By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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WXW “Back to the Roots”
January 18, 2025 in Oberhausen, Germany at Turbinenhalle
Replay available via TrillerTV+
I have really enjoyed their shows; the ring is well-lit, and a crowd of maybe 600 is always hot. The ring announcer spoke in German, but there IS English commentary provided by Mett Dimassi.
1. Levaniel vs, Hardcore Nick Schreier. I’ve compared Levaniel’s looks, with his slicked-back blond hair, to 1993 “Stunning” Steve Austin. Schreier came out through the crowd to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” while smoking a cigarette and holding a kendo stick! He drank beer with the fans as the song played. (Why hasn’t anyone ever thought to do that before?) I guess as far as tribute acts go, this one isn’t too bad! He got in the ring and hit punches in the corner as the crowd counted in German. Basic brawling in the ring early on.
Schreier got the kendo stick and hit Levaniel with it at 2:00 and the crowd chanted “One more time!” in English! (I’m amused by what they chant in English, as they’ve already had some German chants I don’t know.) Levaniel choked him in the ropes, and Schreier was bleeding from the forehead. Mett interpreted what Levaniel was shouting, saying that “no one will remember (Schreier) in six months.” Schreier nailed a dive through the ropes at 4:00. They brawled away from ringside and over near a bar on the floor. Schreier hit him on the head with a metal cookie sheet, and they returned to ringside, and they got back into the ring.
Schreier dumped a bag of beer bottle caps! However, Levaniel hit a backbody drop, sending Schreier onto the caps! Schreier hit a White Russian Leg Sweep, using the kendo stick, at 7:30. He leapt off the top rope, but Levaniel hit him in the stomach with the kendo stick! Levaniel hit a Shellshock swinging faceplant onto a title belt and scored the pin. Good brawl of a match. Nick Scheier was NOT doing this Sandman gimmick the last time I saw him, but it worked fine, although it also will limit his upward movement.
Levaniel defeated Hardcore Scheier at 8:16.
* Some guys spoke backstage in German. (On some past shows, we had English subtitles, but unfortunately, none here today.)
* Anita Vaughan came to the ring. Vaughan wore regular street clothes and carried her Shotgun Title, but she had a wrap on her knee and was limping. The closest comparison to her is Shayna Baszler. She spoke in English, thanking the crowd. She had a physical match last night, and her knee is sore. But, she is here and she wants to fight! However, she is not cleared to compete. She is going to rest up to compete in the 16 Karat tournament! She is the first woman to hold this title, and she vowed to be the first Shotgun Champion to win the tournament. As she was leaving the ring, Fast Time Moodo came out of the back; he looks like heel Matt Hardy with his hair slicked back, and he barked at her in German. (I am used to seeing him team with former NXT wrestler Axel Tischer here.) Mett said that Moodo said no woman on the planet is good enough to beat him.
2. Fast Time Moodo vs. Yokai. I don’t think I’ve seen Yokai, who has an elaborate Japanese warrior robe and a painted face; it’s also a bit like WWE’s Ascension team. Moodo hit some spin kicks to the thighs, and he kept Yokai grounded. Yokai hit a clothesline at 3:30, then a stiff Mafia Kick, then a uranage for a nearfall. Moodo airballed a spin heel kick; it really wasn’t close. He hit some Yes Kicks at 5:00. Mett said “he has a face you want to lay a punch into.” Moodo hit some quick kicks and remained in charge, hitting a facebuster for the pin. Okay match.
Fast Time Moodo defeated Yokai at 6:14.
3. “Young Blood” Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima vs. “Cash” Dennis Dullnig and Hektor Invictus for the wXw Tag Team Titles. Leube has grown his hair out just a bit, and both of these guys look so much better now than they did as NJPW Young Lions. (And seriously… Why haven’t they been called back to Japan by now? They are sorely needed!!) Oskar and Cash (think Stu Grayson) opened. Hektor (he has a huge cross tattoo over his heart) entered at 2:00 and battled Yuto, and Nakashima hit some spin kicks. YB worked over Cash and kept him in their corner. Hektor got a hot tag and nailed a spinebuster on Oskar at 6:00. However, Cash made a blind tag! Mett noted they aren’t on the same page. Oskar nailed a hard boot to the sternum.
