Hamilton’s wXw World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Night Three 10.03.2022 Review

Quick Results
Michael Knight pinned Laurance Roman in 6:33 (**¾)
World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block A: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi vs. Ahura & Maggot ended in a draw in 20:00 (***¾)
World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block A: Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc pinned Axel Tischer & Eric Young in 7:48 (***)
World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block B: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie submitted Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg in 10:38 (****)
World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block B: Icarus & Robert Dreissker submitted Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku in 10:42 (***½)
Masha Slamovich pinned Killer Kelly in 9:27 (***½)
Mike Bailey pinned Peter Tihanyi in 11:08 (****)
Iva Kolasky pinned Ava Everett, Michelle Green and Orsi in 5:40 (**¾)
World Tag Team Festival 2022 Final: Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto pinned Icarus & Robert Dreissker in 17:48 to win the wXw World Tag Team Championships (****)

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It’s the final night of the World Tag Team Festival inside Oberhausen’s Turbinenhalle… and we start with every team coming in with a 1-1 record… so anyone can make the finals, but there’s a lot of permutations as head-to-head records would likely come into play.

Dave Bradshaw and Mett Dimassi are back on the balcony doing commentary…

Michael Knight vs. Laurance Roman
…but first, wake up, we’ve a pre-show match.

Knight goes in as the pair traded standing switches, leading to Roman getting taken to the mat. Roman escaped for a snapmare, but Knight’s back with a wristlock, which is reversed after a stomp to the foot… but Knight’s takedown and toe hold had Roman in bother.

Roman makes it to the ropes to break a front facelock, then berated the crowd again. A tie-up takes Knight to the ropes as Roman wheeled away with elbows, while the crowd mocked his past as a Waschbär… but it had little effect on Roman, at least until a leg lariat gave Knight an opening.

Knight’s lifted onto the apron, but his springboard missile dropkick misses, allowing Roman in with a swinging Flatliner that almost won the match. Some choking in the ropes followed from Roman, before Knight’s facebuster and enziguiri led to an ushigoroshi as Roman suddenly was back in trouble.

A clothesline into the corner drops Roman ahead of the springboard clothesline for a near-fall, but Roman’s able to bounce back with almost a small package driver out of a Fisherman suplex set-up. Knight kicked out anyway, so Roman moans at the referee before Knight rolled his way out of a back suplex and surprised Roman with the pin. **¾

Post-match, Roman attacked Knight with some stomps and left him laying.

The main show opened with a pre-taped interview with Mett Dimassi and Ahura… which was quickly interrupted by Maggot, who was pissed off that Ahura turned up and went straight into an interview, calling him “a little prick who’s playing champion.” Ouch. Ahura’ apparently enjoyed the wedding a little too much, and is a little worse for wear as Maggot and Ahura gave him a tongue lashing.

World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block A: Pretty Bastards (Ahura & Maggot) vs. Calamari Drunken Kings (Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi)
The Bastards were keeping their distance during their entrance, while the crowd were staunchly behind Maggot after his heroics yesterday.

Ahura insisted on starting the match alongside Takanashi, with the obligatory early exchanges leading to a tag out for both men. Brookes takes a Thesz press as the tempo raised a little, then the strutting kick as Maggot’s punches and biting in the corner had Brookes repulsed.

Ahura’s back but needed directing to go after Takanashi, before Brookes pulled the Bastards into each other for… an Octopus and an abdominal stretch? That gut stretch seemed to do more damage to Ahura, as all four spilled to the outside with Ahura grabbing a beer that Chris Brookes had threatened to throw at him. Which took Ahura over the edge, as he then needed to sprint to the bathroom, with Takanashi joining him as Brookes and Maggot brawled around ringside.

Fortunately, the cameras don’t show Ahura chucking up in the toilets as Takanashi dragged him back to ringside. Unfortunately, Takanashi feeds Ahura some more drink, which made me extremely wary… especially when Chris Brookes spun and shook Ahura. To say that I had visions of Darren Drozdov was no joke. Still, Brookes dragged Ahura onto the stage, then caught him on a trolley… which was driven down a ramp as Ahura took a hell of a bump into the ring. Yep, that wasn’t on my “things to expect” list!

Ahura’s crawling on the outside as he’s trying to contain his guts… which meant that Maggot was in the familiar spot of being on his own as Brookes bit the horn off of Maggot’s forehead. Not a euphemism. Takanashi’s dropkick gets him a two-count on Maggot, before he bit Maggot in the corner as the isolation continued.

