Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling #46 05.27.2023 Review

Quick Results
Maggot pinned Leyton Buzzard in 8:57 (***)
Norman Harras pinned Philip Michael in 9:52 (**½)
Massimo Pesca submitted Maria de la Rosa in 5:20 (**½)
Icarus & Dover pinned Elijah Blum & LSG to retain the wXw World Tag Team Championships in 9:35 (***½)
Peter Tihanyi pinned Michael Oku in 15:24 (***¾)
Charlie Morgan pinned Harley Hudson in 8:25 (**¾)
Laurance Roman pinned Gary Jay to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 8:28 (***¼)
Shigehiro Irie pinned Luke Jacobs to retain the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship in 15:59 (****¼)

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For the first time since January 2019, wXw’s back in London, England – at the Dome in Tufnell Park… this time it’s a show on the opening night of PROGRESS’ Super Strong Style 16 weekend, and for the first time since Carat, we’ve got live English commentary courtesy of Dave Bradshaw.

Maggot vs. Leyton Buzzard
This was Buzzard’s first match back in wXw since Carat weekend – and unfortunately since then, he’s lost some of the hardware he had back then…

We start with some booping, and no, I’ve not put on a Kris Statlander match in error… as the early going was mostly in Maggot’s favour. Mounted punches see us count to zehn, before Buzzard tripped Maggot into the ropes ahead of a backbreaker as the former ICW champion looked to take control.

The pair exchange chops as Maggot ended up fighting back with headscissors, before a facebuster, a clothesline and a standing moonsault saw Buzzard almost get the win. A back body drop from Maggot switches it around, while a crossbody drew a near-fall… Buzzard leaps over a spear as a pop-up powerbomb almost took home the win for Leyton, before a missed moonsault allowed Maggot back in as he ended up catching a leaping Buzzard off the top with a cutter for the win. A decent opener, with Maggot getting a win to stop at least some of the rot that was setting in with that recent losing streak… ***

Norman Harras vs. Philip Michael
A change to the advertised card saw this year’s PCW Road to Glory winner Philip Michael make his wXw debut.

Harras looked to bully the debutant while showing off his brand of technical wrestling. Meanwhile, Dave Bradshaw regales us with a story of how Michael stole a DVD that featured matches from the Dynamite Kid, which got him interested in wrestling. Good job it was that and not a PCW DVD… if you know, you know!

Counters to hiptosses see Harras knee Michael, before he cut off Michael’s attempt at a dive and threw him onto the side of the ring. Back inside, Harras responds to being compared to Erling Haaland by… grabbing a chinlock as he kept the match on the deck. Michael tries his luck with a roll-up, only for Harras to charge through him and resume with some stomps.

A Finlay roll from Harras leads to a charging knee to the ribs for a near-fall, before Michael’s headscissors pulled Norman into the corner. He added to that with a springboard missile dropkick, before a leg sweep dumped Harras onto the apron ahead of a double stomp to the back. Michael’s tornado DDT back into the ring nearly gets him the upset, while a neckbreaker leaves Norman laying.

Returning, Harras charges through Michael with a European uppercut, before a sit-out powerbomb sealed the deal. Michael looked good in his debut, giving Harras a bit of a test – but the result didn’t feel like it was ever in doubt. **½

Post-match, Harras takes off his belt and chokes Michael with it – a way to build up his strap match with Levaniel at Drive of Champions.

Massimo Pesca vs. Maria de la Rosa
Pesca was a late addition to the card, but this was far from his UK debut…

Opening with a handshake, Pesca takes de la Rosa into the corner before things headed to the mat. Maria gets free and grabbed a wristlock, but Pesca trips his way out of it, then pulled down a leapfrog as a Magistral cradle see-sawed for a bunch of pinning attempts.

