By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is so much good indy wrestling out there, there is far more than I can 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 picked out eight matches from three indy shows that were posted over the weekend.
Freelance Wrestling “Nonstop Momentum” in Chicago, Illinois at Logan Square Auditorium on April 11, 2025 (IWTV)
I’ve noted several times that this ballroom is one of my favorite indy wrestling venues, as it’s an attractive venue, and a crowd of 250-300 looks packed in here. This show was head-to-head with NJPW’s “Windy City Riot” but they still sold out. Here is a review of matches 4-6 of a seven-match show. Dave Prazak provided commentary, which always adds to the quality of my viewing experience.
Koda Hernandez vs. Calvin Tankman for the Freelance Legacy Title. I personally would have booked this as the main event; both guys were on my list of potential WWE ID contract prospects a few months ago. Koda immediately hit some punches to the gut and a plancha to the floor in the opening seconds, and they traded blows at ringside. Calvin hit a powerbomb against the guardrail at 1:30. They continued to trade chops before finally getting back into the ring, and Tankman hit a bodyslam and a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 4:00.
Tankman nailed a hip-toss across the ring and was dominating the champion. Koda finally hit a triangle dropkick and a DDT onto the ring apron at 7:00, and they both collapsed to the floor. He dove through the ropes onto Calvin twice, then did it a third time and turned it into a DDT onto the floor. In the ring, Calvin hit a pop-up spinning back fist, then a Hidden Blade forearm to the back of the head for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Tankman went for a second-rope superplex, but Koda blocked it, and Koda hit a second-rope sunset flip bomb, then a frog splash for the pin! Yeah, that should have been the main event.
Koda Hernandez defeated Calvin Tankman to retain the Freelance Legacy Title at 11:38.
* Sabin Gauge, Koda’s former tag partner, jumped the guardrail and attacked Koda at ringside. He dragged Koda into the ring and kept beating him up. He handcuffed Koda into the corner, stomped on him, and demanded a rematch. Sabin then went into the crowd and attacked Koda’s father! The crowd was horrified by this! They got into the ring. “There is no need for any of this! He’s not a wrestler!” Prazak shouted. Koda shouted he would give Sabin the match. However, Sabin still repeatedly hit Koda’s father with a chair to the back. “What a disgusting way to get a title shot,” Prazak said. This segment was awesome.
Regan Lydale vs. Blair Onyx. Again, Blair is the spider-loving freaky girl who is similar to Tatum Paxley. Regan is tall and slender, and I think I’ve seen her have more matches against men than women. A lockup at the bell and Regan has the height advantage. They traded offense in a knuckle lock. Regan hit a running boot for a nearfall at 2:00. and Blair rolled to the floor to regroup. They traded forearm strikes on the ring apron. In the ring, Blair hit a DDT for a nearfall; her face is more ghostly white today than normal. She hit a spin kick to the head in the corner and remained in charge.
Blair tied her in an Octopus in the ropes at 5:30, then she hit a leaping Flatliner for a nearfall. Regan finally hit a flying crossbody block. Blair hit a Russian Leg Sweep for a nearfall, and she applied a straitjacket choke on the mat. Regan fired up and hit some bodyslams and a World’s Strongest Slam for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Regan hit a stunner and a Pounce, then a pump-handle bodyslam for the pin. Good action.
Regan Lydale defeated Blair Onyx at 9:39.
Davey Bang and August Matthews vs. Darin Corbin and CJ Martin (w/RJ Sowa). Bang also was on my list of top 25 indy male wrestlers, and he just appeared on AEW TV. The decision was made at ringside that it would be Martin and NOT Sowa in this match teaming with Corbin. BandM are beloved here. August and Darin opened; Matthews went through the legs of the ref to escape an armbar. Clever. BandM hit some quick team moves on Corbin. They flipped Martin to the mat. Sowa hopped on the apron, wanting the tag, but he’s not in the match! Darin pulled him off the apron to the floor. Bang hit a guillotine leg drop and a standing moonsault, then a Lionsault at 2:00 on Martin.
The heels began working over Matthews in their corner. Martin hit a dropkick at 6:30, and they made frequent tags and kept August grounded. August finally hit a Cave-In doublestomp on the collarbone and he made the hot tag. Bang hit a top-rope double crossbody block onto the heels. He hit a dropkick in the corner on Corbin for a nearfall, but Martin made the save. Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow. Matthews hit an enzuigiri, and Bang hit a slingshot stunner as they continued to work over Darin. They hit the top-rope team doublestomps on Corbin’s back for a nearfall at 10:00.
