wXw are my promotion these days, so I was happy to see them\nget a spot out in New York to show their stuff. The show looked strong on\npaper, or at least offered the American fan a glimpse of what wXw offers,\nwhilst contests like David Starr versus Lucky Kid and Shigehiro Irie versus\nBobby Gunns definitely had me interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LAX (Ortiz\/Santana) versus\nThe Crown (Jurn Simmons\/Alexander James)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know: <\/strong>LAX\nhas had a run recently in wXw and I have enjoyed everything they\u2019ve been\ninvolved with. The Crown are a resident wXw team so no introductions needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>Good\nto hear the \u2018Jurn Simmons sucks\u2019 chants travel across the sea. Some great early\ncombinations by LAX had James isolated initially, but Ortiz found himself cut\noff as the Crown used quick tags to keep the fresh man in. A tag to Santana\nsparked a sequence of drops, including a plank for two, yet LAX again found\nthemselves wrestling from underneath after some illegal double teaming by the\nCrown. The Crown were methodical in their offense, yet a collision between the\ntwo men almost allowed LAX to grab the win with a frogsplash. The ref lost all\ncontrol at this point, whilst the Crown\u2019s ruthlessness hurt them as they took\ntoo long trying to \u2018decapitate\u2019 Ortiz. LAX picked up a big win with a double\nflapjack-esque finisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>An\nenjoyable opener that did its job of getting things off to a good start. Have\nto imagine LAX may get some more bookings in wXw in the future, especially\nsince they went over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Darby Allin versus\nAvalanche<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know:<\/strong>\nAvalanche is a known entity. Allin, I\u2019ve seen on some EVOLVE shows \u2013 what an\nexciting wrestler to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>Allin\nwas always going to spend most of this match being a crash test dummy and so it\nwas for the first few minutes as Avalanche flexed his muscles. Darby needed to\nhit and move, something he highlighted with a Code Red for two, yet the speed\nat which Avalanche can turn the tide was scary as he nailed a huge Samoan drop.\nThe impact on Avalanche\u2019s slams were heightened by Allin\u2019s bumping, including a\nfallaway slam that sent Allin halfway across the ring. This set up the Vader\nBomb in a dominant victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>Allin is\ngoing to sacrifice his body in other matches this weekend \u2013 this was a great\nshowcase of Avalanche\u2019s raw power in a fairly quick match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuu versus Jordynne\nGrace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know:<\/strong>\nWhilst Yuu seems like a nice person herself, I\u2019ve not overly enjoyed her stuff\nin wXw if I\u2019m honest. Jordynne replaced LuFisto in this match (LuFisto not here\ndue to a family issue) and is someone I\u2019ve always liked when I\u2019ve seen her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>Not\nonly is Grace powerful, a nip-up and cartwheel early on showcased her\nimpressive athleticism as she took control from the bell. A spinning side slam\nby Yuu highlighted that she could match up with Grace when it came to strength,\nalthough a spinebuster had Grace back on top. Grace moved fast and hit hard\nthroughout, but almost got defeated when Yuu amazingly deadlifted Grace from\nthe canvas to drop her hard with a slam. The finish was nasty as Grace\npumphandle-drivered Yuu into the mat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>Strongest\nmatch I\u2019ve seen Yuu have \u2013 Grace is someone I really need to watch more of as\nshe is very good in the ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shotgun Championship\nMatch: Marius Al-Ani versus Emil Sitoci \u00a9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know: <\/strong>In\npreparing for New York, I actually forgot wXw had a show on between 16 Carat\nand this. Thus, Emil Sitoci being the champion was news to me\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>A\nquick start helped to showcase the burgeoning dislike between the two men as\neach went for multiple pinfalls in the early stages of the match. Some brawling\nat ringside actually served to slow the contest down. The crowd didn\u2019t seem to\nknow how to react to what were effectively two heels, so a lot of Sitoci\u2019s\nsubmission work\/cheating played out to silence. They did, however, enjoy a\npicture perfect elbowdrop that earned Sitoci a two later on. Al-Ani\u2019s best\nflurry came following blocking the Spanish Fly, but he took too long going for\na frog splash and Sitoci did indeed hit the Spanish Fly for three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>Both men\nwere game and tried, but the odd way the alignments of the two are hurt the\ncrowd reaction to a lot of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David Starr versus\nLucky Kid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know:<\/strong> Two\nof my favourites going against each other \u2013 can\u2019t complain about that one bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>Similar to the previous contest, the two\nmen started quickly with exchanges and reversals, though Kid begun to get in\nStarr\u2019s head with a dive feint in the opening minutes. Starr positioned himself\nas heel as his viciousness saw him run Kid into the ringpost after catching him\nmid-crossbody, alongside some disparaging kicks and slaps. This led to Starr\narguing with the crowd as they began to turn on him, whilst he managed to cut\noff Kid\u2019s attempts at a comeback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kid did get some success with his handspring back elbow that\nsparked a succession of moves for the 16 Carat Gold winner. Both men began to\nunload the big guns at this point, including an excellent German suplex\ncatching Kid out of mid-air. Kid somehow managed to kick out of Han Stansen,\nthe Blackheart Buster and Starr\u2019s powerbomb over the knee as the crowd began to\nhum the RINGKAMPF theme music to further antagonise Starr. Finally, a 450\nsplash and a crossface