Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling #7 04.02.2021 Review

Quick Results
Dover pinned Hektor Invictus in 6:34 (***)
wXw World Tag Team Championship Tournament – Semi-Final: Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik pinned Abdul & Aytac in 7:42 (***)
Leon van Gasteren pinned Tim Stübing in 10:27 (***)
Fast Time Moodo pinned Icarus in 9:49 (***¼)
wXw World Tag Team Championship Tournament – Semi-Final: Maggot & Prince Ahura pinned Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto in 15:58 (***)

— If you’re on Twitter, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling – and check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family.

Dave Bradshaw’s on English commentary as we’re back in the Steffy in Oberhausen…

Backstage, Andy Jackson interviews Hektor Invictus quickly about their upcoming match. Hektor says it’s all about who’s got the strongest arm tonight – flag waving versus bow and arrow…

Hektor Invictus vs. Dover
Dover’s making his singles debut in wXw after the Arrows of Hungary crashed out of the tag title tournament a few weeks ago…

We open with a tie-up as the pair roll into the ropes, refusing to break before eventually realising it was going nowhere. Shoulder tackles ensue, before the pair traded right hands… only for Dover to barge down Hektor. A charge meets Hektor in the corner ahead of a nice back body drop from Dover… but Hektor’s back in with an overhead kick, which drops Dover too close to the ropes for a cover to even be attempted.

Hektor elbows Dover in the corner, following up with a neck crank too before he threw down Dover for a two-count. Stomps keep Hektor ahead, as did an abdominal stretch, before Dover’s hiptoss escape led to nought as he almost lost to a sunset flip. From the kickout, Hektor pulls Dover into a submission, but Dover rolls Hektor to a pinning predicament for a near-fall.

Enraged, Hektor stomps away again, before his elbows led to Dover slapping him ahead of a side suplex. A discus lariat flips Hektor down for a two-count, before Dover went for the Hungarian Wanderer – the Air Raid Crash – only for Hektor to escape. A big boot traps Dover in the corner, but he escapes a tornado DDT only to fall to a powerslam for a near-fall… a knee strike keeps Dover down as a boot offers some response, only for Hektor to get caught with a brainbuster into the corner. From there, Hektor’s dumped with the Hungarian Wanderer, and that’s the win for Dover – a nice, even match, but another loss for Hektor after his promising run in 2020. ***

After the match, Andy interviewed Dover, who told us that “whatever will be will be, I’ll always be one half of the Arrows of Hungary.” That one chant in Germany’s stuck with them…

Ezel are interviewed ahead of their match tonight… they know they’ll not have as easy a ride as last week, where they beat Levaniel im a handicap match. Aytac knows Anil Marilk will offer a challenge, as he’s still looking for his big moment, while Ezel are looking to “bring home the bread… because if we don’t, who will?” Meanwhile, Robert Dreissker and Anil Marik are next, with Dreissker saying that the coach/student pairing shouldn’t be underestimated, before noting that he’s been “part of one or two successful tag teams” in the past.

wXw World Tag Team Championship Tournament – Semi-Final: Ezel (Abdul & Aytac) vs. wXw Wrestling Academy (Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik)
Experience against familiarity then, as Dreissker was noted as having more tag matches himself that Ezel in their career.

Aytac and Marik start us off, with the latter working a wristlock before Aytac grabbed a handful of hair. A shoulder tackle from Aytac has Marik down, but Anil’s back up with a dropkick and a Slingblade to drop Aytac for a two-count. Dreissker tags in and works over Aytac’s arm, clubbing away on it before Aytac fight free and made the tag…

…to Abdul, who’s wrecked with a pair of clotheslines. He brings Aytac back in, but a shoulder tackle has him on the deck as Marik returned for a double shoulder tackle. Dreissker slams Marik onto Aytac, then lands a splash for a two-count, before Marik lost track of Ezel… getting distracted as Aytac came in with some kicks and a block to the back of the knee.

Abdul tags back in to work over Marik’s leg, ahead of the Anarşi double PK sandwich for a two-count. Abdul keeps going with stomps to the knee of Marik, before Marik’s fightback with elbows led to Abdul just charging him back down. There’s another stomp to the knee as Aytac returned and looked for a half crab that’s pushed away from.

