Report by Markus Gronemann and F4WOnline.com …
Here is my report for the wXw Fan Appreciation Weekend – Night 1 from this past weekend:
Paul Tracey made his return to wXw after about 2 years and is now Karsten Beck’s henchman. Tracey, a long-time heel (doing a kind Lord Steven Regal/blue-blood gimmick) came out alone at first and appreciated the fans, thanking them for their support. This brought out Karsten, who is just about the most hated guy on the roster, as he does a gimmick where he wins all his matches after a low-blow and also stole Generico’s physical world title belt a while back. He was none too happy about Tracey bonding with the fans and began berating him, telling him how he paid for his flight when wXw wouldn’t and that Tracey was his little bitch. Tracey, in best Nikolai Volkoff fashion just took it, but teased being very unhappy about it.
1.) Prince Devitt vs Michael Dante (one half of the wXw tag team champions, Sumerian Death Squad)
Devitt won an awesome opener with a double underhook brainbuster. Devitt also did a bunch of flying and is really great. Shocking, I know
2.) Paul Tracey (w/ Karsten Beck) vs Emil Sitoci
More heat between Karsten and Paul. Also, Paul did some Yes/No spots, as everybody seems to be doing these days. Story was Beck getting involved all the time, going AW on the match and talking into his mic all the time. He wanted Tracey to beat up and humiliate Sitoci, and in the end, prevented Tracy from doing a move off the middle rope, when it looked like he had the match won. He instead wanted Tracey to win by Sitoci’s finisher, the Snapmare Driver for humiliation purposes. This obviously backfired, when Sitoci pushed Tracey into Beck on the apron and hit his own Snapmare Driver for the win.
3.) Jimmy Havoc vs. Robert Dreissker
Dreissker, who they are pushing as a monster, kind of like a young version of Big van Walter (both are from Vienna, Austria and teamed in the past) just killed Havoc with Avalanches, Samoan Drops and finished him off with a Vader Bomb in about three minutes. Total squash to get him over as a monster.
Promo Time with Sasa Keel, his gimmick is that he is kind of a douche in a suit and he used to do a kind of repossession gimmick, but without looking like a comic-book burglar, but more an IRS type. He called out Carnage for a match the next night. Shockingly little reaction, with half the fans being silent and the other half groaning when he talked about Carnage. Seemed nobody had any desire to se Carnage come out and kick his ass, and he even made fun of Carnage getting hurt all the time (he got his nose or orbital bone broken during each of his three previous comebacks or run-ins over the last two years). Keel then just left, seemed a bit premature to me.
4.) 1st No 1 Contender’s match for tomorrow’s Four-Way-Dance for the wXw Unified world title: Axeman vs Davey Richards
Axeman won a brutal match with lots of submissions and kicks by both guys. They did some very good mat wrestling and exchanged holds, Davey had him in the ankle lock a few times, but Axeman would always make the ropes or counter the hold somehow. He eventually won with the Death Valley Driver.
Axeman thanked Davey after the match in German, while Davey looked on puzzled and confused. Davey then cut a promo about respect (what else?) and told him to win the Unified title and that he wants a rematch, for the gold the next time he comes in. Axeman then promised he’d get that match (in English, which is not one of his strengths).
15 minute Intermission
When they came back, they talked about the Westside Dojo, which is their own wrestling school. They had a one-week training camp the week before for people who don’t live in the area, and got all of them in the ring for a little ceremony and gave them their diplomas.
5.) 2nd No 1 Contender’s match for tomorrow’s Four-Way-Dance for the wXw Unified world title: Jon Ryan vs Karsten Beck
Ryan was supposed to face Johnny Moss in an unsanctioned, I-Quit-You’re-Better-Than-Me-No-1-Contender’s match, that would have taken place after the main event with the fans’ safety not being guaranteed. Moss had to get surgery for a staph infection though last weekend and will be out for 4-6 weeks. The match will now take place at the 12th Anniversary show on 12/8. The office decided to
Beck came out with Tracey who played full-fledged face, even chanting and clapping for Ryan. Beck would go out of the ring and berate Tracey, who sat down in the front row for a time. Ryan beat him up most of the match. Beck won after a low-blow and small package, after Tracey got on the apron and distracted the ref to allow it. Instead of Tracey’s face antics being a ruse, at it would have been in Russo-Land, he still seemed unhappy and conflicted about what he had done, so the story seems to be Tracey having to decide whether he wants to be a face or wants to keep getting paid and humiliated by Beck.
6.) RockSkillet (Jonathan Gresham & Jay Skillett) vs The Leaders of the New School (Zack Sabre Jr. & Marty Scurll)
RockSkillet won with a German suplex hold by Gresham on Marty. These four tore the house down with lots of awesome double-team spots. Constant, high-paced action, interspersed by some classic British mat wrestling. Leaders worked over Skillet for the heat in the second portion of the match, eventually he hot-tagged Gresham who cleaned house, leading to some more great action with all four guys involved. I honestly don’t think the LDRS could have a bad match if they tried at this point.
Post match they shook hands, with Marty not shaking Skillet’s hand, which may lead to a singles match between the two or a tag-teamon this show.
7.) 3rd No 1 Contender’s match for tomorrow’s Four-Way-Dance for the wXw Unified world title: Bad Bones vs. Big Van Walter
FUCK!!! They killed each other, in a stiff, strong-style match. At one point they traded hard-way head butts, which were sickening to see and listen to. One of them busted Walter open and he had a sick gash on his forehead. They kept going at full speed and blood splattered everywhere and a little even got on the fans (me among them) at ringside. They chopped, punched, kicked and suplexed the shit out of one another. Walter eventually won after a lariat, Saito suplex and power bomb. Bones kicked out at 3.01 but it was too late. Awesome, stiff, hard-hitting match!
8.) wXW Unified world title: El Generico (c) vs. Tommy End
These two faced off once before this year, in the finals of the 16 Carat Tournament. Crowd was going bananas for Generico, but a small portion cheered and chanted for Tommy.
This was a great main event. They had a match very different from their last one in the tournament finals. While it didn’t have quite the drama of Generico as the underdog taking punishment and coming back to win at the end (it never can be, when the underdog is the one defending the title), it was still an excellent bout. They told a great story here, which was that Tommy knew Generico so well by now, that he managed to stop or thwart most of Generico’s signature moves.
Tommy had his Omori Lock finisher on at different points, but Generico didn’t pass out from it (during 16 Carat, Tommy made a few opponents pass out and won by ref stoppage). Tommy even hit Generico’s brainbuster finisher on him twice and hit a top-rop double foot stomp, which is another of his finishers. Final spot was Tommy locking on the Omori driver in the middle of the ring once more and either he rolled over for more leverage himself or Generico managed to roll them both over. Tommy kept pulling harder, but his shoulders were on the mat, so he was pinned and was in total shock afterwards, as it seems he didn’t notice the ref counting. The crowd was going crazy for the win.
Tonight’s main event: Four Way Dance for the wXw Unified world title: El Generico (c) vs Axeman vs Karsten Beck vs Big Van Walter
As it was Fan Appreciation Night, they ended the show on a raffle. Fans got a free ticket at the entrance and could buy as many more as the wanted. They raffled off a signed turnbuckle, a signed poster from their recent trip to Japan (with BJW) and a guest-ring-announcing spot as well as some merchandise.
Night 2 kicks off at 5 pm CET (11 am ET/8 am PT), and we’ll be tweeting results and impression live again at @DarkMatEU.