Bang went for the Spears Tower, but Corbin cut him off! Corbin hit the Ginger Snap (snapmare driver) and a splash off the ropes for a believable nearfall. Bang got an O’Connor Roll on Corbin, but Martin distracted the ref. Bang hit the Spears Tower on Corbin! Matthews hit a dive to the floor on Martin and Sowa. It allowed Bang to hit a top-rope 450 Splash to pin Corbin. That was fun. (Bang noted that this was Corbin’s 21st anniversary of being a pro wrestler; I met him when he was still a trainee and security guard.)
Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated Darin Corbin and CJ Martin at 12:38.
New Texas Pro “Texas Contenders Series 50” in Houston, Texas on April 10, 2025 (IWTV)
This is a large pole barn, and they drew a crowd of maybe 200, but it’s fairly packed.
Izzy James vs. Dustin Nguyen for the Lonestar Championship. This match was mid-show. Izzy is a decent talent; he’s covered in tattoos, and I’ve seen him multiple times now, and a commentator said he’s now a 15-year pro. Nguyen just returned from a broken ankle; his whole look and gimmick is right out of a 1970s Kung Fu movie, and I think he plays the gimmick pretty perfectly. Good standing switches to open and they traded strikes. Izzy hit a springboard crossbody block at 3:00.
Dustin hit a basement dropkick. Izzy hit a dropkick for a nearfall, then a senton for a nearfall at 5:00. Dustin hit a Dragon Suplex, and they were both down. Izzy applied a Sharpshooter and sat down on Dustin’s back, but Nguyen reached the ropes at 7:30. Dustin hit an enzuigiri. Izzy hit a rolling Death Valley Driver, then a spin kick to the jaw for the pin. That was really good.
Izzy James defeated Dustin Nguyen to retain the Lonestar Championship at 9:35.
Carter Blaq vs. Jak Calloway for the New Texas Pro Title. Jak lost in the first round of the Texas Eight tournament a week ago, so I’m not really sure what justifies him getting a title shot. He is a slender white man with long, black hair. This was the co-main event. Carter is the former Mysterious Q who is now unmasked; he’s thick, tall and clearly strong. Basic reversals early on and Jak hit a Mafia Kick at 1:30. Blaq backed Jak into a corner and repeatedly chopped him. They brawled to the floor, and Carter hit him with a drink and they brawled at ringside.
In the ring, Blaq hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:30, then a suplex for a nearfall. Blaq dropped him throat-first on the top rope at 6:30 and remained in charge. Jak fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a bodyslam for a nearfall at 8:30. Blaq hit a shotgun dropkick, then a German Suplex and a flying back elbow for a nearfall. Jak hit a running knee. Blaq nailed a top-rope superplex, but Jak held on, hit his own suplex, and they were both down at 11:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Blaq hit a German Suplex. Jak hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall. Blaq hit a superkick, then a pumphandle Flatliner for a believable nearfall at 13:30. This has been insanely good.
Jak hit a hard forearm to the base of the neck, sending Blaq to the floor. Jak went to the floor and rolled Blaq in, then hit a top-rope elbow drop for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Blaq dropped him snake-eyes, then hit a stunner and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall, and Blaq was incredulous he didn’t win there. Jak hit a stunner and a running boot for a believable nearfall, but a foot was on the ropes. Jak set up for a double-arm DDT that was blocked; Jak tried a sunset flip, but Blaq blocked that, sat down on the chest, and got the pin. Wow that was insanely good from two guys that aren’t known at all on the national stage.
Carter Blaq defeated Jak Calloway to retain the New Texas Pro Title at 18:12.
* Blaq left. Calloway beat up his friend who had accompanied him to ringside. (Hey, this guy didn’t do anything that caused Jak to lose!)
New Outlaws Wrestling “Fancy” in Valleyfield, Quebec on April 5, 2025 (IWTV)
Valleyfield is a suburb on the southwest corner of Montreal. I opted to watch the three matches with U.S. wrestlers, and I knew two of their opponents (these are matches 3, 5, and 6 in a seven-match show). This is a big, open room; it has the look of a church. The crowd was maybe 100 but it looked small in a room this big. There is English commentary but they have a distinct French accent.
