Westside Xtreme Wrestling

Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its events have been held in the Ruhr district, primarily in Oberhausen.[1] Since 2013, wXw regularly tours throughout Germany, adding tour stops outside the country including Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.[4]

Westside Xtreme Wrestling
AcronymwXw
Founded2000[1]
HeadquartersGelsenkirchen, Germany[1]
Founder(s)Hate[2] (Peter Wiechers)[3]
Owner(s)Hate (2000–2006)[2]
wXw Germany GbR (2006–2009)[2]
wXw Europe GmbH (50%) (2009–present)[2] Tim Madison Promotions (50%) (2021–present)[2]

History

Westside Xtreme Wrestling was founded on December 24, 2000, by Peter Wiechers, a professional wrestler with the ring name Hate.[2] Together with SigMasta Rappo, Tyrant, Mark Hammer, Blue Adonis, Barish, Thunder and Claudio Castagnoli, he held an event called "wXw Extreme Wrestling Party" in the disco "Roxy" in Essen. wXw has become one of the most notable professional wrestling promotions in Germany.

In 2016, wXw became the first German wrestling promotion with an on demand service similar to WWE's network, called wXwNOW.[4]

wXwNOW

wXwNOW is a subscription-based video streaming service owned by German professional wrestling promotion Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw). In 2016, wXw started "wXwNOW", a new worldwide streaming site for the promotion's events. All major wXw events air live on the service, which also features matches from the promotion's archives, dating back to 2002. wXwNOW Network operates similarly to WWE Network. The service has a current monthly subscription price of €9.99.[4]

Co-promotion

Since its creation, wXw has developed working relationships with several American promotions including Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Beyond Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) and Evolve and several Japanese promotions including Dragon Gate, Pro Wrestling Noah, Dramatic Dream Team and Big Japan Pro Wrestling. Through the working relationship with wXw, Big Japan's World Strong Heavyweight Championship features both the CZW and wXw logos.[5]

wXw has also maintained relationship withs several European-based promotions, including British promotions International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom, Preston City Wrestling, All Star Wrestling, and Progress Wrestling.[1][6]

wXw has held several interpromotional events, including Gorefest – European King of the Death Matches 2006 took place in the United Kingdom, a hardcore-focused event co-promoted with the English-based X-Sports: Wrestling.[7] The second Gorefest, held in 2009, included a title match between Drake Younger and Devon Moore for Combat Zone Wrestling's Heavyweight Championship.[8]

The 2008 event Dead End VIII featured the Japanese-based Pro Wrestling Noah and its rosters such as KENTA, Go Shiozaki, Takashi Sugiura and Kenta Kobashi.[9] The 2009 events, Open the Spanish Gate and Open The German Gate took place in Barcelona, Spain and Oberhausen, Germany, respectively, were co-promoted with the Japanese-based Dragon Gate.[10]

On March 13, 2010, wXw held its first event in the US, The Vision took place in front of an audience of over 450 at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[11] The event also featured a title match for one of CZW's titles, the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship, along with wXw's famous feud being between Thumbtack Jack and Drake Younger.[12]

On April 8, 9, and 10, 2011, wXw held its second and third events in the USA first with F1 vs. wXw on April 8 in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, USA at the Spontaneous Sports Complex and wXw Kreuzzug ZXI day 1 being in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Asylum Arena and day 2 being in Union City, New Jersey in the ACE Arena.

On July 24, 2014, wXw started a partnership with Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling promotion which ended in 2017 due to GFW ending.[13]

On July 18, 2015, New Japan Pro-Wrestling started a working relationship with wXw as part of New Japan's international expansion plans which ended in early 2016 due to wXw working with too many promotions, not having any collaborated events, not being in NJPW events in Europe, not having wXw titles being defended in NJPW events and no talent exchanges.[14][15]

On July 2, 2018, wXw started a working relationship with WWNLive, with wXw becoming an official partner of the WWN Training Center. Later that year on October 1, a relationship with WWE began.[16][17]

On April 4, 2019 wXw held its fourth event in the US, wXw Amerika Ist Wunderbar Live From New York City took place in La Boom in Queens, New York.[18]

