wXw Championship; Elimination Match
Chris Hero (Champion) vs. Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ares
wXw “Got Eggs? Night 1” – 4.18.2003

Quackenbush controls Claudio by his arm, taking him over with an overhead throw out of a wristlock. Claudio uses his height to mock Quackenbush by asking for a test of strength. Hero puts Quackenbush on his shoulder to assist, but Ares then puts Claudio on his. We get some goofy nearfalls between Hero and Quackenbush after that. Hero controls Ares on the mat, aggravating him with some clever maneuvering and a dropkick. Claudio and Quackenbush use some Lucha to pick up the pace with Quackenbush dominating the exchange. He sends Claudio to the floor and suicide dives after him. Hero gets a nearfall on Ares with a sitout hip toss and another with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Quackenbush and Hero take turns wearing down Claudio, with Hero focusing mostly on his neck. Quackenbush saves Hero from Claudio and Ares, but takes a Boss Man Slam from Claudio. Ares and Claudio isolate Quackenbush away from Hero. He gets a tag when he’s on Ares shoulders but Claudio had the referee distracted, so it doesn’t count. Quackenbush backdrops Claudio into a back kick. Hero pulls Ares off the apron, gives him a few strikes, then tosses him into the ring. Quackenbush and Hero try whipping them together but Quackenbush and Claudio end up hitting one another. Ares and Hero deliver stereo huracanrana’s and both earn two counts. Hero blocks a lariat and gives Ares a Cravate Suplex. The Hangman’s Clutch on Ares is broken by Claudio. Claudio drops Hero with the Match Killer for two. Quackenbush brings down Claudio in a dragonscrew leg whip and puts ties up his limbs. Ares saves Claudio before giving Quackenbush a Michinoku Driver. Hero stops the pin. Claudio picks up Ares in a wheelbarrow and drives him into Hero in one corner. They try with Quackenbush, but he flips over and sunset bombs Ares who in turn German suplexes Claudio. Quackenbush gives Claudio the Black Tornado Slam and a springboard Swanton, leading to the Alligator Clutch and Claudio’s elimination at 23:33. Quackenbush throws some kicks to Ares and drop toe holds him in the corner. He gives him a DDT for two. Ares gets two with a pair of butterfly suplexes. Quackenbush takes him down with a palm strike but the referee is distracted by Hero who is recovering. Claudio sneaks in and assists Ares with a spinebuster/neckbreaker combo. Ares eliminates Quackenbush at 25:57. Hero gives Ares a piledriver for two. He misses a moonsault. Ares chokes Hero with his tie. Hero sneaks in a schoolboy, but Ares brings him down with the Golden Gate Swing for two. A butterfly suplex gives him another. Ares puts on a figure four headscissors. Hero picks up Ares on his shoulders and drops him down in an electric chair drop. After a backdrop and big boot he smacks Ares on his bald head. Hero tries a powerslam but doesn’t hook Ares quite right. He spikes Ares on a Regalplex for two. He looks for the Hangman’s Clutch. Ares crawls to the ropes before it’s fully applied. Hero throws some strikes, but Ares pulls the referee in the way so that Hero hits him with a forearm strike by accident. Ares gives Hero the Cradle Shock. He grabs the title and clobbers Hero with it. Hero manages to kick out right in the nick of time. Hero blocks a closed chain-assisted punch. He goes for the Hero’s Welcome. Ares swings out and clobbers Hero with the chain. He puts on a head vice. Hero’s arm drops twice before he fires up. He maneuvers Ares into the Hero’s Welcome for two. Hero throws some kicks to the head and powerbombs Ares into a folding press for two. Hero locks on the Hangman’s Clutch. Ares taps out at 36:35 for the win. I have no idea why this went so long. The action was brisk and done well, but when it came down to Hero and Ares it felt like the match dragged. I also question why this was included in the compilation when you consider Quackenbush wasn’t even involved in the final fall. It was good, but could have been much better with some time shaved off. ***

Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli
wXw “Got Eggs? Night 2” – 4.19.2003