A second attempt is successful as Marik tries to drag himself towards the ropes, but he has to push free. Abdul tags in and stops the tag, only for Marik to roll free and make the tag as Dreissker cleared house. Clotheslines drop Abdul, while Aytac’s slammed ahead of corner splashes from the former Shotgun champion. Dreissker’s Samoan drop gets a two-count on Abdul as Marik tries to take care of Aytac… who just gets barged down by Dreissker before getting tossed outside. Marik followed Aytac, as Abdul tried to cheapshot Dreissker. A flurry of shots from Abdul just earn him a big lariat from Dreissker… and that’s the win! That felt a little truncated, but it was a dominant win for the Academy team, even if the heavy lifting was done by the head coach. ***

After the match, Andy Jackson asks the winners for their preferred opponents… Anil wants to face the best teams, and called out Senza and Aigle, while Dreissker was more diplomatic, saying “let’s see what’ll happen in the final”. My spidey senses tells me something may be going on there…

They replay how Ezel beat Levaniel last week… and how Levaniel left in tears. He’s now out for das Himmelsschloss to address his side of things.

Das Himmelsschloß
Levaniel’s not his buoyant self this week… there’s no liebe or anything like that.

He tries to remember his successes of the past few weeks, with wins over Tristan Archer, Dennis Dullnig and Gulyas Junior… but he recognises he’s been let down by people again. I recognise that feeling, big time. Levaniel says he’s fed up with not being taken seriously, but he knows he can do it… and he wants to show it.

Levaniel tells us he’s got an open challenge set for Dead End, to fight anyone who wants to prove themselves… and it’s answered, by Michael Knight. He’s been back in wXw for a cup of coffee (which he’s ironically out with), and tells us he wants to answer that challenge after being impressed with Levaniel’s “vegan strong style.” Knight tells us that he can “unlock that potential,” and so they shake hands for a match next week.

Backstage, Andy Jacksons’ with Tim Stübing – he’ll be facing his trainer, Leon van Gasteren… and he’s very nervous about it.

Leon van Gasteren vs. Tim Stübing
This was “Tiny Tim”’s fifth match in wXw, all of his prior outings being losses…

Stübing and van Gasteren shake hands to begin with as we open with a lock-up that ended with Leon rolling Tim down to the mat. A wristlock beings Stübing back up, but he switches out with a waistlock takedown before returning the wristlock… which van Gasteren easily escapes. Van Gasteren slams Stübing down, but Tim’s back with a waistlock, only for Leon to counter with a headlock takedown. Back to their feet, van Gasteren ties up Stübing in a cravat, then rolled him to the mat for a sleeperhold, before elbows of the back of the head kept Leon ahead.

Leon transitions into a knuckle lock for a Test of Strength that Stübing tries to fight out of, but he’s taken down for some one-counts before van Gasteren started a neat series of back-and-forth pins. An inside cradle nearly nicks it for Stübing, before a backslide took van Gasteren down… only for Leon to roll out and eventually break the hold, turning it into a Northern Lights suplex.

From there, van Gasteren rolls Stübing into a Tequila Sunrise, letting go to switch up into a neck crank camel clutch, with an elbow for good measure. Shooting Stübing into the ropes allows Tim to come back with armdrags and dropkicks, but his cover’s too close to the ropes as Leon’s able to kick out at two. A shoulder tackle takes van Gasteren down too, with a dropkick in the corner following… only for van Gasteren to reply with a dropkick of his own as the referee stopped things to go for a standing ten count.

Stübing is up at five and gets taken into the corner with uppercuts, before a bridging German suplex nearly ends it. Right hands from Stübing looked to give him a way back in, but van Gasteren heads up top for a missile dropkick, before Stübing hit back with a lungblower for another near-fall. Kicks from Stübing eventually get caught as van Gasteren flipped him back to the mat… Stübing does the crane pose ahead of a bicycle kick, but he just gets caught with a lariat before a pumphandle was countered into an inside cradle for a near-fall.