Brookes eats a tiltawhirl DDT as Maggot finally broke free, then finally tagged out to Ahura, who was able to hit a couple of forearms, then a crossbody… but the dry heaves quickly followed. Ahura issues some bodyblows before he charged Takanashi into the corner, eventually sending both of CDK outside ahead of a turnaround that saw Brookes stomp Ahura off the middle rope. Not good for the gut, was that…

Getting back to his feet, Ahura’s quickly met with a knee, an enziguiri and a German suplex, only to return with a hook kick as he fell to the mat. Both men tag out, as Maggot and Takanashi go for the nose and nipples, before a rather more orthodox Corning hold from Takanashi just earned him a dropkick. Brookes sneaks in with a Shoop cutter, only to get stomped down by Ahura as the match was getting a little tornado-ey, which all led to a butterfly superplex that hurled Maggot between the corners.

A running dropkick into the corner from Brookes set up Maggot for Takanashi’s back senton-assisted hanging neckbreaker, but Ahura’s in to break up the pin as we crossed the 15-minute mark. Brookes throws Ahura right back outside as Maggot accidentally laid out the referee… cue a low blow from Masa, before Ahura came in to stop a belt shot, and then accidentally lay out Maggot with that same title.

Takanashi wakes up the referee, and gets a near-fall on Maggot from the belt shot. A turnaround sees Ahura hit a crazy tornillo into CDK, wiping out the arse on several chairs… before the Pretty Bastards focused on Takanashi back in the ring. Maggot’s spear and a Red Light Driver gets a near-fall as Brookes was nowhere to be seen… while Brookes returned to break up a pin from an Alley Oop into a knee.

The ante continues to be upped as Maggot’s plancha leaps onto Brookes, while Ahura measured up Takanashi, only to get flipped inside out with a superkick. The Takatonic followed, but Ahura breaks it and turned it into a Jig ‘n’ Tonic for a near-fall, then captured Takanashi in a captured double armbar stretch as we headed into the final minute. Maggot’s restraining Brookes as if his life depended on it, as Takanashi nearly rolled Ahura into a pin, but there’s a kick-out as Ahura applies a crossface, only for it to be in vain as Takanashi held on, then rolled up Ahura as time ran out. Both teams get just a point here, which ends their campaign barring a draw in the other block A match. This was enjoyable on tape (especially without having to worry about being chucked up on!), as 20 minutes proved to be a more manageable time to actually do a draw in – without it feeling needlessly stretched out. ***¾

World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block A: Sanity (Axel Tischer & Eric Young) vs. Frenchadors (Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto)
The winner of this one makes it to the finals, otherwise we’ll have a wacky four-way tie…

Sanity jumped Aigle and Senza at the bell, but there’s a miscue as Eric Young charged Tischer off the apron, before Senza Volto knocked EY off the apron. We’ve duelling moonsaults to Sanity after that, before Aigle Blanc’s full nelson to Tischer was broken up by Young.

Double-teaming from Sanity led to a slam and an elbow drop for a two-count as they looked to target Aigle. Tischer’s chinbar comes with some sly pulling of the mask, before Aigle’s twisting neckbreaker took out Tischer… who’d tagged out to Eric Young seconds earlier. Young tries a German suplex, but Aigle flipped free to tag in Senza, who ran wild on the former WWE pair, leading to a handspring back elbow for a two-count.

Duelling gamengiri missed Eric Young, who ducked in time, allowing Sanity back in as the double-team wheelbarrow neckbreaker almost put Aigle away. Another double-team’s stopped by Senza this time, as a double Dragon suplex dropped Tischer, while Eric Young blocked a French Fly, as Tischer’s back superplex dumped Aigle again.

A side suplex/neckbreaker combo forced Senza in to break up the latest cover, before a Parade of Moves broke out, ending with a handspring cutter from Senza to Young. Tischer pounced on that though, uppercutting away Aigle before a Horrible Slam was countered into a tombstone, allowing Senza to head up top for a moonsault that booked the Frenchadors their spot in the finals. ***

Dan Mallmann joined Senza and Aigle after the match to shake their hands and quiz about what just happened. Aigle’s happy to be on form after they started with a loss, while Senza brought up their past issues with AMBOSS and Rott und Flott, which meant they could be looking to settle some scores.