Ares is in Claudio’s corner. At first Claudio throws down Quackenbush out of the initial lock-up. Quackenbush however grounds Claudio and drives his head into the bottom turnbuckle while holding him in a pendulum swing. Claudio gets to his feet and backs Quackenbush to the corner to break out of a Camel Clutch. Quackenbush comes back with a swinging Frankensteiner and the Cerebral Lock. Quackenbush drops him out of the hold and punts Claudio in the head. Claudio puts him in a Mouse Trap pin for two. Quackenbush comes off the middle rope with a hiponesa. After a pair of chops, he sends Claudio to the apron and dropkicks him onto a stage in which fans are sitting. Quackenbush springboards off the top rope into a diving clothesline onto Claudo on the stage. Back in the ring he puts on a sharpshooter. Claudio gets the ropes. Ares grabs Quackenbush from the floor as Quackenbush hits the ropes, allowing Claudio to give Quackenbush a German suplex. Claudio elbow drops him on the back of the head from the middle rope. Quackenbush uses the ropes for a huracanrana, then rolls Claudio in a Kiwi roll for a two count. Back on their feet, Claudio catches Quackenbush with an uppercut. He hooks Quackenbush for a Dragon Sleeper but drives his back and neck across his knee instead. He gets two with a fisherman’s suplex. Claudio misses a top rope legdrop. Quackenbush fires up, nailing a clothesline and spinwheel kick. Claudio reverses a whip and signals for a chokeslam. Quackenbush instead swings him out and puts him a leg capture Gory Stretch. Claudio escapes and sends Quackenbush to the apron. Quackenbush kicks him in the chest and comes in with the Tail of the Dragon. He pins Claudio in the Delfin Clutch for two. Quackenbush calls for the Tiger Driver. Claudio counters with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Quackenbush avoids the Match Killer. Claudio avoids the Black Tornado Slam and hits a Death Valley Driver. Quackenbush spins Claudio around twice before successfully pulling off the Tiger Driver for two. Quackenbush gives him a palm strike. He goes for a second but Claudio pulls the referee in the way. He tosses the referee aside. Ares clocks Quackenbush with his briefcase when Quackenbush goes for a huracanrana. Claudio powerbombs Quackenbush for the pin at 15:01. That was a poor finish to an otherwise fun wrestling match. Naturally, Quackenbush and Claudio are great rivals and have excellent chemistry, but certainly not either man’s best outing with one another. ***

wXw Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals; Elimination Match
Jody Fleisch (Champion) vs. Mike Quackenbush vs. X-Dream
wXw “Dead End 3” – 6.21.2003