Van Gasteren gets back up to drop Stübing with a superkick… then hits the pumphandle brainbuster for the win. A solid match, with plenty of Catch-inspired sequences that saw van Gasteren control large portions – but Stübing showed plenty here in defeat. ***

Afterwards, van Gasteren was quizzed on Stübing’s performance – he was impressed with the lungblower that almost got the win… then said that Stübing just needs experience. They use that to bridge to another of Leon’s former trainees: Marius al-Ani. Leon warns that Marius’ arrogance could cost him next week.

Icarus is backstage ahead of his match with Fast Time Moodo. He tells Andy Jackson that he respects Moodo and will try to avoid the kicks. Wise strategy.

Icarus vs. Fast Time Moodo
Moodo was off last with with a rib injury that he picked up against Norman Harras…

We start with both men bowing at each other, before Icarus caught an attempted kick from Moodo. More feinted kicks sees Icarus keep his distance before he looked to go for Moodo’s arm, backing off as another kick was attempted. A mounted key lock ends with Icarus being backed into the corner, where he looked to fly… but Moodo’s in with kicks and knees before a hiptoss took down the Hungarian.

A short knee drop stuns Icarus, who avoids a spinning back kick before a suplex took Moodo outside for cover. On the outside, Moodo kicks out Icarus’ leg as he face-plants on the edge of the ring… Moodo throws him back inside and fakes out a kick, instead sweeping the leg before a suplex landed for a two-count.

Kicks from Moodo keep Icarus at bay, but he caught one and quickly spun Moodo down into a STF attempt, eventually locking the hold on as Moodo clawed his way into the ropes for a break. Moodo comes back, kicking Icarus’ leg out of his leg (you knew I was going to get that Owen Hart line in) before knees took Icarus back to the corner as a flurry of shots wore him out.

An Irish whip takes Icarus into the opposite corner, but Icarus caught another kick and looked to turn it into a trapped-leg wrist-clutch German suplex. Moodo’s right back up though, and boots Icarus in the gut as we get another standing ten-count. Icarus barely answers the count as Moodo kicks away on him, only to get met with elbows as Moodo knocked Icarus outside… he skins the cat then comes back with a springboard enziguiri.

Icarus ducks another kick and hits a slam on Moodo for a two-count, before he rolled Moodo into the Heart of Europe – the Gargano Escape. That’s countered with a roll-up as Moodo goes back to the kicks, clocking Icarus with a leaping knee before a pumphandle driver almost wins it. Moodo measures up for a Black Belt Kick, which is ducked as we get back-and-forth two-counts before Moodo finally landed it off the ropes for the win. A nice even match here, with Icarus’ game plan of “avoid the kicks” not really working for him, as that facial injury looked to derail him pretty early on. ***¼

Afterwards, Andy Jackson quizzes a steaming Moodo, who says that these last two matches put him back on track…

They replay the Pretty Bastards’ promo from last week, where they bragged about not having to enter the tournament, nor have a quarter-final match… and then we go to Andy Jackson with the French lads, Aigle Blanc and Senza Volto. Aigle reckons they can get another win and make it to the finals, while Senza wants Andy to join in on a rallying cry.

wXw World Tag Team Championship Tournament – Semi-Final: Pretty Bastards (Prince Ahura & Maggot) vs. Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc
Maggot pokes fun at Senza Volto’s entrance before the bell…

We get going with Ahura and Blanc, feinting punches at each other before Blanc’s attempt at a takedown was stuffed. Ahura tries to charge at Blanc, but a sidestep stops that, with Ahura falling into the ropes before Ahura managed to get hold of the arm… only for Aigle to roll up Ahura for a one-count.

Backing into the ropes doesn’t save Blanc as Ahura went at him with a kick… then went back to the arm with Maggot tagging in to hit a headbutt to the arm. A side headlock from Maggot ends with Senza Volto tagging in… Blanc’s headlock takedown just keeps Maggot grounded as Senza comes in to work the leg, before a lucha roll through has Maggot down.

Blanc’s back in for a seatbelt pin for a two-count as the French lads trade quick tags. It led to a springboard Slingblade on Maggot from Volto, before a chop led to Ahura throwing his bandanna at Senza to provide a distraction… it works too as a Thesz press from Maggot opens the door, before a wristlock restrained Volto ahead of a double stomp to the arm off the top from Ahura.

