Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling #58 03.10.2024 Review

Quick Results
Nick Schreier pinned Travis Williams in 8:28 (***)
OSKAR & Anita Vaughan pinned Norman Harras & Alex Duke in 8:19 (***¼)
The Rotation pinned Jaden Newman in 8:30 (**¾)
Levaniel pinned Jacob Crane to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship in 10:01 (***)
Safire Reed pinned Julia in 4:42 (**½)
Marc Empire pinned Axel Fox, Tatsuya Hanami & Danny Fray to win the wXw Academy Championship in 5:11 (**¾)
Aaron Insane pinned Griffin McCoy in 8:10 (**¾)
Baby Allison, Anil Marik, Tristan Archer & Joseph Fenech Jr. pinned Jane Nero, Ryan Clancy, Liam Slater & Zeritus in 10:01 (**½)
Bobby Gunns pinned Mochizuki Jr. in 11:35 (***¼)

— If you’re on Twitter/X/the bird app, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling. I’m also over on BlueSky, Instagram and Threads by that same name, and if you’ve put your chips in on Mastodon, catch me here. One of those has to be the winner, right? And I’ll be hopping around those until they fall off… In the meantime, check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family…

— In the next week or so, I’ll be chatting about this show with Mike Kilby on the Auf Die Fresse podcast. Links to stream that episode when it drops, as well as back episodes are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk

The final day of Carat weekend kicked off in the Turbinenhalle with a We Love Wrestling taping, and hey, that logo looks familiar…

Nick Schreier vs. Travis Williams
We open the show with Schreier and Williams trading wristlocks and escapes, with Schreier having the best of the early going.

A kick from Williams is caught as Schreier kept going with a Tiger feint into an armdrag, before a dropkick took the Canadian back into the corner for some mounted punches. Williams responded with chops, before Schreier just kicked him down for some more mounted punches.

Another dropkick has Williams down ahead of a suplex for a two-count, before Williams caught a kick… handed it over to referee Tassilo Jung, then hit a dropkick of his own. A Dragon screw out of the corner continued the turnaround, ahead of a brainbuster for a near-fall.

Williams rakes the eyes, but Schreir’s able to return with a springboard crossbody… then with a pop-up dropkick, taking Williams to the outside. A dive’s stopped as Williams caught him in the ropes with a cravat, before a misdirection tope caught out Schreier in the aisle. Back inside, standing switched led to Williams stomping out Schreier’s knee en route to a bridging German suplex for a near-fall.

A Figure Four attempt from Williams ends with him getting shoved into the corner, as Schreier then took him outside for a dive… before a crossbody off the top almost won it for Nick. The Shining Wizard seconds later does the job though, with Nick getting the W. ***

Backstage, we’ve a promo from Norman Harras and Alex Duke reflecting on their debut… and the Big Bucks are up next.

Big Bucks (Alex Duke & Norman Harras) vs. Anita Vaughan & OSKAR
A rematch from the first leg of Saturday’s tag gauntlet, which some say is still happening…

Duke and Harras attack OSKAR and Vaughan before the bell, kicking OSKAR to the outside as things got going. I can tell you, him landing near you… not a fun time! Vaugh caught Duke with her fallaway slam early on, before Duke’s drop toe hold took Anita into the ropes for a cheapshot from Harras on the floor.

Elbow drops from Duke earn him a two-count, before a flapjack from Harras kept things going for the newly-minted duo. OSKAR’s again kicked off the apron as his anger masked the Bucks attacks on Vaughan behind the ref’s back, before a chinlock from Duke was fought out of.

Vaughan’s forced to kick out at two after a bodyslam, while a knee to the side from Harras drew a similar result in what so far had effectively been a handicap match. Eventually, Vaughan was able to fight back with an enziguiri and a Michinoku driver, before making the tag out to a fired-up OSKAR, who dumped Norman Harras with a sidewalk slam.

