Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling #9 04.23.2021 Review

Quick Results
Johnny Evers pinned Aytac in 6:30 (**)
Tristan Archer pinned Paris in 4:21 (**)
Senza Volto pinned Fast Time Moodo in 19:19 (***¼)
Maggot defeated Aigle Blanc via count-out in 7:23 (**½)
Norman Harras pinned Dennis Zinner in 5:18 to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship (**¼)
Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik pinned Tim Stübing & Leon van Gasteren in 11:25 (***)

— 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.

We open with news from Dave Bradshaw that the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship rematch will be next week – in a two-out-of-three falls match. They run down the card, and then we’re off to the Steffy in Oberhausen.

But first, we’re shown the events from last week where Rambo interfered and partnered with Ezel – before Johnny Evers made the save for the Rotation afterwards. Cue an interview with Rambo and Ezel, where we’re told that Rambo’s a friend of the family and is helping out Ezel… Aytac tells us his dad told him never to meddle in other people’s business, so he’s going to make Johnny Evers pay for doing just that.

Johnny Evers vs. Aytac
We had Rotation out with Evers, and Abdul and Rambo with Aytac…

There’s biting from Aytac early on, but he can’t take down Evers as the Dutchman pushes away from a side headlock. We get a shoulder tackle as Evers pushed ahead, before he caught Aytac with a slam ahead of some mounted punches in the corner… and then we get interference as Evers has to push away Rambo and Abdul on the floor.

The Rotation tries to help, but he just distracts the referee as Evers gets posted twice. Back inside, Aytac gets a one-count from a PK, before he avoided some elbows and began to kick away on the Dutchman. A Fujiwara armbar follows, but Evers rolls free before he ducked a charge and sent Aytac into the corner.

Evers comes back with a crossbody off the top, then a series of clotheslines, before an Exploder chucks Aytac across the ring. Aytac returns to the Fujiwara armbar though, but gets rolled out before a facebuster from Evers nicked the win. **

Interview time with Tristan Archer… he’s still a little unhappy with that loss to Emil Sitoci last time out. He reckons Sitoci faked an injury to win, playing off of Archer’s empathy, and suggested another rematch down the line with the Dutch veteran. Today though, Archer’s facing Paris, which is quite apt for the Frenchman, who hopes to be able to teach the newcomer something here.

Paris vs. Tristan Archer
After replacing the injured Ender Kara last week, Paris continues what was meant to be the trial series here…

Archer works Paris’ wrist early, before he nearly nicked the win with a roll-up just after a minute. Paris has luck with an armdrag, but Archer just drops him with a slam for a two-count, before a corner clothesline looked to lead to a bulldog, but Paris gets close with a roll-up.

A knee to the midsection winds the Greek native, but he’s back with uppercuts only for a Falcon arrow from Archer to turn it back around. Another roll-up is countered as Archer comes back with a Go 2 Sleep… then a ripcord lariat for the win. Pretty much a squash, but this was exactly what you’d expect given the disparity in experience. Paris’ brief offense looked good, but it’s very early days for him on the main roster. **

We’ve no post-match promo as Archer helps Paris to the back… and then we get clips of how we’re getting to next week’s Unified World Wrestling Championship rematch at “Slam in den Mai”.

Sitdown promo time with Marius al-Ani… with Christian Bischof posing the questions. Of course, Marius is basking in his hardware as he’s attached to the Catch Grand Prix trophy and his title belt. He’s asked about his tactics for next week, but instead Marius tells us all he does is on instinct, and it’s served him well with his winning streak. Christian notes that al-Ani took the Shotgun title from Bobby Gunns (back in August 2018), and asked for thoughts on Gunns’ reign: and surprisingly, Marius is positive, mentioning some big names that Gunns beat while he was champion. Emphasis was placed on the “was,” as Marius hinted that Gunns was perhaps past his best.

Fast Time Moodo vs. Senza Volto
Moodo’s been away for a few weeks after beating Icarus…

We’ve a tentative start as Volto takes down Moodo, only to get caught in a hammerlock as Moodo tries to force an early pin. A side headlock stifles Senza, who forces a break in the ropes before he got taken down with a shoulder tackle. Moodo tries to land a stomp, but just gets tripped as the match headed to ground.

