By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is far more good indy wrestling out there than I can watch. So, in this review, I’m popping in on multiple recent indy shows and watching just a few matches from each show that interest me. The reality is that I wasn’t going to get to watch every match from every one of these shows! I picked out matches with top names we’ve seen on TV, some top indy names, and WWE ID prospects.
* In this roundup, I picked out ten matches from across five different recent indy shows.
Future Stars of Wrestling “Killer Kross Presents Mecca XI: Killer Instinct” in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the HyperX Arena in the Luxor Hotel on April 17, 2026 (free on the Title Match Network’s YouTube channel)
Title Match Network previously uploaded Killer Kross vs. Zilla Fatu and a few other matches from this show. They added two more this week on their page, so nearly the entire show is now available in single-match video files. The room was a bit dark, but the ring was lit okay. The crowd was perhaps 500.
Jarret Diaz “5150” Danny Limelight and Slice Boogie vs. Shogun and Son Leu and Kenny King. Diaz is a HOG grad. I’ve really liked what 5150 have been doing across the West Coast in recent months. King and Diaz opened, with Jarret knocking him down with a shoulder tackle. King’s team began working over Jarret in their corner. Shogun hit a bodyslam and a senton on Limelight for a nearfall at 3:00. Boogie hit a running Blockbuster and a senton for a nearfall on Shogun. 5150 hit some quick team moves on Shogun.
Diaz hit a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall. Boogie hit his Vader Bomb-style elbow drop with Danny getting the nearfall at 5:00. Shogun hit a Spinebuster on Limelight, and they were both down. Son Leu finally tagged in and hit some clotheslines, then a Samoan Drop on Boogie for a nearfall. Boogie hit a German Suplex. King hit a spinebuster. Jarret hit a Shining Wizard and a superkick on Leu. Leu nailed a spear out of nowhere to pin Jarret. Good action.
Shogun and Son Leu and Kenny King defeated Jarret Diaz and “5150” Danny Limelight and Slice Boogie at 7:57.
Gringo Loco vs. Resplandor vs. Brian Cage in a three-way match. A nice pop for the returning Cage, who looks great. They all fought at the bell. Resplandor hit a springboard dropkick. Loco hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Cage, and Brian rolled to the floor. Loco and Resplandor traded lucha reversals. Resplandor hit a springboard huracanrana. He hit a flip dive to the floor and turned that into a huracanrana, too.
In the ring, Cage hit a twisting neckbreaker on Resplandor at 2:30, and he hip-tossed him across the ring. Loco hit a headscissors takedown on Cage. Cage hit a 619! Resplandor leapt off the top rope, but Cage held him upside down and turned it into a Jackhammer for a nearfall at 4:00. Resplandor hit a tornado DDT on Cage. Loco hit a handspring-back-elbow. Loco slammed Cage to the mat for a nearfall. Resplandor hit a Poison Rana on Loco, then a twisting flip dive to the floor on Loco at 5:30.
Resplandor and Cage fought on the stage that is adjacent to the ring. Resplandor flipped into the ring and hit a huracanrana on Loco. Cage hit a standing powerbomb on Resplandor. Cage and Loco fought on the ropes in the corner, where Brian hit a Frankensteiner! Nice! Cage then hit his sit-out piledriver on Resplandor for the pin. A really good return for Cage.
Brian Cage defeated Resplandor and Gringo Loco in a three-way at 7:26.
TJP vs. Jonathan Gresham. Gresham hit a dropkick early on. Gresham tied up TJP on the mat and cranked on TJP’s head. TJP tied up Gresham’s legs. Gresham hit a deep armdrag, and they had a standoff at 4:30. They continued to trade reversals on the mat. Gresham tied him in a leg lock around the neck at 7:00. TJ tied him in a surfboard. They continued to trade mat holds, but they picked up in speed, and Gresham got the flash pin! Not for everyone, but strong mat-based action.
Jonathan Gresham defeated TJP at 10:48.
“WWE ID Showcase” in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Hyper X Arena in the Luxor Hotel, on April 16, 2026 (free on the Title Match Network’s YouTube channel)
The same as above — same venue, and Title Match Network just released three more matches from this show, so about half of the event is now available on their channel. The crowd was significantly smaller here than at the Killer Kross show.
Starboy Charlie vs. Marcus Mathers for the WWE ID Title. This was THE match I wanted to see from this show. This was actually the show opener. The commentators noted this is East Coast (Mathers) vs. West Coast (Starboy) and how both were wrestling in their early teens. They immediately traded quick reversals. Mathers wore his Phillies-themed trunks. Charlie hit a spin kick. He hit a dropkick at 3:30. Mathers hit a running Penalty Kick on the ring apron. Mathers hit a backbreaker over his knee and applied a Dragon Sleeper. The commentators noted how Mathers had just returned from his six-week Dragongate tour.
Mathers hit a springboard twisting crossbody block, and he grounded Charlie in a headlock. Charlie hit a sunset bomb out of the corner at 7:00, and they were both down. Charlie hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Charlie came off the ropes, but Mathers caught him and bodyslammed him. Marcus hit the corner fadeaway stunner at 9:30, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes.
