By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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WXW “Carat Gold, Night 3”
March 9, 2025 in Oberhausen, Germany at Turbinenhalle 1
Replay available via TrillerTV+
This is the conclusion of the three-day, 16-person tournament, and today’s show features the semifinals and finals. 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 show aired live on Triller+.
* The show opened with Levaniel in the ring in a suit and a title belt over his shoulder. He was squashed on Saturday in less than two minutes. This segment was in German. Levaniel barked at the crowd and was generally angry.
* We know our final four but we don’t know the matchups!
1. Masha Slamovich vs. 1 Called Manders in a 16 Carat Gold semifinal match. Drat, I didn’t want them to square off here; they could do this match anywhere in the U.S. Masha came out first and dove onto Manders as he approached the ring, and I started my stopwatch at first contact. She whipped him into the rows of chairs. They got in the ring and we had a bell at 1:52 to officially begin. He’s bigger and hit some hard chops, and he dropped her stomach-first on the top rope. Masha’s face was covered in blood. She jumped on his back and applied a rear-naked choke, then she hit a tornado DDT and they were both down at 4:30. Masha hit her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall and some Yes Kicks.
Manders nailed the Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 6:00. She hit some clotheslines; Manders hit some chops, then a headbutt that dropped her. Masha hit a clothesline and they were both down at 8:00. Masha hit a running knee to the chin for a nearfall. Manders nailed a second-rope Bulldog Powerslam for a believable nearfall. He set up for a clothesline but she cut him off with a superkick, and she re-applied the rear-naked choke; he fell backward, dropping his weight on her at 10:00. Manders nailed the Lariat for the pin. A really good match; Masha continues to look so good in intergender matches.
1 Called Manders defeated Masha Slamovich at 10:38/official time of 8:46 to advance to the finals.
* Backstage, Robin Christopher Fohrwerk spoke to Icarus, Anil Marik and Joseph Fenech Jr. It was unclear what Fohrwerk said, but he was shown leaving the arena.
2. Laurance Roman vs. Ahura in a 16 Carat Gold semifinal match. Roman (think Karl Anderson) is the defending 16 Carat Gold champ, trying to be the first person to win this in consecutive years. Again, Ahura has looked so much like Damian Sandow I am wondering if he dyed his hair blond to avoid my comparison. Roman hit an enzuigiri and got a nearfall just seconds in, and he hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 1:00, and he kept Ahura grounded. Ahura hit his springboard twisting dive to the floor at 4:30, crashing onto Roman in the front row. In the ring, Ahura came off the top rope but Roman caught him with a forearm strike. Roman hit a faceplant slam that has won him other matches, but he only got a nearfall here.
Roman hit a hard kick to the back at 7:30. Ahura hit a backbody drop. He hit a flying headbutt and a standing powerbomb on Roman. He powerbombed Roman onto the ropes and hit a clothesline, then he hit his twisting suplex for a believable nearfall; the commentators said it’s the first time anyone has kicked out of that finisher. Roman hit a piledriver for a believable nearfall at 10:00; that won Roman’s match on Saturday over Axel Tischer! Roman hit a top-rope diving headbutt. Ahura got up and hit a Helluva Kick, then a Gotch-style Tombstone Piledriver for the pin! A really good match; it means no repeat champion.
Ahura defeated Laurance Roman at 11:37 to advance to the finals.
3. Miyu Yamashita vs. Anita Vaughan. This is Miyu’s debut in Germany. Anita was among two of the first-round losers who didn’t get a match on Saturday, and I’ve loosely compared her to Ronda Rousey, and she has the height and overall size advantage. They shook hands before trading standing switches. Anita hit a fallaway slam at 3:30, then a backbreaker over her knee for a nearfall. The commentators said Miyu competed Friday in England and Saturday in Spain! Miyu hit several stiff kicks to the spine and kept Vaughan grounded.
Vaughan hit a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall at 9:30. They traded kicks in the corner. Vaughan ducked the Skull Kick and she hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Miyu hit a stiff kick and got a nearfall. Miyu hit a roundhouse kick to the head that dropped Anita, then a buzzsaw kick and a running boot for the pin. Good action and they got a standing ovation.
