By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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WXW “Carat Gold, Night 2”
March 8, 2025 in Oberhausen, Germany at Turbinenhalle 1
Replay available via TrillerTV+
This is a three-day, 16-person tournament, and today’s show features the four quarterfinal matches; brackets were not announced in advance, so we don’t know who is fighting whom. 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+.
1. Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Adam Priest. Both men lost in the first round on Friday. They opened in a knuckle lock, and Priest tied up the 55-year-old vet on the mat. Mochizuki hit a stiff kick to the spine, and Priest stalled on the floor. In the ring, Priest hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and got a nearfall at 4:00, and he began targeting the leg. He applied a Figure Four . Mochizuki hit a jumping knee to the face and some kicks. Priest hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 8:00. Masaaki hit a spinning brainbuster for the pin. Solid opener.
Masaaki Mochizuki defeated Adam Priest at 9:11.
2. Elijah Blum vs. Cara Noir. Noir lost in the first round; he hit a shotgun dropkick to open, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor, and they fought at ringside. The commentators reiterated here that the “bracket is a complete surprise to us,” as Noir tied up Blum on the mat. He hit a Stomp at 3:00; I just noticed they don’t have a clock for this match. He hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 5:00. Blum hit a crossbody block and they were both down. Blum hit a moonsault press on a standing Noir for a nearfall at 8:00. Noir hit some blows to the left knee and a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall, then a neckbreaker over his knee for another nearfall.
Noir hit a shotgun dropkick; Blum popped up and hit two! Blum hit a Michinoku Driver for a believable nearfall at 10:00; I thought that was it. Blum hit an enzuigiri. Blum hit a double-underhook twisting suplex and scored the pin! A mild upset, only because Noir was in the tournament and Blum was not.
Elijah Blum defeated Cara Noir at 12:56.
3. Laurance Roman vs. Axel Tischer in a 16 Carat Gold quarterfinal match. Again, Roman (think Karl Anderson) won last year’s tournament. Tischer has a height and body mass advantage. Roman hit a dropkick. Still no clock in the corner. Roman hit a crossbody block for a nearfall. Axel kept Roman grounded. Roman hit a second-rope superplex at 4:30, then a brainbuster for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes, then stereo clotheslines and were both down at 7:30. Axel hit a Helluva Kick. Roman hit a snap suplex into the turnbuckle.
Axel hit a head-capture suplex and a flying forearm, then a German Suplex for a nearfall at 9:30. He hit a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall. Roman dove through the ropes, but as they got back in the ring, Axel hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00. Axel hit some rolling German Suplexes. Roman hit a Shellshock spinning DDT out of nowhere for a believable nearfall, and he immediately locked in a crossface and the crowd chanted “Please don’t tap!” Axel eventually got a foot on the ropes at 14:00; I thought he was on the verge of passing out. Roman slammed him stomach-first to the mat for a believable nearfall; a commentator noted that was the move he used to win last year’s tournament.
We got a “fight forever!” chant. (I love the English chants!) Roman hit a Pele Kick; he came off the ropes, but Axel caught him with a European Uppercut. He hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner and a slam for a believable nearfall at 16:00. This has been really good and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Roman hit a piledriver for the pin. Sharp match. The commentators noted he’s trying to do “what no one has done before” by winning this tournament two straight years.
Laurance Roman defeated Axel Tischer at 17:51 to advance to the semifinals.
* We saw several tag teams arrive at the building. Everyone was wearing suits.
4. Bobby Gunns vs. Masha Slamovich in a 16 Carat Gold quarterfinal match. This marks Gunns’ third straight intergender match. He hit some European Uppercuts; he’s much bigger than she is. He applied a half crab. Hey, we have a clock in the corner again. He hit a stiff kick to the spine for a nearfall at 2:00, and he applied a Boston Crab; about 90% of the crowd was behind Masha in a back-and-forth chant. She hit a Helluva Kick in the corner, then her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall at 4:00. Gunns hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. She hit a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall at 7:00.
Masha hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a second one. Gunns went back to a Boston Crab and he turned it into a Lion Tamer/vertical crab, but she was able to escape. Gunns hit a shotgun dropkick and a running penalty kick. Masha jumped on his back and applied a rear-naked choke, and she hit a pumphandle back suplex at 10:00, then the Requiem piledriver for the pin!
Masha Slamovich defeated Bobby Gunns at 10:19 to advance to the semifinals.
* The commentators again said they have no idea who will be in the next match, as each person was individually announced.