Tournaments and accomplishments

16 Carat Gold Tournament
16 Carat Gold Tournament
PromotionsWestside Xtreme Wrestling
First event2006
Last event2022
Event gimmickSingle-elimination tournament

16 Carat Gold Tournament is a single-elimination tournament annually held by the wXw. The sixteen-man tournament was first conceived by wXw in 2006 and has been held every year since then with the exception of 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year Winner Ref
2006 Baron von Hagen [19]
2007 Chris Hero
2008 Bad Bones
2009 Shingo Takagi
2010 Walter
2011 Sami Callihan
2012 El Generico
2013 Tommy End
2014 Chris Hero (2)
2015 Tommy End (2)
2016 Zack Sabre Jr. [20]
2017 Ilja Dragunov [21]
2018 Absolute Andy [22]
2019 Lucky Kid
2020 Cara Noir [23]
2022 Jonathan Gresham [24]
2023 Shigehiro Irie [25]

Contracts
Main article: List of Westside Xtreme Wrestling personnel

Championships and accomplishments

Current championships
Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days
held		 Location Notes Ref.
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship Shigehiro Irie 1 March 12, 2023 69 Oberhausen, Germany Defeated Axel Tischer for the Vacant title. [26]
wXw Shotgun Championship Laurance Roman 1 January 28, 2023 112 Oberhausen, Germany Defeated Maggot at wXw Back To The Roots 2023.
wXw World Tag Team Championship Arrows Of Hungary
(Dover and Icarus)		 1
(1, 1)		 March 10, 2023 71 Oberhausen, Germany [27]
wXw Women's Championship Baby Allison 2 March 11, 2023 70 Oberhausen, Germany Defeated Aliss Ink in a four-way match at wXw 16 Carat Gold 2023 - Night 2. [28]
wXw Academy Trophy Championship Oskar 1 March 5, 2022 441 Oberhausen, Germany Defeated Goldenboy Santos at wXwNOW & Friends [29]

Defunct championships
ChampionshipFirst ChampionFinal championDate wonLocationNotes
wXw World Lightweight Championship Mad Cow Zack Sabre Jr. June 5, 2010 Oberhausen, Germany Defeated Steve Douglas at Dead End X to unify the Lightweight Title with the Heavyweight Title to create the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship[30][31]
wXw Hardcore Championship Eiji Kushinawa Necro Butcher August 1, 2006 Plainfield, Indiana Defeated Ian Rotten and JC Bailey in a three-way elimination Texas Deathmatch at IWA Mid-South April Bloodshowers 2006[32][33]

wXw Hall of Fame

The wXw Hall of Fame is a German professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the Oberhausen-based promotion Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw). It was established in 2005[34] to honor wrestlers who have wrestled for the promotion.

Inductees
# Year Ring name
(Birth name)[Note 1]		 Notes[Note 2]
1 2005 Mad Cow
(Sander Rijnders)		 Inaugural wXw World Heavyweight Champion (1 time), won the wXw Hardcore Championship (3 times)
2 2009 Baron Von Hagen
(Torben Borzek)		 Won the wXw World Tag Team Championship (2 times)
3 2010 Hate
(Peter Wiechers)		 Won the wXw Hardcore Championship (9 times), wXw World Tag Team Championship (2 times), founder and former owner of wXw.
4 2010 SigMasta Rappo
(Pascal Signer)		 Won the wXw Hardcore Championship (4 times), wXw World Tag Team Championship (2 times). SigMasta Rappo was removed from the wXw Hall of Fame in 2020. [35]
5 2010 Thumbtack Jack
(Alexander Bedranowsky)		 Won the wXw Hardcore Championship (1 time)
6 2011 Marc Weingartner Longtime ringside photographer.
7 2011 Alex Pain
(Alexander Pohl)		 Won the wXw World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), wXw Hardcore Championship (1 time), wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
8 2012 Iceman
(Isaac Harrop)		 Won the wXw Hardcore Championship (1 time), wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
9 2015 Steve Douglas
(Steffen Leichsenring)		 Won the wXw World Lightweight Championship (1 time), wXw World Tag Team Championship (3 times), wXw World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
10 2015 Are$
(Marco Jaggi)		 Won the wXw World Heavyweight Championship (2x), wXw World Tag Team Championship (3 times), holds record with 603 days reign as wXw World heavyweight champion.
11 2017 Karsten Beck
(Karsten Pitann)		 Won the wXw World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
12 2018 Doug Williams
(Douglas Durdle)		 Won the wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
13 2019 Robbie Brookside
(Robert Brooks)		 Won the wXw World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

wXw Academy

In 2016, wXw opened the first German wrestling academy with a seven-days course schedule in Essen.[4] The wXw Academy training is open for members as well as guests that can also book a stay in an apartment adjoined to the academy. With "Scouting the next Generation", the wXw Academy introduced a series of monthly events in 2015 that provides trainees of the academy the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd.[36]