Interview time, as Tristan Archer came out to gloat about his win over Mike Bailey the prior night. Except, because he’s a smug so-and-so, he opted to do it entirely en français. Complete with Thommy Giesen reading the questions in French as well… and Tristan shutting down Thommy’s attempts to translate, all because Tristan was upset at the crowd cheering Mike Bailey’s French insults at him.

Talk turned to Levaniel, who of course appeared to interrupt things, reminding Archer of the attacks from behind before giving some news – he’s cashing in his title shot from Shortcut to the Top, and is taking it against Archer at the 22nd Anniversary show in December. The fact that we had to wait got some boos from those in Oberhausen, before Levaniel ducked a cheapshot and laid out Archer with the Galactic Facecrusher.

As a bit, I liked Archer forcing everyone to comply with his whims like this – but it’s got to be something they save for just the right moments…

World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block B: Rott Und Flott (Michael Schenkenberg & Nikita Charisma) vs. Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie
Rott und Flott got cheered after their exploits last night, but they needed a win here – and the next match to go in their way – if they were to hold onto the tag titles.

Abe starts with Charisma, grabbing a side headlock, only for Abe to charge him down after the push-off. Charisma misses a dropkick, but avoided a PK before tags bring in Schenkenberg and Irie. A shoulder tackle has Irie down, but a back elbow and a slam left Schenkenberg down for the sees-saw splash in the ropes for an early two-count.

Irie and Schenkenberg trade forearms after the kick-out, before Schenkenberg’s bid to truly go “auf die Fresse” ended with him getting a sore hand after he punched Irie in the head. Charisma comes in, but scurried away as Abe threatened a headbutt, before a chase led to the teams swapping places.

Rott und Flott take over back inside, with Charisma and Schenkenberg restraining Irie with chinlocks. Irie’s placed into a Tree of Woe for a running Charisma dropkick, before Irie turned it around, sending Charisma to the outside ahead of a Samoan drop to Schenkenberg. Charisma distracts the referee as Irie made the tag out, which led to Irie getting thrown back into the wrong corner leading to a dropkick-aided side suplex for a near-fall.

Irie’s back to wallop Charisma with a clonking forearm, but Charisma’s able to knock Abe off the apron before a tag’s made. Schenkenberg gets a tag as more double-teaming led to Rott und Flott getting piledriven onto each other. Finally, Abe gets the tag in as he took down Schenkenberg and kicked him in the arse, only for an Irabu punch to get swatted away as Irie snuck to the top rope and splashed Schenkenberg after he’d suplexed Abe.

All four men remain in the ring to take their shots, with Irie cannonballing Schenkenberg, while Charisma ate that Irabu punch in the end. Schenkenberg caught an Irie crossbody, as Charisma added Abe to the mix for a slam/powerbomb combo, before Rott und Flott finally hit the Snapchat DDT for just a one-count.

Irie’s thrown outside as Abe gets caught with a spear from Charisma… Irie recovers to cannonball Charisma in the ropes, before an Irabu punch and a Beast Bomber lariat left Charisma vulnerable to a manjigatame forced the submission to end a heck of a sprint. Rott und Flott’s run with the titles is over, but Irie and Abe don’t win the titles in their stead – as the titles are now vacated ahead of the finals. ****

Post-match, Rott und Flott looked to celebrate with Irie and Abe, but true to themselves, they punted the victors in the balls… and so the few cheers they had left evaporated into the Oberhausen air.

World Tag Team Festival 2022 Block B: AMBOSS (Icarus & Robert Dreissker) vs. Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku)
So, with head-to-head results taken into account, Violence is Forever cannot qualify for the finals… but they can be a roadblock for AMBOSS.

Ku came out with his head all taped up after yesterday’s headbutt, and snuffed out AMBOSS’ attempted cheapshot open, taking out Icarus with a Total Elimination before they went outside. Yes, I had to skedaddle from my place once more with feeling for the lap of honour kicks, as this was all before the bell… except Dreissker got hold of Ku and lawndarted him into the ring post.

Garrini and Icarus start in the ring as Ku was carted to the back, and we’re threatened with a handicap match here as Icarus went to piledriver Garrini onto the apron. A crossface from Icarus is rolled out of, but Icarus regained the upper hand with a chop to the back, then a chinlock before Garrini’s teased response stopped as soon as he realised Ku wasn’t in the corner.