Ahura can’t get a pin attempt going, so he charges Volto into the corner with kicks as Volto found himself isolated by the former tag champions. An assisted kick from Ahura gets Maggot a two-count, before a crucifix from Maggot drove Volto down to the mat, Ahura’s back to walk over Senza, as Aigle Blanc’s knocked off the apron so the Bastards could hit an alley oop… but Senza avoids the knee strike as Ahura kicks Maggot by mistake.

Aigle Blanc’s in with a springboard crossbody to try and turn the tables, getting a delayed two-count from it, before he spun Ahura into an enziguiri. A springboard dropkick has Ahura down by the ropes for a two-count, before an Octopus stretch from Blanc looked to force a submission. Senza Volto charges in to tie up Maggot in a half crab to stop the interference, but Ahura breaks free and uses Blanc to kick away Volto.

From there, a rear spin kick stops Blanc for a two-count, as did a suplex, before Maggot tagged back in and charged at Blanc with a leaping forearm. He goes to knock Senza off the apron too as Ahura choked Aigle with his boot in the corner. Clubbing forearms to the back and a chinlock keep Blanc down, but Aigle fights back to his feet as Maggot tried to undo his mask.

It sparks a fightback, with elbows from Blanc leading to a spin-out suplex, before a head kick bought Blanc enough time to tag out to Volto. Senza charges in with clotheslines for the Bastards, then with enziguiri, before a handspring back elbow almost got Senza the win. Senza looks for the Eiffel Tower on Ahura, but it’s escaped as Ahura pushes Senza into Blanc… then set up for more double-teaming as the Red Light Driver almost book the Bastards’ spot in the final.

The Coco Loco – the Alley Oop into a knee- goes awry again as the Bastards weren’t on the same page… and that allowed Senza to tag out to Blanc once more. Blanc kicks Ahura to the outside, then sparked some elbows with Maggot… those upgrade to clotheslines as a Parade of Moves breaks out, leading to Senza hitting an Eiffel Tower… holding Ahura in position for a stomp off the top by Blanc that almost booked them their spot in the final.

A double-team Burning Hammer attempt’s escaped as Ahura slips free… Maggot tags back in but just runs into the double-team Burning Hammer before Volto’s attempt at a moonsault ended with Ahura pushing him off. So Blanc’s got to do it himself, only to leap off the top into a cutter as Ahura’s forcibly tagged back in for the Coco Loco… and at the third time of asking it lands as the Pretty Bastards book their spot in the finals. ***

After the match, Andy Jackson confirms that the Bastards are in the tag title tournament final against Anil Marik and Robert Dreissker… but Ahura was a little upset at how their plan got a little frayed.

They run down the card for Dead End 2021 next Friday:

wXw World Tag Team Championship: Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik vs. Prince Ahura & Maggot
Levaniel vs. Michael Knight
Emil Sitoci vs. Tristan Archer
wXw Shotgun Championship: Vincent Heisenberg vs. Norman Harras (c)
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: Marius al-Ani vs. Bobby Gunns (c)

Speaking of that main event… they do a contract signing next. Felix Kohlenberg’s out with the paperwork, before Andy introduces champion and challenger. Felix goes over the rules for the match: a 60 minute time limit, with the usual stuff, before Marius asked if there was a rematch clause in there. Marius signs it, while Gunns tells Marius that while he was in the main events, al-Ani was in warm-up matches. The trash-talk continues, with Marius accusing Gunns of “beating nobodies” before Bobby vowed to steamroll al-Ani. Gunns signs the contract, then stubbed out his cigarette on it… and I guess that’s official.

All that’s needed is the obligatory PR photo with the pair, as the show wrapped up with the question: will Marius make his streak 19-0, or will Bobby Gunns continue to stretch his title reign towards a combined 700 days?

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

We Love Wrestling #7 was a tidy show that locked things in place for Dead End next week - hammering home the key title matches while also sewing some seeds for the future with the Arrows of Hungary testing the waters with singles matches, with different results.