Senza folds the legs and spins into a side headlock, keeping Moodo down, before Moodo won a battle of hiptosses. A roll-up quickly gets Volto a two-count as the pair went for flash pins, ending with Volto backing into the ropes to avoid a roundhouse kick. Another lock-up ends in the ropes, before Moodo again tries a kick… only to get caught as Volto kicks the knee out ahead of a springboard headscissors takedown.

Volto charges ahead with an uppercut in the corner for a two-count, then an elbow drop for another two-count as the Frenchman looked to push on. A snapmare and a kick to the back is good for another two-count, but Senza’s a little hesitant, not going for covers after a legdrop as he instead grounds Moodo with a chinlock.

Moodo finally finds a way back with a rear spin kick to the gut, before he Ken Shamrock’d up and waited for Volto to get back to his feet. Kicks stun Senza, who tries to check them, only to get caught with a spinning heel kick for a two-count. Senza’s grabbing his left leg, hanging looked to tweak it earlier in the match, and of course Moodo kicks away on it… even when Volto tried to break in the ropes using it.

A leglock attempt is countered with an inside cradle by Volto for a two-count, but Moodo chains together some strikes before a butterfly suplex gets him a two-count. Moodo leaps off the top, but stops himself from landing in Senza’s boot… and goes back in with a Figure Four leglock… dragging Volto away from the ropes before the hold gets reversed.

Despite the bad leg, Senza kicks his way back in ahead of a flip senton off the top rope… but it aggravates him more. So much so, there’s almost a swear as he caught Moodo in the corner with a 619, ahead of a Code Red that nearly wins it. Both men are running on fumes, but Senza nails a springboard back elbow, only for another flurry of strikes from Moodo to end with a pumphandle driver for a near-fall.

Moodo picks up Volto and takes him into a Tree of Woe, only for Volto to eventually headbutt him down ahead of a moonsault… but Senza lands on his feet and tweaks the knee again. That opens things up for Moodo to run in for a Black Belt Kick, but it’s caught as Volto eventually hits the Eiffel Tower for the win. This was VERY long by current standards, and kept at a steady, methodical pace. Sure, it wasn’t the match I expected going in, but I dug the war of attrition as Moodo showed a slightly heel-ish side to things. ***¼

Volto has to hobble out of the ring for his post-match interview with Andy Jackson… Senza put over Moodo for knowing his game plan, before saying he’d get his leg checked out as Andy helped him get to the back. Oh no, please not another injury scare…

Backstage, Andy’s with Aigle Blanc – he brings up how he faced Maggot during the tag title tournament, and how he took the fall… and wants revenge for that.

Maggot vs. Aigle Blanc
Maggot’s out with Baby Allison and Vincent Heisenberg. Quite the motley crew.

Maggot jumps Blanc before the bell, kicking him in the back as a full nelson gets us going. Blanc escapes, but misses on a springboard crossbody. He’s more luck with charges into the corner before he rolled in with headscissors on Maggot, taking him outside for a dive attempt… but Baby Allison gets in front of Maggot as Heisenberg distracts on the apron.

All of that gives Maggot time to run in with a spear for a two-count… then an enziguiri for another near-fall. Maggot stays on top of Blanc with forearms and a chinlock, before he tried to unlace Aigle’s mask. Strikes just end with Blanc unloading with palm strikes, before a running Blockbuster took Maggot back outside.

Again, Allison tries to act as a human shield, but it’s Heisenberg who catches the moonsault as Maggot popped Blanc onto the apron. A crucifix gets a two-count for Maggot back inside, but Aigle’s back with a ‘rana driver for a near-fall as Maggot got trapped in the ropes. He fakes out a springboard as Maggot tried for a cutter, then came in with a Meteora to the back of the head… only for Allison to pull Aigle’s mask off as he went up top, and with the cameras trying not to shoot Blanc’s head, we get weird angles as Aigle runs to the back and takes the count-out loss. A tainted loss, but one that established Maggot as singles following his split last week. **½

Backstage, we see Marius al-Ani shouting for Feyyaz Aguila to keep an eye on his trophy… and clean his title belt too. No sooner had Marius left, did Senza Volto come hobbling in to look for someone.

Interview time now: Dennis Zinner’s with Andy Jackson ahead of his Shotgun title match. He noted his wXw tryout was against Harras, and that this time he’s the one with nothing to lose.

wXw Shotgun Championship: Dennis Zinner vs. Norman Harras (c)
As usual, we’ve a 15-minute time limit for this as all the focus had been on Norman’s dodgy wins in prior weeks.