Dreissker tags in as AMBOSS retained the upper hand… we’ve a DDT from Icarus for a two-count, before Dreissker returned to wear down Garrini some more. Chops and forearms from Garrini just earn him a wild clothesline from Dreissker, before an Icarus neckbreaker kept the direction of travel going. Staying in the AMBOSS corner, Garrini’s bounced around as he’s rolled into a chinlock from Dreissker, only for Garrini to bust out a heartily-approved back body drop out of the corner.

That’s the cue for Ku to return from backstage, and he gets the tag after a Garrini powerbomb. Ku spins a rocked Icarus with a clothesline, then went corner-to-corner with clotheslines to AMBOSS, ahead of an Alphamare Waterslide to Icarus for a near-fall. Garrini drops Icarus over the ropes for a flying Ku knee drop, which is good for a two-count for Garrini, only for a turnaround to see AMBOSS take over with an Icarus cannonball, then a springboard enziguiri into a spinebuster for a near-fall.

A Chasing the Dragon nearly planted Icarus into the mat, but Dreissker dove in to grab Icarus’ ankle and hold it against the ropes to stop the count. Garrini goes to take care of Dreissker, fighting by the bar, but they’ve probably got no bons on them so they’re not served… instead, they brawl into the crowd while Ku and Icarus trade chops, then boots, before a head kick and a snap Dragon suplex left Icarus in the corner.

Ku’s lifted onto the apron, but returns with a missile dropkick before Ku couldn’t get off a piledriver. Icarus pounced on the brief stoppage from Ku, locking in a rear naked choke on Ku, which led to the rapid stoppage as AMBOSS snatched their chance and booked their place in the finals despite a valiant bid from Ku and Garrini. ***½

Post-match, Dan Mallmann does his interview as Dreissker recited the AMBOSS mission statement…

After intermission, we get a plug for 16 Carat Gold in 2023, and in lieu of a straight-up announcement of an entrant, we’re getting a qualifier:

16 Carat Gold Tournament 2023 Qualifier: Killer Kelly vs. Masha Slamovich
Some were pondering if we’d see this during Femmes Fatales… nope, it was saved for a bigger stage on the weekender!

Kelly slid towards Masha at the bell, then rolled her up for a quick two-count as Slamovich fought out of those capture headbutts, then hit a spinning heel kick for a two-count of her own. A running knee strike’s countered with a roll-up by Kelly, who added a PK to take Masha outside… in perfect place for an apron PK as Kelly looked to be in control.

Back inside, Kelly whales away on Masha with elbows, before a pump kick and a series of short-arm clotheslines continued the offensive. Axe kicks from Kelly keep Masha on the deck for just a one-count, as the ropes broke up the pin, before a Fisherman suplex almost put Slamovich away.

Masha elbows out of a Vale da Morte, then hit an up-kick in the corner as she mounted a comeback with knees and kicks in the corner. Kelly avoids a Shining Wizard and came in with the Shades of Shibata in the corner as the split crowd continued to make noise… while the Vale da Morte almost got Kelly the win… but the kick-out seemed to break her spirit a little.

Slamovich gets thrown to the outside as Kelly tries a second apron PK, but it’s countered into an electric chair drop onto the side of the ring. A suplex into the front row from Kelly rocks Masha, but she shakes it off and hits a dropkick into the ring, then a jack-knife cradle for a couple of two-counts, before rolling back to her feet and planting Kelly with a Jig ‘n’ Tonic for a near-fall.

The split crowd started leaning more towards Masha as Kelly hit the capture headbutts, then a short piledriver… but it’s not enough. Masha almost escaped an overhead wristlock, but Kelly pulled her back into the hold, only for Masha to bite her way free. An Air Raid Crash into the corner stopped Kelly’s momentum in a hurry, before a Shining Wizard ended up booking Masha’s spot in Carat next year. Heartbreak for Killer Kelly, but another return to Germany’s been booked by Masha, who had a sneaky good weekend with a hattrick of good-to-great matches across all four days of the weekender. ***½

Mike Bailey vs. Peter Tihanyi
One day removed from an unsuccessful title challenge, Mike Bailey’s in a position not too dissimilar to the one he found himself in at Rev Pro earlier this year – up against one of the promotion’s rising stars.

As you’d expect, we’ve duelling chants in this one… Bailey sweeps the leg to start as a breathless first exchange saw Tihanyi nail a ‘rana, before duelling dropkicks and kip-ups led to Bailey looking a little wobbly on that leg. There seemed to be a Gentleman’s agreement from Tihanyi to not go for the leg, as we resume with back-and-forth wristlocks, before Tihanyi teased going for the leg… and Bailey snapped on him.