Charlie hit his mid-ring Sliced Bread and the Cosmic Swirl (standing corkscrew press), then a second one for a nearfall at 11:30. He hit some European Uppercuts. He hit a superkick. He went for a handspring-back-elbow, but Marcus kicked him in the face! Marcus hit his fisherman’s buster for a believable nearfall. Marcus hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw. Charlie hit a tornado DDT onto the stage that is adjacent to the ring. Charlie pushed him into the ring and nailed the Shooting Starboy Press for the pin. That was an absolute blast.
Starboy Charlie defeated Marcus Mathers to retain the WWE ID Title at 13:57.
* Charlie cut a short promo, noting this was his first title defense, and he put over Mathers. However, Sam Holloway ran into the ring and attacked him! He got on the mic and said, “The IDs have gotten too soft around here.” He called out Timothy Thatcher. (Again, separate videos, but you can see the whole back-and-forth dialogue between the two clips.)
Sam Holloway vs. Timothy Thatcher. An intense lockup, and they brawled. I’ll reiterate that Holloway is 6’8″ and I always compare him to Matt Morgan. Thatcher hit a European Uppercut at 1:30. Sam dropped him on the top rope, and they fought to the floor, with Sam in charge. He hit some chops and tossed Thatcher back into the ring, and he hit a springboard elbow drop for a nearfall at 4:00. He applied a headlock and kept Timothy grounded. He hit some blows to the kidneys, then a dropkick for a nearfall at 7:00.
Thatcher got up and hit a series of European Uppercuts. Sam hit a uranage for a nearfall. Sam hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Thatcher hit a second-rope superplex at 9:00. Thatcher hit a back suplex. He immediately applied a Fujiwara Armbar, and Holloway tapped out! That wrapped up suddenly.
Timothy Thatcher defeated Sam Holloway at 9:34.
Jha’Quan McNair vs. Jimmy House vs. Jariel Rivera in a three-way. These three are all in the “Mog Squad” heel faction on Evolve, under their new names (Jacari Ball, CJ Valor and Santi Rivera, respectively. It is weird to me that they are still using their indy names). Jariel hit a running neckbreaker on House. House hit a double clothesline, then he hit an Exploder Suplex on Rivera. Rivera and McNair traded punches. Jariel hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 2:00.
McNair hit some gutwrench suplexes on Rivera. House hit a Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex, and suddenly, all three were down at 3:30. House applied an ankle lock. Jariel hit a spear on House for a nearfall. House hit a spear on Jariel for a nearfall, but McNair made the save. McNair hit an inverted Angle Slam on House, dropping him stomach-first to the mat. Jariel jumped in, hit a Lungblower to House’s chest, and stole the pin. That was a sprint.
Jariel Rivera defeated Jimmy House and Jha’Quan McNair at 5:44.
Aaron Rourke vs. Cappuccino Jones for the WWE Evolve Title. This was the main event. They shook hands before locking up. They got in a knuckle lock and had a test of strength. They traded punches at 2:00. Jones hit a crossbody block against the ropes, and they both went to the floor. Cap dropped him back-first on the apron at 3:30. They got back into the ring, but Rourke hit a dropkick that sent Jones back to the floor. Aaron hit a running penalty kick on the apron.
In the ring, Rourke hit his Vaquer-style faceplants into the mat at 5:30. Cap fired up and hit some jab punches. Aaron hit a hard back elbow for a nearfall at 7:30. Cap hit a discus clothesline, and they were both down, and the crowd chanted, “This is awesome!” Cap hit another clothesline, then a crossbody block and a Mocchiato Driver for a nearfall at 9:30. He hit a rolling DVD. He hit a hard knee lift. Rourke hit a chop block on the back of the left knee. Rourke went for a Figure Four, but Cap got a rollup for a nearfall.
Cap hit the Decaffinator swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 11:30. (These commentators don’t know the names of all of Cap’s moves!) Rourke hit a standing powerbomb, and he applied the Figure Four. He leaned forward and slapped Jones in the face. He bridged up into the Figure Eight, but Jones grabbed the ropes at 13:00. Cap hit a piledriver, then the Froggy Brew top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Rourke missed the Molly Go Round, and Cap hit a dropkick. Rourke hit a sunset flip bomb, then he nailed the Molly Go Round (somersault butt splash) for the pin. That was really entertaining.
Aaron Rourke defeated Cappuccino Jones to retain the WWE Evolve Title at 14:46.
* Rourke got on the mic and put over Jones. He invited everyone in the locker room to the ring and put them over, too, and thanked the ID program for helping them in their wrestling journey. (Babyface Rourke sure knows how to cut great promos. I love “Evil Gay” Rourke, but he might be better as the plucky underdog.)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Academy 3rd Anniversary Showcase” in Carson, California, at the New Japan L.A. Dojo on March 21, 2026 (free on YouTube)
I’ve seen a few shows from this small training school. Production is top-notch for a school. Jordan Castle and Marc Warzecha provided commentary. Fans can really only stand on two sides of the ring because this room is that small, so the crowd was 80-100. I think this is the first time Fred Rosser isn’t on the show. I’ve seen some of the students, and I recognize a few names here are from the Rhodes Academy in Texas, too. I think Johnnie Robbie is a top 10, possibly top five, unsigned US-based female talent, so I checked out her match.