Quackenbush fights his way free out of a three way headlock. X-Dream dropkicks Fleisch as Quackenbush holds Fleisch in a pendulum. X-Dream headscissors Quackenbush after hopping over Fleisch’s drop down. Fleisch throws some spin kicks to Quackenbush in the corner after giving X-Dream a spinwheel kick. X-Dream sloppily tackles Quackenbush to the floor. Fleisch follows with a tope con hilo. In the ring Quackenbush buts Fleisch in a standing Kondo Clutch. X-Dream breaks it and gives Quackenbush a chinbreaker. Fleisch then enzuigiri’s Quackenbush to the floor. Fleisch spin kicks X-Dream in the chest before delivering a split-legged moonsault. X-Dream kicks out. Quackenbush comes in with a springboard dropkick to Fleisch for two. Quackenbush snapmares them both into tandem Dragon Sleeper’s. They both lift Quackenbush up into a tandem reverse brainbuster. X-Dream and Fleisch try to throw kicks and strikes at Quackenbush but end up hitting one another. They get in a slap fight on their feet. Fleisch gives X-Dream a running dropkick to the back but misses a moonsault on Quackenbush. Quackenbush palm strikes him. He and X-Dream fight over the pin, with Quackenbush only getting a two count. Fleisch drops Quackenbush with a neckbreaker. X-Dream vertical suplexes Fleisch before landing a second rope legdrop for two. We get a series of pin attempts from all three men to no avail. Quackenbush hits a jumping seated Thesz Press in the corner and swiftly kicks X-Dream in the head. Fleisch looks to bring down X-Dream from the top rope. Instead, Quackenbush German suplexes Fleisch off the middle rope and X-Dream lands a tornado DDT on Quackenbush for two. X-Dream goes for a submission on Quackenbush, but Fleisch grabs X-Dream in a Dragon Sleeper. Quackenbush then puts Fleisch in a Dragon Sleeper while X-Dream puts Quackenbush in a cross armbreaker. X-Dream turns him into a reverse Boston Crab. Fleisch dropkicks X-Dream to break it. Quackenbush puts X-Dream in the Lightning Lock Omega. Fleisch puts himself on Quackenbush’s shoulders and grabs a headscissors in the ropes on Quackenbush, breaking his hold on X-Dream. X-Dream dropkicks Quackenbush in the stomach while he’s in the hold. Quackenbush and Fleisch trade blows on the floor until X-Dream dives onto the both of them. Quackenbush stretches out X-Dream. Fleisch comes off the top with a dropkick to X-Dream’s stomach. X-Dream low blows Fleisch and gives him the Cradle Shock. He misses a Phoenix Splash. Fleisch hits the Phoenix DDT for the pin at 13:04, eliminating X-Dream. Quackenbush backdrops Fleisch to the floor. He looks to suplex him back in from the apron but Fleisch snaps Quackenbush’s neck across the top rope. He goes for the Phoenix DDT. Quackenbush blocks and DDT’s him. He puts Fleisch in the Lightning Lock Delta and Fleisch taps out at 14:12, giving Quackenbush the win and the championship. Another elimination match in which the opponents break up each other’s pinfalls and submissions. The wrestling was good at times, sloppy at others, and contrived at worst. Even in just a minute it was clear that Quackenbush vs. Fleisch one-on-one would have been the way to go, but regardless, the fan’s responded well to the title change and generally appreciative of the action. **¼

wXw Light Heavyweight Championship
Mike Quackenbush (Champion) vs. Jonny Storm
wXw “Back 2 the Roots 3” – 2.28.2004

Quackenbush avoids Storm’s basement dropkick, but takes Storm’s second dropkick attempt. Storm sends Quackenbush out with a springboard Frankensteiner, then dives out with a walk-up somersault senton. Back in the ring they fight over a wristlock. Quackenbush puts on a headscissors which Storm turns into a side headlock. Storm puts on a neck-tie headscissors. Quackenbush gets to the mat and slides his way out of it. Quackenbush armdrags Storm to the floor. He poises to dive but Storm moves. Quackenbush however follows him to where he moved and comes off the top with a plancha. Back inside Quackenbush focuses his attack on Storm’s right leg. Storm fights his way out of a leg submission. He forearms Quackenbush in the corner and brings him out with a facebreaker and enzuigiri. Quackenbush gives Storm a spinning toe hold. Storm grabs the ropes to break his submission. Quackenbush gives him a backpack stunner for two, then turns Storm over into a pendulum stretch. Storm works his way up from the apron and nails a tornado DDT. A moonsault press gets him two. Quackenbush puts Storm in a standing STF. Storm hops on one leg to the ropes and Quackenbush releases him. He then takes down Storm with a dragonscrew leg whip. Storm and Quackenbush trade a series of nearfalls. Quackenbush ducks Storm’s superkick. He then flips Storm out into the Mad Scientist Bomb for two. In the corner, Storm catches Quackenbush in a huracanrana for a close two count. Storm brings Quackenbush off the top turnbuckle with a Frankensteiner. He goes for another. Quackenbush counters with an Avalanche atomic drop. Quackenbush puts on a lateral crab. Storm gets the ropes. He puts Storm in the Kondo Clutch. He adds a bodyscissors. Storm rolls under the ropes to free himself. Quackenbush sits down to avoid an Irish whip. He goes for a palm strike, but Storm and hits the Wonderwhirl for two. Storm climbs the ropes. Quackenbush kicks him in the back and brings him down in the Lightning Lock Delta. Storm submits at 17:29. I really liked the action in this one. Storm had a lot of energy that resonated with the audience, as his will to win was quite contagious. I don’t love that he shrugged off Quackenbush’s leg work and wrestled as he usually would. This could have been a better package were the action more focused and maybe a larger story, but despite that criticism, this was very fun. ***¼

Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw & Gran Akuma vs. Hallowicked & The Wild Cards (Eddie Kingston & Black Jack Marciano)
wXw “Broken Rulz 4” – 8.21.2004

Jigsaw and Kingston trade wristlocks and hammerlocks. Kingston slaps Jigsaw in the face a few times before bringing him to the mat and picking his ankle. Jigsaw puts on a grapevine and Kingston immediately gets the ropes. Another wristlock exchange leads to Jigsaw putting on a top wristlock. Kingston again gets the ropes. Akuma and Hallowicked tag in.They too trade wrist and hammerlocks while throwing in a few armdrags for fun. Hallowicked escapes from a standing stretch Akuma applies. He sneaks in a schoolboy for two. Marciano and Quackenbush tag in. The fans cheer Quackenbush as he easily manipulates and controls Marciano, tying him up in a cue ball. Kingston frees his partner. This leads to a headlock chain where the Tecnicos send the Rudos outside, then follow with simultaneous tope con hilo’s. Back inside, Jigsaw chops Hallowicked in the corner. He takes him down with an armdrag, rolling him into a crucifix pin for two, then sending him to the floor with a leg lariat. Jigsaw follows with a Fosbury Flop. Marciano uses a variety of armdrags to send Akuma outside. He lands a pescado onto Akuma. Kingston tries baiting Quackenbush to the floor but Quackenbush doesn’t fall for it. Quackenbush works over his left arm. Kingston gets him to the corner, but Quackenbush comes back with a tornado clutch. Kingston chops him to the Rudo corner where Kingston’s partners assist him with an abdominal stretch. The referee breaks it up when he notices the illegal help. Jigsaw puts Kingston in an abdominal stretch, but this time he allows the Tecnicos and fans to assist Jigsaw to add leverage. When that ends, Jigsaw pulls off a headscissors to Marciano. Akuma tags in but Marciano pokes him in the eyes and tags in Kingston. Akuma takes down Kingston with a qusadora armdrag. Kingston calls for a timeout after being taken down again. Akuma rolls up from the apron into a headscissors. Quackenbush and Hallowicked pick up the pace with a fast Lucha exchange. After Hallowicked sends Quackenbush out with an armdrag from the top rope, Marciano and Jigsaw tag in. Marciano drops Jigsaw out of a Gory Special. Jigsaw gets beaten down by the Rudos for a brief period until he catches Kingston with a pair of back elbows and a superkick from the corner. Quackenbush and Akuma both get tagged in. Akuma drop toe holds Kingston into a senton. He holds Kingston in a Camel Clutch as Akuma picks up speed off the ropes, ending with a dropkick to the face. Akuma snapmares Kingston into a dropkick to the back of the head. Quackenbush gives him a senton. Jigsaw does some damage to Kingston’s left arm that was worked over earlier in the match. Marciano frees him from a top wristlock armbar. Akuma throws some kicks to Kingston. Kingston catches his leg and gives him an exploder suplex. Marciano back suplexes Akuma almost on his head. Quackenbush saves him from being pinned. Quackenbush also saves him from being pinned after a double stomp from Hallowicked into a Burning Hammer from Marciano. Akuma manages to suplex Marciano and roll under a clothesline. Jigsaw clears the apron of Hallowicked and Kingston so Quackenbush can come in with a springboard crossbody to Marciano. He unloads with windmill chops and a corner seated Thesz Press. Both Marciano and Akuma take a lot of damage in the corner. A submission chain with the six competitors is formed. The Tecnicos try a triple huracanrana. Only Akuma’s on Kingston works, as Marciano and Hallowicked stop Jigsaw and Quackenbush with powerbombs. Akuma hits the Yoshi Tonic on Kingston for two. Kingston comes back with a uranage slam. He puts Akuma in the Kondo Clutch. Jigsaw enzuigiri’s Kingston to break it. Marciano laces Jigsaw into the Roll of the Dice facebuster and a reverse suplex for two. He heads to the top turnbuckle. Jigsaw brings him down with a super Frankensteiner. He lands a corkscrew moonsault but Hallowicked breaks the cover. Quackenbush gets two on Hallowicked with the Black Tornado Slam. Hallowicked fights out of a second attempt of the slam and takes down Quackenbush with a step-up Frankensteiner. He gets two with a Michinoku Driver. The Wild Cards drive Jigsaw to the corner. Hallowicked looks to pull his mask off. Quackenbush and Akuma hop onto the Wild Cards back and double hip toss Hallowicked to the mat. Jigsaw dropkicks the Wild Cards away. Akuma and Jigsaw dispose of the Wild Cards on the floor. Quackenbush gives Hallowicked the Quackendriver II for the pin at 36:57. This felt every minute as long as it was. It was pretty much every other trios match these guys had around this time, and while it was new for the wXw crowd and they seemed to dig it, but for me it dragged. At least it was crisp. **½

