By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, GCW, MLW, and other notable live events or television tapings. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
WXW “Carat Gold, Night 1”
March 7, 2025 in Oberhausen, Germany at Turbinenhalle 1
Replay available via TrillerTV+
This is a three-day, 16-person tournament that will play out over three days. Lighting over the ring is really good, and we have a packed crowd of maybe 500. While the ring announcer spoke predominantly in German, we DO have English commentary. I love that they have a match clock in the bottom left corner of the screen.
This year’s field has wrestlers from Germany, France, Japan, Mexico, the UK, along with three U.S.-based wrestlers in Masha Slamovich, Adam Priest, and 1 Called Manders.
1. Ryan Clancy vs. Nick Schreier vs. Hektor Invictus vs. Stephanie Maze in a four-way. If there were a last-minute cancellation of the 16 tournament competitors, the winner of this match is the fill-in. Clancy has had a great year in the U.S. and is the Wrestling Open champion in Massachusetts. No tags in this one. Schreier and Maze battled on one side of the ring, while Clancy hit Invictus. Clancy and Schreier traded rollups. Maze hit some kicks on Nick. Schreier hit a springboard crossbody block at 3:00. They did a tower spot out of the corner.
Hektor hit a powerslam. Clancy nailed his picture-perfect dropkick on Hektor at 4:30. Schreier hit a stunner out of the corner. Maze hit a back suplex. She hit a spin kick that hit all three men; the men hit a team spinebuster on her. Invictus hit a powerbomb and pinned Schreier. Nonstop action and the crowd was hot for this. I presume all four will have additional matches on Saturday and Sunday.
Hektor Invictus defeated Ryan Clancy, Nick Schreier, and Stephanie Maze in a four-way at 6:26.
2. Michael Oku vs. Ahura in a first-round tournament match. Again, Ahura’s face is eerily similar to a younger Damian Sandow, but he has a better physique. Okay, he just came out with golden hair, so toss the Sandow comparison. An intense lockup to open, and the commentators said these two have never fought before. They brawled to the floor at 3:00; no guardrails here, and Ahura pushed him face-first into the ring post. In the ring, Ahura hit a springboard dropkick and he took control. Oku hit a second-rope dropkick at 6:00, then a DDT, then a corner dropkick that sent Ahura to the floor. He hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor. In the ring, he hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 8:00.
Oku missed a frogsplash but landed on his feet. Ahura hit a hard clothesline, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30. Ahura hit a top-rope corkscrew dive onto Oku on the floor, with Ahura landing on the open seats in the front row, earning a “holy shit!” chant (in English!). As they got back into the ring, Ahura sold a leg injury. Oku nailed the six-star frogsplash for a nearfall at 11:30, and he immediately locked in a half-crab. Oku punched at the knee and cranked back. This crowd was insanely hot! Ahura got a rollup for a believable nearfall. They traded kicks, and Oku hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Ahura hit a Mafia Kick at 13:00. Ahura hit a twisting suplex and got the pin! I am such a big fan of Oku, I consider that a big upset and a big loss for this tournament.
Ahura defeated Michael Oku at 13:31 to advance.
3. Bobby Gunns vs. Anita Vaughan in a first-round tournament match. Gunns was just shaved bald after losing a hair match to Stephanie Maze a few weeks ago. Vaughan is almost as tall as he is and I’ve compared her to Ronda Rousey. She hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron at 2:30. In the ring, he hit a Helluva Kick in the corner. He put her in a Boston Crab and stomped on her head, and he was booed. He hit an enzuigiri at 6:00, but she immediately hit a suplex, and they were both down. Anita hit an impressive fallaway slam for a nearfall at 7:30. He hit another enzuigiri and a Saito Suplex for a nearfall.
Bobby hit a series of running back elbows in the corner and a clothesline for a nearfall at 9:30. She got underneath him in the corner and hit a running sit-out powerbomb, then a fisherman’s powerbomb for a nearfall. He grabbed her hand and snapped her fingers, then hit a shotgun dropkick and a penalty kick for a nearfall, then a suplex for the pin. Solid match. The crowd didn’t like this outcome.
Bobby Gunns defeated Anita Vaughan at 11:37 to advance.
4. Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Axel Tischer in a first-round tournament match. I’ve only seen Mochizuki a few times; he’s clearly in his 50s, and they said this is only his second-ever match in Germany. They immediately tied each other up on the mat. Axel snapped Mochizuki’s neck between his ankles at 3:30. A commentator just said Mochizuki is 55. Tischer hit a release suplex at 7:30 and they were both down. He hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Mochizuki hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Tischer hit a clothesline and a standing powerbomb for a nearfall, then a swinging sideslam for the pin. The crowd was surprised it was already over.
Axel Tischer defeated Masaaki Mochizuki at 9:15 to advance.
* Adam Priest was interviewed backstage, but he was surly and cut off the interviewer. Priest has competed several times recently on AEW/ROH TV, and I always compare him to Jaime Noble.
5. Adam Priest vs. Laurance Roman in a first-round tournament match. Roman was (at least in my eyes!) the surprise winner of the 2024 tournament; he’s bald and comparable to Karl Anderson. Quicker mat reversals to open; they got up and shook hands at 1:30. Roman worked the left arm on the mat. Roman hit a kick at 4:30 that sent Priest to the floor to regroup. Priest hit a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall at 7:00. Priest hit a pump-handle back suplex for a nearfall, then he applied a Figure Four. Roman got up and hit some clotheslines and he was fired up. Priest hit a chop block on the knee and a piledriver for a nearfall at 11:30. He applied an STF and cranked back on Roman’s head. Roman hit a piledriver out of nowhere for the pin. Good mat-based match.
Laurance Roman defeated Adam Priest at 13:25 to advance.
6. Masha Slamovich vs. Cara Noir in a first-round tournament match. A nice pop for the black swan-type ballet dancer Noir. The commentators said he won the 16 Carat Gold in 2020, just days before the pandemic took effect, and he’s trying to become just the third person to ever win this tournament a second time. Masha had her TNA Knockouts Title and her JCW World Title belt with her. We got a pre-match handshake, then they immediately traded forearm strikes after the bell. He has quite the size advantage, and he hit a hard chop. She responded with a hard clothesline and a stiff kick to his spine. She hit a twisting dive through the ropes onto him on the floor; she rolled him in the ring and got a nearfall at 2:00.
Noir hit a series of quick kicks and got a nearfall. He began twisting her left knee on the mat. Masha hit her Helluva Kick in the corner and a rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall at 5:30. Noir hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall, and he was frustrated with her kickout. She spit on him, he put it in his mouth. That’s just gross. He hit some forearm strikes but she no-sold them. She hit a spin kick to the head. He hit a German Suplex and a diving headbutt at 8:30, and they were both down. Noir hit some Yes Kicks to her chest. Noir avoided her piledriver, and he hit a Tombstone Piledriver for a nearfall at 10:30. Noir went for another flying headbutt, but she cut it off with a knee strike! Masha immediately hit Requiem/White Knight Driver (piledriver) for the pin!
Masha Slamovich defeated Cara Noir at 11:10 to advance.
* Intermission.
7. Psycho Clown vs. Joseph Fenech Jr. (w/Robin Christopher Fohrwerk) in a first-round tournament match. Fenech’s looks, and his long dark hair, are similar to Roman Reigns or Jason Momoa. Does Psycho Clown use Doink’s theme? It sure sounds like it! They immediately traded chops. This is PC’s debut in Germany; he dove through the ropes onto Fenech on the floor at 2:30. Fenech’s manager Fohrwerk tripped Clown, and it allowed Fenech to hit a pair of dives onto PC. They brawled at ringside. Clown suplexed him onto some open, empty chairs, and they were both down at 7:00. This was a really good brawl and the crowd was into it. In the ring, Clown tied him in the Tree of Woe and kicked Fenech in the face.
Clown again dove through the ropes onto Fenech at 8:30. In the ring, Clown hit a powerslam for a nearfall. They got up and traded chops. Fenech hit a clothesline and a Lethal Injection for a nearfall at 11:30. He hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Clown nailed an Air Raid Crash on the ring apron! He hit a frogsplash for the pin. A really good, inspired brawl. Fohrwerk stormed to the back and didn’t wait for Fenech! Fans threw Euro coins into the ring.