The tit-for-tat continues with armdrags before Pesca got dumped with a German suplex out of the corner. A second one follows, while a stomp’s good for a two-count, before Pesca cradled out of a Fisherman suplex, following up with a double stomp for a near-fall before an Octopus stretch and a Mouse Trap roll-through led to a grounded Octopus that led to the submission. De la Rosa protested immediately, with this being back-to-back dubious losses for her… **½

We get a pre-tape promo from Elijah Blum and LSG ahead of their tag title shot… next!

wXw World Tag Team Championship: Elijah Blum & LSG vs. Arrows Of Hungary (Dover & Icarus) (c)
This was both Blum and LSG’s debut in London… one of those surprised me way more than the other. Meanwhile, the Arrows came dressed for the warm spell in London, coming out in their butcher’s smocks…

Dover overpowered LSG early on, but it’s quickly turned around with shoulder blocks before Blum tagged in… and got shoved into the corner. The Arrows of Hungary make a point of isolating the lesser-experienced Blum, blasting him with an Icarus cannonball for a two-count, before Dover bounced Blum from corner to corner.

A wicked lariat dumps Blum for a two-count… but Elijah finally makes the hot tag out to LSG, who ran wild, ending with a clothesline off the middle rope to Dover. There’s a rolling clothesline to Icarus too as LSG scored with an elevated Flatliner for a near-fall. Blum tags back in as the challengers were causing a scare, but Icarus wipes out LSG with a Sky High before a Parting Gift from Blum took care of Icarus.

Dover’s able to shut down the threat though, punching away Blum… but Elijah’s comeback is for nought as Icarus had the ref distracted, meaning the tag out to LSG didn’t count. An Alabama Slam/kick combo lays out Blum as the ref’s taking care of LSG, before Robert Dreissker grabbed hold of LSG’s leg to stop him breaking up the resulting pin as the champions retained. AMBOSS had a hell of a scare here – almost to the point where you could think their days as champions are numbered, as Blum and LSG nearly pulled it off. ***½

We’ve another pre-tape interview as Michael Oku prepared to welcome Peter Tihanyi to the venue where he made his debut in. I remember those Freedom Road tapings, and it’s been a heck of a ride for Oku since there, as he looks to usurp the “shooting star of wXw” here, while teasing another appearance after that…

Michael Oku vs. Peter Tihanyi
A rematch from Austria’s PWÖ last year, this was one of the matches I’d circled on my imaginary rundown ahead of the show…

We’d duelling chants from the start, with Oku enjoying some of the home field advantage… except when Tihanyi had him grounded in an armbar. The pace quickens, but it leads to a dropkick on Oku, then a shoulder tackle before Oku returned with a tijeras and a dropkick. Everything you can do…

Tihanyi strikes back with a chop, but a back elbow from Oku dumped the Hungarian to the mat for just a one-count. An Octopus hold follows, but Tihanyi gets free as we’re back to the chops, before a crossbody took Oku back down. A back body drop from Tihanyi keeps him ahead, as did a swinging DDT that spikes Oku for a near-fall, while another elbow looked to set up for something… but Oku cuts off Tihanyi in the corner. Oku blocks a slingshot cutter and took Tihanyi down with a running dropkick instead.

A PK takes Tihanyi outside, as the crowd then scattered, expecting a Fosbury flop… but that’s aborted as Tihanyi instead swept the leg and spun Oku onto the apron. Back inside, Oku superkicks away Tihanyi as he came off the top, as we’re back into the back and forth… accompanied by one guy in the crowd really not happy with a particular company.

Oku’s misdirection knee wipes out Tihanyi ahead of a frog splash for a near-fall, before see-saw cradles almost ended it. Another big superkick sets up Oku… to be suplexed, before he rolled through a running Meteora and locked in a half crab. The ropes save Tihanyi, who ate a few more dropkicks by the ropes… only for Oku to go to the well once more.

Tihanyi crashes into Oku on the floor with a tope con giro, but Oku returns the favour with a Fosbury flop. Back inside, Oku looks for a springboard dropkick, but a slingshot cutter from Tihanyi stopped that, before an Asai DDT ended up getting Tihanyi the win. It’s a good win for Tihanyi, who’s building up momentum while his series with Axel Tischer is on hold. Oku looked good here, but is still looking for that first wXw win… ***¾

Charlie Morgan vs. Harley Hudson
We’ve a pair of wXw debuts here, with Hudson getting added to the card as part of those late changes…

Morgan looked to use her experience to dictate the pace here, but Hudson wasn’t about to lie down and roll over… a wristlock from Hudson’s rolled through by Morgan, only for Harley to return the favour to break free. Hudson manages to pull ahead with a legdrop for a two-count, but Morgan chops her way back into the match as she again tried to stop Hudson.

