We’ve gotten through Christmas, so it’s time to dig up our living-and-breathing preview for 16 Carat Gold 2023…
Running from March 9 through 12 in Oberhausen, this’ll be the 17th Carat – and perhaps the first full-size Carat since the pandemic, unless we’ve just jinxed it and ushered in restrictions again!
16 Carat Gold Entrants
After the events of Bielefeld, 16 Carat Gold will be for the vacant wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship. At We Love Wrestling #41 – Road to 16 Carat Gold, Levaniel failed to win the Road to 16 Carat Gold tournament, thus vacating the title after Norman Harras told him he had to win the whole tournament in order to retain the title.
February 23: A change to the announced entrants saw Belgium’s Mike D Vecchio replace Jurn Simmons, who had to pull out due to appendicitis…
FUMINORI ABE
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: First Round (2022, lost to Robert Dreissker)
AHURA
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
FRANCESCO AKIRA
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
TRISTAN ARCHER
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
AREZ
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
MIKE D VECCHIO
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
SHIGEHIRO IRIE
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: Semi-Finalist (2022, lost to Jonathan Gresham)
KOMANDER
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
MAGGOT
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: Quarter-Finalist (2022, lost to LuFisto)
METEHAN
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: Winner (2019, as Lucky Kid)
TREY MIGUEL
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
DAVEY RICHARDS
Last Year in Carat: 2011
Best Finish: Semi-Finalist (2011, lost to Sami Callihan)
LAURANCE ROMAN
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
MASHA SLAMOVICH
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
PETER TIHANYI
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: Quarter-Finalist (2022, lost to Jonathan Gresham)
AXEL TISCHER
Last Year in Carat: 2015
Best Finish: Finalist (2014, lost to Chris Hero)
Shows
Inner Circle
The Thursday-before-Carat show is sold out, for the first pre-Carat show in Gelsenkirchen. Doors for this are at 6.30pm, with a 7pm bell time…
16 Carat Gold – Night One
As is the norm, night one is all about the first round of Carat. 6.30pm doors, 8pm bell time for this one.
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Arez vs. Komander
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Francesco Akira vs. Laurance Roman
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Masha Slamovich vs. Fuminori Abe
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Tristan Archer vs. Mike D Vecchio
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Trey Miguel vs. Peter Tihanyi
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Shigehiro Irie vs. Metehan
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Maggot vs. Ahura
16 Carat Gold 2023 – First Round: Axel Tischer vs. Davey Richards
The pre-show will also feature an alternate’s four way – Gulyas Jr. vs. Elijah Blum vs. Fast Time Moodo vs. Anil Mark.
wXw NOW & Friends Showcase Event
Following up on the last Showcase event, wXw is running this one back – with some different promotions involved. Doors for this one are 11.30am on Saturday, with a noon bell time as the first of three shows in the Turbinenhalle…
ACTION (USA) – promoting an ACTION Championship match as Adam Priest defends vs. Jaden Newman
APC (France) – promoting an APC Championship match as Rick Salem defends vs. Kuro
BODYSLAM! (Denmark) – promoting randersPagne (Adonis & Xander) vs. Easy Loverz (Bam Bam Quaade & Erik Sabel)
ICW (Scotland) – promoting an ICW World Heavyweight Championship match as Leyton Buzzard defends vs. Vaughn Vertigo
Passion Pro (Hungary) – promoting Maokai, Gulyas Jr. & Bence Toth BT vs. Maverick, Corey McRae & Zafar Ameen
PROGRESS (England) – promoting a PROGRESS World Championship match as Spike Trivet defends vs. Danny Black
Pro Wrestling Österreich (Austria) – promoting Lucifer Lohan vs. Martin Pain
SMASH (Canada) – promoting Charles Crowley vs. Psycho Mike
Ambition 14
An afternoon matinee here, with 2.30pm for doors and 3pm bell time for wXw’s regular shoot-style tournament.
FUMINORI ABE
Best Finish: Finalist (2022)
BOBBY GUNNS
Best Finish: Winner (2022)
KEVIN LLOYD
Best Finish: First Round (Wildcard Edition/2019 & 2020)
FAST TIME MOODO
Best Finish: N/A
DAVEY RICHARDS
Best Finish: N/A
LAURANCE ROMAN
Best Finish: First Round (2018/2019/2022)
THOMAS SHIRE
Best Finish: N/A
PETER TIHANYI
Best Finish: N/A
Those are shaking down into these first round matches – with the semis being blind-draws:
Bobby Gunns vs. Kevin Lloyd
Thomas Shire vs. Peter Tihanyi
Fast Time Moodo vs. Fuminori Abe
Laurance Roman vs. Davey Richards
We’ve also got Icarus vs. Patrick Bork on the card – Bork trains at the Fight Club Gelsenkirchen, and had issued an open challenge to anyone from wXw.
wXw has also announced a Super Fight – Luke Jacobs vs. Axel Tischer.
16 Carat Gold – Night Two
“Championship Saturday,” is typically is where you’d get the big world title match of the weekend… but with the title up for grabs in 16 Carat Gold, there’s something bigger at stake this time, at least for Bobby Gunns… Doors are at 6pm, with first bell at 7.30pm. In addition to the Carat quarter-finals, we have:
Job vs. Career: Norman Harras vs. Bobby Gunns
wXw Women’s Championship: Ava Everett vs. Baby Alisson vs. Iva Kolasky vs. Aliss Ink (c)
wXw World Tag Team Championship: Arrows of Hungary (Icarus & Dover) vs. Frenchadors (Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc) (c)
wXw We Love Wrestling
Sunday kicks off with a We Love Wrestling show taping that has our name on it (literally)… Doors for this are at 11.30am with bell time at 12 noon…
Advertised on the poster for this are: Charles Crowley, Leyton Buzzard, Psycho Mike, Adam Priest, Elijah Blum, Jaden Newman, Gulyas Jr., Jacob Crane, Calypso, B3CCA, Amale, Anil Marik & Fast Time Moodo.
16 Carat Gold – Night Three
Your semi-finals and finals go here, leading to the crowning of a new champion along with other matches that typically set the table for the remainder of the year. Doors open a little earlier at 4pm, with opening bell at 5pm.