earned Kid a hard-fought win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>I\u2019m\nbiased perhaps, but an excellent match that told a great story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starr\u2019s post-match promo is great, as he lambasts the fans\nfor cheering on WALTER, a man tied to a company who doesn\u2019t care about\nhealthcare or unions. Topical, full of venom, and ends up with Starr \u2018quitting\u2019\nwXw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Absolute Andy versus\nChris Brookes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know: <\/strong>An\ninteresting contest on paper as both men are seemingly on opposite trajectories\nin the company \u2013 Brookes on the up; Andy less so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The match: <\/strong>In an\neffort to get things kick started following the draining Starr\/Kid contest, the\ntwo brawled on the outside during the early exchanges, so much so that the bell\ndidn\u2019t ring until a good five minutes into the contest. When things officially\ngot under way, Andy began to exert his power advantage to control Brookes. An\nAndy moonsault that was meant to miss almost caught Brookes, yet the two men channelled\nShelton Benjamin\/Shawn Michaels later with a springboard into an Andy\nsuperkick. After avoiding the F5 a couple of times, Brookes got the sudden\nvictory with a roll-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict:<\/strong> A fine\nenough match, though never really moved past that. Brookes getting the win\ncould be big, though it becomes dependent on how important this show is viewed\nas part of wXw canon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n wXw World Tag Team Championship Match: The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry\/James Drake) versus Aussie Open \u00a9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know: <\/strong>Aussie Open are one of the best teams currently in the UK and one I\u2019ve seen live a few times. Enjoyed what I saw of the Workhorsemen at Wrestlemania Weekender shows last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Match: <\/strong>The crowd was by far the loudest it had been outside of Starr\/Kid for this contest. Both teams had a fun big man\/little man dynamic, with the Workhorsemen making the most of some initial double team moves on Kyle Fletcher, before Henry took the brunt of the punishment from Aussie Open. A blown kiss from Drake hinted at a later collision with Davis, which first came about on a hot tag to Dunkzilla as they traded stiff chops. After some further back and forth action, the two men continued with their chop war, ending with Drake almost picking up an upset win after a very impressive moonsault. However, it was Aussie Open who retained as the US fans got to see Close Your Eyes And Count To Fuck and a Fidget Spinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>A good\nfirst defense for Aussie Open. Would be great to see a team like the\nWorkhorseman wrestle for wXw once more. There was a focus on Open not having\nthe wXw tag belts, so I wonder if that will tie into anything or was just\nmaking up for a production snafu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n wXw Unified World\nHeavyweight Championship Match: Shigehiro Irie versus Bobby Gunns \u00a9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I know:<\/strong> A\nfeud that was great as 2018 rolled into 2019 was revitalised for this New York\ntrip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Match: <\/strong>The \u2018Bobby\nGunns\u2019 chant clearly travels. In the opening moments of the match, Irie\u2019s power\nwas evident, but a cross armbreaker attempt by Gunns allowed the champion to\ntake control. Gunns used his submissions to wear down his bigger opponent, only\nfor a spinning sidewalk slam to drop him out of the blue. Some German suplex\ntrading saw both men end up getting dumped on the back of their head in\nexciting but nerve wracking action. Things escalated with an Irie piledriver on\nthe ring apron as Beast Mode was engaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gunns\u2019 earlier arm work saved him as Irie was slow to cover\non a Beast Bomber. Irie\u2019s decision to bite the bottom rope to escape a\nsubmission was very popular, as was Gunns kicking out of a running Northern\nLights Bomb by Irie. As the crowd began to chant for Gunns, he managed to slap\non a cross armbreaker to end the contest via submission. Whilst the finish wasn\u2019t\nexecuted greatly, the arrival of Joey Janela post-match definitely got a pop.\nAs the two men ended up smoking in the middle of the ring, Janela claimed he\nwanted the belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: <\/strong>There\nwere some spots in here that might have gone over better with a crowd who were\nmore knowledgeable of the product, but it was a strong main event on the whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I now know: Personally, I thought it was a good,\nauthentic wXw show for the New York crowd. Whilst that meant it didn\u2019t hit on\neverything it offered, there was enough here to enjoy, especially if you followed\nthe product beforehand. Where the Janela and Gunns thing is going at least has\nme intrigued, so that works. I also like that we saw Starr \u2018quit\u2019, as it means\nsome element of this show has some storyline purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Match:<\/strong> David\nStarr versus Lucky Kid<\/p>\n\n\n\n Less Good<\/strong>: Emil\nSitoci versus Marius Al-Ani<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" wXw are my promotion these days, so I was happy to see them get a spot out in New York to show their stuff. The show looked strong on paper, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,202],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-12007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-wxw-reviews","tag-wrestlemania"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jnWd-37F","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/wXw-Amerika-ist-Wunderbar-logo.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12007"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12017,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12007\/revisions\/12017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}