Freitag war Carat, and so begins our look back at this past weekend’s festivities in Oberhausen!
Quick Results
Alternate Four Way: Hektor Invictus pinned Nick Schreier, Ryan Clancy & Stephanie Maze in 6:27 (**½)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Ahura pinned Michael Oku in 13:31 (***)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Bobby Gunns pinned Anita Vaughan in 11:40 (***)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Axel Tischer pinned Masaaki Mochizuki in 9:15 (**½)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Laurance Roman pinned Adam Priest in 13:27 (***)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Masha Slamovich pinned Cara Noir in 11:14 (***)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Psycho Clown pinned Joseph Fenech Jr. in 12:26 (**¾)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: 1 Called Manders pinned Daisuke Sekimoto in 9:33 (***½)
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Leon Slater pinned Aigle Blanc in 22:05 (****)
— In the next week or so, I’ll be chatting about this show with Mike Kilby on the Auf Die Fresse podcast. Links to stream that episode when it drops, as well as back episodes are available at AufDieFresse.co.uk
It was the place to be this past weekend – and it’s the first of six shows inside the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen. English commentary across the weekend comes from the rotating trio of Dave Bradshaw, Ricky Slatter and Mett Dimassi – Dave and Mett are on the call here.
Alternate Four Way: Nick Schreier vs. Ryan Clancy vs. Hektor Invictus vs. Stephanie Maze
The winner of this gets to go on standby for the weekend… and with his Invictus flag back in tow, Hektor was the clear crowd favourite for this.
The ring cleared pretty early on as Clancy tossed out Hektor, then Maze, which allowed things to flow more like a regular match as Clancy tried to use his ye olde style to catch out Schreier. Some flying head scissors worked, before a switcheroo brought in Maze to dump Schreier with a diving knee.
Maze turned her sights onto her trainer Hektor, kicking him in the ropes, before we got back to a Schreier crossbody on Clancy. Mounted punches in the corner eventually built up to a Tower of Doom, with Hektor turning it into a powerbomb on Maze at the end. From there, Hektor powered on, drilling Maze with a spinebuster before Clancy got pushed up for a powerbomb… it’s countered as Clancy hit back with a dropkick instead.
Clancy’s monkey flip is stuffed as Schreier instead hit back with a springboard cutter to spark a Parade of Moves, featuring a Skyfall kick from Maze to all three opponents. They shrug it off to hit a triple spinebuster instead, before Hektor pancaked Schreier ahead of the sit-out powerbomb for the win. A popular winner for the hot crowd as Hektor got his weekend off to a winning start. **½
Onto the main show… and again we’re not doing the parade of entrants, which is a part of the proceedings I wish they’d bring back.
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Ahura vs. Michael Oku
Ahura was one of the tournament favourites going in, having made his return at last year’s Carat. That being said, there’s no easy matches in this field, and Rev Pro’s Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Michael Oku was perhaps one of the tricker opponents he’d have gotten.
A tentative start was broken by Oku, whose headscissors and dropkick left Ahura in place for a half crab… but it’s way too early and the ropes stopped things before they got going. Things spilled outside as Ahura slapped Oku around, throwing Oku into the post… and fortunately for him the momentum took him back into the ring as well.
Ahura followed him back with a missile dropkick as the former Pretty Bastard chopped his way through Oku, only for Oku to hit a dropkick of his own to stem the tide. Another dropkick took Ahura to the floor for a Fosbury flop as Oku pushed on, landing a froggy crossbody back inside of a PK and a springboard moonsault as Ahura was firmly on the back foot.
Oku tries to add the misdirection knee, but a lariat countered all that as Ahura smashed his way back in… literally, as a Tornillo to Oku on the floor smashed through the front row. That’d not be the first time those chairs would be in danger tonight. Back inside, Ahura slipped off the top rope… and got caught with another dropkick in the corner as Oku capitalised.
