Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE – 11.9.2008
Commentary is provided by Mike Quackenbush, Jagged, Shane Matthews, and Chuck Taylor.
The show starts off with the wXw Champion Steve Douglas coming out with the title. Steve speaks in German, so I can’t completely translate what he is saying. The gist of the interview is that he will not defend his title tonight against Bad Bones as scheduled because he had a concussion. Instead, a four man mini-tournament for the new wXw champion will occur, with the first two matches occurring tonight. The already scheduled match of Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli is now one of the two matches, and the other will see Bad Bones take on Big Van Walter. The winners of those two matches will face one another on a future wXw show to determine the new wXw Champion.
Tag World Grand Prix Semi-Final Round
Fire Ant {C} & Soldier Ant {C} vs. Vin Gerard {U} & STIGMA {U}
Soldier Ant takes down Gerard in a waistlock. He then salutes while having Gerard in an abdominal stretch. Gerard turns it into a schoolboy for two. Soldier Ant snapmares Gerard after reversing his wristlock. Gerard gives him a vertical arm lift while locking his shoulder. Soldier Ant rolls out and salutes. He throws chops to back Gerard to the corner. He gives him a rolling saluting forearm. Soldier Ant armdrags Gerard across the ring and sends him to the floor with a headscissors. After an aggressive lock up, Fire Ant armdrags STIGMA and chops him in the corner. STIGMA dishes out his own strikes. Fire Ant again armdrags him across the ring, but gets caught with a quebradora backbreaker soon after. Fire Ant thwarts the UnStable’s double team attempt. He gives Gerard the Stop, Drop, and Roll and Burns Down the House on STIGMA. Soldier Ant suicide dives onto STIGMA. Gerard catches Fire Ant with a wheelbarrow suplex. Fire Ant finds himself trapped in the UnStable’s corner until he flips over their double back drop attempt. Soldier Ant takes them both out with a double crossbody. He and Fire Ant give him the Ants Marching powerbomb/neckbreaker. STIGMA breaks the count. Soldier Ant drop toe holds STIGMA into the corner. Fire Ant follows with a somersault senton and Soldier Ant a diving saluting headbutt. The Colony double suplex the UnStable. They come off the top with Revenge of the Ants (double footstomps). Fire Ant can’t get the Beach Break on STIGMA. STIGMA gives him a neckbreaker across his knee. Soldier Ant and Gerard are fighting on the floor. They end up back in the ring where Gerard goes for the STF. Soldier Ant reverses it into the CHIKARA Special! Gerard escapes. Fire Ant DDT’s STIGMA on the floor. Gerard puts on the CHIKARA Special himself. Fire Ant boots Gerard in the face. He nails the Beach Break for the pin at 14:08. This was terrific. Gerard has fantastic chemistry with the Colony and STIGMA’s offense was more on point than usual. The last few minutes were really hot and it made for a really great finish.. Exciting, fun stuff. ***¼
Tag World Grand Prix Semi-Final Round
Tommy End & Andrew Patterson vs. Amasis {OP} & Ophidian {OP}
End brings Amasis to the floor in an overhead wristlock. Amasis applies pressure to his leg in a leg grapevine. They exchange holds until End crucifix pins Amasis for a two count. End twists up Amasis’ arm. End gets on a heel hook. Amasis escapes and tags in Ophidian. Patterson also tags in. Ophidian keeps on a side headlock. He shoulder blocks Patterson to the mat. Patterson leg lariats him and takes him over with a Frankensteiner. Patterson matches Amasis’ dancing skills. Because of this, Amasis wants a dance off. Amasis angrily tags out when the crowd decides that Patterson “served” him. End uppercuts Ophidian a few times. End is stopped in his tracks by hypnosis. Patterson shoves the Portal out of the ring while he checks on End. Amasis snaps his fingers and End kicks Patterson in the side of the head! Amasis then kicks End to the floor so he and Ophidian can isolate Patterson. Patterson escapes when he catches Ophidian with a flapjack. End uses spin kicks to destroy the Portal. He gets a two count on Amasis with a jumping knee strike. Ophidian uses his charm on Ophidian, but this time he manages to kick Ophidian in the side of the head. Amasis gives End That Move I Beat Moses With. Ophidian drops Patterson with double knees off the top. The Osirian Sacrament get them the pin at 13:49. End was on fire in this match, and Patterson was a great match for Amasis. The energy was really good and both teams gelled well together. It made for a fun watch. ***