Steve Douglas attacks Mike Quackenbush after the match. He would challenge Mike Quackenbush for his wXw Light Heavyweight Championship later that night, but that match is not included in this collection. Douglas wins, by the way.

CZW Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Mike Quackenbush (Champion) vs. Emil Sitoci
wXw “Joint@Venture Night 1” – 2.11.2005

Sitoci and Quackenbush work over each others’ wrists in the opening exchange. Quackenbush cranks on Sitoci’s neck while holding onto a courting hold. Sitoci brings Quackenbush to the mat, lacing his legs together. Quackenbush calmly kicks Sitoci on the top of his head to break free. Quackenbush fights out of a headscissors by standing on Sitoci’s chest and pinning his shoulders to the mat, forcing Sitoci to break free or else he would be pinned. Quackenbush puts Sitoci in the Romero Special. Sitoci reaches back to the ropes to escape. Quackenbush tries to put him in a torture rack on the mat. Sitoci instead stretches Quackenbush’s back out across his knees. Sitoci transitions into a seated abdominal stretch. Quackenbush pokes him in the eye and puts him in an armbar variation. He slips Sitoci into a pin for two. Quackenbush butterflies Sitoci’s arms, stretching out his back. He torques one of Sitoci’s arm in the process. Sitoci transitions into a crossface. Quackenbush escapes and looks for a rear naked choke. Sitoci rolls Quackenbush into a seated surfboard instead. Quackenbush reverses it, picking up Sitoci in a pendulum and ramming his head into the bottom turnbuckle five times. Quackenbush O’Conner rolls him for two. Sitoci body drags Quackenbush to the corner. Quackenbush then armdrags him into a leg lace submission, pulling Sitoci’s right knee. Quackenbush keeps the legs locked as he puts on a full nelson. Sitoci escapes and applies an armbar. Sitoci escapes Quackenbush’s headscissors and puts him in a headlock. Quackenbush shoves Sitoci to the corner. Quackenbush sits down to counter an Irish whip. He whips Sitoci to the corner. Sitoci comes of Quackenbush’s shoulders with an armdrag. Quackenbush throws Sitoci out of a bodyscissors. Sitoci huracanrana’s Quackenbush for two then goes back to his arm. Sitoci crucifix pins him out of an armbar for two. Quackenbush gets two with a crucifix of his own.