It’s not long before the half crab was on the menu, but the crowd roared behind Ahura to withstand the hold… which he did as he slipped out into a cradle for a near-fall. A Dragon screw from Oku targets Ahura’s leg once again, but the half crab’s telegraphed as Oku’s powerbombed into the ropes ahead of the Salamandra for the win. Ahura picking up an injury on opening night perhaps set the tone, but it’s a signature win as Ahura marched into the quarter-finals. ***
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Bobby Gunns vs. Anita Vaughan
These two went to a time limit draw in Münster back in January over the Shotgun title – but this time there’s no title on the line, nor any time limit.
Gunns, sporting a freshly-shaved head after losing to Stephanie Maze in Hamburg last month, tried to have Anita wrestle his match… Anita learned from Münster and looked to switch it up into more of an exchange of strikes, and it kinda worked too as an apron PK caught out Gunns on the outside.
Back inside, Gunns began to wear down Vaughan with kicks to the back as he set up for a Boston crab… but it ended in the ropes as Gunns followed up the rope break with a stomp to the elbow. Eventually, Vaughan’s able to hit back with a PK of her own, then with a suplex… but it looked to take just as much out of her as it did Gunns.
Shoulder tackles from Vaughan keep her ahead, as did a fallaway slam, but Gunns was able to shake it off to mount another push on offence. The uppercuts perhaps were scouted, but Vaughan wasn’t able to avoid a follow-up clothesline… she was able to powerbomb Gunns out of the corner as he was too busy playing to the crowd though, almost winning the match right there.
Vaughan lands a Fisherman driver from there, but it’s not enough… so she adds a crossface, which Gunns escapes as a shotgun dropkick, a PK and an Ehrenmann Driver ended up getting Bobby the win. Commentary kept playing the “Anita’s taken on too much” story as the weekend progressed… but this was perhaps the expected result all things considered. ***
Backstage, Hektor Invictus was with Dan Mallmann – Hektor’s plan of confronting Dennis Dullnig over the weekend had to be put back after Dullnig missed Carat weekend through injury, so he’s just going to go his own way this weekend.
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Axel Tischer vs. Masaaki Mochizuki
Mochizuki was replacing Dragon Kid, who was still out injured… and on paper, this was an intriguing clash.
Things quickly went to ground as the pair grappled, before a break in the ropes gave Tischer an opportunity to smash the veteran with an uppercut. Retaliating with kicks, Mochizuki proceeded to kick Tischer’s leg out of its leg as he focused on the left knee as a submission attempt quickly ended in the ropes.
Retaliating, Tischer goes for Mochizuki’s neck, forcing him into the corner with a sleeperhold before Irish whips took the pair from corner to corner. Back-and-forth kicks have Mochizuki back on top, as he proceeded to take Tischer into the corner for a charging knee to the ribs. An X-Plex from Tischer, then a German suplex swings things back his way, but Mochizuki’s able to counter a Horrible Slam into a brainbuster for a two-count.
In the end though, Tischer’s able to return with a clothesline and a folding powerbomb for a near-fall… before a Horrible Slam got the win in a match that was fine, but lacked any kind of juice. **½
Backstage… Adam Priest gets confused with Dan Mallman’s German introduction, before taking offence at the timing of his promo. He reckoned wXw didn’t want him winning the tournament, which is why they have him up against Laurance Roman in the first round…
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Adam Priest vs. Laurance Roman
2024 was a very big tournament year for both these guys – but after this, one of them’ll be out of Carat.
Like at Inner Circle the night before, Priest was a little tentative as the pair’s opening barbs ended with a handshake. Roman looked to take the upper hand, but Priest takes the sting out of things by grabbing the rope to force a break before he looked to restrain Roman with a side headlock. Armdrags help Roman get ahead though, at least until Priest suckered Roman on a handshake… Roman’s response sees him catch Priest with a knee, taking him into the corner for chops, before Priest hit back with a German suplex… softening up Roman as a simple shove sent him outside as Priest looked for a count-out.
Roman’s caught with a DDT through the ropes as he made it back to the ring, while follow-up suplexes looked to keep Roman shaken. A pumphandle suplex almost puts Roman away, as did a Figure Four that forced Roman to roll to the ropes to get the break. Back on top, Roman’s able to haul up Priest for a brainbuster, before Priest put the brakes on a Burning Nail attempt.
