Hamilton’s wXwNOW & Friends Showcase 03.05.2022 Review

Quick Results
Psycho Mike pinned Vaughn Vertigo in 10:07 (***)
Oskar pinned Goldenboy Santos in 6:14 to win the wXw Academy Trophy (***)
MBM & Ultima Sombra pinned Georges Balzac & Gustave Le Brun in 8:37 to win the first ever BodyZoi Tag Team Championships (**¾)
Rick Salem pinned Christianium Le Surrealiste and Thiago Montero in 6:52 (***¼)
Emeritus pinned Carlos Zamora in 6:48 (***½)
Gulyas Junior & Gulyas Vilmos pinned Tamas Szabo & Maverick in 12:12 (***½)
Charles Crowley pinned Big Guns Joe in 11:50 to retain the King of the Carnival Championship (***)

— 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’re back inside the Turbinenhalle for the return of the showcase format that this year saw wXw host offer matches from SMASH Wrestling in Canada, BodyZoi in Belgium, APC in France, Bodyslam in Denmark, Passion Pro in Hungary, and England’s Wrestle Carnival – in addition to a wXw Academy Trophy defence.

As ever, Dave Bradshaw and Andy Jackson are on English commentary.

Psycho Mike vs. Vaughn Vertigo
This match was Psycho Mike’s German debut – he’d become a bit of a cult favourite by the end of the weekend…

According to Cagematch, this was the first time these two had a singles match, and we started with Mike taking down Vertigo in a grounded wristlock, doing his best to reset his foe’s spot on the mat every time he freed himself. From there, Mike grabs another wristlock and worked the hard camera like a pro, before a shoulder tackle has Vertigo down.

Mike offered the crowd a bodyslam, which saw him ragdoll Vertigo and plant him to the mat. Again. And again. And again. Vertigo rolled outside, but ends up getting thrown into the side of the ring ad nauseum, in spite of the ref’s protestations, before returning to the ring for a two-count.

A suplex drops Vertigo for a two-count, before Vertigo used the ref as a human shield. Mike tries to get poor Shooter Schulz to change careers, while telling of Vertigo as he tried to attack him from behind… then went back to the ref. A wild goose chase ensues, but Vertigo has to fight out of a chokeslam, returning with an overhead kick for a near-fall.

Vertigo finally chains some offence in with a snapmare and a fist drop, before a springboard moonsault led to a near-fall. A leg lariat keeps Vaughn in it, but Mike leaps over him off the top rope ahead of a crossbody and a springboard dropkick for a two-count. Vertigo snatches a German suplex from there, then ran in with a Shining Wizard… but it’s not enough as Mike came back with a trapped-leg German suplex and a big boot.

Vertigo fought off a superplex, knocking Mike down for a Shadows Over Heck senton… but a discus boot from Mike snuffed out any hope as a Fisherman buster ended up putting Vaughn away. A pretty good opener with both guys getting a chance to shine here. ***

After the match, Mike slammed Vertigo again, just for the hell of it.

wXw Academy Trophy: Oskar vs. Goldenboy Santos (c)
Santos won the trophy just before the world shut down… so despite having held it for two years, this was his first defence…

The opening tie-up sees both men head into the ropes before a side headlock from Santos led to a shoulder block from Oskar. Santos manages to avoid a charge, returning with an uppercut, before a sidewalk slam from Oskar had him back on top. Forearms keep Santos in the corner, while elbows had Santos down to a knee.

Santos blocks a bodyslam as he began to fight back, picking up Oskar for a death valley driver. More uppercuts from Santos had Oskar rocked, but Oskar roars back, only to get taken into the corner for a cannonball. Oskar’s up at two, then again from a Jackhammer, before the pair traded forearms and elbows, but a surprise superkick only gets Santos a one-count, before Oskar nailed a lariat… for a one count!

Oskar boots Santos after the kick-out, then scooped him up for a powerslam… and that’s enough to get the win as the Fale Dojo graduate left with the trophy. A good outing this, but a heartbreaking defeat for Santos in his first defence. ***

BodyZoi Tag Team Championship: Les Enfants Terribles (Georges Balzac & Gustave Le Brun) vs. Rivality (MBM & Ultima Sombra)
Rivality had just won the Wrestling Kult tag titles earlier that morning, and brought them out with them here. Mind games.

Balzac and MBM start us off, as MBM hurt his hand doing a chop. He tried again, but a double handed chop hurt twice as badly, before he ended up getting charged down by Balzac, who followed up by shrugging off a waistlock as he countered a springboard into a German suplex.

MBM’s pulled up, but he fights out of a powerbomb and tagged in Ultima Sombra, while Gustave Le Brun also came in. They shake hands, before Sombra chopped Le Brun ahead of a springboard armdrag across the ring. Le Brun eats a gamengiri next, then a crossbody, before MBM returned to keep Le Brun down with a cross-chop to the throat.