Sitoci suplexes Quackenbush. Quackenbush grabs the ropes to prevent from being pinned. Quackenbush monkey flips Sitoci to the floor and follows out with a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, Quackenbush sweeps Sitoci’s legs for two. Quackenbush goes back to damaging Sitoci’s legs. Sitoci headscissors Quackenbush to the corner, but Quackenbush dropkicks his knee out and goes right back to work on the legs. Sitoci kicks Quackenbush to the floor to get him off of his ankle. Sitoci moonsaults off the apron onto him. Quackenbush manages to slam Sitoci’s face into the ring apron. Sitoci and Quackenbush hit simultaneous clotheslines back in the ring. They come back to their feet throwing forearms at each other. Quackenbush wins the exchange and whips Sitoci to the corner. Sitoci comes off the top with a twisting somersault senton. He uranage slams Quackenbush for two. Quackenbush blocks a yakuza kick with a palm strike. He hits the Black Tornado Slam for two. More forearms knock both men to the mat. Quackenbush palm strikes Sitoci on the top rope and brings him down with a super huracanrana. Quackenbush then hits a somersault senton off the top for two. Sitoci hip tosses Quackenbush onto his knee. He yakuza kicks Quackenbush to the ring apron. Sitoci German suplexes him but is too exhausted to capitalize right away. Sitoci finally crawls over for a pin but only gets two. Quackenbush musters enough strength to deliver a reverse brainbuster. Somehow Sitoci kicks out at one. Sitoci hits a wheelbarrow stunner and Quackenbush kicks out at two. Both men are now fired up. Sitoci goes for the stunner again. Quackenbush blocks and rolls him into the Lightning Lock Beta. Quackenbush hooks his arm to add more pressure. Quackenbush horse collar’s the leg to add even more pressure. Sitoci manages to hold out long enough that the time limit expires at 30:00. This was a great back and forth match. You could feel the desperation at the end of the match and how disappointed both men were that all the work they put into targeting a body part didn’t end up working out. Sitoci especially showed how tough he was after Quackenbush damaged the knee in the Lightning Lock that he spent a good portion of the match damaging. The time flew by and the last few minutes were really awesome. It’s no wonder why Sitoci spent the first part of this year on multiple CHIKARA shows. ***¾

Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw & Gran Akuma vs. Hallowicked, Eddie Kingston & Skayde
wXw “Joint@Venture Night 2” – 2.12.2005

Hallowicked and his partners are impressed with his evasion skills. Akuma grabs him by the stem and snapmares him across the ring. Akuma catches Hallowicked trying to sneak attack him. Hallowicked plays it cool, but then gets hip tossed twice. Kingston consoles him and then tags in with Jigsaw. Kingston gets a lot of homophobic chants, which of course Kingston hurls right back in their faces. Jigsaw controls his arm in a courting hold. Kingston breaks it in the corner but gets chopped for his troubles. Jigsaw boot scrapes him. Kingston blocks a face wash kick, but Jigsaw hops off of his back into a double stomp to the back of his head for two. Quackenbush comes in with a headscissors to Kingston. He fends off Hallowicked who runs in to help out. Akuma headscissors Kingston and evades a senton from Skayde. Jigsaw sends him and Kingston to the floor with a London Bridge. He also sends Hallowicked to the floor. The Tecnico team fakes out the Rudos on some dives. Quackenbush slaps Kingston in the back and makes him think it was Skayde who did it. This leads to some dissension amongst the Rudos, but they collect themselves and come back into the ring. Quackenbush and Hallowicked trade submissions on the mat before showcasing some of their Lucha capabilities. Quackenbush comes in from the apron bringing Hallowicked back t the mat in a side headlock. Quackenbush and Hallowicked trade pins after Quackenbush delivers a huracanrana. Reaching a stalemate, they tag out to Jigsaw and Kingston respectively. Kingston nails a barrage of forearms and punches. A running forearm strike gets him a two count. Jigsaw slides out of a powerbomb and tags in Akuma. Skayde tags in as well. The Tecnicos manage to make fools out of Skayde and Kingston, thwarting all of their moves and taking them down multiple times. All the nonsense ends with Mich Kicks. The Tecnicos dropkick the Rudos to the floor and follow with triple stereo tope con hilo’s.

