By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is so much good indy wrestling out there, there is far more than I can possibly watch. So, in this review, I’m popping in on multiple recent indy shows and watching just one or two matches from each show that interest me. The reality is 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 watched eight matches, featuring nine different WWE ID prospects.
Premier Wrestling Federation “Wrestlebowl 2K25” in Newport, N.C., March 28, 2025 (IWTV)
This is their training center; it’s a large pole barn and lighting is good. The crowd is maybe 80; I wish they drew better because I really like their shows.
Jackson Drake vs. Colby Corino. This match was third-to-last. WWE ID prospect Drake is taller, and they traded standing switches and worked each other’s left arm. Colby applied a leg lock around the neck. Colby hit a leaping Flatliner at 3:30, then an Angle Slam. Drake hit a short-arm decapitating clothesline for a nearfall. Corino hit an Exploder Suplex at 5:00. Drake applied a Trailer Hitch leg lock. Colby nailed a uranage and he applied a front guillotine choke, but Drake slammed him to the mat and got a nearfall at 7:00. Drake hit a running Shooting Star Press.
Colby hit a second-rope delayed vertical suplex, holding Drake upside down for several seconds before slamming him at 9:30. Corino hit a clothesline on the ring apron, then a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall. He hit a stunner, but Drake hit a huracanrana. Colby hit a Tiger Driver (butterfly powerbomb) for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Colby hit a Frankensteiner but Drake rolled through it. Drake snapped Colby’s throat on the middle rope, then he hit a Lethal Injection for a believable nearfall at 13:00. Drake nailed an F5 for a believable nearfall. They traded rollups, and Colby blocked a move, sat down on Drake’s shoulders and scored the pin. That was really good.
Colby Corino defeated Jackson Drake at 14:10.
Dave Dawson and Zane Dawson vs. “The High Flying Star Machines” Bojack and Diego Hill for the PWF Tag Team Titles. The twin Dawson brothers just won the belts last month from the HFSM, so this is an immediate rematch. This match was second-to-last. I consider both members of the Machines to be top-30 U.S. indy talents. Bojack and the long-haired Zane opened, and Bojack hit a big suplex. Diego entered and hit a doublestomp. He went for a huracanrana but Dave caught him. Bojack slammed Diego onto Dave for a nearfall at 2:30. Zane attacked Bojack from behind on the floor, and it allowed the Dawsons to take over and they kept Bojack grounded on the mat. Bojack hit a massive shoulder tackle on Dave at 6:30.
The Dawsons hit a team suplex on Bojack, who must be a legit 320-350 pounds. Dawson bodyslammed Dave and they were both down. Diego got a hot tag at 9:00 and unloaded a series of kicks on the brothers, and a running neckbreaker on Dave. Diego nailed a double OsCutter for a nearfall. Bojack hit a low blow on Zane at 10:30! Bojack hit him in the head with the title belt, too! Diego was down and didn’t see the cheating! Diego hit a top-rope 450 Splash and pinned Dave. They have regained their belts! But I’m pretty sure Diego saw none of Bojack’s cheating… interesting.
Bojack and Diego Hill defeated Zane Dawson and Dave Dawson to win the PWF Tag Team Titles at 11:27.
WrestleRave “Food Fight: Tomball” in Tomball, Texas on March 29, 2025 (IWTV)
This was an outdoor show; I can’t believe they are doing outdoor shows in March! (Tomball is a suburb northwest of Houston so I guess it’s warm enough there.) This is a rather small six-sided ring! Where did they get that??? There are maybe 100-150 people watching and it appears this is outside a tavern.
Kenny Kalypso vs. Cappuccino Jones for the WrestleRave Championship. This was the main event and considering it was now night and outdoors, lighting was decent. Cappuccino has now appeared on Evolve a few times now. I saw Kalypso just once on a New Texas show in August; he appears to be roughly the same height and body shape, but he has long dreadlocks. Standing switches to open, and Kenny slammed him at 4:00. Jones rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Kenny hit some flying back elbows. Jones went for a delayed vertical suplex at 9:30 but Kalypso escaped.
Jones tied Kenny’s hair in the ropes at 11:00! He stomped on him and kept Kenny grounded. He sat on Kenny’s back in a Camel Clutch-type headlock move. Kalypso hit a flapjack at 12:30 and fired up. He nailed a spin kick to the head, and he hit an STO uranage and a guillotine leg drop. Kenny hit a Lungblower move to the chin and a dive through the ropes at 14:30, crashing onto Cappuccino. In the ring, he went for a frogsplash but Jones got his knees up. Kenny hit a fisherman’s twisting neckbreaker and they were both down at 16:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Jones hit some jab punches. Kalypso hit an Eat D’Feat. Jones hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall.
Kenny accidentally crashed into the ref and the ref was down! Jones immediately hit a low blow punt kick! Jones got a coffee, but Kenny splashed it in his face! Kalypso hit a running axe kick, then a top-rope frogsplash for the pin. Fun match. I’m really curious what the wrestlers would have to say about working in this small, six-sided ring; it definitely created a unique visual.
Kenny Kalypso defeated Cappuccino Jones to retain the WrestleRave Title at 20:04
International Wrestling Cartel “Twenty Four” in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania on March 22, 2025 (Triller+)
The lights were low but the ring was well-lit. The crowd appears to be maybe 400.
