We leap forward to 2016’s 16 Carat Gold, as the feud spilled over into tag team action.
Of course, this show’s on wXw NOW, but with David Starr’s 16 Carat Gold tournament being restricted to him winning a pre-show alternate four-way on night one, he found himself in tag action on night two with some folks who’d been eliminated…
Commentary comes in English from Alan Counihan and Jeremy Graves.
March 12, 2016 – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2016 (Night Two) – David Starr & Shane Strickland vs. Big Daddy Walter & Da Mack
Strickland lost at the hands of Will Ospreay on night one, while Walter fell to Zack Sabre Jr… and WALTER seems really non-plussed by Da Mack’s Michael Jackson routine.
They’re painting this as CZW vs. wXw, with Mack and Walter being tagged as “Mack Daddy”. Puns! We start with a GODDAMN CHOP as Walter tried to carve his way through the American in the opening minute. The aggression continues with a slam that barely got a one-count, before a dropkick left Starr on the ropes.
Da Mack tags in with a stomp to Starr’s arm, following in with an armdrag and a forearm into the corner. He brought the chops and Moonwalking before Starr got free to bring in Strickland, who quickly fell to a Slingblade. That drew Starr in as the JML pairing were sent flying with a double ‘rana and a Mack Magic Upside Down Crack Smash… and the flying ends there as Walter’s in to bulldoze his way through Strickland.
Clotheslines into the corner and a butterfly suplex get a near-fall, before Mack returned with a dropkick for a one-count. “MackDaddy” exchange quick tags as Walter returned to punk out Strickland, but Shane’s able to come back as he rolled back and hit an axe kick-like stomp to Walter. Starr and Mack return, with the latter eating a Violence Party in the corner, before he shoved a desperation cutter from Mack to the outside. A tope followed from Starr, who’d stopped to kick Walter off the apron… but a second tope’s caught by the Austrian, who nonchalantly slammed Starr onto the apron. Strickland tries to help, but he’s caught and powerbombed onto his partner as Walter turned defence into attack in a matter of seconds. Mack’s back with a frog splash for a two-count, as Walter tagged in to wear down Starr with a chinlock.
Starr elbows free, but he’s met with a slap before a sit-down splash nearly ended it. Mack’s back again with a knee drop and some floating suplexes, but Walter wants back in and just knees Starr in the head. A desperation dive from Starr gets Strickland in, as he had some luck with a dropkick to Walter in the corner before Da Mack tried to throw him out. Strickland heads up and lands a crossbody, only for Walter to retaliate with a shotgun dropkick, which drew Starr back in with some forearms.
A boot rocks Starr again, but a log roll trip from Starr took the Austrian down ahead of a 450 knee drop to Walter for a near-fall. Walter runs to the ropes as Starr went for a Product Placement, and came back with a rolling lariat for a near-fall… Mack’s back in, but took a knee lift before Starr got taken down with La Mistica! Strickland kicks it away, but got thrown outside by Walter as we passed ten minutes.
Strickland returns with a springboard rolling cutter to Walter as we hit a Parade of Moves, with Starr having to hit the ropes to send Mack flying off the top. A rolling elbow’s next a la Chris Hero, as was a massive stomp off the top from Strickland, allowing Starr to get the win with a Product Placement on Da Mack. Starr gets the win – but in a detail nobody will have picked up (because it likely wasn’t intentional, even then), Starr didn’t beat Walter… ***½
A solid tag match that was presented with little build owing to the nature of 16 Carat Gold weekend… but Starr and Strickland would team up again later in the year for Starr’s next crack at Walter, as a part of 2016’s World Tag Team League…