Quackenbush and Skayde received mixed reactions from the crowd as they pose on the ropes. They trade holds on the mat while looking for an opening to score a pinfall. On their feet, Skayde takes Quackenbush over with a huracanrana and a variety of armdrags. Hallowicked back chops Quackenbush as Quackenbush hits the ropes on their side of the ring. That gives the Rudos the opening to cut the ring in half and wear down Quackenbush in their corner. Quackenbush gets crotched on the ring post, bringing Jigsaw in. He suffers the same fate. Akuma also comes in. He baits the Rudos into crotching Skayde on the ring post instead of himself. All six men are now brawling on the floor. Jigsaw dives off of a balcony onto everyone! Back in the ring, Akuma and Kingston trade chops. Akuma kicks him in the ribs and legs. A hard enzuigiri gets him two. Kingston catches him with a uranage backbreaker. Jigsaw flies in with a huracanrana. Kingston catches him and hits a buckle bomb. He yakuza kicks Jigsaw before delivering a modified slam. Quackenbush breaks up the pin. He kicks Hallowicked from the apron and hits the Tail of the Dragon for two. Skayde rolls him into a reverse figure seven. Jigsaw enzuigiri’s Skayde to break it. Jigsaw then gives him the Leap of Faith and Hallowicked breaks the pin. Hallowicked hits a step-up enzuigiri. He follows with a super fisherman’s buster. Akuma and Quackenbush break the pin. Kingston and Hallowicked row boat Akuma and Jigsaw’s legs. In the middle, Skayde puts Quackenbush in a standing crossface. The circle is broken and everyone but Quackenbush ends up on the floor. Steve Douglas comes in with his Lightweight title. Emil Sitoci comes in and sends Douglas into Quackenbush who hits the Quackendriver II. Skayde however drops him face first out of a Gory Gallows for two. Quackenbush cradles him for the pin at 34:06. This was a notch above what you get out of similar Trios matches involving these six in the States. The venue, atmosphere and fans were a lot different and it seemed to add a lot of energy to what they were doing. It was a slight variation of the usual six man they would take on tour the year before and the little differences went a long way. There was some initial sloppiness, but by the end everything gelled well and it made for a fun watch. ***½

2 out of 3 Falls
Mike Quackenbush vs. Chris Hero
wXw “5th Anniversary Show” – 12.17.2005

Chris Hero has a manager in his corner. I do not know who it is. Quackenbush and Hero chain wrestle to start. Whenever Quackenbush would take over on offense, Hero would bail to the ropes or floor. The crowd gives Hero a lot of guff for this. Hero gets annoyed to the point that he shoves Quackenbush in the chest. He shoves back and delivers a chop. Some Lucha rolls lead to Quackenbush snapping off a pair of armdrags and trapping Hero in a crucifix pin for two. Hero gives him a grounded dropkick. They trade control over one another’s arm. Quackenbush uses the ropes to pull off a swinging Frankensteiner. A quebradora backbreaker and senton splash get him a two count, as does a diving headbutt to the stomach. Hero takes over with a head vice. When Quackenbush tries fighting free, Hero stops his momentum with a backbreaker. Quackenbush catapults onto Hero’s shoulders, rolling down into a satellite headscissors. Hero hits the floor and Quackenbush follows with a tope con hilo. He pulls Hero back into the ring by tossing him by his hair over the top rope from the apron. Hero slams Quackenbush off of his shoulders. He uses his body weight for a senton, to place on Quackenbush’s neck, and for a corner splash. Quackenbush escapes from a body and neck vice submission. He takes Hero to the corner and unloads with windmill chops. He strings a clothesline, bulldog, and dropkick together for two. Hero comes back with a Saito suplex for two. Quackenbush swings Hero around into a DDT. He comes off the top with a Swanton Bomb. Hero’s manager grabs Quackenbush’s foot as Quackenbush goes to the top rope again. Hero catches Quackenbush dive attempt and gives him the Hero’s Welcome Championship Edition to take the first fall in 30:26. Hero keeps on Quackenbush with forearms and punches. Quackenbush gets a nearfall with a sunset flip but Hero kicks out and keeps on him. Quackenbush again gets a nearfall, this time with a prawn hold. Hero decks him with a punch and goes for a cover, but Quackenbush is able to grab the bottom rope. Hero pops up Quackenbush. Quackenbush in mid-air turns Hero’s offense into a huracanrana for the pin and second fall at 37:06. Hero goes for a quick pin and then a submission, but those attempts do not work. His manager even chokes him while Hero has the referee distracted. Hero peppers Quackenbush with jabs. He’s sent to the ropes. Quackenbush brings him down with the Torbellino into a Skayde schoolboy for two. Quackenbush palm strikes Hero to buy himself some recovery time. Quackenbush counters a slam off of Hero’s shoulders and gives him the Black Tornado Slam for two. Hero spins out Quackenbush off of his shoulders into a slam for two. He brings Quackenbush to the top turnbuckle. He looks to slam him off, but Quackenbush rolls through. Hero meets him with a forearm to the face and the Hero’s Welcome. Quackenbush kicks out. Hero hits the Hero’s Welcome a second time. He goes for a third but Quackenbush counters mid-move with a reverse brainbuster for the third and final fall at 44:49. I liked the story they told a lot, with Hero getting annoyed, resorting to cheaper tactics to get the first fall, and failing to capitalize on that fall by losing two straight. What that story didn’t need was 45 minutes to tell it. The first four sentences of this review encompassed roughly 12 minutes to give you an idea. I give the crowd credit, their energy never wavered and they responded the right way at the right time. While I did like this, it’s not a match I imagine re-visiting soon because of the unnecessary time commitment. **¾