Miyu Yamashita defeated Anita Vaughan at 13:30.
* As was the case on Saturday, there was random partner six-man tag and no one knew who would be in it. I considered the six-man on Saturday to be the second best match of the night.
4. Zozaya, Masaaki Mochizuki, Psycho Mike vs. Aigle Blanc, Michael Oku, and Psycho Clown. I wrote them in order of their entrance; Blanc and Oku tagged in Saturday’s random partner match.I’ve seen Zozaya on some UK shows; he has curly brown hair and a great physique and is just 22. Mochizuki, age 55, was a first-round loser on Friday but won on Saturday. I’ve seen Psycho Mike on a few shows from Canada. Zozaya and Blanc opened with fast-paced reversals and a standoff at 1:00. Masaaki and Oku entered, with Michael hitting a dropkick. Clown and Psycho Mike then got in … and they took turns dancing. The crowd liked it anyway. Mike hit a huracanrana at 4:30 that popped the crowd.
Clown hit a powerslam and a pop-up forearm, then he clotheslined them both to the floor. Oku’s team hit stereo dives through the ropes onto their opponents. In the ring, Blanc and Oku hit a team Dragon Suplex move on Zozaya at 6:00. Clown whipped Zozaya on the back with a belt! That popped the crowd. Clown hit his own teammates with it, too! He then hit Psycho Mike with it. He hit the ref with the belt! He pulled up the ref’s shirt and whipped him! Psycho Mike hit a bodyslam on Clown at 9:00, and hit Clown with his own belt. Blanc came off the ropes, but Mochizuki caught him with a spin kick. Zozaya’s team hit stereo dropkicks on Blanc in a corner. Oku crotched Psycho Mike around the ring post at 11:00.
Blanc hit a twisting neckbreaker on Mochizuki. Clown hit a Lungblower on Psycho Mike for a nearfall. Oku’s team hit a team bodyslam on Mike for a believable nearfall at 13:00 in a comedy spot. Mike hit a series of bodyslams and got a nearfall, then a dive to the floor! Oku hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor. Clown hit a moonsault to the floor. Zozaya hit a springboard splash to the floor on everyone at 15:00. Blanc hit a springboard somersault. Mochizuki set up for a dive; Blanc cut him off and told him he’s too old! Mochizuki punched Blanc and hit the dive anyway. Funny.
In the ring, Mike’s team hit the Shield-style triple powerbomb for a nearfall. Clown climbed up the balcony and dove maybe 15-20 feet onto everyone at 17:00, earning a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Blanc hit a springboard knee strike on Mochizuki. Zozaya nailed a top-rope Spanish Fly on Blanc. Oku hit a second-rope DDT on Zozaya. Blanc hit a 450 Splash on Zozaya, and Oku hit a frogsplash, then Clown hit a frogsplash. They all piled onto Zozaya for the pin. That was a blast.
Aigle Blanc, Michael Oku, and Psycho Clown defeated Zozaya, Masaaki Mochizuki, and Psycho Mike at 18:56.
5. Mike D Vecchio vs. Leon Slater for the wXw European Title. Well this should be a barn-burner. Again, I compare D Vecchio to Brian Cage for being so agile for having such muscle mass. D Vecchio easily pushed him into a corner. Standing switches and Slater twisted the left arm. They went for stereo dropkicks and we had a standoff at 2:00. D Vecchio hit a gut-wrench slam. Slater hit a Rewind Kick to the head, then a plancha to the floor. Slater sold pain in his knee on the floor, and they brawled at ringside. In the ring, D Vecchio hit an impressive double-jump missile dropkick, then a dive over the top rope to the floor at 6:00. “How is that possible?” a commentator shouted, marveling at D Vecchio’s agility.
In the ring, Slater hit a guillotine leg drop in the ropes. D Vecchio hit a Bulldog Powerslam and attempted a moonsault, but Slater got his knees up to block it, and they were both down at 8:00. They got up and traded kicks. Slater hit a release Blue Thunder Bomb at 9:30, but D Vecchio rolled to the floor to avoid a pin. Slater attempted a plancha, but D Vecchio threw Leon into the rows of empty chairs. He slammed Slater’s injured knee on the ring apron. In the ring, D Vecchio hit a frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Slater hit a DDT and they were both down at 12:00. Slater hit a leg lariat for a nearfall. He went to the top rope but his leg buckled. There was a top-rope twisting neckbreaker to the mat, but D Vecchio sold it more. Slater hit a frogsplash. D Vecchio hit a Poison Rana and a clothesline, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press for the pin. A stellar match.
