wrestling / TV Reports
Hamilton’s wXw We Love Wrestling Zugaben Volume 1 06.03.2021 Review
Loading...
Quick Results
The Rotation pinned Ender Kara in 9:24 (***)
Maggot pinned Gulyas Junior in 4:59 (**¼)
Icarus submitted Michael Knight in 7:09 (***)
Dover pinned Johnny Evers in 6:21 (**¾)
Senza Volto pinned Tim Stübing in 10:38 (***)
Nikita Charisma pinned Alpha Kevin in 6:14 (**½)
Icarus & Dover pinned Peter Tihanyi & Gulyas Junior in 4:59 (**¼)
Ahura submitted Paris in 10:33 (**¼)
Marius al-Ani submitted Rambo in 5:39 (**½)
— If you’re on Twitter, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling – and check out the GoFundMe that’s still around for Larry’s family. https://www.gofundme.com/f/larrymania-living-on-in-his-girls
We Love Wrestling Zugaben is effectively “wXw: Dark” – the matches from the Oberhausen tapings in February that, for whatever reason, didn’t make it into the final cut. Dave Bradshaw is on hand for English commentary…
Ender Kara vs. The Rotation
It’s a return for Ender Kara, whose trial series was abruptly halted due to injury…
Rotation’s on the offensive early, taking Kara down for an armbar before a springboard armdrag and headscissors had the Turk on the back foot. Kara misses a roundhouse kick, but lands his own headscissors before a leg sweep and a stomp had Rotation down for a two-count.
A dropkick gets Rotation back in it, as he grounded Kara in a stranglehold-armbar combo, before hitting a stomp. Rotation keeps the holds going with a leg lock, but Kara fought his way free as the match descended into a series of strikes, building to a handspring enziguiri from Kara for a near-fall.
Kara’s kicks get caught, allowing Rotation to return with an enziguiri, then a corner dropkick and a tiltawhirl DDT for a near-fall. A Victory Over Gravity from Rotation misses, but he’s able to come back with a Magistral cradle as the pair bounced between pinning predicaments, until Kara’s crucifix got countered…
Rotation can’t follow up though and gets taken down for a PK, but it’s not enough for Kara’s first win. He looks to go up top, but Rotation rolls away from a frog splash, and after kicking out from an inside cradle, Rotation almost took the win with a Falcon arrow. From there though, Rotation heads up for the Victory Over Gravity, this time landing the 450 splash for the win. A good back-and-forth match, as Ender Kara continues to look for his first win. ***
They replay the segment from Drive of Champions where Maggot pulled out of the mask vs. hair match with a knee injury.
Gulyas Junior vs. Maggot
We’ve new music for Maggot, which has a country vibe to it…
Commentary tells us this match was pre-taped, and was before Maggot’s alleged injury that took him out of Drive of Champions. The pair look to flick armpit sweat at each other to start, before Maggot caught Gulyas from behind as he began to club away on the Hungarian. A shoulder charge keeps Gulyas in the corner, but he tries to come back with a gutwrench suplex, before he just chucked Maggot with a back suplex.
That gets Gulyas a two-count, but Maggot responds by hanging him up in the ropes before a flying forearm took Gulyas down. A pump kick keeps him there, but Maggot’s cover doesn’t keep him down as Gulyas ends up falling to an enziguiri. Gulyas countered out of a chinlock, but gets rolled up for another two-count before a diving kick had Maggot in the corner.
A splash, then a punch follows in the corner, leading to a cannonball from Gulyas for a two-count, before Maggot ran into Gulyas’ armpit. He quickly escaped and nailed a spear, before a cutter dropped Gulyas for the win. **¼
They replay clips from the Arrows of Hungary’s unsuccessful bid to win the wXw tag titles last week…
Michael Knight vs. Icarus
Commentary painted this as Icarus looking to get back to winning ways – which makes the timeline a little weird, given these were meant to be pre-taped?
Opening with a handshake, Knight started to work over Icarus’ wrist as the pair went back-and-forth between holds. A front facelock from Icarus is escaped, before the pair exchanged armdrags, with Knight’s dropkick and armdrag putting him ahead. Icarus tries to pull Knight into the Heart of Europe submission, but it’s escaped as we get lucha roll throughs ahead of Icarus’ kick to swat away a springboard from Knight.