Johnnie Robbie vs. PJ Laurier. PJ is a Black woman and has war paint on her face. Castle called her a “Voodoo Warrior” — yeah, she’s pretty much the female version of Papa Shango!! She does not have a cagematch.net bio yet. Castle noted that Robbie was in the main event of the first-ever show here when she beat Trish Adora. They locked up at the bell, and PJ has a couple of inches on Robbie. PJ dead-lifted Robbie up, but Johnnie got a rollup. PJ hit a shoulder tackle. (As with any good voodoo character, the name is Cajun French, so it’s pronounced Lorr-ee-ayyy).
Johnnie hit some chops and a Helluva Kick. She hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. She slapped PJ in the face and hit a stiff kick to the spine, then a running Penalty Kick to the chest. Robbie’s working her over! PJ sat up, and that alone earned a pop. Robbie applied a front guillotine choke, but PJ reached the ropes at 5:00. PJ hit a suplex, and they were both down. PJ hit a running back elbow in the corner and a spinebuster for a nearfall, then a spinning back fist and a pumphandle slam for a nearfall at 7:00. Laurier locked in an Anaconda Vice and switched to a front guillotine choke. Robbie nailed the short-arm clothesline for the pin. That was pretty good!
Johnnie Robbie defeated PJ Laurier at 8:35.
TWE Chattanooga “Worlds Apart” in Red Bank, Tennessee, at TWE Arena on April 25, 2026 (IWTV)
This is in their dark room, which looks like an underground military bunker, with the ring pushed up against a wall. Lighting over the ring is always pretty decent.
Darian Bengston vs. Father Marquis for the Action Title. I saw Marquis for the first time a few weeks ago; he is a Black, Southern pastor, and he’s earned a good reaction from fans. They immediately fought on the mat, and Darian tied him up, and Marquis was frustrated. He rolled to the floor and got booed — I guess he’s not a babyface here! Marquis got the church offering plate, but the ref confiscated it. Marquis’s assistant tried to interfere, so the referee ejected him.
Marquis took control and hit some elbow drops, then a knee drop across the forehead at 6:00, and he tied up Darian. He hit a huracanrana and got a nearfall. Darian hit a spin kick to the head at 8:30 and was fired up. He hit another spin kick in the corner. He nailed the top-rope Whisper In The Wind for a nearfall. Marquis hit a huracanrana for a nearfall and a tornado DDT for a nearfall. He set up for the Unholier (Unprettier), but he shoved Bengston into the ref, and the ref was down. Marquis hit Darian over the head with the offering plate for a nearfall. Bengston applied the Makabe Lock (his version of a Cattle Mutilation), and Marquis tapped out. Fun match.
Darian Bengston defeated Father Marquis to retain the Action Title at 11:28.
New South “Millbrook Mania” in Millbrook, Alabama, at The Fieldhouse at 17 Springs on April 4, 2026 (IWTV)
This was just uploaded this week. This venue is a gymnasium with a high ceiling. The crowd was 250-300.
Jamesen Shook (w/Dylan Hales) vs. Hunter Drake. Shook is a heel here, and Hales cut a heel promo before the bell. The ref ejected Shook’s other teammate before the bell, and that popped the crowd. Drake immediately hit an enzuigiri and a huracanrana, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall, and Shook rolled to the floor to regroup. Jamesen choked Drake in the corner. Hales choked Hunter in the ropes, so he apparently was allowed to stay.
Drake nailed a Lethal Injection at 3:30, and they were both down. Drake hit a Buzzsaw Kick to the head, and he was fired up. He hit a corner moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Hunter hit an awkward running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:00. Jamesen hit a splash to the mat. Drake hit the Purple Haze (his version of a Code Red) for a nearfall, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Jamesen hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, and they were both down at 7:30. Hunter hit a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Hales put one of Shook’s feet on the ropes. Someone tackled Hales at ringside, and the ref was distracted by this. It allowed a guy named Connor Martin to jump in the ring and hit a spear on Hunter! Jamesen covered the prone Hunter for the tainted pin.
Jamesen Shook defeated Hunter Drake at 8:40.
Final Thoughts: I’m glad that Title Match Network has essentially loaded up the entire lineup of both of those shows. The crowd was hot and the action was fun. Definitely check out Marcus Mathers vs. Starboy Charlie. I’ll go with the Rourke-Cap Jones match for second, and Brian Cage’s three-way for third.
I am in awe of how polished the students at the NJPW Academy look. That was a good showing by PJ Laurier, and I have no doubt she’s had fewer than 10 matches. Robbie is so talented, and she made the rookie look competitive. I’ll note that the first eight of these ten matches are available for free on YouTube.