Welcome to another edition of Dark Horses of EuroGraps – a series that aims to shine a light on under appreciated talent across the continent. Today we’ve got a selection of matches from Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Ireland and Spain. Let’s get right into the action.

“Manticore” Toby Blunt (c) vs. Emil Sitoci vs. Josh Bodom vs. Kay Jutler

(WrestlingKULT – 10th February, 2018 – Rockpalast, Bochum, Germany)

First up is a four way dance featuring “Manticore” Toby Blunt defending the International Kult Cup title against Emil Sitoci, Revolution Pro Wrestling’s starlet Josh Bodom and Kay Jutler.

It would not be a multi man match if we didn’t get alliances early in the bout so Bodom and Jutler begin by attacking Manticore and Sitoci – but this alliance doesn’t last long as Jutler finds himself at the receiving end of a Bodom clothesline after some back and forth action. However, Bodom’s period of dominance is stopped when Sitoci hits him with a Frankensteiner followed by his trademarked gutbuster and split legged moonsault. We then see an exchange of blows to the outside that finds its climax when the champion surprises all of his three challengers with a crossbody from the top rope to the floor.

We do not have to wait for another highlight too long as Jutler hits a huge double German suplex on Manticore. If that was not enough – Sitoci eats a sickening German Suplex into the turnbuckle from Bodom followed by a high risk somersault leg drop to the ropes. It looks like the title is about to change hands, but Manticore breaks up the cover and saves the trophy.

Emeritus & Peter Olisander vs. Matthew Burnett & Tank

(BODYSLAM! Pro Wrestling – 13th January, 2018 – Skråen, Aalborg, Denmark)

First things first, I am pretty much unknown to Danish wrestling. Obviously I did my research on some talents in the past, but I never went out and actually watched it. I have to admit that I was positively surprised by the effort they put into the character and show presentation. Plus, I am a big fan of the commentary team and we are certainly in for a treat with BODYSLAM!’s introduction to the wXw NOW catalogue. If you take a closer look at the competitors in the match, you already get a grasp that BODYSLAM! are very keen on giving the wrestler their own identity. Tank has legitimate MMA background and would thrive in a shoot-style environment like AMBITION or Tetsujin. Emeritus will be familiar to some having taken part in last year’s CHIKARA  King of Trios. Olisander and Burnett are no slouches either.
Alright, let’s jump into the match and particularly the first few sequences. Emeritus and Olisander use dirty tactics to take control of the match at the start, using the ring ropes to their advantage or distract the referee when Burnett is about to tag in his partner. In the course of the match they try to outnumber Burnett, but he fights back, hits a double frankensteiner and tags in Tank who cleans up the house. He’s a great hot tag in this match and this is emphasised when he military presses Olisander out of the ring onto Emeritus. 
However, just as quickly as Tank had control, Emeritus and Olisander get the upper hand back as Olisander distracts the match official once again and Tank gets surprised by a kendo stick shot from Emeritus. They are working like a well oiled machine much to the behest of the Aalborg crowd. Buoyed on by this reaction, they try to double suplex Tank but he uses his flailing leg to get the tag to Burnett who enters the ring and assists his partner with a double vertical suplex of their own. Very smart wrestling. Tank gorilla presses Burnett onto Olisander for a try at the win, but Emeritus breaks up the pinning attempt. In an unfortunate turn of events for them the fan favorites lose control of the match again. They hit an Bucks-esque Indytaker on Burnett, but Tank makes a last gasp save. Tank shifts up a gear and Olisander eats a G.T.S.  and cannonball in the corner. Following this, Olisander is hit with an assisted Urinage/Chokeslam for the 1-2-3. Very, very smart worked match with an engaged crowd. While the wrestling was not of world-class quality, everything was clean, smooth and had a good story. I am really looking forward to seeing more from BODYSLAM! in the future.

A number of BODYSLAM! Pro Wrestling events can be found on wXwNOW.

Alexander James, Killer Kelly & Tengkwa vs. Emil Sitoci, Tyler Colton & Young Money Chong

(Pro Wrestling Holland – 4th March, 2018 – OJC Solution, Hillegom, Netherlands)
(Available on twitch.tv – skip to 21.00)

This match had one of the most interesting and diverse match line ups I have seen all year and my word – it did not disappoint. Chong and Tengkwa start the contest with some smooth technical wrestling. The latter gets hold of a reverse surfboard followed up by a low dropkick from Killer Kelly. What ensues is an exchange between James and Sitoci. In a back and forth struggle Sitoci is the one to retain control and execute his Gutbuster and Split-legged Moonsault combination. The Untamable One looks to end the match quickly, but James escapes a snapmare driver and gets “U.S.A!” chants in The Netherlands of all places.