Psycho Clown defeated Joseph Fenech Jr. at 12:45 to advance.
8. Daisuke Sekimoto vs. 1 Called Manders in a first-round tournament match. Manders reached the final four last year. This is Daisuke’s first time here in six years. They immediately traded forearm strikes, and Daisuke hit a dropkick that sent Manders to the floor, then he dove through the ropes onto Manders. In the ring, Daisuke hit a series of rapid-fire chops in the corner at 1:30. Manders hit a bodyslam. They got up and traded chops, and these were LOUD. Sekimoto hit a crossbody block in the corner at 3:30. Manders hit a second-rope superplex and they were both down.
They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Sekimoto hit a delayed German Suplex at 6:30, then a flying headbutt for a nearfall. Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. He missed a moonsault! Daisuke hit a frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 8:00. They traded more chops. They hit stereo clotheslines, and Daisuke hit an enzuigiri. Manders hit a decapitating clothesline for the pin! Really good for the time given.
1 Called Manders defeated Daisuke Sekimoto at 9:34 to advance.
9. Leon Slater vs. Aigle Blanc in a first-round tournament match. No surprise this was the headliner. Slater has turned heads in TNA, and I’m a big fan of the masked French star Blanc. The bell rang but they just glared at each other across the ring, and they finally tied up at 1:00. Basic reversals and a feeling-out process early on. Blanc hit a shotgun dropkick that sent Slater to the floor at 4:00, then he dove through the ropes onto Slater. They traded chops at ringside. In the ring, Slater ran across the ring and nailed a Buckle Bomb at 5:30! Ouch! They fought some more on the floor, and Leon powerbombed Blanc onto the edge of the ring frame! Ouch again!
In the ring, Leon whipped Blanc into a corner and got a nearfall, as Blanc was selling a lower back injury. Leon stomped on the back and kept Aigle grounded. Aigle hit a clothesline at 9:00 and they were both down. Blanc hit an enzuigiri. He tried to lift Slater but his back gave out. Slater leapt off the ropes, but Blanc caught him and hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Leon hit a guillotine leg drop in the ropes at 11:00, but he missed the Swanton 450 Splash. He hit a running kick, then a dropkick in the corner. He hit a Shadows Over Hell (splash to the back) for a nearfall, and they were both down again.
Leon hit a slingshot stunner at 13:00. Blanc hit a swinging faceplant, then a Tombstone Piledriver for a believable nearfall at 15:00 and we got a “Fight forever!” chant. Blanc leapt off the top rope, but Slater caught him with a jumping leg lariat; Blanc rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. However, Leon hit a corkscrew dive over the turnbuckle onto Blanc on the floor, earning a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Blanc hit a Canadian Destroyer at 17:00, and he hit a top-rope somersault dive to the floor on Slater. This has been stellar. Blanc went for a 450 Splash, but Leon got his knees up to block it, and he got a rollup for a believable nearfall.
Blanc hit a Dragon Suplex, then another one. Blanc nailed a top-rope 450 Splash and the crowd was stunned when Leon kicked out. “They have risen to their feet!” the commentator shouted. We got a “this is awesome!” chant. Blanc tied him in the Tree of Woe and stomped on Leon. He hit a top-rope Dragon Suplex and got a nearfall; Slater rolled him over for a nearfall. They got up and traded punches. Slater hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 21:30, then the Swanton 450 Splash for the pin. WOW that was incredible.
Leon Slater defeated Aigle Blanc at 22:03 to advance.
* Leon got on the mic and put over Blanc. He noted he wasn’t in last year’s tournament.
Final Thoughts: A really good start to the tournament. Slater-Blanc was absolutely stellar; it’s a must-see match. While I didn’t like the outcome, Ahura-Oku takes second, and I’ll go with Manders-Daisuke for third. Masha-Noir was really good too, and the Psycho Clown-Fenech Jr. match was an inspired brawl, so there was a lot to like here. While they weren’t bad, Gunns-Vaughan and Tischer-Mochizuki both came in under my expectations. The quarterfinals will be held Saturday, with the semifinals and finals on Sunday. If you have Triller+, this is a must-see show.
Be the first to comment