5. Hektor Invictus, Thomas Shire, and Nick Schreier vs. Aigle Blanc, Michael Oku, and Daisuke Sekimoto. Invictus and Schreier competed against each other in a four-way on Friday. I was hoping to see Blanc vs. Oku after they were both eliminated in the first round, so seeing them teaming in a six-man tag is mildly disappointing. Oku and Schreier opened. Hektor and Blanc traded offense at 2:00, with Hektor hitting a springboard crossbody block. Shire entered and he wanted Sekimoto; he knocked down first Blanc, then Oku, with shoulder blocks. Sekimoto finally tagged in at 4:00 to a big pop and a “beef!” chant, and he knocked the massive Shire down. Daisuke began chopping everyone, even his tag partners! The crowd laughed and popped at the silliness, and he apologized.
Blanc hit a Dragon Suplex in the ring, while Shire and Sekimoto fought on the floor. Oku hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor at 6:30. In the ring, Blanc hit a brainbuster on Schreier, but Schreier hit a stunner on Blanc off the second rope. Schreier hit a DDT on Oku, then a flip dive to the floor on several guys. Sekimoto helped flip Blanc over the ropes to the floor on everyone at 8:30, then Daisuke dove through the ropes onto everyone, and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. In the ring, Oku and Blanc hit stereo superkicks, but one accidentally kicked the other. We got just Shire vs. Sekimoto again, and they traded chops and forearm strikes. Blanc got Shire on his shoulders, but Shire escaped and he hit an Airplane Spin on Blanc.
Schreier hit a top-rope crossbody block. Oku hit a Lionsault on Schreier. Blanc hit a coast-to-coast dropkick on Invictus, then a 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Nick made the save. Oku barked at Blanc as they tried some team moves on Nick, and Nick got them to accidentally hit each other. Oku applied a half-crab on Schreier, but Shire made the save at 14:30, and we again got a “this is awesome!” chant. Oku hit a Canadian Destroyer on Shire. Invictus hit some clotheslines. Nick hit a bodyslam on the big Sekimoto. Blanc hit a tombstone piledriver on Schreier. Blanc’s team hit a team superplex on Schreier at 16:30. Sekimoto put Schreier in a Torture Rack, and Schreier tapped out. Really good action.
Aigle Blanc, Michael Oku, and Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Hektor Invictus, Thomas Shire, and Nick Schreier at 16:36.
* The intermission match was Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ludvig Kaiser from a prior 16 Carat Gold. Sabre won it.
6. Ahura vs. Psycho Clown in a 16 Carat Gold quarterfinal match. Clown had a long, elaborate entrance and danced in the crowd. This means the final quarterfinal will be 1 Called Manders vs. Leon Slater. Clown immediately tied up the left arm, and Ahura rolled to the floor to regroup. They traded huracanranas, both missed dropkicks, and we had a standoff at 4:00. Clown clotheslined him to the floor, then he dove through the ropes onto him at 6:00. Ahura flipped Clown onto empty chairs as they fought into the crowd. In the ring, Ahura untied the mask at 10:00 and was loudly booed. He tied Clown in the Tree of Woe and hit a dropkick. He barked at Clown’s family in the crowd, including two young (masked) kids that got in the ring and beat on Ahura.
Ahura grabbed them both by the top of their masks and was loudly booed! However, Pyscho Clown’s wife slapped Ahura, and Clown got a rollup for a nearfall. Clown hit a twisting dive to the floor at 12:30, and he whipped Ahura into rows of chairs. In the ring, Clown hit a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall at 15:00. Ahura hit a huracanrana for a nearfall. Clown hit a Panama Sunrise-style Destroyer for a nearfall at 17:00. Ahura hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Ahura yanked off the mask at 18:30 and was loudly booed. The kids got back in the ring and tried a crossbody block, but Ahura caught him. The other kid hit a satellite head-scissors takedown. Psycho Clown, now wearing a different mask, hit a backbreaker over his knee and a frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 19:30. Ahura crotched Clown in the corner and hit his twisting suplex for the cheap pin. The crowd was into this.
Ahura defeated Psycho Clown at 20:13 to advance to the semifinals.
7. Leon Slater vs. 1 Called Manders in a 16 Carat Gold quarterfinal match. They slapped hands before locking up. Manders has a size and weight advantage. Slater hit a dropkick at 2:30, and he hit a chop that earned a “you f—ed up!” chant. Manders hit his own chops that dropped Leon. Slater missed a frogsplash, and Manders hit a clothesline at 5:30 that sent Slater to the floor. Slater hit a plancha to the floor on Manders, but he tripped coming off the top rope and he immediately clutched at his knee upon crashing on the mat. (If he intentionally fell, it sure looked believable). Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 9:00.
