It’s the start of a new year… so it’s time to start the preparations for Europe’s biggest tournament!
16 Carat Gold runs from March 7 through 9, 2025 – with Inner Circle acting as the curtain raiser on Thursday.
If you’re making the trip over, check out our travel guide for Oberhausen!
16 Carat Gold Entrants
AHURA
Last Year in Carat: 2023
Best Finish: Semi-Finalist (2023, lost to Shigehiro Irie)
Career Highlights: 2 x wXw World Tag Team champion, former wXw Shotgun champion, former GWF Berlin champion
AIGLE BLANC
Last Year in Carat: 2024
Best Finish: Semi-Finalist (2024, lost to Peter Tihanyi)
Career Highlights: First wXw European champion, former wXw World Tag Team Champion, former champion in Rixe, BZW and APC
PSYCHO CLOWN
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
Career Highlights: 2 x AAA World Trios champion, former AAA Latin American and World Tag Team champion
JOSEPH FENECH Jr.
Last Year in Carat: 2024
Best Finish: First Round (2022, as Senza Volto lost to Shigehiro Irie; 2024, lost to Michael Oku)
Career Highlights: Current champion in APC & BZW; former wXw World Tag Team champion; former GWF Berlin champion and GWF Tag Team champion
DRAGON KID
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
Career Highlights: Former wXw World Lightweight Champion… dwarfed by an incredible nine runs with the Open The Triangle Gate title, and four separate reigns with the Open the Brave Gate and Open the Twin Gate championships in Dragongate.
1 CALLED MANDERS
Last Year in Carat: 2024
Best Finish: Semi-Finalist (2024, lost to Laurance Roman)
Career Highlights: Previously held gold in ACTION, MLW and H2O in the States; 2019 Futures Showcase and 2023 Scenic City Invitational winner
CARA NOIR
Last Year in Carat: 2022
Best Finish: Winner (2020, defeated Mike Bailey in the final)
Career Highlights: Won Carat in 2020; held the PROGRESS World title for over two years from 2020-2022.
MICHAEL OKU
Last Year in Carat: 2024
Best Finish: Quarter-Finalist (2024, lost to Peter Tihanyi)
Career Highlights: 2 x and current Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight champion; Rev Pro Grand Slam winner
ADAM PRIEST
Last Year in Carat: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
Career Highlights: Former 2 x ACTION champion, previously held the DEADLOCK PRO National title, the New South title and New South tag titles. Winner of the 2024 Scenic City Invitational and 2021 Heart Of The Southern Sixteen tournaments
LAURANCE ROMAN
Last Year in Carat: 2024
Best Finish: Winner (2024, defeated Peter Tihanyi in the final)
Career Highlights: Won Carat in 2024; won the wXw World Tag Team, Shotgun and Unified World Wrestling titles in the span of nine months between 2023 and 2024.
MASHA SLAMOVICH
Last Year in Carat: 2023
Best Finish: Quarter-Finalist (2023, lost to Axel Tischer)
Career Highlights: Ended 2024 as TNA Knockouts World Champion, the IWS Women’s Champion and the JCW Champion. Previously the wXw Women’s champion before losing it in a unification match to Robert Dreissker.
AXEL TISCHER
Last Year in Carat: 2023
Best Finish: Finalist (2014 and 2023, lost to Chris Hero & Shigehiro Irie respectively)
Career Highlights: 2 x AMBITION tournament winner (2012 & 2024); 2021 Catch Grand Prix winner; ended 2024 as PROGRESS Atlas champion and has previously held wXw Unified World Wrestling championship (x2), wXw Shotgun title (x2); wXw World Tag Team Championship, PROGRESS World Tag Team championship, GWF Tag Team championship & NXT Tag Team championships.
As for the wXw shows across the weekend, this is what’s on tap:
Inner Circle (March 6, 2025)
If you’ve got a ticket, doors for this are at 6.30pm, with a 7pm bell time… and if you’ve got a tournament or festival pass, you’ll be able to pick it up here. If you don’t have a ticket, you’re gonna be limited to the secondary market, as this one is sold out!
16 Carat Gold – Night One (March 7, 2025)
As is the norm, night one is all about the first round of Carat – with an alternate’s match likely to fill in the pre-show slot. 6pm doors, 8pm bell time for this one.
Shotgun Bonanza (March 8, 2025)
Saturday morning starts with a new concept in the footsteps of showcases and wildcard editions. Doors are at 11.30am for a noon start.
Ambition 16 (March 8, 2025)
An afternoon matinee here, with 2.30pm for doors and 3pm bell time for wXw’s regular shoot-style tournament.
Announced so far is Thomas Shire entering the tournament, along with the Superfight of Takuya Nomura vs. Fuminori Abe.
16 Carat Gold – Night Two (March 8, 2025)
Typically the spotlight of the entire weekend falls on this night, where the weekend’s big title defence would happen. Doors are at 6.30pm, with a bell time of 7.30pm.
wXw We Love Wrestling (March 9, 2025)
Sunday kicks off with a We Love Wrestling taping that has our name on it once more… Doors for this are at 11.30am with bell time at 12 noon…
16 Carat Gold – Night Three (March 9, 2025)
Your semi-finals and finals go here, along with other matches that typically set the table for the remainder of the year. Doors open at 4.30pm, with the opening bell at 5.30pm.