Tag World Grand Prix Semi-Final Round
PAC & Martin Stone vs. Adam Polak & Lazio Fe
Polak and Fe attack PAC and Stone before the bell. Fe accidentally clotheslines Polak. PAC rolls Fe into the British Airways. Stone breaks the pin. PAC leg lariats Polak in the stomach and enzuigiri’s Fe. Fe dropkicks the top rope to stop PAC’s springboard offense. The Revolution Purple take turns doing damage to PAC’s legs, cheating when they can. PAC catches Fe’s kick and throws it into Polak. He then dropkicks Polak into Fe. PAC rolls to the floor so Stone can tag in, but the Revolution Purple bring PAC back in. Since the referee never saw Stone came in, he declares PAC legal again. PAC enzuigiri’s Polak. He comes off the top with a shooting star press to both men’s backs. Stone finally tags in and throws throat thrusts at both opponents. He lariats Polak and powerbombs Fe. PAC nails Fe with the shooting star press for the pin at 9:13. The story they told was good, though at this time it seems PAC had learned how to sell the leg from BxB Hulk – that’s to say, not sell it at all. Stone cleaning house after such a long beat down segment. That said, the Purple did a good job working the leg over and Stone looked killer in his short comeback before the match ended. **½
Chuck Taylor says he and Icarus are wondering why they came to Germany. Tonight they have Emil Sitoci in their corner to help them kill The Thrillers and Marc Roudin. Emil talks about his history with Roudin.
Marc Roudin, Joel Redman & Wade Fitzgerald vs. Icarus {F}, Chuck Taylor {F} & Emil Sitoci
Sitoci tags out to Icarus before Roudin can get his hands on him. Roudin takes him over with a Northern Lights suplex. He armdrags Icarus to the floor. Taylor and Fitzgerald fight for control. Taylor shoulder blocks Fitzgerald twice. Fitzgerald trips him and then grabs his nose. Taylor kicks him in the stomach. Fitzgerald tricks Taylor into grabbing his nose again. He headscissors Taylor across the ring. Redman gets in a pair of armdrags on Sitoci. Sitoci avoids a corner attack and comes off the second rope with a crossbody. He atomic drops Redman and clotheslines him to the floor. He slaps Roudin in the face. As Roudin charges, Icarus tackles him. Roudin gets isolated by the Rudos, though Sitoci still distances himself from Roudin during most of the beatdown. When Roudin is chasing Sitoci around the ring, Redman and Fitzgerald double hip toss and dropkick Taylor. Fitzgerald tries a headscissors. Taylor instead pops him into an X-Factor from Icarus. Fitzgerald now finds himself isolated and beat down. Taylor misses a moonsault, giving Fitzgerald the opportunity to tag out. Roudin gets in a few strikes on Sitoci before Sitoci bails to the floor. Taylor pulls Roudin out. Redman drops Icarus out of a spin into a brainbuster. Sitoci big boots Redman. Taylor stops Roudin from suplexing Roudin. He and Icarus hit F.I.S.T. Kicks and a boot/back cracker combo. Redman suplexes Icarus and himself to the floor. Fitzgerald missile dropkicks Taylor out. He follows with a pescado. Sitoci goes for a headlock driver on Roudin. Roudin fights out and gives Sitoci and 2k1 Michinoku Driver. Taylor again pulls Roudin out. He crotches Fitzgerald on the top rope. Sitoci gives Fitzgerald a spinning tombstone piledriver for the pin at 15:52. While the action was fairly consistent, guys seemed to drop in and out with little rhyme or reason, sans Sitoci trying to avoid Roudin. It seemed like a match without a purpose and was treated as such by the audience, who while usually are noisy seemed to only care about chanting derogatory things at Sitoci here and there. It may have been better if they kept it shorter as well. **½
Jagged {2.0}, Shane Matthews {2.0} & Karsten Beck vs. Sha Samuels, Lionheart & Kid Fite
The Rudos trio attack from behind. 2.0 and Beck recover quickly. 2.0 double team Samuels. Beck gives him a back suplex. Lionheart and Fite distract Beck allowing Samuels to sneak in a back elbow. Fite uses referee so he can kick out Karsten’s left knee. Lionheart bicycle kicks him in the corner and slingshots in with a splash. Beck continues to get bullied by his opponents until he finally takes down Samuels with a butterfly suplex. 2.0 take care of Fite and Lionheart with Road Dogg punches and a couple bionic elbows. Jagged elbows Samuels in the corner. Matthews knocks him down and Jagged drops an elbow. Fite spins Jagged off his shoulders into a DDT. Matthews gives Fite a swinging neckbreaker. Lionheart superkicks Matthews and heads up top. He goes for a frog splash but Matthews gets his knees up. Lionheart takes the Sweet Taste of Professionalism. Samuels pitches Jagged to the floor. Samuels schoolboys Beck and holds his tights for the pin at 10:03. The heat segment with Beck lasted too long and deflated the crowd’s interest. 2.0’s energy helped recover that in the closing segment, but the match ended abruptly. **¼