Hudson’s thrown outside, where Morgan followed with a cannonball off the apron that wiped out a fan as well. Back inside, Morgan follows up with a camel clutch, then with a Romero special, before she took Hudson from corner to corner. Eventually Harley struck back with clotheslines, then with a stunner for a near-fall… but Morgan kicks out and hit back with a rear spin kick, before another kick and a senton bomb proved to be enough for the win. A good showing from both, with Hudson impressing me on my first time seeing her – but it’s the more experienced Morgan who leaves with the win. **¾

wXw Shotgun Championship: Gary Jay vs. Laurance Roman (c)
It’s a wXw debut for Gary Jay, who’s in the UK on a mini tour…

Roman slapped Jay before the bell, but Jay held back until the bell as a pop-up knee took Roman outside for a trio of wild topes. Chops from Jay sting Roman in the front row, but the Shotgun champion returned with a brainbuster onto the floor. Robert Dreissker at ringside loses his mind as the crowd helped Jay back into the ring.

Roman chucks Jay outside so Dreissker could get some cheapshots in, before a back elbow took Jay down for a one-count, as Roman began to get riled at a song from his past. Oh-oh-oh oh oh. Jay fought back with a flying swinging DDT out of the corner, as chops proceeded to keep Roman down… until the champion struck back with a clothesline.

Jay’s brief comeback ends with him getting caught on the top rope, with Roman bringing him down with a superplex. The pair trade strikes as they got back to their feet, only for an enziguiri, a knee strike and then the Burning Nail package piledriver to see Roman finish strong. A good win for Roman on what was a good night for AMBOSS in London… ***¼

wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Luke Jacobs vs. Shigehiro Irie (c)
Results earlier in the day mean this match was going to be repeated twice in the coming weeks – with the pair meeting in PROGRESS’ Super Strong Style 16 quarter-finals the next day, before meeting once more at 1PW in Lincoln.

Irie and Jacobs test each other as forearms and chops would go on to set the tone. Bloody hell fellas. Irie counters out of a back suplex early on, as we go back to forearms and chops, ahead of a slingshot splash for a two-count. A Kokeshi from Irie gets another two-count, before Irie elbowed out of a sleeperhold… and ran into a big boot.

Jacobs’ slam and back senton has Irie in trouble, as he followed up with chops and some knees to the midsection as he began to wear down the champion. Irie crashes into Luke with a crossbody by the ropes, only to get caught with a Saito suplex as Irie was sent outside… and now the crowd scatters. No, Luke’s not going to do a dive…

Instead, Jacobs chops Irie at ringside, then flipped off a part of the crowd that had retooled one of his chants. Irie resists a suplex, then hits one of his own before knocking Luke onto the apron with some Danielson elbows… ahead of a crossbody to the back that sent the pair down to the floor. A cannonball follows in the corner for a near-fall for Irie, then the Teddy Bear sit-out splash… but Jacobs kicks out and returned with a rear naked choke as he looked for a stoppage.

Irie’s pulled down to the mat, but manages to get a foot to the ropes to break the hold. We’re back with the pair trading forearms and chops, before headbutts from both men upped the ante. Again, bloody hell, lads. A double clothesline ends the series of headbutts as the pair crumpled to the mat. Jacobs is back to his feet first, looking for a powerbomb, eventually landing a pair of them for near-falls as Jacobs came agonisingly close.

Jacobs can’t quite stay ahead though, as he’s knocked into the ropes for a cannonball to the back… but he does clothesline away attempts at a Beast Bomber lariat. In the end though, Irie manages to get a clean hit through with the Beast Bomber, and that’s enough to get the win… and I’m not at all mad they’re running this back elsewhere. A deserved standing ovation at the end, and if there’s any justice… Oberhausen gets this again on a festival weekend! ****¼

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

Perhaps not the strongest wXw line-up on hand, the promotion’s return to London ended up having three cracking matches on it - with that main event being a real bruiser.