A back body drop frees Priest, but Roman’s right back in with clotheslines… only for a chop block to the knee from Priest and a piledriver to almost steal the win. Roman’s able to kick-out, only to get his knee chop blocked again ahead of a STF. Again, the ropes saved Roman, who was able to stop a charging Priest with a knee before the Burning Nail piledriver out of nowhere earned the win. This felt like it was missing something, particularly as far as what the crowd seemed to be wanting, but between the bells this was a solid outing. ***
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Cara Noir vs. Masha Slamovich
This was Cara’s first Carat since winning it five years ago… and that “uncrowned king of the indies” moniker is certainly an attempt to rub some fans up the wrong way.
From the opening bell, Masha and Cara were straight in with strikes ahead of the obligatory indie stand-off. A thunderous clothesline from Masha stopped all that messing around, before Cara Noir’s attempted dropkick sent him sailing outside as Masha instead landed a twisting tope through the ropes on the follow-through.
Back inside, clotheslines from Masha get countered into a backslide as Cara used kicks to get himself into the match, targeting Slamovich’s knee and ankle in the process. A cross-legged grounded abdominal stretch makes things worse, before Masha managed to catch Cara in the corner ahead of a Koppo kick for a near-fall.
Crowd chants of “Kill the Swan” began to bubble up around here, but Cara’s shotgun dropkick and a low superkick set things up for a Rude Awakening neckbreaker… but Masha’s up at two as this match wasn’t about to get shut down in a shade over five minutes. Elbows wear down Masha in the corner, but she defiantly spits at Cara… who just licked it up before going back to the elbows.
Those elbows annoyed Masha in the end, as she rose up and hit one of her own in return, before a rebound German suplex and a torpedo headbutt kept Cara ahead, with further kicks almost putting Masha out. Thankfully, the ref doesn’t call it off as Masha fired back with a clothesline… before Cara effortlessly tossed her up from a pumphandle slam into a tombstone for a near-fall.
From there, Cara Noir went for a package piledriver… Masha escapes it, then swatted away another torpedo headbutt with a knee before hitting her Requiem package piledriver for the win. I’m not that high on Cara Noir, but this was a solid outing with minimal (although not zero) of the things about Cara that turn me off. ***
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Joseph Fenech Jr. vs. Psycho Clown
Back from intermission, and we’ve got Joseph Fenech Jr. looking to get past the first round of Carat for the first time… against a Psycho Clown who really enjoyed giving the camera crew a workout!
Starting with elbow strikes, Psycho Clown controlled proceedings on his German debut, keeping the former Senza Volto on the back foot as a dropkick left the Frenchman on the deck. Fenech rolled outside, which in hindsight wasn’t a good idea as Psycho Clown gave chase with a through the buckles tope that wrecked Fenech… and chairs.
A turnaround sees Fenech add two quickfire dives, including a tope con giro into the aisle, before we started playing chair bowling, with Psycho Clown getting chucked deep into the third row. Fenech faked out a second round, but threw Psycho Clown back inside so he could start to fiddle with the luchador’s mask.
Turnabout is fair play as Psycho Clown took things outside to suplex Fenech through the exploding Turbinenhalle chairs – with the shrapnel cutting Psycho Clown’s arm on the way down. Back inside, Psycho Clown’s able to push on with a dropkick after Fenech was hung in a Tree of Woe, before another tope wiped out Fenech and yet more chairs.
A scoop slam back inside nearly wins it for Psycho Clown, who then ripped off his and Fenech’s shirts to start off a chop battle. Fenech’s handspring cutter’s countered, but second time’s the charm as Fenech almost took home the win… and after Psycho Clown kicked out of a top rope elbow drop, things headed outside for an Air Raid Crash on the apron before a frog splash got the win. A crowd-pleaser of a match, but a pretty straightforward one that caused more trouble for High Performer Ltd. **¾
Post-match, Robin Christopher Fohrwerk stormed away in disgust, as Psycho Clown and his kids were (literally) showered in coins, as is the tradition here.