OSKAR’s progress is briefly stopped by Duke, but OSKAR’s able to go corner-to-corner with clotheslines ahead of a brainbuster to Harras for a two-count. Vaughan comes in to help lift up Harras into an electric chair… before a no-fly Doomsday Device from OSKAR took down Norman for the win. ***¼

Backstage, Dan Mallmann’s with Jacob Crane, who’s got a Shotgun title shot later on… and he promises to win the title and take it over to Big Japan when he heads over there shortly.

The Rotation vs. Jaden Newman
The battle of the spinny entrance videos…

An early cravat from Rotation’s countered into a headlock takedown, before a trip up from Rotation took him back into a side headlock on the mat. Newman rolls free, but couldn’t connect as he went to hit Rotation from above, as we instead went back to wristlocks… with Rotation armdragging his way free using the ropes.

Resuming, Rotation trapped Newman by the arm, before a push off allowed Jaden to come back with a shoulder tackle. Clotheslines from Rotation set up Newman for a ropewalking lucha armdrag, before a moonsault off the top rope led to a pinning attempt.

Newman ragdolls Rotation with a Saito suplex as he began to fight back, trying to work in a submission on Rotation with a trapped-arm armbar. Newman rolls through Rotation’s armdrag, trapping the former Shotgun champion in an armbar, before a back suplex picked up another two-count.

An overhand chop from Rotation stung Newman ahead of a cartwheel off the top rope and a satellite DDT. It’s good for a two-count, before an aborted Victory Over Gravity from Rotation led to him eating the Kitchen Sink Power Slam for a near-fall. Newman stayed on Rotation from there, only to take a twisting suplex as Rotation went back up top to finish off the match with the Victory Over Gravity. **¾

wXw Shotgun Championship: Jacob Crane vs. Levaniel (c)
This was Levaniel’s first outing since winning the title on Friday night…

Levaniel opens up by taking Crane into the ropes, getting some pushback as Crane dubbed him “Okada.” It’s certainly more timely than the Draco Malfoy stuff! Crane responded by taking Levaniel into the corner, only to get clubbed on as he reiterated his threat to take the Shotgun title over to Japan.

A side headlock from Levaniel’s pushed away, only for him to charge down Crane before Crane retaliated with a dropkick. Chops and forearms trap Levaniel into the corner, before a big Irish whip bounced Crane out of the corner. From there, Levaniel adds a suplex, but doesn’t pounce on Crane from there, instead sizing him up for a Randy Orton-esque backbreaker for just a one-count.

Some mudhole stomping traps Crane in the corner, before a cravat got the crowd on Levaniel’s back again. A snap roll-up nearly wins it for Crane, but Levaniel kicks out and lands a lariat before the pair traded strikes. Crane’s dropkick forced an opening as he took Levaniel into the corner for a hesitation dropkick, while a bridging German suplex almost led to a title change.

Crane looks to pull up Levaniel for a Perfect Driver, but ends up getting caught with a discus lariat for a two-count thanks to a delayed cover. A fireman’s carry slam gets a similar result for Levaniel, before Crane hit back with a bodyslam. Ghosts of festivals past! From there, Crane adds more bodyslams, before a pair of clotheslines led to another near-fall.

Kicking out, Levaniel’s picked up for yet more bodyslams… but Crane telegraphed it and allowed Levaniel back in as he charged the Pole into the ropes, before a Galactic Facecrusher led to the win. ***

Backstage, Dan’s with Nick Schreier, talking about how Nick was part of the pre-Carat warm-up quiz as a fan a few years back. They’re interrupted by Icarus, who challenged Schreier to prove that he’s ready to be a part of the locker room… with a match tonight. Schreier thought Icarus meant the two were teaming up, but instead Nick needs to find one for himself.