An armdrag from Tihanyi, then a chop stung Bailey, as did a leapfrog and back elbow before the pair hit some handsprings. Bailey took that as an insult, as he took Tihanyi outside for an eventual superkick, before a knee drop over a rope-hanging Tihanyi led to a two-count back inside. More chops from Tihanyi get shrugged off as Speedball threw back in kind, before Bailey broke the chain by geeing himself up too much… and kicking Tihanyi instead.

It’s the cocky Speedball on show here, looking to make an example of every mis-step from Tihanyi, while also making a few slip-ups, such as a missed corkscrew splash that allowed Tihanyi in with a knee strike seconds later. An enziguiri from Tihanyi has Speedball laying, as did a swinging DDT, before the pair headed outside… with Tihanyi nailing the Asai DDT onto the steel rampway.

Bailey’s thrown back in, and instantly dove back out onto Tihanyi, who returned the favour with a plancha. Another turnaround allowed Bailey in with a triangle moonsault, before a flip plancha from Tihanyi got him back on top. Returning to the rung, a springboard Meteora almost put Speedball away, before Bailey went up top to stop a 450 splash… leading to them exchanging blows as Bailey tried to snap out with a Flamingo driver.

Tihanyi slipped out into a sunset flip for a two-count, only to get kicked by Bailey… then squashed with the moonsault knees. The see-saw action takes Bailey in for an Ultima Weapon, which missed, allowing Tihanyi to hit the Asai DDT again… then go back up top for a 450 splash, which Bailey cradled out of as they exchanged near-falls. The tempo’s rising again as a spin kick caught Tihanyi in the corner, leading to a Flamingo Driver spiked the Hungarian for the match-winning pin. Mike Bailey’s shown himself time and again to be super versatile this year – and performances like this only served to highlight himself and lift up Tihanyi, who ought to be in spotlight roles in wXw and around Europe (if not the world) in the years ahead. ****

Ava Everett vs. Iva Kolasky vs. Michelle Green vs. Orsi
This is for a shot at Aliss Ink’s newly-won title, and with Iva and Ava in the match, there’s likely a partnership brewing here again.

Orsi was the overwhelming crowd favourite going in, so of course she’s ganged up on to start and kicked to the outside. Michelle Green’s thrown outside by Iva and Ava too, before a dive from Everett and a moonsault from Kolasky completed the set. Back inside, Iva and Ava corner Green, leading to a Final Cut from Kolasky… which led to Iva breaking up the pin.

Orsi’s in to interrupt their debate, taking Iva and Ava down with clotheslines, then avalanches in the corners, before Orsi landed a stacked-up German suplex. Green ensures she can’t capitalise, rolling up Orsi with a crucifix for a two-count, before a clothesline had little effect. A DDT did though, but Orsi’s in the ropes, so a cover doesn’t count as Everett hit the ring.

Iva tries to help, but got taken down with a single-arm DDT, while Everett’s trip up top ended with Green catching her… Iva tries to help out, and of course, the Tower of Doom’s triggered by Orsi after Kolasky and Everett had a little falling out. Everett escapes a Jackhammer, cradling her way out of it for a near-fall before Orsi nailed a spear… Kolasky stomps Orsi out of the ring, then stole the pin on Everett to book her title shot. This was short, but pretty good as Orsi got to shine, but is still being made to wait for a title shot – which isn’t that bad when you consider that she’s barely a year in… **¾

World Tag Team Festival 2022 Final for wXw World Tag Team Championships: AMBOSS (Icarus & Robert Dreissker) vs. Frenchadors (Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto)
With Rott und Flott not making the finals, this match is for the now-vacated wXw World Tag Team titles…

Dreissker and Aigle open with a lock-up, before a shoulder tackle charged Aigle to the outside. A gamengiri connected with Dreissker, who then hiptossed Aigle back into the ring, only to get met with some more kicks as Senza Volto tagged in and hit an elbow drop over Dreissker’s arm. Aigle tagged right back in as he had his go, with the French lads exchanging quick tags as they looked to neutralise Dreissker’s arms early on.

Sensing that, Dreissker was able to charge Senza Volto out into the AMBOSS corner, and tagged in Icarus, who started to go for the mask. A chop drops Senza, who’s then pushed into the ropes before he scored with a springboard armdrag. Aigle’s tagged back in as they double-team Icarus in the corner ahead of a tope atomico from Senza for a two-count. Another aerial attack sees Aigle Blanc hit a back senton to Icarus, forcing Dreissker in to break up the pin before it even got going, before Aigle teased a tombstone… only for Icarus to slip out and go for the mask once more.

