By Liam Byrne @tvtimelimit
wXw Shotgun review (29.8.18)
What makes wXw one of the better promotions in the world at the moment is their ability to nail both the micro and the macro when it comes to their television and the Marquee Events they run. It is this ability to tell smaller stories that engage on a weekly basis alongside the overarching characters and angles that are furthered or finished at the bigger shows that makes everything must see. It is this ability that gives its fans matches like Jurn Simmons versus Emil Sitoci and make it feel worthwhile, even whilst still building towards Simmons versus David Starr. It is also that type of booking that allows for the biggest stars to interact with a variety of other wrestlers to offer fresh ways to develop feuds, as seen in tonight’s main event of Ilja Dragunov and Laurance Roman versus Absolute Andy and Juvenile X, all sparked off of recent attempts for X to ingratiate himself with the wXw Unified World Champion. We also get a handicap match off of the back of a handshake, as Melanie Gray and Millie McKenzie meet Alpha Female, all played out against a backdrop of Female gunning for the Women’s Title.
Having already seen Ilja Dragunov telling Laurance Roman to take the beatings he receives and use them as fuel to defeat those who take the easy route, as well as Absolute Andy blatantly stealing Juvenile X’s plan to take out Roman so as to make the match effectively a handicap one, the two teams met in a main event that gave is a taste of what we might see in Oberhausen. Roman, fired up by his beating last week, takes the fight initially to both of his opponents, though a missed second rope dive would have X celebrating prematurely. Behind his back, Dragunov would be tagged in and unleash a spinning chop that started a sequence of chops and turnbuckle smashes on the brash X. Roman would be whipped into X to land an European uppercut before scoring a two count on a second rope dropkick, but a handful of hair from Andy on the outside turned the tide, whilst almost earning Andy the ire of Dragunov, if the champion hadn’t hightailed it out of the ring first.
Roman would be beaten down by both X and Andy, with Andy picking and choosing his moments to step foot in the ring. A tiltawhirl backbreaker would lead to Andy throwing Roman outside and getting in Dragunov’s face, all as a means to allow X to beat up Roman at ringside. However, it would be Andy who eventually allowed Roman to tag to Dragunov, as Roman managed to slip his way out of an F5 and hit a dropkick. Dragunov would take the fight to X primarily as Andy went back to the apron, but the champion would receive a jumping head kick for his troubles. With all four men in the ring, Andy would land the F5 on Roman, only for a top rope senton by Dragunov to break X’s resulting pin attempt. We’d get some brief exchanges between Dragunov and Andy as the former champion span in the ropes to nail a clothesline, yet Andy would then feed X to a Dragunov Torpedo Moscow and walk out. Roman would be the one to get revenge in the form of the winning pinfall after a top rope splash, but Andy had escaped with only his pride hurt. The two show arc with Roman and X was fun, whilst we got just enough of a hint of Andy and Dragunov to whet the appetite.
With Jurn Simmons and Emil Sitoci squaring off against each other, you’d need to find a way to make Sitoci look equal to a ridiculously strong opponent. One way of doing this was to have Sitoci nail a superkick and a snapmare driver within seconds, almost defeating Simmons with the first two moves. From there, Simmons was struggling to compete with Sitoci’s pace, especially as Sitoci tried to attack the arm with a double knee armdreaker and some holds on the canvas. Simmons would be able to utilise his strength eventually, throwing Sitoci in a variation of a suplex before dumping him with a short arm clothesline.
Sitoci’s speed was always going to cause Simmons problems though, and a second rope crossbody was the catalyst for a wheelbarrow armdrag, second rope armdrag, tiltawhirl headscissors and a Russian legsweep as Sitoci was all over Simmons. A split legged moonsault earned Sitoci a nearfall, but Simmons would use Sitoci’s momentum against him in a spinning back suplex. A draping DDT moments later would see Simmons get a two count, but Sitoci came back once more, earning close counts on an O’Connor Roll and a top rope elbowdrop. Unfortunately, it would be Sitoci’s high risk offense that cost him; Simmons would trip him on a springboard move, before instantly using the piledriver for a hard thought victory that was worked engagingly to always present Sitoci as a conceivable victor in the contest.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or so they say, and this was the theory that brought together Melanie Gray and Mille McKenzie to team against Alpha Female in a handicap match. After getting shouted at by Female and tagging out, Gray would attempt to attack Female from behind to little effect. Gray would be smothered with forearm blows and chokes, though she would escape a powerbomb attempt to tag out and allow McKenzie to land two shotgun dropkicks and a jumping European uppercut for only a one count. Female would show off her impressive strength by hitting a double slam on her two opponents, but the numbers game was difficult to stay ahead of as an Argentine backbreaker on McKenzie saw Gray land a chop block to take down Female.