Sombra catches Le Brun in the ropes as some double-teaming led to a neckbreaker for a MBM near-fall. A kick to the back followed as MBM began to toy with Le Brun, but Le Brun hits back with headscissors and a crossbody of his own. Tags bring us to Balzac and MBM, with the former hitting a spinebuster, but a superkick and a back senton has MBM back in it… before a Finlay roll crushed him

Balzac’s Vader bomb nearly wins it, before he caught a MBM crossbody… only for Sombra to take him down with a dropkick. Le Brun’s knocked off the apron as MBM misses a quebrada, then came back in with a Destroyer… tags bring in Sombra and Le Brun, with the latter almost losing to a package driver.

Things head outside as Le Brun hits a tope to MBM, while Sombra went up top for a body press into the pile, before a chop-assisted Angel’s Wings nearly gets Sombra the win back inside. Le Brun kicked out at two… so Sombra heads back up top, only to miss a frog splash as a Le Brun’s cutter spiked him.

A tag brings Balzac back in for a double-team Falcon arrow/powerbomb for a near-fall, with MBM breaking it up as he spiked Le Brun with a package piledriver. MBM tagged in next, then hit a kick-assisted Code Red on Balzac for the win. A title-laden Saturday for Rivality was this, with two titles won in several hours… **¾

Christianium Le Surrealiste vs. Thiago Montero vs. Rick Salem
This three-way’s coming from France’s APC, with Rick Salem having an unfair advantage with his crystal ball of prognostication…

Montero sits on the turnbuckle as he refused to participate, leaving Salem and Christanium to engage. Montero decides to engage, but gets rolled up, then dropkicked to the outside, as Salem’s future-seeing backfired as he missed a crossbody. Christanium leaps over Montero on the apron, then charged down Salem with a clothesline before a uranage/reverse DDT nearly got Christanium the win.

Salem gets caught in the corner with a gamengiri from Montero, who then went for a near-fall on Christanium with a PK to the back. Christanium runs into a Flatliner by Montero, spiking him on his head for a near-fall as Salem broke up the cover, following up with a full nelson Flatliner on Montero.

Christanium’s back to take Salem into the corner, following with a back body drop and a bridging German suplex for a near-fall. An enziguiri and a short DDT took care of Montero, with Salem barely breaking up the pin in time, before Salem and Montero blocked a double-DDT.

Salem’s lifted onto the apron too, but he’s able to catch Montero with a gamengiri before he dove onto Christanium. Back inside, Salem slipped on a springboard, but Montero capitalises with a brainbuster before Christanium ate a pop-up knee and a back suplex. Montero’s able to get another near-fall from that, before Christanium’s Flatliner and a springboard Codebreaker from Salem got the win. They did a lot with their time, and credit to them for holding it together despite that slip at the end. ***¼

Emeritus vs. Carlos Zamora
Apparently Denmark’s got a slice of Parts Unknown… and it’s a return to wXw shows for Emeritus, after he worked the last wXwNOW Showcase. Zamora’s a substitute opponent here, with El Guapo bringing a “Cristiano Ronaldo-like pose,” and Razor Ramon levels of gaudy jewellery.

Opening with a knuckle lock, Emeritus held on with a wristlock as Zamora tried to take things to the mat, before a low dropkick targeted the masked man’s knee. Emeritus pulls Zamora’s trunks down as we get a partial moon, before a handstand into a legdrop, then a shotgun dropkick had Zamora ahead.

Zamora kicks the knee out as a sliding punch and a quick stomp to Emeritus’ back kept him ahead. A lucha roll-up turns into a backslide for Emeritus, who pulls off some of Das Wunderkind’s old moves ahead of a step-up knee to Zamora in the corner. Some exchanges led to a brainbuster from Emeritus, before the pair traded kicks and forearms.

Emeritus lands a forearm, but low superkicks took him down momentarily… before a backfist and a right hand led to a stunner on Zamora. Ducked clotheslines from both men led to a Dragon suplex from Emeritus, which Zamora returned with a German suplex, only for a clothesline to follow as Zamora headed up top… and hit a missile dropkick. It took Emeritus outside as Zamora teed up for a dive, but he flipped off the crowd instead… then slapped the masked man.

Emeritus was thrown back in, but he’s right back out with a baseball slide into a DDT on the floor, before a springboard clothesline back inside and a Roller-Ghoster drew a near-fall. Zamora ducks a superkick, then lifted Emeritus up for an Electric Chair drop, before a Shining Wizard almost won it… Zamora argues with the ref, before his attempt at an O’Connor roll was countered as Emeritus bridged up and snatched the win. Lovely stuff here, with both Emeritus and Zamora shining in the time they had. ***½

Maverick & Tamas Szabo vs. Gulyas Brothers (Gulyas Vilmos & Gulyas Junior)
Gulyas Junior’s perhaps the best known of these four to the regular wXw fanbase… he and brother Vilmos brought their HCW tag team titles with them here.