Young Blood hit a team neckbreaker move for a believable nearfall, but Hektor made the save. Cash hit a low blow punt kick on Yuto as the ref was out of position at 8:00! Hektor and Cash argued about this. Oskar nailed a Choke Bomb on Cash. He hit an F5 move. Yuto hit a running knee on Cash, and Oskar made the cover for the pin. Decent match; seriously, Young Blood needs to make a big return to NJPW at some point in 2025. Dullnig and Invictus left separately, but no punches were thrown.
“Young Blood” Yuto Nakashima and Oscar Leube defeated “Cash” Dennis Dullnig and Hektor Invictus to retain the wXw Tag Team Titles at 8:52.
4. Aigle Blanc vs. Ahura. I’ve noted that Blanc has long, curly blond hair coming from under his mask, and I’ve joked that it could be Matt Riddle. Anyhow, he’s a top-10 European talent and he did some U.S. dates in 2024. And I’ve noted that Ahura looks like a Damian Sandow; once you see it, you can’t unsee it! He has a small mask to protect his nose today. Ahura almost immediately began undoing Blanc’s mask and was booed. Blanc nailed a flip dive to the floor on Ahura at 2:30. Mett noted both of these guys are in the 16K Gold tournament and could meet there again. In the ring, Blanc applied a leg lock around the neck. Ahura backed Blanc into a corner and hit some loud chops. They traded rollups.
Blanc hit a springboard crossbody block and they were both down at 6:30. Blanc hit a twisting neckbreaker, then a springboard flying knee for a nearfall. They both flipped over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Ahura nailed a decapitating clothesline, and they were both down at 9:30. Blanc hit a Dragon Suplex. Ahura hit a top-rope superplex, but Blanc hit a DDT for a nearfall. Blanc nailed a jumping Tombstone Piledriver, but didn’t go for a cover. Ahura twisted Blanc’s mask, got a backslide, and the tainted pin. The ref awkwardly paused in his count; it made Blanc look even worse for not kicking out. Really good match though; based on what Mett said several times, I would expect Blanc to get his revenge in the 16K Gold tournament.
Ahura defeated Aigle Blanc at 12:52.
5. Cara Noir vs. Axel Tischer. Noir is the Black Swan ballet gimmick performer; he recently did a few U.S. dates with Progress Wrestling, and he wrestles barefoot. Tischer is the former Alexander Wolfe in his NXT run. A lockup to open, as Mett talked about Noir’s foot injury that forced him out of action for two years, as they worked each other’s left arm. Noir hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, he hit a stiff kick to the spine at 5:00. Tischer began stomping on Noir and kept him grounded. Noir fired up and hit a series of kicks, then a hard clothesline at 8:30, then a German Suplex, then a Rude Awakening neckbreaker for a believable nearfall.
Noir leapt off the ropes, but Tischer caught him with a European Uppercut, then a hard clothesline for a nearfall, and they were both down at 10:30. Tischer nailed a German Suplex for a nearfall. Noir fired back with a shotgun Dropkick, but Tischer hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner for a nearfall. Noir hit a DDT for a nearfall, but Axel got a foot on the ropes at 12:00, and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. Axel hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall, and we got a “Fight forever!” chant. Tischer got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall. Noir applied a sleeper, but Tischer fell backward to the mat to escape. Noir nailed a flying headbutt, then a vicious Package Piledriver for the pin. That built nicely and the last half was tremendous. The fans gave it a standing ovation. Mett gushed praise.
Cara Noir defeated Axel Tischer at 15:32.
6. “High Performer LTD” Anil Marik & Icarus vs. “The Big Bucks” Alex Duke & Norman Harras vs. Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker in a tables elimination match. I know Tihanyi, Harras and Dreissker but I don’t think I’ve seen their respective teammates. Smarmy, arrogant Harras has been a great heel commentator on past shows I’ve seen. Both Dreissker and Empire are thick and wore black jackets. Empire is looking a lot like the last time I saw Michael Elgin. TBB attacked Empire and Dreissker. All six brawled in the ring, and Empire/Dreissker are the only babyfaces, so the heels ganged up on them. Mett stressed there are no pinfalls in this one; you are eliminated by going through a table. “It might as well be a four-on-two match at this point,” Mett said.
