The independent company wXw Announces the Participants for the 16 Carat Gold 2018

Credit: wXw

The independent company Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) has everything ready for its most important weekend of the year. On March 9, 10 and 11, wXw celebrates a new edition of the most prestigious tournament of the European independent circuit, the 1 6 Carat Gold.

The most outstanding wrestlers of the circuit will face each other for three days in the city of Oberhausen (Germany). The winner of the tournament will receive a future opportunity for the wXw Unified Championship.

The list of participants is the following:

Alexander James: The original independent wrestler from Maryland, United States. James has been on the circuit since 2010 and has stood out thanks to his work for the company Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW).

Avalanche: WXw usual European wrestler. During his career, Avalanche has won the wXw tag team championship twice. His best participation in Carat Gold was a quarterfinal in 2014.

Chris Brookes: British wrestler Brookes is known for being part of the CCK team in conjunction with Kid Lykos and Travis Banks. In recent years he has gained visibility thanks to his work for the British companies PROGRESS and Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW).

Da Mack: WXw habitual wrestler. After several years working as a babyface, Da Mack made a heel turn last year to join wXw’s most powerful stable, RISE. This fighter stands out for its high-flyer style  .

David Starr: Independent wrestler from Philadelphia. At 27, Starr has recently become one of the sensations of the independent circuit. The Jewish fighter has traveled all over the world and accumulates championships and great performances wherever he goes, whether in the United States or Europe.

Jonah Rock: Independent fighter from Australia. Rock is a sturdy fighter who worked for three years at the Japanese company Pro-Wrestling NOAH where he was part of the TMDK team. Last year he started working in companies of the independent circuit thanks to his participation in the Battle of Los Angeles tournament of Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG). This year, in addition, he was part of the Austrian tour of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)

Jurn Simmons: Frequent wXw independent wrestler.Simmons, like many of the participants this year, has never fought in this tournament. The former wXw unified champion will face his ex-partner David Starr in the first round in a fight “last man standing”.

Keith Lee: Independent wrestler from the state of Texas. In just two years, Lee has become one of the most important fighters on the circuit. His style fuses the strength of a powerhouse and the flights of a  high-flyer. He is currently the WWN World Champion.

Lucky Kid: The second member of stable RISE to enter the tournament. Independent cruiserweight wrestler. His most outstanding work has been in wXw together with Tarkan Aslan. Together they were known as The Young Lions and became WXW’s tag team champions for 146 days.

Mark Haskins: Independent wrestler from Oxford, England.Haskins is one of the most respected fighters on the British scene. With 29 years and a fast and technical style, Haskins has conquered successes in PROGRESS, IPW: UK, Over The Top Wrestling (OTT) and Forever Fight.

Marius Al-Ani: the Last fighter to qualify for the tournament.Marius had to go through the Road to Carat Gold and defeat the Canadian Mike Bailey to get his place in the competition. WXw habitual wrestler. His greatest achievement is a tag team championship with Absolute Andy. Today, Al-Ani and Andy are in rivalry after a betrayal in the World Tag Team League last year.

Matt Riddle: Independent wrestler from Las Vegas, Nevada.In less than four years as a professional. Riddle has established himself as an international star. A mixed martial arts fighter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Riddle is a regular at EVOLVE Wrestling. His style is intense and close to the shoot. He has won championships in the United States and Europe in equal parts. Last year, he reached the Carat semifinals.

Matt Sydal: Veteran independent fighter of the United States. Known for his time in WWE under the name of Evan Bourne. Sydal has experience in companies such as EVOLVE, Dragon Gate or Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH). High-flyer par excellence and holder of one of the most beautiful Shooting Star Press of the circuit.

Timothy Thatcher: Member of stable Ringkampf in wXw and current tag team champion with WALTER.Thatcher is one of the best grapplers on the planet. In the United States, he is known for his work in EVOLVE and his reign as absolute champion for over a year.

Travis Banks: Independent fighter from New Zealand. Banks is the current PROGRESS Wrestling champion in the United Kingdom. Agile and intense fighter in equal parts. Habitual of all the companies of the British circuit, RPW, ATTACK, Defiant or Fight Club: PRO.

At the moment, only one confrontation of the first round has been confirmed (David Starr vs. Jurn Simmons). The following fights will be announced during the next two weeks. On the second night of the tournament, Bad Bones will defend the unified championship against WALTER.