Safire Reed vs. Julia
Safire’ll be looking to make it two wins out of two this weekend…

Reed starts by working the arm of Julia, who hit back with armdrags and an armbar… before Reed threw a forearm to free herself. A snapmare and a kick to the back has Julia down briefly, ahead of a Thesz press in return, while a dropkick took Reed to the outside.

Julia goes for a dive, but her low-pe’s punched away as Reed followed up with a knee strike on the apron, then a dropkick through the ropes. Back inside, a stomp to the back of the head has Julia down for a two-count, before a chinlock was fought out of. Reed’s taken into the corner ahead of some running clotheslines from Julia, who added a gamengiri from the apron had a high crossbody that connected for a near-fall.

Reed blocks a tornado DDT and waffles Julia with a spinning heel kick… a ripcord lariat nearly got the Londoner the win. A roll-up from Julia nearly caught Reed out, but in the end Safire threw Julia into the ropes before she put Julia away with the Torpedo London headbutt. **½

Backstage, Dan Mallmann’s with Maggot, who reveals that he’d injured himself overnight… then called Robin Christopher Fohrwerk a jerk who had no idea what was coming his way.

wXw Academy Championship: Axel Fox vs. Danny Fray vs. Marc Empire vs. Tatsuya Hanami (c)
Hanami had won the title from Fray last month…

Everyone pairs off to start in the corners, leading to Empire getting thrown into Hanami… before Fray and Fox combined to take Empire to the outside. Hanami’s back to hit a dive to Empire on the outside, before he hit an uppercut to Fox… only to get wiped out with a lariat from Fray.

Fox slides outside and baits Empire into charging into the post, while Fray stayed in the ring to land an elbow drop to Hanami for a two-count. Fray wears down Hanami in the corner, with Fox sneaking back in to try and capitalise, before he threw Hanami back into Fray for a sidewalk slam.

Fox tries to steal the pin, but Fray notices it and broke it up… then dumped the Pole Fox with a chokeslam. Thanks for coming! Hanami tries to fight back, but he’s caught and dumped with a Gunnslinger by Fray… before Fox returned to take down Fray.

Empire’s finally back in the ring and hits a powerslam to Fray for a near-fall, with Hanami’s springboard senton breaking it up. A springboard crossbody from Fox is caught by Empire, who turned it into a slam before a muscle buster proved to be enough for Empire to win the title. This was fine, but way too short given it was a four-way… **¾

Griffin McCoy vs. Aaron Insane
McCoy was looking for some payback after Insane “took” “his spot” the prior evening in the tag gauntlet…

McCoy doesn’t want to make up with Insane, so he gets met with a three point stance and charge into the corner as the Nauheimer clobbered Griffin in the early going. A Manhattan drop and an atomic drop gets McCoy mocked, ahead of our first back body drop of the day.

Insane waits in the ring as McCoy powdered outside, but eventually gave chase and met McCoy on the floor with a forearm. Back inside, Robin Christopher Fohrwerk tries to distract Insane, and it worked as McCoy cornered Insane for a running front kick… following up with a hesitation dropkick.

Cravat knees from McCoy help him take Insane down for a chinlock, but Insane gets free and begins chopping McCoy. Griffin’s strikes take down Insane for a two-count, before he began to mouth off to the crowd. Insane moves away from a knee drop, then came back with chops and a clothesline as McCoy was being bounced around.

McCoy eats a shoulder tackle for a two-count after all that, before Insane just shoved McCoy over the top rope to block a springboard enziguiri. Recovering, McCoy caught Insane between the ropes with a neckbreaker, before a spinning rack bomb almost got the win. From there, McCoy looked for a half-and-half suplex, but Insane elbows his way free before he went after Fohrwerk.