Dreissker tagged in as Aigle Blanc was cornered, then Biel’d out of the corner, before a back suplex/neckbreaker combo led to a near-fall. Icarus goes to rip Aigle Blanc’s mask some again, but Aigle gets free for a springboard crossbody, before Senza got the tag in as he went to work on Dreissker… then Icarus, scoring with a handspring double back elbow. AMBOSS cut off some dives as the front row feared for their chairs, leading to all four men brawling around ringside, with Aigle Blanc moonsaulting off of a dividing wall… only to get speared into the back row. Bloody hell, lads…

Meanwhile, Senza Volto and Icarus fought on the apron, but their side Russian leg sweeps sent the pair crashing back into the front row… and with all four men down, the ref’s count goes the distance, leading to a double count-out being called at 8:33. A rather short main event, leading to a lot of confusion as Dave Bradshaw for some reason abandoned his post on commentary and high-tailed it to ringside as everyone tried to figure out what to do. Referee Felix Schulz is there too for the debate, with Dave seemingly in the Norman Harras spot (in lieu of Norman), before they opted to restart the match under tornado rules.

So, I don’t get to complain about tags anymore as we restart with both teams trading blows… a Code Red from Senza nearly puts Icarus away, before Dreissker took to the air with a springboard crossbody on Senza for a near-fall of his own. Aigle Blanc’s knee looked t earn him a crossbody, but he ducks Dreissker before taking Icarus’ springboard enziguiri for a near-fall.

Icarus takes Aigle Blanc into the corner as he teased a superplex to the floor, but Aigle slips free as he and Senza Volto ended up hitting a French Fly to Icarus. Robert Dreissker’s still in the corner, and took a pair of Coast to Coast dropkicks for a near-fall before an assisted tombstone from Aigle Blanc looked to lead to a finish… but Dreissker hung up Senza in a Tree of Woe to stop a moonsault.

Aigle Blanc’s whipped into his own man with a cannonball from there, before AMBOSS went back for the masks, ripping the eye out of Aigle’s hood, while Icarus choked out Senza Volto with a tag rope. Dreissker’s gone under the ring and finds a gear case, which he bounced off of Aigle Blanc’s head, which looked to put AMBOSS firmly in the driving seat…

Aigle Blanc came up bloodied, as Dreissker then posted him… and placed Aigle under the ring steps. Laurance Roman’s out to make sure Aigle couldn’t do anything, but Peter Tihanyi runs out to fight with Laurance to the back… so Senza’s rolled inside so AMBOSS could go for the mask once again. A pop-up into a spear leaves Senza prone for the senton bomb and a Dreissker bomb, but Senza kicked out at two once more… which prompted AMBOSS to pick up Senza as Dreissker then whipped off the mask.

Senza Volto folds over to hide his face, but then rose up in a fit of rage as the crowd stood up with him. A handspring double cutter has AMBOSS laying, as did a Meteora to Dreissker… before the Aigle Blanc tombstone and a Volto moonsault to Icarus led to the pile-on pin… and it’s NEW wXw world tag team champions as the Frenchadors overcame AMBOSS to win World Tag Team Festival! A wild main event that really was a match of two halves, ending with Senza Volto remasking after the bell as the new champions celebrated into the night. From debuting on the empty set wXw tapings next door in the Steffy, to winning the tag titles at the return of World Tag Team Festival – it’s been quite the ascent for Senza and Aigle! ****

8.3

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

The return of World Tag Team Festival, from an in-ring and creative perspective at least, has to be taken as a success, given the consistency that was on show across the entire weekend. AMBOSS vs. the Frenchadors was a tournament final that made sense in terms of storylines, but also wasn’t one that was at all foreshadowed - so it felt like a surprise, rather than an expectation. The way these tournaments ought to work, if you’re putting over a local act. I ought to note, this show was released a full 48 hours before its advertised date - meaning that the entirety of the tournament shows were all uploaded within nine days of it finishing. Save for the “Wildcard Edition” show, that’s the entire weekender uploaded in under a fortnight, with six shows in two languages… that’s a heck of a turnaround from Marc Shuttle, Sjörd Zegers and the entire team responsible for shooting, editing, mixing, translating and everything else needed to put wXw into a digital format.