The fans call for Killer Kelly. If she wants to fight a real man, she has to fight Tyler Colton who gets tagged in by Emil Sitoci. Colton wants to score with his strength, but the agile Kelly outpaces him and locks in a guillotine choke. In the process the trio of James, Kelly & Tengkwa get a little bit too confident for their opponents’ liking and Chong, Colton and Sitoci take control of the match by taking out Alexander James – probably the strongest of their opponents.
The Prince of Pro tries to fight back – but his opposite numbers do a great job in working his arm. Sitoci and Tengkwa go at it with the latter hitting a front missile dropkick and tagging Kelly who challenges her inner Katsuyori Shibata against poor Young Money Chong. It gets a little bit chaotic when Colton enters the ring illegally, but Kelly does not give in and goes for a German suplex. Colton counters with an elbow, but this is equally met with a diving European Uppercut from James which assists Kelly’s German Suplex on Colton.

In the mayhem, Sitoci plants James with a superkick and then drops Kelly on her head with a spinning Tombstone Piledriver for the win. Very cool stuff.

Flight Mode vs. More Than Hype (Darren Kearney & Nathan Martin)

(Phoenix Wrestling – 27th July, 2018 – The Kino, Cork, Ireland)

I had no idea where to start writing about this match because of the pure speed of the bout, but before I come to that I have to stand up and applaud the Irish wrestling scene. It is incredible to look at the progress they made over the last three or four years to have arrived at the current point from near enough nothing – with no signs of this momentum slowing. Not only in the number of shows and promotions popping up, but also in the growth of talent. They are all still so young and I’m very interested in all the up and coming workers making their mark over in Ireland. 
Speaking of the future – we get yet another glimpse of four very talented young Irish wrestlers here. Darren Kearney and Nathan Martin have been featured very prominently on this site recently – so need little introduction. However, Axl Jeffries and Matt Skylar from Flight Mode are not particularly new to the Irish scene, but I would say they’ve got around a little bit more the last couple of months. Anyway, we’re in for a fast-paced tag team bout. Beforehand I have to confess I watched the match with my hands in front of my face on occasion because of the possibility that Skylar might break in half any second owing to his outlandish style.

We’re at full speed from the moment the bell rings. Flight Mode are able to score the first few tag team moves but Kearney and Martin show off their experience, take control of the match and hit some on-point move combinations. Skylar gets a lot of punishment as M.T.H. isolate him from his tag team partner. There’s a turning point when Martin is caught off guard by a satellite DDT. On top of that Skylar flies to the outside with a beautiful moonsault. Back in the ring Flight Mode are looking to end things, but Martin escapes from the cover after an aided double foot stomp to the back.
Jeffries and Skylar are in disbelief causing them to lose focus. M.T.H. take advantage and hit a rapid dropkick combination on Jeffries. Rattled by the attack it is an easy job for Kearney and Martin to nail their low kick / double underhook sitout facebuster combo for the win. Whew.

A-Kid (c) vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.

(White Wolf Wrestling – 14th April, 2018 – La Tabacalera de Lavapies, Madrid, Spain)

And last but not least we are taking a look at a match I was really looking forward to since it garnered some attention on twitter. I was hooked by the moment the video started. The venue, the entrances, the atmosphere. All it took from Zack Sabre Jr. was a little push before the match to get a huge reaction from the crowd.
A-Kid and ZSJ starting things slowly but straight-forward in front of a red-hot audience. The defending champion does good at out-wrestling ZSJ the first few minutes and we get a really cool moment where Kid stands tall over Sabre. However, it is ZSJ who plays the bastard perfectly and puts an end to Kid’s offense with some of his unorthodox submission holds. Kid – who has already shown his craft in the UK and Ireland – studied the tapes of the well-traveled Sabre, so this turns into a mat and strike based affair. Slaps and chops and more slaps. Slaps.

It is always incredible to see how the technical wizard is able to take charge of a match. However, A-Kid is not going down so easily and Sabre hits him with strike after strike -with the pair yet to run the ropes. Kid tries to outmaneuver ZSJ with one of his own holds when he lifts him with a northern lights suplex followed by an armbar, but ZSJ grabs the bottom rope. Undeterred, Kid nails a fisherman buster for a near fall.

ZSJ counters a Pelé Kick into an ankle lock and single leg Boston crab as well as a modified cloverleaf of some description. At this point the room is electric and draws the famous “Fight Forever” chant from the fans. Kid counters an European uppercut with a crucifix pinning attempt followed by a superkick and a frog splash for yet another nearfall.

This is simply great stuff. ZSJ turns momentum by firing off two breathtaking PKs, but it is not enough for the win as A-Kid is one hell of a fighting champion. Another superkick follows from A-Kid who needs to take a moment because ZSJ stiffed the shit out of him. Both take it to the top rope… Spanish fly! Superkick! Uno… dos… tres!

What a war. I absolutely loved this. This was right on par with Zack’s matches against Lucky Kid in Frankfurt. Get A-Kid to Oberhausen immediately. Or sooner.

A number of Triple W events are available on wXwNOW.