From the opening lock-up, Norman takes Zinner into the corner before he reversed a wristlock on the challenger. Zinner’s escape is blocked with a hair-pull, with Norman hiptossing Zinner across the ring before he misses an uppercut. A dropkick keeps Harras in the corner, as did a splash… only for Norman to catch Zinner across the buckles as he boots him to the floor.

On the outside, Harras chops Zinner, then took him back inside some some more right hand. A slam lands for a two-count, as did a hiptoss, before Harras took it to the mat for some more right hands. He follows with a knee drop for a two-count, but can’t avoid a clothesline nor a leg lariat from Zinner, who adds in a spinebuster for a near-fall.

A springboard clothesline has Harras down again as we cross the five minute mark, with Zinner looking for something… only to get caught with a rebound German suplex and a diving uppercut as Norman claimed a clean-as-a-sheet win. **¼

After the match, Andy Jackson appears for the obligatory interview and reveal who’s next. Norman gloats over his clean win just there, before he got the news: it’s Michael Knight next week.

Backstage, Christian Bischof interviews Bobby Gunns ahead of the rematch next week. Gunns against repeats how he had years of tough opponents, headlining festival weekends, while al-Ani had “warm-up matches.” Gunns didn’t want to share his strategy for next week, before he laughed off the suggestion that al-Ani was the “better man.”

“Earlier today,” Andy Jacksoin interviewed Leon van Gasteren and Tim Stübing, bringing up how they declined to make this match for the tag titles. Tim’s still sore over that. What is it with these youngsters wanting instant gratification? Get off my lawn… Andy asks Leon about next week’s title rematch, with van Gasteren not wanting to pick a winner.

We then jump to Robert Dreissker and Anil Marik’s interview. Marik’s expecting a fair fight, and says “the sport will win.” That seemed to take the words out of Dreissker’s mouth.

Leon van Gasteren & Tim Stübing vs. wXw Wrestling Academy (Robert Dreissker & Anil Marik)
There’s something about Stübing’s demeanour that has me wondering here…

We’ve fist bumps to start, as Marik and Stübing work wristlocks in the opening spells. Marik tries to push on with a toe hold, but Stübing returns with a cravat before making the tag out to van Gasteren, who leaps in with uppercuts. He slides under Marik and comes in with armdrags and dropkicks, taking the relative rookie down, only for Marik to hit a dropkick of his own as Dreissker tagged in. They lock up, but van Gasteren ends up on the defensive, with Dreissker’s side headlock taking him to his knees. When Leon can push aside, he finds his crossbody attempt is changed into a slam before he rolls away from a splash

Stübing tags in to his a double dropkick, then try his luck with clotheslines and more dropkicks, before he just bounces off of Dreissker. An elbow drop squishes Tiny Tim, as Marik returns for a double clothesline that gets him a one-count. Marik’s dropkick gets him a two-count, before Dreissker tagged back in after he was originally ruled not to have held the tag rope.

A clothesline bulls down Stübing off the ropes, with forearms keeping Tim down. Marik’s back to kick Stübing in the back for a two-count, as the guy who really wanted this to be a title match was just having trouble getting into any kind of gear. Dreissker’s back for a Samoan drop attempt, but Stübing slips free and rolls out to tag in van Gasteren… whose springboard forearm drops Dreissker.

Leon’s stunner takes Dreissker into the corner, with uppercuts following before we get my favourite – the back body drop! Marik tags back for a crossbody off the top, getting a near-fall, only to crash and burn with a second crossbody. Stübing tags in and gets monkey flipped into Marik for a two-count, before the cursed tag rope slowed things down as van Gasteren came back for a dropkick-assisted fireman’s carry facebuster for a near-fall.

Tags get us back to Stübing and Dreissker, with the former’s crane kick just being no-sold as Dreissker’s Samoan drop almost got the win while I howled. Van Gasteren and Marik break it up and head outside, before Stübing’s crane kick earned him a lariat off the ropes from Dreissker… then a fallaway slam as a Dreissker bomb got the win. A decent effort from van Gasteren and Stübing, but in the end the tag team champions were just too strong. ***

Post-match, the four shake hands as the show wrapped up…

7.1

The final score: review Good

The 411

Don’t let the star ratings trick you - these aren’t “nothing” shows. wXw’s using these tapings to give ring time to a lot of guys who perhaps haven’t got experience, and it’s working. Norman Harras is building his resume with a series of Shotgun title defences, as they continue to lay the groundwork for a hopeful return to shows with crowds at some point this year.