Manders whipped Slater across the ring, and Leon collapsed and continued to sell the knee injury. Slater hit a tornado DDT at 11:30 and he struggled as he climbed the ropes. Manders rolled to the floor. Slater hit a twisting dive over the corner onto Manders on the floor! In the ring, Slater missed his 450 Swanton Bomb, and Manders dropped him stomach-first on the top rope. Slater hit a leg lariat for a nearfall at 14:00. Slater hit a superkick; Manders hit a clothesline. Slater ducked a second clothesline, but Manders hit another clothesline for the pin! I’m surprised by that finish, too!
1 Called Manders defeated Leon Slater at 14:57 to advance to the semifinals.
* Levaniel cut a heel promo in German (with English subtitles!). We then heard from Mike D Vecchio, who said Levaniel stole his title.
8. Mike D Vecchio vs. Levaniel for the wXw European Title. I compare D Vecchio to Brian Cage, as they are both quite agile considering their muscular physiques. Again, Levaniel has the belt but D Vecchio is technically the champion. Levaniel attacked before the bell. He set up for a Sister Abigail swinging faceplant but D Vecchio blocked it and he tossed Levaniel across the ring, then dropkicked him in the corner, and he hit two standing powerbombs and hit a clothesline for the pin! I had a sense this would be short because the show has been so long.
Mike D Vecchio defeated Levaniel to retain the wXw European Title at 1:15.
* We heard from heel manager Robin Christopher Fohrwerk in a nicely shot video.
9. “Young Blood” Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima vs. “Planet Gojirah” Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire vs. “Big Bucks” Norman Harras & Alex Duke vs. “High Performer Ltd.” Anil Marik & Icarus in a four-way ladder match for the wXw Tag Team Titles. Young Blood, the NJPW youngsters, are the champions as we enter the match but the belts are already hanging from the ceiling. All eight brawled at the bell. Dreissker (think Scott Norton’s wide frame) brawled with the taller Leube. The BB stomped on Leube at 3:30. PG flipped Alex Luke onto a horizontal ladder. Dreissker accidentally splashed onto the ladder. HP picked up a ladder and they hit everyone else with it.
Several guys took turns trying to climb the ladder but were knocked off. The crowd has been relatively quiet as this has started at a slower-than-expected pace. HP Ltd. hit a team Lungblower move at 10:00. Dreissker stood up and he had a bloody forehead. Due got a chair and began hitting Young Blood with it. Wow, there has been no urgency to this one at all. Harras hit a moonsault onto Yuto on a table at 14:30 but the table didn’t break and they just rolled off of it to the mat. Oskar and Duke brawled out of the ring and towards a stage. Oskar whipped Harras deep into the crowd at 17:30! Dreissker got a chair and hit some guys with it. In a nice spot, Icarus launched off the top of a ladder and hit a Swanton Bomb on Leube on a table at 22:30.
Fohrwerk climbed the ladder, but he got back down when Dreissker got in the ring. Dreissker speared Fohrwerk through a table in the corner at 24:30 and that got a massive pop. Dreissker started to climb, but Harras hit a low blow. Harras and Duke climbed the ladder and pulled down the belts to win. This went a bit long.
Norman Harras & Alex Duke defeated Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima and Robert Dreissker & Marc Empire and Anil Marik & Icarus in a four-way ladder match to win the wXw Tag Team Titles at 25:41.
Final Thoughts: The tournament matches were good. I’ll go with Roman-Tischer for best match, with the random partner six-man tag for second. Manders-Slater takes third. During the six-way, Aigle Blanc and Oku accidentally hit each other a few times. I was hoping that it would happen again and cost them the match so they would fight on Sunday. Hopefully that can still happen!
The main event tag ladder match started at a really slow pace and it felt like they struggled to pick up the speed. I don’t think the crowd was tired; the match just didn’t have the same energy as the rest of the show. I once again will say that I hope that with their title belt loss, Oskar and Yuto return to NJPW sooner than later. I didn’t mind the quick D Vecchio match, but if you haven’t seen him before, this didn’t give you a glimmer of how good he is.
The semifinals and finals take place on Sunday. Again, we don’t have any brackets. I guess I hope that Manders and Masha do NOT meet in the semifinals, because they could do that match anywhere, and I’d rather they face a unique opponent while in Germany.
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