The reigning wXw European Champion is off this weekend’s 16 Carat Gold Tournament for what’s being described as a potentially game-changing reason.
Dutch standout Ricky Sosa had been advertised for Sunday’s portion of the prestigious 16 Carat tournament in Oberhausen.
However, that plan has changed.
On Friday morning, wXw announced that Sosa has been pulled from in-ring competition due to what the company called a “major career opportunity” that surfaced on short notice.
While he won’t be wrestling, he is still expected to be present at the event.
That wording immediately raised eyebrows.
wXw addressed the situation in a translated statement, explaining, “wXw European Champion Ricky Sosa is unfortunately unavailable for the 16 Carat Gold Tournament due to a major career opportunity that has come up at short notice.”
The statement continued, “We wish him the best of luck. However, Ricky will be in Oberhausen on Sunday at the 16 Carat Tournament.”
The promotion did not provide additional details about the nature of the opportunity.
Sosa, who has never wrestled in the United States, has previously stated in interviews that working with WWE is one of his long-term career goals, something that only fuels speculation about what may be next.
Adding even more intrigue, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry shared a photo with Sosa last month and offered high praise for the young champion (see below).
“I don’t know if you guys know Ricky Sosa,” Henry wrote. “But he is going to be an unbelievable talent in the future. He’s young athletic and he’s got that extra thing that you need for pro wrestling.”
Make of that what you will.
Update zu Ricky Sosa für #wXw16Carat Gold 2026
wXw European Champion @rickysosa508 steht leider aufgrund einer kurzfristigen großen Karrierechance nicht für das 16 Carat Gold Tournament zur Verfügung. Wir drücken ihm die Daumen. Ricky wird jedoch am 16 Carat Sonntag in… pic.twitter.com/Bj52TNCVtY
— wXw Germany (@wXwGermany) February 27, 2026
I don’t know if you guys know Ricky Sosa, but he is going to be an unbelievable talent in the future. He’s young athletic and he’s got that extra thing that you need for pro wrestling. https://t.co/BPjXBZfwqk
— Mark Henry (@TheMarkHenry) January 23, 2026
