBOSS turned this around in an instant. Dreissker throws Tihanyi outside after a telegraphed back body drop, but Tihanyi cracks Icarus with a knee as he sensed an attack.

Back inside, a dropkick from Tihanyi lands for a two-count, before Elijah Blum tagged in to keep it going. He dropkicks Icarus off the apron, but an Irish whip’s reversed as Dreissker charges him to the outside… then dragged Tihanyi in as AMBOSS tried and failed with a double-team, with Blum’s crossbody taking the pair down. We’ve a tope from Tihanyi too, as he rolled Dreissker back in for Blum to pick up a two-count on.

Dreissker fights back, but got armdragged away before Tihanyi’s attempt to avoid a cheapshot ended up distracting the ref…who missed Roman putting the boots to Blum on the outside. Blum kicks out from a cover after he was sent back inside, but Tihanyi again protests and distracts the referee… earning himself a €20 fine for not staying in the corner as Thommy Giesen relayed the warning.

A double underhook neckbreaker from Blum gets him breathing space, but Dreissker tagged in before Blum could tag out. Blum’s trapped in the AMBOSS corner as a cavalcade of double-teams ended with a pop-up spear for a near-fall, but Tihanyi breaks up the cover as Blum ended up getting hooked by Icarus. Tihanyi’s back up after Blum fought free, and gets the tag after a Blum back body drop… as Icarus flew into Dreissker with a Meteora.

Icarus bumps and gets back up as Tihanyi blew through him, leading to a tornado DDT… a sunset flip from Dreissker earns him double knees and a moonsault from Tihanyi for a near-fall as Blum kept Icarus at bay. Dreissker rolled away from a teased superplex onto him, but Icarus still took the ride as Roman marched towards ringside with a pair of chairs.

The chairs make it into the ring as Roman argued with the referee… allowing Dreissker to crack Blum with the chairs… only for his follow-up shot aimed at Tihanyi to rebound off the ropes and smack him in the face. LOVE IT. The chair’s used by Tihanyi as he piledrived Icarus onto it… before a leapfrog over a charging Dreissker sees the AMBOSS leader charge into the chair he’d wedged into the corner earlier.

Tihanyi heads up top for a 450 splash… and with Tassilo Jung not questioning anything about the chairs, the pin is counted as AMBOSS suffer a big loss! And Elijah Blum didn’t get turned on either, so there’s my prediction gone! ***½

Post-match, Laurance Roman tries to interfere, but ends up having his chair shot blocked and met in kind as Tihanyi’s aggressive side continued after the bell.

Earlier today, Dan Mallmann’s interviewing Axel Tischer… poor Tischer looked like he’d only just gotten there. At least let him take his coat off! Tischer’s waited half a year for his rematch today, and reflected on how he felt intimidated the first time he took on Cara Noir… Tischer said he tried to use World Tag Team Festival to get back to his old self, with SAnitY, but that didn’t work either, so now he needs to remind himself of who he is so he can get the proverbial monkey off his back.

Cara Noir vs. Axel Tischer
It’s a rematch from Broken Rules, where Cara Noir got the win in Oberhausen…

Cara refused to engage from the off, waiting in the corner before he nonchalantly walked away from Tischer. A wristlock from Cara’s blocked as the pair countered each other’s counter, leading to Cara breaking a Kimura in the ropes. After a staredown, Cara leaps up for a rear naked choke, but it’s thrown away as the pair then scramble for a hold.

A side headlock from Tischer is broken as Cara forced free and into a side headlock of his own. Cara is pushed off, but leapfrogs and dropdowns end with Tischer sidestepping a dropkick… then again as he baited Cara into the corner, before he low bridged the former PROGRESS champion to the outside.

Tischer slows it down a little, throwing Cara into the side of the ring, before he slammed him chest-first onto the apron. Back inside, a stomp to the chest followed, along with some toe manipulation ahead of a chinlock from Tischer. Cara rolls through, but his follow-up dropkick is caught and turned into a Boston crab, which Cara punched out of ahead of a cradle for a near-fall.