Mike Quackenbush gave a speech to the crowd how he was removing some possibly cancerous growths in his body, and how his final weekend in wrestling could have been tonight. If it is, he’s happy it ended in front of the German audience.

wXw World Heavyweight Championship
Ares (Champion) vs. Mike Quackenbush
wXw “Back 2 the Roots V – 3.18.2006

Ares had defeated 2Face in under 3 minutes before getting on the microphone and making another challenge. Mike Quackenbush would make a heroes welcome to wXw to a monstrous roar of approval from the crowd. Quackenbush attacked right away, throwing a barrage of forearms and taking Ares to the floor. He follows with a tope con hilo. The crowd gives him a huge “welcome back” chant as Ares looks on from the floor in disbelief. Back in the ring, Quackenbush takes him down with a quesadora armdrag. He sweeps out Ares legs and puts him in Lightning Lock Omega. Ares gets the ropes. He lands a seated corner Thesz Press. Ares throws Quackenbush face first into the middle turnbuckle and chokes him with his boot. Quackenbush uses the ropes to pull off a swinging Frankensteiner. He ties up Ares in a Magistral cradle for two. He charges at Ares and Ares drops Quackenbush face first on the top turnbuckle. Quackenbush tries coming off the top turnbuckle after taking some strikes from Ares, but Ares catches him mid-air with a powerbomb. Ares pounds on Quackenbush’s back. He knees Quackenbush in the back a few times before giving him a backbreaker. Quackenbush avoids a whip to the corner, but takes a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Ares puts him in a Boston Crab. Quackenbush gets out and backslides Ares. Ares kicks out and delivers a clothesline. Quackenbush fires up and gives Ares a pair of palm strikes. Ares counters the third and hits the Toblerone Driver for two. Ares gives him the Golden Gate Swing. He picks up Quackenbush for a second one. Quackenbush swings out and delivers a neckbreaker. He then drops Ares with the Quackendriver II for the win and the title at 12:49! The emotion surrounding Quackenbush’s turn made this match. The crowd was SO hot for his return and responded overwhelmingly in support of the title switch. The wrestling was good and they told a clear story with Ares wearing down Quackenbush’s back, but all of that takes second place to the crowd’s response. ***

This is not included on the DVD, but it’s worth mentioning that Ares followed Quackenbush to the United States and won back the title just 13 days later at CHIKARA’s “Naked” where once again Quackenbush’s back was the focus of the contest.

Overall: By and large the theme for this DVD seems to be good matches that go waaaaay too long. That may not bother you, but I think this is a set designed strictly for the most diehard Mike Quackenbush fans. Otherwise you’ll likely find the set to be tedious at times.