WXW World Tag Team League Night One, Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany – Review

The tournament features teams comprised of competitors from Japan, Mexico, Germany, Austria, South Africa, America, Britain, and Australia.

Among their number was Tipton’s Chris Brookes, teaming up with his mentor Jonathan Gresham after regular partner Kid Lykos was injured.

They had a strong opening night as they secured the upset victory over local favourites Walter and Timothy Thatcher while being cheered on by a strong contingent of British and Irish fans who had travelled to Germany.

In the opening parade of competitors, Brookes shared a wry aside with Walter, something that’s hardly surprisingly considering that he teams with him and Thatcher in Fight Club: PRO. There were, however, no such pleasantries once the match started.

Up against two superheavyweights, Brookes and Gresham relied on ringmanship and resilience to stay competitive. They repeatedly tried to isolate Thatcher by goading Walter, with Gresham particularly good at getting under the giant Austrian’s skin.

However the size difference meant that Brookes and Gresham had to overwhelm their opponents with the volume and variety of their offence due to the power differential.

A good example of this was when Brookes landed a series of chops to the chest of Walter, only to be knocked by a solitary counterstrike.

The end came when Brookes and Gresham managed to escape their opponents' chokeholds, evade a clothesline from Walter so he hit his own partner, and then tie both men in an abdominal stretch. Gresham forced Thatcher to quit when he began manipulating his arm too.

The victory in an epic match was a statement of intent for Brookes and Gresham.

The WXW World Tag Team league sees eight teams divided into two groups of four, with the teams in each group fighting each once, much like in a world cup group.

The winners of each group then face off in the tournament final.

Brookes and Gresham will look to continue their momentum against Japan’s Daichi Hashimoto & Hideyoshi Kamitani, who lost their opening match to Mexico’s Penta and Rey Fenix.

There was further good news for the West Midlands in Group B, as Wolverhampton residents Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis also won their opening match against Jeff Cobb and Angelico in an exciting match between two teams that combine power with high-flying skill.

They next face Austria’s Avalanche and Julian Nero, in a battle that will determine who tops Group B going into Night Three.

WXW World Tag Team League 2018 continues this weekend in Oberhausen, Germany. All shows are available to watch on Video on Demand within 72 hours, complete with English-language commentary, on WXW NOW. For more information go to www.wxwnow.com/en

By Will Cooling