A swift clothesline drops Cara for a two-count, as Tischer then snapped back on an armbar. Cara again tries to fight back, but an eye rake and a pair of uppercuts sank the swan ahead of a 12-6 elbow for a two-count. A chinlock keeps Cara down, before duelling backslide attempts led to Cara scoring with a roll-up for a near-fall.

Cara’s resurgent here as he whales away on Tischer, who avoids a low bridge to the outside… but not a Capoeira kick. A clothesline takes Tischer outside, before a ‘rana back inside from Cara and a rebound German suplex looked to have Tischer on the proverbial ropes. Tischer’s uppercut stopped that, only for a Madame Guillotine from Cara to land for a near-fall…

Another sunset flip leads to some see-sawing, while a dualling clothesline left both Tischer and Cara laying. They get back to their feet, but a leaping boot from Tischer takes down the 2020 Carat winner. A leg sweep from Cara has Tischer on the mat with him, with the pair trading kicks and slaps as they fought back to their feet…

Tischer’s Exploder sees him push ahead, before a forearm in the corner, a half-hatch suplex out of it and flying clothesline kept him on his way. Cara slips out of a suplex and into a rear naked choke, but a jawbreaker gets Tischer free as the Ligerbomb nearly put Cara down. A second Ligerbomb’s teased, but Cara ‘rana’s out, then hit his Swan Woo shotgun dropkick for a near-fall, before Tischer rolled out of a package piledriver. A second Blackout drops Tischer, who nearly has the match stopped on him before he grabbed the rope to force a break.

Cara kicks the arm away and reapplies the Blackout… but Tischer spikes him in throwing Cara free, before a Horrible Slam out of nowhere got the win. That levels the “series” at 1-1 as they’re clearly doing a trilogy… this was a little better than their Broken Rules match, but your mileage will vary from mine as I struggle to get into Cara Noir. ***½

Fast Time Moodo vs. Ender Kara
Moodo’s trying to snap a losing run, having lost to Laurance Roman last time on TV… while this was Kara’s first “main show” appearance since Carat weekend.

Kara lands the first kick in a tentative opening exchange, which saw them look to give the other a dead leg, but it’s Moodo who blocks one before Kara ran in with a ‘rana. Leaping over a leg sweep, Kara swings for a kick as the pair catch the other’s leg ahead of a stand-off.

An uneasy handshake breaks as Dusty punches from Moodo earned him some body blows, before he chopped Kara down to the mat. Stomps aim at Kara’s knee as Moodo followed with a butterfly suplex… then with a mid kick. More kicks send Kara to the ropes, ahead of a crucifix pin for a two-count…

Moodo’s release German suplex flings Kara across the ring, but Ender’s back with a Dragon screw as he proceeded to stay on Moodo’s leg like a dog with a bone. A wacky mounted guillotine forces Moodo to suplex his way free, before the pair reset with them trading strikes.

We’re back to the kicks and punches, which Kara laughed off… the kicks increase in frequency, as Moodo pulled ahead with a barrage of strikes for a near-fall. Moodo teases a Pedigree, but Kara kicks, sweeps and stomps his way free for a two-count, before his PK was caught. Moodo’s slapped away as a rear naked choke looked to put Moodo out, leading to the follow-up PK a la Minoru Suzuki for a near-fall.

Moodo snapped back with an attempted Made in Japan, eventually hitting it for a near-fall as he transitioned Kara into a triangle choke. The ropes save Kara, but Moodo’s back to his feet as he teed up for a Black Belt Kick… which Kara blocked. Kicks from Kara sent Moodo… only for Kara to springboard into a Black Belt Kick moments later for the win. This was great stuff for the ten minutes they had, with flashbacks to last year’s more confident Moodo emerging. If Stephanie Maze doesn’t have a return date, I’d say you’d be able to get some mileage out of Moodo as a bad guy – he’s certainly got that in him, while Ender Kara showed more than enough to be brought back more regularly. ***½

Okay, I’m curious… who was wheeling their suitcase to the back after this match?!

