By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is so much good independent 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 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 seven matches from four different indy shows.
Discover Pro Wrestling “God Complex” at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth, Minnesota on April 27, 2025 (free on YouTube)
This is a dark room, and the lighting is not ideal at all. I’ve seen a handful of wrestlers on this show at live events I’ve attended. The fans are hard to see, but there are about 400 here. They have a good entrance area and video stage. The commentators noted this was a sold-out show. I only watched the main event.
Paul Virk (w/two masked henchmen) vs. Dante Martin for the DPW Title. Virk competes on a lot of shows in MN and WI; I’ve seen him a few times; he’s taller and thicker than Martin. A nice pop for Dante. Virk stalled early. The masked guys tripped Martin and dragged him to the floor. The ref ejected the masked men at 2:30!!! Virk and Martin fought at ringside, and it was sometimes hard to see. In the ring, Virk hit a superkick for a nearfall at 4:00.
Virk applied a Cobra Clutch on the mat and kept Dante grounded. The ref got bumped, and Dante finally hit a DDT at 8:30. The two masked men returned to the ring and stomped on Martin. Martin hit a Spinebuster on one of them, sending him crashing through a table in the ring. Martin hit a springboard clothesline for a visual pin at 10:30, but we had no ref! Virk got a metal pipe and struck Martin with it. A new ref got in but only made a two-count. Martin hit a springboard tornado DDT for a nearfall at 12:00.
Virk hit a spear for a nearfall, and Paul was in disbelief at the kickout. He pie-faced the ref. One of Virk’s henchmen kicked the ref. Martin hit Virk with the metal pipe! He got a sunset flip for a nearfall. He dove to the floor on two henchmen. However, as he got in the ring, Virk hit a Stomp on his head for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Virk applied a Dragon Clutch, and the new ref called for the bell! The ref claimed Martin tapped out, but he clearly didn’t! Martin protested the ruling. “What kind of screwjob is this?” the babyface commentator asked. The heels beat up the original ref, and they beat up Martin.
Pau Virk defeated Dante Martin via “tap out” at 16:24.
St. Louis Anarchy “Legacy of Fury” in Alton, Illinois on May 30, 2025 (IWTV)
This is their plain white room with a fairly low ceiling. The lights were on, and it was easy to see. The crowd was maybe 250.
Billie Starkz vs. Laynie Luck. This match was actually mid-show. Needless to say, this match was heavily promoted online. Laynie is a regular in the Minneapolis-Chicago-St. Louis triangle, and she’s a babyface. A nice pop for Billie. An intense lockup to open. They traded some early rollup attempts. (A quick Cagematch.net check shows they had fought five times before, and are 1-1 in singles matches.) Billie hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 3:00, then a German Suplex, and Billie looked livid. She grabbed Laynie’s hair and yanked her to the mat, then she repeatedly rammed Luck’s head into the top turnbuckle at 5:30.
Billie went for a Swanton Bomb, but Laynie got her knees up. Laynie hit a Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall. Billie tied her in an Octopus, but Laynie countered with a backbreaker over her knee at 7:00, and she tied Starkz up on the mat and cranked back on her head. Laynie hit a suplex; Billie hit a suplex; Laynie hit a suplex. Nice sequence. Laynie hit a Meteora in the corner for a nearfall at 9:30. Laynie hit a spear for a nearfall. Billie nailed a Gory Bomb, and this time she nailed the Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 11:30. Laynie tied Billie in the Tree of Woe, and she hit a top-rope doublestomp, and they both collapsed to the floor.
In the ring, Billie hit a spin kick to the head. Laynie fired back with a superkick, a stunner, and a running knee against the ropes for a believable nearfall at 14:00. They traded more rollups. They got up, hit stereo spin kicks to the head, and were both down at 15:30. They got up and started trading fists! They fought to the floor, and Billie hit a big boot to the sternum as Laynie sat in the front row!
Laynie crawled back into the ring to avoid a countout at 17:30. Laynie hit a sidewalk slam and again tied up Billie on the mat and cranked back on her head. They got to their feet and traded headbutts. Billie hit a spin kick to the thigh. Laynie hit a rolling forearm, and they traded forearm strikes. Billie nailed a spin kick to the head, and we have a time-limit draw! They wanted to keep going! This was an excellent showing from both women; they should be really proud of the fight they brought here. Billie got on the mic and put over Laynie.
Billie Starkz vs. Laynie Luck went to a time-limit draw (I had it at 19:53 but close enough!)
Aaron Williams vs. Camaro Jackson for the Destination Championship. This was the main event. I’ve compared the powerhouse Camaro to Jonathan Gresham in overall look and physique. Williams is white, bald and thick. An intense lockup to open and an extended feeling-out process. The commentators said this is a first-time-ever meeting. Camaro hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. Williams hit some roundhouse kicks that dropped Camaro. Jackson rolled to the floor and sold pain in his ribs. Williams followed and hit some more kicks to the chest. They got back into the ring at 9:00, with Williams still in charge and tied up Camaro on the mat.
Camaro got up and hit some forearm strikes while selling the pain in his ribs. They fought to the floor at 14:00. In the ring, Camaro hit a big bodyslam at 16:30. Camaro hit a Cedric-style Lumbar Check for a believable nearfall, and he applied a Boston Crab, but Williams finally reached the ropes at 18:30. Aaron hit a stunner and he dropped Camaro with a superkick for a believable nearfall. Williams missed a moonsault, and Camaro nailed a decapitating clothesline, and they were both down at 20:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Williams hit a powerbomb. Camaro hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Williams hit a jumping knee to the jaw and another spin kick, then a buzzsaw kick to the head for the pin. A good main event-style match.