In August 2022, the wXw Wrestling Academy moved to Gelsenkirchen.[37]

See also

References
  1. Cagematch, Westside Xtreme Wrestling
  2. Cagematch, Westside Xtreme Wrestling > History
  3. Cagematch, HATE
  4. "Chronik". wXw – more than Wrestling (in German). Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  5. "Big Japan Wrestling – Westside Xtreme Wrestling – Combat Zone Wrestling Unified Strong Championship". Wildcat Belts. August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  6. westside Xtreme wrestling, Official MySpace
  7. Cagematch, wXw/X-S:W Gorefest – European King Of The Death Matches 2006
  8. Cagematch, wXw Gore Fest II
  9. Moonsault.de, wXw/NOAH Dead End VIII 21./22.6, Oberhausen
  10. Martin, Adam, Indy News #3: HETV, TNA stars, CWE, AIW Archived 2012-09-26 at the Wayback Machine June 8, 2010 Wrestleview.com
  11. Knowledge, Nick, westside Xtreme wrestling in Philadelphia Live Report March 17, 2010, PWInsider.com
  12. Miami Herald, Ring Report 3/3 February 11, 2010
  13. "GFW Reaches Agreements With European Promotions". globalforcewrestling.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  14. Caldwell, James (July 18, 2015). "NJPW news: New Japan announces big int'l expansion plans, including expanded N. America partnerships & NXT-like program". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  15. "NXT Germany In The Works?". lastwordonprowrestling.com. July 16, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  16. "WWN AND WXW PARTNER UP". Pro Wrestling Torch. July 16, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  17. "WWE AND WXW PARTNER UP". WWE.Com. July 16, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  18. "wXw Amerika Ist Wunderbar - Live From New York City". Cagematch. July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  19. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "16 Carat Gold Tournament 2006 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  20. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "16 Carat Gold Tournament 2016 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  21. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "16 Carat Gold Tournament 2017 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  22. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "wXw 16 Carat Gold 2018 – Tag 3 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  23. "Cara Noir wins wXw 16 Carat Gold 2020". 8 March 2020.
  24. Harris, Jeffrey (6 March 2022). "wXw 16 Carat Gold Night Three Results: Jonathan Gresham Wins Tournament". 411Mania. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  25. Briggs, Kelvin (2023-03-13). "wXw 16 Carat Gold 2023 Winner, Result Recap & More". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  26. "Shigehiro Irie wins wXw Unified World Wrestling Title & 16 Carat Gold tournament".
  27. Lambert, Jeremy (March 12, 2023). "wXw 16 Carat Gold 2023 Night Two Results (3/11): Multiple Title Changes". fightful.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  28. Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 11, 2023). "wXw 16 Carat Gold 2023 - Tag 2 - TV-Show @ Turbinenhalle 1 in Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Deutschland". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  29. Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 2, 2022). "wXwNOW & Friends". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  30. "wXw World Lightweight Title History". Westside Xtreme Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  31. "WXW World Lightweight Title (Germany)".
  32. "wXw Hardcore Title History". Westside Xtreme Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  33. "WXW Harcore Title (Germany)".
  34. wXw Hall of Fame wXw-wrestling.com
  35. "SigMasta Rappo nicht mehr in der Hall of FaMe".
  36. "Scouting the Next Generation". wXw – more than Wrestling (in German). Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  37. "wXw WRESTLING ACADEMY - UMZUG ZUM 01.08.2022". wXw – more than Wrestling (in German). Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  1. Entries without a birth name indicates that the inductee did not perform under a ring name.
  2. This section mainly lists the major accomplishments of each inductee in wXw.
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