Icarus stays ahead, taking Knight into the corner before a roll through and a chop to the neck led to a chinlock. Knight fought back though, with an overhead kick taking Icarus down, which bought him some time as he was able to clatter into Icarus with a forearm, then a clothesline in the corner. A springboard clothesline has Icarus down, but a back suplex turns it around ahead of a Falcon arrow as Icarus almost snatched the win. From there, Icarus swept down Knight in almost a STO, before applying the Heart of Europe for the quick stoppage. This was a good, aggressive showing from Icarus, who manages to get back on track after that disappointment last week. ***
They announce for tomorrow’s We Love Wrestling 14: Ender Kara vs. Fast Time Moodo… debuts for Delia vs. Nicky Foxley… Senza Volta & Aigle Blanc vs. Leon van Gasteren & Tim Stübing… plus an interview with Tristan Archer… and Dennis Dullnig challenges for Ahura’s Shotgun title.
Dover vs. Johnny Evers
Back-to-back Arrows here, as Dover (the man, not the place) looks to match his partner’s win.
From the opening lock-up, the pair take each other into the corner, with a clean break ensuing. Shoulder tackles follow, before Evers countered a hiptoss with one of his own ahead of a scoop slam. Evers heads up top, but gets booted down to the floor, where Dover punted him in the ribs.
Back inside, Dover’s back suplex ragdolled Evers for a two-count, before a boot choke kept the Dutchman in the corner. A chinlock keeps Evers on the mat, before an attempted suplex from Evers was reversed for a two-count. Evers keeps going, heading up top for a crossbody that took down Dover, following up with an Exploder suplex and some clotheslines into the corner.
An elbow gets Evers a two-count, but Dover’s right back in with a German suplex and the Hungarian Wanderer (Air Raid Crash) for the win. That’s a pair of singles wins for the Arrows then, who are back in action later on tonight to see if they can keep this run going… **¾
They recap some more stuff from Drive of Champions, regarding Senza Volto, Aigle Blanc, Leon van Gasteren and Tim Stübing… which leads to our next match.
Tim Stübing vs. Senza Volto
Stübing’s a little buoyant from his team’s win last week – but Senza Volto’s also coming in off a win, even if it wasn’t against the opponents he expected.
We open with a knucklelock, with Volto looking to force an early pin as he breaks Stübing’s bridge to keep the shoulders down for some two-counts. A monkey flip is rolled through as the pair looked for dual pinning attempts, before a dropkick from Stübing found Senza’s mouth.
A shoulder tackle from Stübing follows, before he made Senza back off with a crane kick pose. They locked up into the ropes again, but Volto countered back with an inverted atomic drop and some chops before the pair traded forearms and slaps. Senza’s left on jelly legs but comes back with a springboard ‘rana to take Stübing outside.
Volto tries the crane kick stance as the pair eventually shake hands… before Senza tripped Stübing ahead of a low dropkick. We go back to chops next, with Senza rolling through Stübing for a kick to the back, which gets another two-count, ahead of a side headlock on the mat.
Stübing escapes and returned with another dropkick, then a clothesline, but he’s only able to get a two-count. A suplex attempt from Stübing gets blocked, with Volto taking Stübing into the corner for some kicks and a Code Red for a near-fall. Senza looks for the Eiffel Tower, but that too is blocked as Stübing had one last flurry… ending with a flying knee from Volto before he was caught with a German suplex.
A lariat from Stübing comes next, then a head kick, but it’s not enough to put Senza away… and sure enough, Volto comes right back in with the Eiffel Tower to snatch the win. A good back-and-forth outing this, as Stübing’s lack of experience perhaps being the difference in the end. ***
Nikita Charisma vs. Alpha Kevin
After losing at Drive of Champions, it’s another chance for Charisma to get back on track…
Charisma offered a handshake to his one-time tag partner, but the cheapshot breaks down into some Dusty punches from Kevin… who eventually get off the Bionic elbow. A back suplex has Charisma in the corner, as Kevin pushed ahead, only to get caught with a slingshot spear as Charisma came back into it.
Stomps to the gut followed, as did a grounded waistlock and some knees in the corner, before a dropkick from Charisma cut-off Kevin’s brief comeback. Charisma throws Kevin to the outside, and followed him out to charge him into the post. Kevin’s able to beat the count-out, and fought back with a short clothesline for a two-count, before some running knees took Kevin back into the corner.