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: 1 Called Manders vs. Daisuke Sekimoto
We’ve got the big boys in the semi-main event… eventually, as Sekimoto took a while to make his entrance. Also, this weekend, Manders’ music was really rivalling the old AMBOSS music in terms of providing a bass-y jumpscare.
The die was cast pretty early with this one with the lads trading forearm and elbow strikes, before a dropkick from Sekimoto took Manders outside for… a tope?! Those chairs only just got put back into place! Back inside, chops were the order of the day before Manders found a way back in with a slam and a springboard elbow drop.
Another slam from Manders is escaped as Sekimoto just charges him into the corner for a diving crossbody into the buckles as Sekimoto threatened a trip up top… only for Manders to cut him off with a superplex instead. Junkyard Dog-like head butts follow on the mat, but neither man gave any quarter as a bloodied Sekimoto instead had more luck with a deadlift German suplex.
A diving headbutt into a grounded Manders nearly wins it, but a Stampede from Manders in return swings the match back in his favour before he crashed and burned on a rare moonsault. Jesus, lads… Sekimoto goes up for a frog splash, which lands, before Manders slipped out of a torture rack and started another chop battle.
Things upgraded to clotheslines and shoulder tackles before Sekimoto hauled up Manders… it’s escaped as we go back to clotheslines, with one big ol’ lariat from Manders proving enough to get the win. Hoss fights are almost always fun, and this was no exception – they weren’t around for a long time, but it damn sure was a good time. ***½
16 Carat Gold 2025 First Round: Leon Slater vs. Aigle Blanc
These two have only met once before, for PROGRESS at the end of last year, and were tasked with closing out night one of this year’s tournament.
The opening minute featured nothing but a handshake, a slow start that would belie what would follow as Slater seemed to edge the opening exchanges… at least until a dropkick to the midsection from Aigle Blanc sent Leon outside. You know what’s next… dive! Back inside, Slater LAUNCHES Aigle across the ring into the buckles with a release powerbomb, before a second powerbomb dumped Aigle across the edge of the ring.
Aigle Blanc’s lower back became a target from there, with Leon targeting the kidneys and the lower back with kicks… until Leon ran into a clothesline that came out of nowhere. The problem was, the work to the lower back was slowing Aigle down – and while he was able to hit some offence, the back gave out amid a twisting neckbreaker. He was able to hit it as a counter as Leon came off the top rope, before Aigle got caught between the ropes with a slicing legdrop.
Leon feinted another leap off the top, prompting Aigle to whiff on another neckbreaker attempt before a boot off the ropes kept Leon ahead. Using the ropes to slingshot Aigle back into the ring for a cutter, Slater resumed the focus on the lower back, but Aigle’s able to pancake Leon with a back suplex, only for the back to give out again as he kept going for a tombstone. Third time’s the charm though, as Aigle then teased a Coast to Coast… only to get caught with a leg lariat, forcing the Frenchman to bail to the outside to save himself.
Giving chase, Leon nails an over-the-post flip senton before a second slingshot cutter attempt’s countered into a Destroyer… that took Slater to the outside as Aigle slipped, then saved himself for a flip dive of his own off the top. Returning to the ring, Aigle crashed and burned on a 450 splash as Leon got the knees up as more back-and-forth almost ended with Aigle’s back giving out… but he’s able to carry on and nail a rebound Dragon suplex instead.
Another trip up top sees Aigle nail the 450 splash, but Leon kicks out in the nick of time… and after a breather, Aigle proceeded to take Leon into a Tree of Woe ahead of a Dragon superplex that pancaked Slater on his front. Almost a lackadaisical cover nearly cost Aigle as both men fired up once more, leading to a leg lariat from Slater and the Utopia Blue Thunder bomb… before the swanton 450 booked Leon’s place in the quarter-finals. A deserved match-of-the-night – and a surprise result, if only because they’d been sign-posting Aigle and Ahura at some point in the tournament. ****¼
You could quibble about the ordering of the top two matches – I certainly did on the night – but the opening night of this year’s 16 Carat Gold was a solid and consistent offering, with a really strong finish.