Aaron Williams defeated Camaro Jackson to retain the Destination Championship at 24:29.
Immortal Championship Wrestling “ICW2K25: Immortal Edition” in Johnstown, N.Y. at the high school on May 31, 2025 (IWTV)
Johnstown is located about an hour northwest of Albany in upstate New York (and roughly four hours north of New York City). This was held in the high school gymnasium, and bleachers were pulled out on one side. The crowd was fairly spread out, but attendance was likely 250-300. No commentary; I wasn’t expecting that.
Masha Slamovich vs. Christina Marie for the ICW Women’s Title. This was third-to-last. Marie has appeared in AEW in the past; she’s of average height, and she wore black. Masha had her ICW Title and her TNA Knockouts Title. An intense lockup to open, and they are about the size. Masha hit some chops, and she’s a heel here. She rolled to the floor to regroup; Marie dove through the ropes onto her at 2:00. Masha whipped her into a guardrail. Masha dragged her back into the ring, hit a snap suplex, and got a nearfall at 4:00.
Masha applied a rear-naked choke and kept Marie grounded. Marie got some rollups for nearfalls. Masha hit a piledriver along her back for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Masha went under the ring and got a chain. The ref stopped her and confiscated it. However, Masha reached into her top and pulled out a smaller chain, and she swung and missed. Marie hit a German Suplex and she picked up that smaller chain. The ref saw it, so Marie set it down. Masha pushed Marie into the ref! Masha immediately punched Marie with the smaller chain around her wrist, flipped the weapon to the floor, hit her White Knight Driver (piledriver), and got the cheap pin.
Masha Slamovich defeated Christina Marie at 10:36.
Richie the Madman vs. Madman Fulton. This was second-to-last. My first time seeing Richie; he’s short, scrawny, and wore a denim rocker jacket. I’m a big fan of Fulton, and he got a nice pop. If you haven’t seen him in a while, he’s looking a lot like a younger Lance Archer. Richie charged at the bell, but Fulton caught him. Richie tried some chops that barely had an impact. Richie flew off the top rope, but Fulton caught him at 1:00. Richie got on Fulton’s back and tried a sleeper, but Fulton shrugged him off to the mat.
They fought to the floor, where Fulton threw Richie into the ring post and stomped on him at ringside. In the ring, Fulton tossed him around and stayed in charge. Richie hit some punches to the gut and a dropkick at 6:30 that staggered Fulton, but he didn’t go down. Richie hit some Stinger Splashes, then a senton on the back for a nearfall. Fulton hit a chokeslam for a believable nearfall at 8:00. (That should have been the finish.) Fulton hit a chokeslam but only got a one-count.
Richie got underneath him in a corner and hit a powerbomb, then a senton for a believable nearfall. Fulton rolled to the floor, selling the pain in his back. They fought briefly on the floor. In the ring, Richie hit a superkick, but he missed a Swanton Bomb. Fulton hit another chokeslam and finally got the pin. An okay match; it was hard to buy Richie as being on Fulton’s level, as he was so much shorter with far less muscle mass and overall size.
Madman Fulton defeated Richie the Madman at 12:52.
Kitsune Women’s Wrestling “8888” on June 8 in Los Angeles, California (IWTV)
This is a fairly basic, small, white room, and the crowd was maybe 150. I admittedly didn’t know a lot of the names on this show.
Brittnie Brooks vs. Haruka Umesaki. Haruka wore red-and-black and she’s of similar size to Brooks. They shook hands at the bell and twisted each other’s left arm, and they had a standoff at 1:30. Brittnie hit a snap suplex. Haruka hit a dropkick and got a nearfall. She pulled on Brittnie’s hair as she tied Brooks up on the mat, and she applied a bow-and-arrow at 3:30. Haruka hit a dropkick to the back and got another nearfall. She applied a Lion Tamer (vertical Boston Crab), and Brittnie sold pain in her lower back. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Haruka hit a suplex, and Brooks rolled to the floor at 8:00. They got back in the ring, and almost immediately, Haruka got a magistral cradle for the pin. Good while it lasted.
Haruka Umesaki defeated Brittnie Brooks at 8:46.
Miyu Yamashita vs. Kidd Bandit. Trans star Bandit might be the most beloved indy wrestler out there today. A feeling-out process to open as they were hesitant to lock up, and neither got an early advantage. Miyu tied Bandit up on the mat and she hit a series of kicks to Bandit’s ribs, then a stiff kick to the spine at 5:00. Miyu hit a Yes Kick to the chest and was now in charge, keeping Bandit grounded. Miyu hit a running Penalty Kick on the ring apron at 7:00, and they fought at ringside and looped the ring as they brawled.
In the ring, Miyu applied a cross-armbreaker, but Bandit reached the ropes at 10:00. Bandit hit a modified 619. Miyu slammed Bandit to the mat, and she hit a flying kick to Bandit’s head. Bandit got up and hit some spin kicks to Miyu’s head. Bandit hit a snapmare driver. They got up and traded forearm strikes. They switched to trading spin kicks to each other’s forearms. Miyu nailed the Skull Kick for the pin. That was really good.
Miyu Yamashita defeated Kidd Bandit at 16:29.
Final Thoughts: I’ve seen my share of time-limit draws, and matches that have gone 20+ minutes. I wouldn’t have guessed by the pace that Billie and Laynie were going at that they were going that long. They kept a high-energy pace throughout that match. Just a really top-notch bout, and a match well worth checking out if you have IWTV. That was easily the best of these seven matches. Bandit-Miyu was really good and the second-best of these seven matches.
Be the first to comment