A sequence saw some useful teamwork by Gray and McKenzie as a second rope back elbow sent Female into one of McKenzie’s trademark suplexes, but it was never likely to last. After McKenzie avoided a powerbomb attempt moments later and hit a spear, a tag attempt would see Gray step off of the apron and watch the rest of the match from the entrance way. Impressively, McKenzie would kick out of a powerbomb, but a cobra clutch would leave the referee little choice but to wave the match off.
Later on backstage, McKenzie would confront Gray about her actions, with Gray making it clear that having a cute little face isn’t everything. Unfortunately, this show was taped before the decision was made to strip an injured Toni Storm of the wXw Women’s Title, so McKenzie and Gray are not currently due to meet in a four way contest at Fan as was once the case. This also meant that a cool Female versus Storm montage video was also unfortunately surplus to requirements. Instead, Alpha Female on Night Two will face the winner of Kris Wolff versus Melanie Gray versus Killer Kelly on the first night. It is a shame that Storm has been unable to defend the title, though it does make me feel that Female as Women’s Champion is now even more likely to be the outcome from the Fan shows.
Speaking of montage videos, the same treatment would be given to the match between Absolute Andy and Zack Sabre Jr., and Jurn Simmons against David Starr. The latter one in particular was a great way of accentuating the storyline between the two men that has brewed now for over a year, charting the highs and lows of once friends, now turned bitter enemies. As for Sabre Jr. and Andy, the list of Zack’s accomplishments really drives home how much of a contender he is, as well as the amazing few years he has had.
Alongside the in-ring action, we were backstage for several segments, with the main one being Lucky Kid apologising to Pete Bouncer and Ivan Kiev. Clearly still distraught over Tarkan Aslan’s betrayal, Kid would apologise three times, whilst also struggling to comprehend the behaviour of Aslan and Marius Al-Ani. Betrayal was also a theme of Timothy Thatcher bumping into JayFK, with him questioning why Francis Kaspin had turned out the way he now had – did himself and WALTER not train him appropriately? Kaspin and Jay Skillet were their usual arrogant selves, proclaiming themselves to be the new thing going around today, whilst Skillet would also deride the system of arse kissing that used to get you places in wXw. Tough words indeed.
Alongside his match with Jurn Simmons, Emil Sitoci would be seen talking with Dirty Dragan, the two men seemingly on the same page now after some issues in the past. Sitoci would remind Dragan to keep focused on what he is doing, whilst he promised to worry about the future. Finally, Doug Williams would have a brief interview with Tommy Giesen, speaking about his enjoyment at working with wXw once more, as well as looking forward to taking on Veit Muller.
As always, wXw do a wonderful job on the ‘go home’ show. Between summarising and engaging the fans as to why we should care about some of the more important matches at the next Marquee Event, and giving us a hint of what we might expect (Dragunov and Andy’s interactions in the main event), it is hard not to be excited by what should be two nights of excellent action from a promotion that continues to go from strength to strength.
Fan Hamburg 31st August
Absolute Andy vs Zack Sabre Jr. for the wXw Unified World Championship
Marius Al-Ani vs Bobby Gunns for the wXw Shotgun Title
Monster Consulting vs JayFK for the wXw World Tag Team Titles
Sexy Starr vs Ringkampf
Fred Yehi vs Chris Brookes
Veit Muller vs Doug Williams
Kris Wolff vs Killer Kelly vs Melanie Gray for #1 Contender to the wXw Women’s Title
Fan Oberhausen 1st September
Ilja Dragunov vs Absolute Andy – will happen no matter if Andy wins or loses in Hamburg
Alpha Female vs #1 contender decided in Hamburg
Jurn Simmons vs David Starr in a Last Man Standing match
RINGKAMPF vs Monster Consulting vs Aussie Open if Monster Consulting retain their wXw World Tag Team Titles
Lucky Kid/Bobby Gunns vs Marius Al-Ani/Tarkan Aslan
Fred Yehi vs Doug Williams
