wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament 2010

March 5-7, 2010 – Oberhausen, Germany

KAGETORA vs. Nick Jackson vs. Tommy End [Round One Match]
I don’t speak German, but I think the commentators are saying that this is the first triple-threat match in the tournament’s history. The fans chant “fuck TNA,” at Jackson, but they’re totally behind KAGETORA. Dropkicks and armdrags get thrown around to start. Jackson controls with armdrags. He hits both opponents with a hurricanrana. He hits a suicide dive. He gets la magistral on End for 2. KAGETORA jumps on End’s back to dropkick Jackson. End and KAGETORA criss cross with sloppy results. KAGETORA dropkicks the knee for 2. End hits Jackson with a thrust kick for 2. He hits a lariat for 2. KAGETORA is just standing around. He comes back into the match by hitting Jackson with a dropkick. The story now is that he and End are working together but can’t decide who will get the win. It’s just being executed poorly. Jackson brings life to the match with an elbow to KAGETORA and a dropkick to End. He hits KAGETORA with the X Factor for 2. KAGETORA hits the leaping lariat. He hits an enziguiri for 2. End hits a dropkick on KAGETORA. He hits a leg lariat for 2. He hits a German suplex on Jackson for 2. He hits a dropkick. Jackson hits a superkick. He hits a roundhouse kick. KAGETORA hits Jackson with a thrust kick. Jackson returns the favor. KAGETORA gets an ugly roll up for the win at 9:35. This was sloppy, and they couldn’t find an effective way to work in all three guys. Kind of makes me wish more seasoned wrestlers had been used for this, or that they’d just let KAGETORA wrestle one guy.
Rating: *¾

KAGETORA vs. Erick Stevens [Quarterfinal Match]
Stevens controls on the mat to start. KAGETORA puts on a headlock. He goes for a shoulder tackle but Stevens won’t budge. He avoids one from Stevens and hits an armdrag. He hits a dropkick. Stevens hits a shoulder tackle. He hits another. He hits a powerslam for 2. He works the back. He hits a gutbuster for 2. He hits a lariat in the corner for 2. He puts on a seated abdominal stretch. KAGETORA finally comes back with the leaping lariat. He hits a leg lariat for 2. Stevens hits a backbreaker and a facebuster for 2. KAGETORA hits a pair of enziguiris for 2. He hits the Hangetsu. Stevens blocks another and hits a pop up lariat. He hits the Choo Choo and a lariat. He hits the Doctor Bomb for the win at 8:38. KAGETORA basically got squashed there, but Stevens is competent enough that it was entertaining throughout.
Rating: **½

KAGETORA vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Tommy End vs. Paul Tracey
Castagnoli and Tracey start. Castagnoli makes fun of Tracey’s effeminacy. That’s pretty hateful in 2010, regardless of whether or not Tracey is a heel. Anyway, that goes on forever before any action takes occurs. Tracey puts on a wristlock. I think it’s unwise for a man as muscular and scantily clad as Castagnoli to bring attention to how homoerotic wrestling really is. Castagnoli gets a school boy for 2. KAGETORA and End fight over a wristlock. KAGETORA hits an armdrag and a head scissor takedown. Tracey hits KAGETORA with a cheap shot. End hits Tracey with a chest kick for 2. Tracey hits a dropkick. He hits a legdrop for 2. He hits a back elbow. End gets a schoolboy for 2. Tracey hits a clothesline for 2. Things slow way down with Tracey in control. He puts on a chinlock that lasts way too long considering there are other guys sitting on the apron. He hits a Finlay Roll but misses a moonsault. End hits a moonsault press. KAGETORA tags in and hits a leg lariat on Tracey for 2. Castagnoli catches KAGETORA going for a crossbody and hits a backbreaker for 2. He hits the Giant Swing. End hits a hurricanrana on Castagnoli for 2. Tracey hits End with a missile dropkick. Castagnoli hits a European uppercut for 2. KAGETORA hits an enziguiri. He hits another for 2. End hits a chest kick. He hits a German suplex for 2. He hits Tracey with an enziguiri. He hits a Cactus Clothesline. KAGETORA hits Castagnoli with the leaping lariat for 2. Castagnoli hits the pop up European uppercut for 2. KAGETORA hits a vertical suplex. Tracey catches End with a sunset flip for 2. They trade roll ups. Tracey hits a lariat. He hits a bodyslam. He misses a flying elbowdrop. End hits the Ace Crusher and puts on a dragon clutch. Castagnoli hits End with the Karelin Lift and pins Tracey for the win at 15:54. They put together a solid match there, and the fifteen minutes flew by. After the match End complains that Castagnoli stole his win. The scuffle is short.
Rating: ***