It’s Gal vs. Ganon Jones Jr. This was early in the show. WWE ID prospect Gal wore his body-building medals and he kissed his biceps as he got in the ring. Ganon is a tall, Black man with long dreadlocks, and I’ve typically seen him in tag matches. Ganon immediately picked up Gal and ran him back-first into the corner, and he hit a fallaway slam, sending Gal to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Gal slammed Ganon and hit some punches, then a snap suplex at 2:30 and he did some push-ups and a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall.
They fought on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Ganon hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall at 5:00. They traded forearm strikes, and Gal hit a German Suplex. Ganon hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Ganon blocked a backslide and hit a Death Rider double-arm DDT for the pin! That finish came out of nowhere. Good action while it lasted.
Ganon Jones Jr. defeated It’s Gal at 7:22.
Jack Cartwheel vs. Sam Holloway. WWE ID prospects collide! This match was near the end of the show. This is Holloway’s home territory (he’s a heel here) and at about 6’8″, he has a massive size and overall weight advantage. Jack avoided Sam’s offense early and he did some cartwheels on the floor. Cartwheel dove through the ropes onto Sam at 1:30 and they fought at ringside. Back in the ring, Sam grounded Cartwheel and he hit a dropkick at 3:30, then a double-underhook suplex. Sam missed a running knee in the corner and struck the pads and sold pain in his knee.
Jack fired up and hit some chops. Sam tried to hip-toss Jack across the ring, but he did a cartwheel and landed on his feet! Jack hit a dive to the floor on Holloway at 5:30. In the ring, Cartwheel hit a stunner and a huracanrana for a nearfall. Jack hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Sam got a rollup with his feet on the ropes for added leverage for the tainted pin out of nowhere. Good action.
Sam Holloway defeated Jack Cartwheel at 7:37.
EPW “Episode 180” in Booneville, Mississippi on March 8, 2025, (free on YouTube).
I’ve never heard of this promotion, and the Southern drawl of the commentators is hilarious to someone who never hears an accent like that. This is a dark room and lighting over the ring is just so-so.
Aaron Roberts and Cordale Roberts vs. Sean Legacy and Cappuccino Jones. Three WWE ID prospects here. Cordale is bald and not quite as heavy as his 400ish pound brother Aaron. Cappuccino and Aaron opened, and Aaron easily shoved him to the mat. Aaron bodyslammed Legacy. Sean hit a standing moonsault for a one-count. The brothers ran from opposite corners and squished Cappuccino between them at 2:30, and they worked Jones over. They tried it again, but Jones got out of the way and they ran into each other. Legacy got a hot tag and hit some forearm strikes on both brothers. Aaron got his arms tied up in the ropes! Sean hit a dropkick in the corner on Cordale, and Cappuccino hit a top-rope elbow drop to pin Cordale. Fun but far too short.
Sean Legacy and Cappuccino Jones defeated Aaron Roberts and Cordale Roberts at 4:29.
Reality of Wrestling (free on YouTube)
I am always impressed with the lighting and overall production of these ROW shows. I watched a file that just had this match.
Ice Williams vs. Brad Baylor. More WWE ID prospects facing each other and they traded basic reversals early on. A commentator said that Baylor “has the most punchable face.” Baylor hit some clotheslines and punches and was booed as he kept Ice grounded. Ice hit a big backbody drop, then an enzuigiri at 4:30, then a slingshot axe kick for a nearfall. Ice blocked a double-arm DDT and hit a superkick then a swinging faceplant for the pin. That was really good while it lasted.
Ice Williams defeated Brad Baylor at 5:37.
Immortal Championship Wrestling “Comin’ In Hot” in Duanesburg, N.Y. on March 29, 2025 (IWTV)
Duanesburg is located near Albany, N.Y., so roughly two hours north of New York city. This is probably an elementary school gym and we have a good crowd of 300. (If anything, the guardrails are too far from the ring; it is limiting the number of possible seats in the crowd.)
Kevin Blackwood vs. Juni Underwood. I consider Blackwood a top-10 indy talent, and I’ve noted I am suddenly seeing Juni everywhere all at once, in both the Northeast and Midwest. A lockup in the corner and a feeling-out process, and Kevin hit a stiff kick to the spine. Juni hit a dive to the floor on Kevin at 2:30 and they brawled at ringside. Back in the ring, Kevin hit some chops and forearm strikes. He hit a doublestomp to the chest at 4:30 for a nearfall, then a back suplex for a nearfall.
Juni nailed a running boot to the sternum at 6:30 and they were both down. Juni hit a backbreaker over his knee. Kevin nailed a top-rope back suplex for a nearfall. Juni tied him in the Tree of Woe and hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 10:30, and he laid in a series of kicks. They traded forearm strikes, then Mafia Kicks. Kevin hit a doublestomp to the chest, then a jumping Tombstone Piledriver but only got a one-count! Kevin hit a running knee. Juni hit a springboard spin kick. Juni put Kevin on his shoulders and hit a Mike Bailey-style Flamingo Driver (modified One-Winged Angel) for the pin! That was really good.
Juni Underwood defeated Kevin Blackwood at 13:39.
Final Thoughts: Some really good action here. As is often the case, the matches with the WWE ID prospects are generally kept short, and I presume that is so they have short videos that can easily be posted and shared. That Juni-Kevin match was really good and the best of these eight matches.
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