Love, Doug vs. Zak Patterson. Patterson is a thick, muscular kid; think Brian Cage in terms of size of his arms and chest. I’ve seen him a lot lately in Maine’s Limitless Wrestling. This was mid-show. Doug is maybe 5’8″ so he’s giving up a lot of size and strength. Zak easily shoved him into a corner. Doug (very unwisely!) asked for a test of strength. They locked up and Zak bent him backward down to the mat, but Doug ‘powered up’ back to his feet (a move that defies logic.) Zak flipped Doug around in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex at 3:30.
They went to the floor, and Zak whipped Doug into the chairs in the front row. (Okay I see on the wall behind the stage the outline where a cross had been hung; yes, this is or was a church.) Zak hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 6:30. Doug hit a Michinoku Driver and they were both down. Doug hit a springboard back elbow and a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall. He hit a snap suplex. Zak hit a running knee for a nearfall at 9:00. Doug hit a Buckshot Lariat for a believable nearfall.
On the floor, Doug jumped on Zak’s back and applied a sleeper. Zak walked around the ring and to the back. They finally emerged on the stage that was next to the ring, and Zak hit an F5 into the ring for a nearfall. They got up and traded punches and forearm strikes. They traded Mafia Kicks to the face, and Zak hit a swinging, windup Flatliner for the pin. Surprisingly competitive; I thought Zak might win this in short, decisive fashion.
Zak Patterson defeated Love, Doug at 13:34.
Mathieu St. Jacques vs. TJ Crawford. Matthieu is the big, burly brawler (think Joe Coffey) who is a regular in C4 Wrestling, and he’s much bigger than U.S. Northeast indy star Crawford. A feeling-out process early on, and Mathieu rolled to the floor at 1:30 to regroup. Back in the ring, Mathieu hit a senton splash. TJ hit a Flatliner into the middle turnbuckle and they went right back to the floor and brawled in the crowd. St. Jacques hit a chair shot across the back at 4:00, and he got a door and hit TJ with it. However, TJ hit a snap suplex through a door bridge on the floor at 5:30.
They got up and kept brawling on the floor. The hard camera is somehow now out of focus; how did that happen? TJ slammed St. Jacques through another board bridge, this one on the stage, at 8:00. In the ring, St. Jacques powerbombed TJ through a door in the corner at 10:30, and he got another door from under the ring. However, TJ suplexed St. Jacques onto that door as well for a nearfall at 12:30. Mathieu hit a piledriver on the ring apron, then a backbreaker in the ring for a nearfall.
TJ hit a springboard stunner, then a spear through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 15:30. (St. Jacques has taken a high majority of the big bumps in this one!) TJ now went to the floor and under the ring, and he got a door. (How many are under there??) Mathieu threw a vicious chair at TJ’s head, then he hit an Alabama Slam through the door in the corner for the pin. A solid brawl, but admittedly not my preferred style of match.
Mathieu St. Jacques defeated TJ Crawford at 17:45
Ryan Clancy vs. Mathis Myre. I haven’t seen Myre before; he has short dark hair, and at first glance, he looks like he’s a high-flyer. Clancy is the Wrestling Open champion but he didn’t bring his belt. They immediately traded standing reversals but Clancy yanked Myre to the mat by his hair to show he’s a heel today. Myre got a quick rollup for a nearfall at 1:00. and mocked Clancy’s signature pose. Ryan worked over the left arm and took control, but he missed his picture-perfect dropkick at 5:00.
Myre hit some flying forearms and a missile dropkick, and they were both down. They traded rollups. Clancy hit a butterfly suplex for a nearfall at 6:30. A commentator said Clancy doesn’t understand the profanities being shouted at him. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Myre hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 8:00. Myre hit a Lungblower to the chest. Clancy hit a low blow and a dropkick for the pin. Good match but that wrapped up out of nowhere.
Ryan Clancy defeated Mathis Myre at 9:25.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoy doing these indy roundups, picking out matches that feature the best of the indy scene, and seeing what I think works, and what does not. Both matches from New Texas Pro were really strong and the best of these eight matches. I’ll go with Tankman-Koda for third. Clancy-Myre takes honorable mention although they felt like they were on a pace to go twice that length, when Clancy suddenly hit the low blow and dropkick to wrap it up; I wouldn’t have minded that one going longer. Again, all three of these shows are available at IWTV.
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