wXw Championship Tournament Semi-Final Round
Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio chops Quackenbush as he breaks a lock up in the corner. Quackenbush turns Claudio’s wristlock into a courting hold and then a hiponesa. Claudio brings him to the mat in a wristlock. Quackenbush reverses and armdrags Claudio to the corner. Claudio gets frustrated and hits the floor. He spends an inordinate amount of time on the apron waiting to get back in, not pleased with the fans’ chants. Finally, Quackenbush drags him back into the ring with a headlock. Although Claudio finds ways to escape, Quackenbush keeps re-applying it. Claudio suplexes out of a headlock and drops an elbow. A Lucha sequence sees Quackenbush cartwheel off the second turnbuckle into an armdrag. He goes back to the side headlock. Claudio gets in some uppercuts in the corner. Quackenbush tries a Yoshi Tonic. Claudio counters with a Mad Scientist Bomb which Quackenbush counters halfway through into an armdrag. He monkey flips Claudio and comes off the top with a crossbody. Claudio catches Quackenbush mid-air and delivers a backbreaker. He digs his knee into Quackenbush’s back while outstretching his arms. He runs the ropes, then casually applies a chinlock. Quackenbush escapes quickly. After a spin heel kick, he snapmares Claudio. Quackenbush mocks Claudio by running the ropes and then putting on a chinlock. Claudio uses a jawbreaker to escape. He deadlifts Quackenbush into a Samoan drop for two. Claudio gives him a chokeslam for two. He twists up Quackenbush’s ear and puts on a bear hug. Claudio lifts him down for a pin. Quackenbush counters, so Claudio re-applies the bear hug. Quackenbush goes to Claudio’s ears to escape. He monkey flips Claudio to the floor. Quackenbush follows with a moonsault off the second turnbuckle. Back in the ring he wheelbarrows his way into a small package. He takes Claudio down with La Mistica, transitioning into a backslide for two. Quackenbush cascades up looking for a Frankensteiner. Claudio ends up giving him the Giant Swing. Quackenbush gets in some strikes. He comes off the ropes and eats a European uppercut. Both men fight on the second rope. Quackenbush ends up knocking Claudio back into the ring. He comes down with a Dragonrana for two. Clauio low blows Quackenbush behind the referee’s back. Claudio hits the Ricola Bomb for the pin at 21:22. This felt as long as it was. Claudio took a much slower, methodical pace which made it less exciting than the matches these two usually have. The crowd also wouldn’t stop chanting which got irritating after awhile. These two have stellar chemistry, so they can’t help but have good matches together, but they have had much better. ***
wXw Championship Tournament Semi-Final Round
Bad Bones vs. Big Van Walter
Walter resists Bones’ running shoulder blocks. Bones catches his kick and gets in some shots on the mat. Walter bails to the floor. Back in the ring they trade holds. Walter takes Bones down with a knee lift to the stomach. He gets two with a splash. He misses an elbow drop. Bones nails a forearm to the side of the head and lands a standing frog splash for two. Walter whips Bones in the corner and takes him down with a sidewalk slam. He whips Bones chest first into the corner. Sha Samuels appears ringside to cheer on Walter. Samuels chokes Bones while Walter has the referee distracted. Walters misses a corner attack. Bones spears him in the opposite corner. Walter boots Bones to avoid a second spear. More choking from Samuels. Walter gives him a backdrop. He rocks Bones with a haymaker. Walter misses a sit out splash and eats a diving lariat. Walter sends Bones to the apron and clotheslines him to the floor. Walter drives Bones back first into the apron and ring post. Walter whips Bones into the wicker chairs in the crowd. He lays Bones out with a clothesline. Back in the ring Walter splashes Bones in the corner and sends him shoulder first into the ring post. Bones comes back with