Vilmos and Maverick start off, with Vilmos throwing his way free of a side headlock before Szabo tagged in. He ducks a clothesline, then grabbed a cravat, but couldn’t proceed much further before Maverick came back in, this time scaling the ropes whilst in a lock-up before falling to a lucha roll-up.

Maverick’s up at two, but had to slide out of a headlock takedown as he looked to get in Vilmos’ head. Szabo tags himself back in as Gulyas Junior finally got involved, locking up with Szabo into the corner for a break. Chops sting Szabo too, before an exchange off the ropes led to Szabo issuing a reply.

Lucha roll throughs lead to a swinging back suplex from Junior, then a back senton as Vilmos returned to slam and get slammed. Junior’s chucked into Szabo for a cannonball as Vilmos nearly picked up the win, before Junior came in for what looked like a Hart Attack. Szabo fought free though, taking Junior to the ropes for a slicing legdrop on the apron, before a snapmare and a face rake had Junior on the defensive.

Maverick tags back in as Junior’d punched Szabo. His chops barely fazed Junior though, unlike the return effort… before Junior ended up taking a back cracker and a swinging DDT. Junior kicks out at two, then blocked Maverick’s follow-up as some Dusty jabs led to a pop-up knee. Tags bring in Vilmos and Szabo, with the Gulyas brother running wild, dropping Szabo with a German suplex and a crossbody for a near-fall.

A tag brings Maverick back in, but he’s thrown onto the apron before Szabo pulled Vilmos into the ropes to help on a sunset flip for a near-fall. Maverick followed up with a Samoan driver, but Maverick tagged back in to steal the glory, hitting a frog splash for a near-fall. Junior’s back in as he tried to win with a roll-up, before a Hart Attack to Szabo almost won it, but Maverick leaps off the top to break up the cover.

In the end though, it’s a wild lariat from Junior that took care of Maverick, sending them outside for dualling Gulyas dives, before a pop-up electric chair into a powerbomb gave Maverick a rude landing back inside as Junior took the win. Lovely stuff this from the Hungarian lads, with the makeshift Szabo/Maverick team not entirely relying on the tropey “can they get along?!” routine. The Hungarian scene’s getting hyped for a reason! ***½

King Of The Carnival Championship: Big Guns Joe vs. Charles Crowley (c)
Our main event is for Charles Crowley’s newly-won Wrestle Carnival title. Crowley’s pre-match hype video didn’t make the cut, nor did his ring music…

A tie-up starts us off, but Joe takes down Crowley, only to get met with a wristlock as the pair went back and forth. Crowley’s slap just pisses off Joe, who double legs him for a Boston crab, but it ends quickly in the ropes as Crowley ends up returning with a headlock takedown.

Joe pushes out of the side headlock, then charged down Crowley, following up with uppercuts and a back body drop. Crowley tries to take the back of Joe for a sleeperhold, but Joe fought free, only to eat a forearm and a Zig Zag for a near-fall. A suplex follows, as Crowley proceeded to choke on Joe in the ropes, before Joe lifted Crowley up… only for Crowley to club his way free.

A capture suplex from Joe creates a new opening as he took things back to the corner, before a Kanuki suplex threw Crowley down. Crowley boots Joe out of the corner, only to springboard into a fireman’s carry pancake from Joe, as a back senton and a deadlift gutwrench suplex looked to get the win… but Crowley’s up at two.

Going back to the Boston crab, Joe’s almost able to roll over Crowley, before an enziguiri caught Joe off guard. A bell ringer from the apron’s next, then a springboard stunner out of the corner, before an Implant DDT from Crowley drew a near-fall. A low superkick adds another near-fall, before Crowley headed up top for a Coast to Coast… but he took too long following up as a Boston crab from Joe nearly led to the title change. Crowley’s able to make it to the rope, then again from another Fireman’s Carry Pancake, before he tripped Joe up, and scored the win with a Merry Go Round swinging slam. Considering both were largely unknown, this was alright, although this was a crowd that didn’t seem to be biting too much on character work on this afternoon. ***

6.8

The final score: review Average

The 411

These showcase shows perhaps aren’t the most glamorous parts of wXw’s weekenders, but they offer a fine palate cleanser - and expose you to more diverse wrestlers than you’d probably see normally. Credit’s got to go to Andy Jackson and Dave Bradshaw for the commentary here, handling a lot of names they’d not normally see - yet they excelled without making it feel like they’d just been given bullet points on the wrestlers involved. Swing by for the APC, Bodyslam and Passion Pro matches!