Mike D Vecchio defeated Leon Slater to retain the wXw European Title at 15:06.
* Metehan (f/k/a Teoman, a former NXT-UK wrestler) came out from the back. The commentators were shocked to see him. (I just saw him on a free German Wrestling Federation show in February that is available on YouTube.) He cut a long promo in German, and he apparently wants D Vecchio’s European Title.
6. Elijah Blum and “Planet Gojirah” Marc Empire and Robert Dreissker vs. Daisuke Sekimoto and “The Astronauts” Fuminori Abe and Tokuya Nomura. Blum opened and dropkicked Nomura. Abe, who has a crew-cut, entered and faced the massive Dreissker (again, think Scott Norton in size/body shape.) Dreissker hit a springboard crossbody block on Abe. Daisuke entered and faced Empire (think Michael Elgin) at 3:00, and they traded chops and forearm strikes. Empire hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Blum tagged back in and began to work over Sekimoto. Sekimoto applied a Boston Crab at 6:00 and sat down on Blum’s back, but Elijah reached the ropes. Dreissker got back in and hit a snap suplex on Abe and a massive fallaway slam. Sekimoto hit some rapid-fire chops on Dreissker in the corner.
Empire got back in at 10:00 and hit some Stinger Splashes on Sekimoto, and a rolling cannonball for a nearfall. Sekimoto accidentally collided with Abe. Nomura and Blum tagged in at 12:30 and traded forearm strikes, and Blum hit a twisting neckbreaker. Blum hit a crossbody block for a nearfall. Nomura hit a dropkick and a running penalty kick for a nearfall. Sekimoto got the massive Dreissker on his back in a Torture Rack at 14:30. Sekimoto hit a double German Suplex! He hit a decapitating clothesline on Dreissker. Abe hit a punch to Blum’s jaw. Nomura hit a snap German Suplex on Blum. Blum hit a diving forearm for a nearfall. Empire dove through the ropes onto two guys, and Blum pinned Nomura. They bowed and hugged each other.
Elijah Blum, Marc Empire, and Robert Dreissker defeated Daisuke Sekimoto, Fuminori Abe, and Tokuya Nomura at 17:12.
7. 1 Called Manders vs. Ahura for the 16 Carat Gold Trophy. They immediately traded blows, and Ahura grabbed the left arm and stomped on it. The commentators agreed that Ahura was aware Manders hurt it at the end of the match against Masha. They rolled to the floor at 2:00 and continued to brawl. Ahura dove onto him and they continued to fight at ringside. Manders put Ahura on his shoulders and slammed Ahura’s back into the ring post, then tossed him into rows of chairs at 5:00. In the ring, Ahura hit a Lungblower-type move onto the damaged elbow and Manders sold the pain. They got up and Manders hit some chops; Ahura hit some weaker chops. Ahura hit a headbutt to the jaw then hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 9:00.
Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline at 10:30, but Ahura kicked out! Manders hit a second one for a believable nearfall. Manders was bleeding from his mouth and he looked in disbelief that he didn’t win there. Manders set up for another clothesline, but Ahura collapsed and was convulsing on the mat. The ref was going to call for the bell, but Manders stopped him! Ahura got up; Manders hit the clothesline, and scored the pin!
1 Called Manders defeated Ahura to win the wXw 16 Carat Gold trophy at 13:42.
* Manders was handed the two-foot tall trophy and a cannon went off, covering him in confetti. No post-match speech, though.
Final Thoughts: These shows are so special because they have brought in wrestlers from all over for matchups that will likely never happen again. I noted this on Friday, but these shows featured wrestlers from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium.
D Vecchio-Slater was really good and takes best match. Just like on Saturday, the random six-man tag with Blanc and Oku takes second. The main event was really good and takes third. So much to like here. This show streamed live on Triller+ and if you are a member, this is definitely a must-see show.
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