Avoiding an attack from behind, Insane sidesteps McCoy, then spun him into the Greetings from Nauheim tombstone… and that’s enough for the win. **¾

Jane Nero, Liam Slater, Ryan Clancy & Zeritus vs. High Performer Ltd. (Anil Marik, Baby Allison, Joseph Fenech Jr. & Tristan Archer)
This was the first time all four members of High Performer Ltd. had teamed together…

Clancy and Marik picked up where they left off at Inner Circle, exchanging poses and side headlocks until Clancy landed a dropkick for an early two-count. Armdrags from Clancy have Joseph Fenech Jr. rocked, as tags then bring us to Allison and Nero, with Nero landing clotheslines and a cutter for good measure.

Slater and Archer are in next, with Liam’s misdirection eventually leading to a sunset flip from the apron in… but he’s forced to relent as Fenech came in, leading to a big ol’ stand-off. Fenech boots Jane Nero off the apron, sparking a scrap amongst the teams, with everyone heading onto the floor.

Back inside, Slater’s trapped in the High Performer Ltd. corner as Archer looked to capitalise on the knee that was injured earlier in the weekend. Fenech switches limbs, working over Slater’s arm, but got rolled up for a two-count before he laid out Liam and began to put the boots to him.

Marik’s back in to work over Slater’s midsection, but Liam’s able to clear the way, lifting out Fenech and Archer before making the tag to Zeritus, who ran wild with clotheslines, laying out everyone on the other side. Baby Allison slaps him for that, before Fenech and Allison were threatened with a chokeslam… they broke free with kicks, only for Fenech to run into a headbutt.

Allison’s lifted up for a chokeslam, but gets headbutted off the apron instead as Fenech got sent back outside… just in time for Marik to hit Zeritus with a dropkick. A plancha lays out Zeritus next, before Clancy hit a double sledge off the apron. Fenech fakes out a dive, but got sent outside for a tope from Slater, before Archer cut off Jane Nero and opted to powerbomb her into the pile instead.

A springboard stomp from Archer has Slater in trouble in the corner, as Fenech then got suplexed into him… that sparks a Parade of Moves, ending with La Terreur and a handspring cutter from the French contingent. Slater’s flying uppercut takes Fenech outside, before an overhead suplex from Baby Allison set up Nero for a match-winning spear. **½

Mochizuki Jr. vs. Bobby Gunns
Our main event started with Gunns working over Mochizuki’s arm, taking him down to the mat for a kick to the back.

Mochizuki issues a quick retort, as they traded snapmares and kicks, before Gunns was lifted onto the apron, then had his legs swept away ahead of a PK to knock him off. Following outside, Mochizuki lands a Sasuke special, before he took over with more kicks back inside.

Gunns catches a kick and countered with an ankle lock, but that ends quickly in the ropes ahead of an Indian deathlock, which again forced Mochizuki into the ropes. Staying on his opponent, Gunns wrenches back with a half crab, but again, the ropes save the day as the pair then go back to trading chops and uppercuts.

Eventually Gunns hits the ropes, but runs into a leaping knee before the pair traded charging strikes in the corner. Hitting back, Gunns traps Mochizuki in a manjigatame, but again the ropes force a break as Gunns stayed on his foe with a clothesline… before the pair traded German suplexes. Dualling big boots lay the pair out, leading to them exchanging strikes as they fought back to their feet.

The intensity and frequency of the elbow strikes increase, with Mochizuki’s kicks pulling him ahead as a knee strike nearly won it for him. Another kick’s caught and turned into an ankle lock, but Gunns couldn’t avoid an enziguiri before Mochizuki returned the favour as Gunns tried to beat him at his own game. Breaking free, Gunns runs in with a shotgun dropkick, before Mochizuki hit a Twister The World… for a one-count?!

A Railgun kick followed as Gunns was almost put away… but he kicks out at two, before he ducked another Railgun, then hit a clothesline after Mochizuki had launched into the ropes. From there, an Ehrenmann Driver was enough to get the win over the travelling Dragongate star. ***¼

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

All in all, a solid episode of We Love Wrestling - albeit one that had to remain somewhat evergreen due to where it stood during Carat weekend.