They play footage of Levaniel injuring his neck during a two-on-one training session – working off of the injury Levaniel got during his win over Jacob Crane last time out… and then Norman Harras rushing to give Levaniel his title shot here. Despite Levaniel calling the 22nd Anniversary for his “cash in”…

Levaniel’s backstage before his match, saying that he’s not had time to think about his injury. Dan Mallmann noted that Levaniel’s had the injury since Carat, but Levaniel knows he needs to grab the chance with both hands… because if Levaniel didn’t wrestle tonight, he loses his title match.

wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Levaniel vs. Tristan Archer (c)
The target in this match is obvious, eh? And it’s not Norman, who hobbles out to ringside on crutches…

Commentary noted that this is the second year that Levaniel’s gotten a title shot at Drive of Champions, and hey, that’s the guy who flipped everyone off in Oberhausen… with a tote bag full of middle fingers. Tristan turned it into an impromptu hood for him.

Levaniel’s raring to go, but Archer instantly targets Levaniel’s neck with some clubbing blows before Levaniel pushed out of a neckbreaker. Forearms and uppercuts have Archer in the ropes, while clotheslines have the champion on the back foot ahead of a bodyslam that did about as much damage to Levaniel as it did Archer.

Archer’s kicked through the ropes as the match headed outside… where Archer cleared the front row so he could DDT Levaniel into the front row. The champion rolls in and out of the ring to break the count, as he continued to focus on Levaniel’s neck, using the ring post as a pivot point as he stretched some more.

Back inside, Levaniel hits a neckbreaker for a one-count… so Archer throws him into the middle turnbuckle. Archer stays on Levaniel with a Lebell Lock, but Levaniel’s able to break in the ropes after a short time in the hold. Levaniel elbows out of La Terreur as a discus lariat gave him some hope.

Levaniel tries to suplex Archer back into the ring, but instead opted for forearms to take the champion down… the suplex back in comes off, but the neck’s still bothering Levaniel, who went for a Galactic Facecrusher, only to get clotheslined in the neck. Archer swarms Levaniel with ground and pound, which forces Tassilo Jung to break thing up… before he then waved off the match for Levaniel’s safety. More an angle than a match, but Levaniel was surprisingly able to get closer than you’d think despite the handicap… **¾

Medics come in to help Levaniel up as Archer gloated about him not lasting five minutes. Just don’t check any stopwatches!

They replay Rott und Flott running in in Bielefeld as the Frenchadors and the Pretty Bastards tag title main event was thrown out…

Mett DiMassi’s with the Frenchadors, who want their revenge on Rott und Flott… while also finishing their business with the Pretty Bastards, as they still have that win over them from World Tag Team Festival.

wXw World Tag Team Championship: Pretty Bastards (Ahura & Maggot) vs. Rott Und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) vs. Frenchadors (Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto) (c)
Ahura’s still got his knock-off Shotgun title, but he’s kept it in such good condition you can hardly blame him!

Ahura and Senza Volto start us off with a tentative lock-up, but Senza’s sent into the ropes and took Ahura down with a shoulder tackle. A springboard ‘rana’s rolled out of by Ahura, who was getting some hometown love here… before he walked over and made a rather stiff tag out to Maggot.

Maggot wants Aigle Blanc, who comes in and countered a headlock takedown with headscissors. Aigle’s headlock takedown succeeds, as was a trade of armdrags, as Maggot ended up pulling ahead… only for Aigle to kip up back into Maggot’s face. Michael Schenkenberg’s had enough and tagged Maggot… the Frenchadors quickly trap Schenkenberg in their corner as a suplex and a senton atomico left him laying.

Schenkenberg’s held across the top rope by Senza for an Aigle back senton, before tags bring us to Senza and Charisma. A dive from Senza takes out Schenkenberg, but Aigle’s legal as his springboard crossbody almost put away Charisma as Rott und Flott were stuttering badly. The Pretty Bastards break up a cover, which led to all hell breaking out as all six men spill outside for a scrap…

Back inside, Schenkenberg’s kicked by Aigle Blanc… only for Charisma to trip Aigle as Rott und Flott looked to steal a win. A chinlock from Schenkenberg is fought out of, only for Aigle to get thrown down, then choked in the ropes as Rott und Flott continued to control proceedings. Charisma’s in as he snapmared Aigle ahead of a series of stomps and knee drops as Ahura and Maggot inadvertently tied up the ref.