Empire hit a double suplex at 5:00. The crowd chanted “We want tables!” in English. Duke hit a uranage on Dreissker. Harras hit a spear. Empire and Dreissker hiptossed Duke onto Harras, as Harras was lying on a table at 7:46 for our first elimination, and the crowd sang the “Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye” chant at them, and the match continued without a break. Icarus hit a low blow on Dreissker and they continued to work him over. They threw him toward a table in the corner but he stopped himself before going through it. Dreissker hit a spinebuster. Icarus hit a chairshot to Dreissker’s head as Dreissker was on the ropes! Marik then slammed Dreissker through a table to win the match. Decent brawl.
Anil Marik & Icarus defeated Alex Duke & Norman Harras and Marc Empire & Robert Dreissker in a tables elimination match at 12:39.
7. Meiko Satomura vs. Stephanie Maze. Maze also dresses like a legit MMA fighter; her whole demeanor is like Baszler or Marina Shafir, and I’ve seen her a couple times now. The crowd gave Meiko a huge ovation, as this is her final-ever match in Germany. Mett noted she started wrestling in 1995! Meiko immediately went to work on the left arm. Mieko hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest and got a nearfall at 2:30. Maze hit a snap suplex, then a short-arm clothesline. Meiko locked in an STF at 4:30. Maze hit a running knee to the side of the head and took control. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Meiko hit a Pele Kick at 6:30. Meiko hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. She hit a second one and scored the pin. Good match, but certainly shorter than I had anticipated.
Meiko Satomura defeated Stephanie Maze at 8:57.
* An intermission match was Penta vs. Ilja Dragunov! I’ve seen this one before but it’s worth checking out. (The intermission is so late in the show because our main event is a cage match, and of course, those take time to erect.)
8. Peter Tihanyi vs. Elijah Blum in a cage match. Blum has short, dark hair and he is covered in tattoos. I haven’t seen the ‘it-factor’ yet in Tihanyi, even though he has been featured prominently here. He has the look of Dirty Dango. Tihanyi entered first; Blum got in the cage and they immediately brawled before the bell. (There are some small holes in the cage wall that allow the ringside cameras to peer through, and that helps to see the action.) Blum tossed TIhanyi into the cage wall and was in charge early on. Peter hit Blum with a title belt to the head at 5:30! Blum was quickly covered in blood from his forehead. Tihanyi now took control and stomped on Blum.
Peter hit a top-rope crossbody block at 9:30 and kept Blum grounded. He hit a superkick. Tihanyi’s teammates ran to ringside to try and get into the cage, but Dreissker and Empire stopped them; Empire put a lock on the door so Tihanyi couldn’t escape, and he tossed the key into the crowd! In the ring, Blum hit Tihanyi with a long, thin metal pipe (about the size of a kendo stick), and he hit a Russian Leg Sweep while using it across the throat. Blum repeatedly whipped Tihanyi face-first into the cage walls. Blum applied a Boston Crab at 15:00, and the crowd taunted Peter to tap out. Tihanyi’s heel manager pulled one of Blum’s legs through a hole in the cage wall! It allowed Peter to hit him with the pipe. Tihanyi pulled out a shorter metal spike, but he wound up missing and it jabbed into the corner pad. Blum took the spike, threatened to use it, and Tihanyi gave up!
Elijah Blum defeated Peter Tihanyi at 21:25.
* Blum challenged Tihanyi to a rematch at 16K Gold.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show. Tischer-Noir was the reason to tune in, and I really liked Aigle Blanc vs. Ahura for second, and I’ll go with the cage match for third. I loved the emotion of Meiko’s final match here and it was good, but it wrapped up before it could move to the next level, either. I also love the NJPW Young Blood duo and really do hope to see them back in Japan soon.
Mett was very good on commentary; sure, I can watch a show without commentary (or earlier this week, watch a show with Japanese-only commentary), but I prefer to have someone in the booth. I do wish Harras had joined the booth after his match, just because I found him to be the perfect, smarmy heel color man.
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