Kevin blocks a DDT, shoving Charisma into the buckles… Charisma claimed an injury, so Kevin calls for a medic, and got caught with some knees and a tornado DDT for the win as gullibility cost Kevin in the end. **½
Gulyas Junior & Peter Tihanyi vs. Arrows of Hungary (Icarus & Dover)
It’s a quick return for Gulyas and the Arrows, after their earlier outings…
Icarus and Tihanyi start off this all-Hungarian affair, with a side headlock from Tihanyi grounding things before Icarus broke free and got caught with an enziguiri. Icarus avoids a handspring from Tihanyi, then took him down with a side headlock before taking Tihanyi into the corner for a tag.
Dover and Gulyas come in, with Gulyas rubbing his own sweat over his shoulders so he could charge them into Dover. After the mind games, Gulyas took Dover into the corner before the Pit Stop was countered with a Fireman’s carry… only for Gulyas to pit him anyway. A punch just KO’s Gulyas in response as the Arrows fought back, charging Gulyas into the corner for an enziguiri, then a cannonball for a two-count.
Gulyas gets the tag out, but Tihanyi just leaps into a big boot before Icarus handed Tihanyi into a Fire Thunder Driver by Dover… and that’s your lot. A quick turnaround and a quick win for the Arrows, who look to build themselves back up again. **¼
They replay Norman Harras losing the Shotgun title in 17 seconds last week…
Paris vs. Ahura
This wasn’t for the Shotgun title, which Ahura came out with…
Ahura starts by taking Paris down into almost a camel clutch, but the Greek native slipped out and returned with a front facelock before rolling him into a pinning attempt. Ahura returns the favour, who went back to Paris’ wrists again with stomps and strikes.
Paris gets taken to the corner as Ahura roughed him up some more, following up with almost a Jackhammer to the shoulder. Paris returns with armdrags, then a suplex, before a Fisherman suplex was fought out of. Instead, Paris hits a regular suplex, then went to the Fisherman suplex… but Ahura pulled down his trunks and went back to the wrist, snapping the fingers to get himself free.
An elbow from Paris bought him some time, but Ahura returned with a dropkick for a two-count. From there, Ahura pulls up Paris using his neck tie, choking him on the mat, before a cross armbar was blocked. Ahura tries again, but again Paris clings on and got to the ropes to force the break, before a running kick from Ahura almost got him the win with a tight roll-up.
Slaps from Ahura wore down Paris, as did a clubbing forearm to the back, before Paris stood on Ahura’s foot to trap him. Paris fought back, taking Ahura to the corner for some right hands, following up with an uppercut off the ropes after Ahura misses a charge in the corner, before the Fisherman suplex finally came off for a near-fall.
Paris tries to charge back in, but gets rolled down with headscissors into an armbar by Ahura, who then transitioned into a grounded Italian stretch – almost like a bare-foot DOUKI Chokey – for the submission. This one never really got going for me, with Ahura dictating long periods of the match, eventually finding his way into the submission as he looks to establish himself as a singles wrestler. **¼
They replay clips from Marius al-Ani’s title defence over Levaniel, which stretched his singles winning streak to 23-0…
Rambo vs. Marius al-Ani
This one isn’t for the title, but is likely to be another name in al-Ani’s hitlist…
From the start, the pair lock-up into the ropes, but it’s Rambo who corners al-Ani with boots and right hands before a side headlock led to al-Ani hitting the ropes, eventually finding form with a dropkick. Rambo’s quickly back with a clothesline, before he avoided a floatover from al-Ani and smothered him in the corner ahead of an overhead belly-to-bell suplex for a two-count.
al-Ani returns fire with a dropkick that took Rambo into the corner, with stomps following. Rambo’s leg’s wrapped around the rope as al-Ani began to break him down, throwing a knee strike for a two-count. From there, an ankle lock is pushed away from by Rambo, who returned with a powerslam for a two-count, before al-Ani fought back with some right hands and a ‘rana.
Marius goes back to the ankle lock from there, but Rambo rolls through again and went for a back suplex/facebuster. That gets him a two-count, before a pop-up powerbomb was countered with a dropkick. al-Ani went for a Diamond Driver, but Rambo escaped and hits the pop-up powerbomb for a near-fall, before a package piledriver was escaped. From there, Marius tries a knee strike, eventually landing it before an ankle lock grounded Rambo and forced the submission. A decent little match, with Rambo posing some threat, only for al-Ani to well and truly shut the door on him. **½