a flying dropkick and spear. He lights up Walter with multiple forearms and strikes before suplexing him. Bones lariats him for two. Bones tries a huracanrana. Walter counters it into a Boston Crab. Bones makes it to the ropes. Walter then gets a two count with a lariat. Same goes for a Saito suplex. Walter goes for a powerbomb. Bones counters it with an Air Raid Crash for the pin at 17:02. They did a really good job making Bones look like the underdog and winning, as he had the crowd solidly behind him for each and every nearfall. I liked this more than I thought I would, but like the other tournament match it went too long. Claudio attacks Bones after the match. **¾
2008 Tag World Grand Prix Tournament Finals – Elimination Match
Fire Ant {C} & Soldier Ant {C} vs. Amasis {OP} & Ophidian {OP} vs. PAC & Martin Stone
Ophidian takes a powder while Fire Ant and PAC look for control on the mat. Fire Ant takes him over with a fireman’s carry. Ophidian attacks Fire Ant from behind. Fire Ant suplexes him. He gives Ophidian a fireman’s carry. PAC hops off Fire Ant’s back and dropkicks Ophidian to the floor. They both attack Amasis in the corner. Fire Ant dropkicks him. PAC hits a Phoenix Splash.. Fire Ant foolishly breaks the pin. He sends Amasis out with Ophidian. Fire Ant and PAC both fake out dives. The Portal tak Stone off the apron and send him kidney first into the ring post. Officials and the Colony check on Stone. PAC does as well, but decides to fight the Portal after a bit. The numbers game gets to be too much, and the Portal decide to focus their attack on his knee. Stone is taken to the back. PAC is able to send the Portal to the floor. Despite his knee, PAC shooting star presses onto them. The Colony fight the Portal on the floor. Fire Ant climbs a lighting truss and dives onto Amasis and Ophidian. PAC brings Ophidian back into the ring. Ophidian gets his knees up to block the Red Arrow. He rolls up PAC, eliminating him and Stone at 8:51. Ophidian Skins the Snake on Fire Ant. He accidentally overhand chops Amasis. Fire Ant baits Ophidian into a crossbody from Soldier Ant. Soldier Ant chops both Amasis and Ophidian again. Amasis again gets chopped by Ophidian. He comes in the ring to argue, allowing Fire Ant to dropkick both Portal members. The Colony land double plancha’s on the Portal on the floor. Fire Ant suplexes Amasis and lands on him with two sentons. The Colony give him a double boot for two. Soldier Ant drops an elbow. Once again Fire Ant delivers a somersault senton. Soldier Ant has Amasis in a waistlock. Amasis drives him into the Portal corner where Ophidian catches him with a kick to the head. Amasis knocks Fire Ant to the floor so he and Ophidian can wear down Soldier Ant. Soldier Ant manages to hit the floor when he ducks a clothesline from Amasis. Fire Ant lays down Amasis with a forearm and fireman’s carry’s Ophidian. The Portal look for the Pyramid Suplex. Instead, The Colony form G.I. Ant and we have a chicken fight. Fire Ant forearms Ophidian and causes the Portal to fall. The Colony hang them up in a tree of woe and hit the Ants Marching dropkick. Fire Ant powerbombs Ophidian for two. He tosses Amasis off the top with a super fireman’s carry. Soldier Ant comes off the top with a saluting headbutt for two. Ophidian sneaks in a fisherman’s suplex and a Ranhei on Soldier Ant. Fire Ant breaks the pin. Ophidian blocks Burning Down the House. Fire Ant blocks the Death Grip and Burns Down the House successfully. He lands a super senton. Amasis elbows him in the face. Ophidian comes off the top with double knees to Fire Ant. Amasis hits a 450 splash. Fire Ant’s kick out leaves the Portal in disbelief. Ophidian trips Soldier Ant. He and Amasis set up for the Osirian Sacrament. It connects. Fire Ant at the last second makes the save. Fire Ant gives Amasis the Beach Break to Amasis on the floor. Ophidian checks on his partner while Soldier Ant fires up. He blasts Ophidin with a series of forearms. He goes for the TKO. Ophidian turns it into the Death Grip. Fire Ant comes in with the Heat of the Moment to break it. Soldier Ant locks Ophidian in the CHIKARA Special. Ophidian taps out at 25:00. Lots of great drama and action in this one. The fans were going wild by the end as the teams built things to a crescendo. The Colony winning was an excellent choice, and if the last few minutes of the match are any indication, the tag title match they have with the Portal will be quite a joy to watch. ***¾
The CHIKARA Special 