A toe hold from Charisma wrenches away on Aigle, whose attempt at fighting back were snuffed out as Schenkenberg just charged him back into the corner. Aigle eventually got free, countering a suplex from Charisma into a neckbreaker before he tagged out to Maggot… Schenkenberg’s also tagged in, but ends up taking a back body drop as the Pretty Bastards finally got into gear. For a brief moment, anyway.

Maggot’s spear to Charisma looked to pull them ahead, but Schenkenberg blocks a crucifix… only for Ahura to throw Maggot into him with a spear. Senza Volto’s in as we’re beginning to get a little tornado-y, leading to Maggot’s crossbody off the top rope to a pile on the floor. Aigle Blanc leaps too, but Ahura cuts him off before those two traded blows… leading to almost a Tenzan Tombstone Driver and a clothesline from the former Shotgun champion.

Ahura heads back up top and flies into that pile that’s still outside with a wild tornillo. We pick up back inside with the Frenchadors and the Bastards as I’ve lost track of who’s legal… Senza’s got Maggot with a Code Red, then see-sawed him back up for a Meteora from Aigle. Schenkenberg tries to intervene, but takes a ‘rana driver through the ropes from Aigle, before Ahura took advantage and caught Senza in the corner with a kick.

Ahura whiffs on a moonsault, while a flying stomp from Senza finds its mark. Maggot keeps the Parade of Moves going with a crucifix and a cutter, before a Red Light Driver on Aigle Blanc took care of him. An Alley Oop into an Ahura knee looks to put Senza away, but Charisma pulls out the referee to save the match…

Rott and Flott rearrange things in the ring so they can have Schenkenberg tag in from Senza… they look to put Senza away with the Snapchat DDT, but Maggot’s in to break it up as Charisma celebrated too soon. So they isolate Maggot with a powerslam out of the corner, before they posted him… then turned their sights onto Ahura. Schenkenberg dumps Ahura with a slam, as Charisma then held Ahura down… but Senza Volto tagged in on Schenkenberg, then took out Charisma with a handspring cutter.

Schenkenberg’s still on the top rope as Charisma took a Coast to Coast from Aigle… a one-man Spanish Fly from Senza takes care of Schenkenberg, followed by a 450 splash from Aigle. Ahura’s legal though, but was on his last legs as he collapsed into the corner. Tassilo Jung misses a poke to the eye to Aigle Blanc, then a low blow to Senza Volto as it seemed that the Pretty Bastards were suddenly back on track… (although in a three-way, are there DQ’s?!)

Ahura calls for something, but spat at Aigle Blanc, who was there to catch a countered suplex as an Aigle tombstone and a moonsault from Senza Volto proved to be enough to get the win in a frenetic match – one that I’m sure I’d have gone wild for live, as the Frenchadors chalk up first win as champions. ***½

We’re not done for the night though… as the Pretty Bastards stayed in the ring after the Frenchadors exited. The expected curtain call for the hometown lads was the turning point though – as a disbelieving Ahura eventually went to soak in the crowd’s cheers. The pair hugged it out, but Ahura “accidentally” ended up standing on Maggot’s trailing Shotgun title belt… then cracked Maggot with a right hand, before throwing Maggot’s title onto him. The Pretty Bastards are no more… and Ahura’s had enough. Jumped before he was pushed, perhaps?

7.7

The final score: review Good

The 411

wXw as of late have found a level of consistency with their shows - which makes them easy to watch, even if the “breakthrough” stuff comes down to your tastes. It really bodes well going into a 2023 that, in-ring at least, could push the company closer towards the “old heights” - and hey, they pulled the trigger on a key storyline here, which is always a good thing!