By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is far more good indy wrestling 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, 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 nine matches from across five different recent indy shows.
wXw, “25th Anniversary Tour-Frankfurt” on November 8, 2025 in Frankfurt, Germany (Triller+)
The lighting was good and the crowds here are always hot, with about 500 present. Mett Demassi provided English commentary. I love that they have the clock in the lower left corner of the screen.
1 Called Manders vs. Shigehiro Irie. Irie has competed in the U.S. before; he has the size/frame of Shingo Takagi or EVIL, but his face always makes me think of Kushida. Mett pointed out that both men are former wXw champions and former 16 Karat Gold winners. They shook hands before the bell. An intense lockup to open and friendly exchanges. They went to the floor and traded shoulder blocks with neither man going down. Irie shoved Manders into some fans in the front row. In the ring, Irie hit a second rope Trust Fall (Coffin Drop!) for a nearfall at 3:30.
Manders hit a bodyslam and an elbow drop for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Manders hit a clothesline in the corner. Irie hit an Angle Slam. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 6:00. They were on all fours and crawled forward to hit headbutts. Irie hit a hard elbow strike to the back of the head, then a rolling cannonball into the corner for a nearfall at 7:30.
They fought in the corner, and Manders hit the Oklahoma Stampede (bulldog powerslam) for a nearfall at 9:30. They got up and traded more forearm strikes. Irie hit a Heart Punch for a nearfall, and the crowd came alive. Manders hit a clothesline, and they were both down again. Manders hit another hard clothesline for a nearfall at 12:00. He hit one more clothesline for the pin. Every bit as hard-hitting as we expected. Good action.
1 Called Manders defeated Shigehiro Irie at 12:22.
International Wrestling Cartel “Winner Takes All” in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 2025 (Triller+)
This is a dark gym, and the crowd was maybe 300. Yeah, the lighting needs to be better than this…
Sam Holloway vs. Bill Collier. The tall, thin Collier has been wrestling as “Agent Zero” recently in TNA. Sam is a babyface here, which is rare. Guys who are 6’8″ should be the heel! But Collier is roughly the same height. Collier rolled to the floor and stalled. They had an intense lockup to open and standing switches. They brawled to the floor and traded chops. Collier dove off the apron onto Holloway at 4:00, and they brawled around the building. He picked up Sam and crotched him around the ring post.
They got back in the building with Collier in charge, and he threw Sam back to the floor at 5:30. In the ring, Collier hit a clothesline in the corner, then a delayed vertical suplex at 7:00 and a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. He hit a grazing dropkick. Collier slammed him back-first on the ring apron at 8:30, then choked Sam in the ropes. (It’s just really hard for Sam to get crowd sympathy; he really is not a natural babyface.) Sam hit some hard clotheslines at 11:00.
Holloway hit a suplex. He leapt over the top rope and crashed onto Collier. Collier hit a second-rope fallaway slam at 13:00, and we had a two-minute warning! Collier rolled to the floor, and he snapped Sam’s neck on the top rope. In the ring, Bill charged, but Sam caught him with a knee strike, then a suplex into the corner for a nearfall. Sam grabbed him by his throat, but Collier hit a headbutt to escape. Collier hit a spear for a nearfall at 14:30. Sam hit a Choke Bomb, and they were both down. Sam started to crawl towards Collier when the bell rang, and we had a time-limit draw.
Bill Collier vs. Sam Holloway went to a 15:00 time-limit draw at 15:12. (I’ll stand by my timing of the match!)
* Holloway got up and demanded five more minutes. A GM character came out and told Sam that he runs things here, not Sam. He asked the crowd if they wanted five more minutes — the crowd cheered! — but the heels left.
Pro Wrestling Symphony “Demon Days” in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 2, 2025 (IWTV)
* This is a music hall. I think this is their fifth show, and I’ve seen a few or all of the matches from each taping. The lights are on and it’s easy to see. The crowd was maybe 150.
Brittnie Brooks vs. Freya The Slaya. Worth reiterating that OVW star Freya is a legit 6’0″ and has a big overall size advantage, as Brooks is probably closer to 5’5″. Freya stomped on her early on. Brooks hit some European Uppercuts. Freya was in charge and kept Brittnie grounded. She hit a suplex at 2:00 but missed a Helluva Kick. Freya hit a rolling cannonball in the corner. She hit a bodyslam in the center of the ring, playfully slapped at Brittnie, and yelled at her.
Brittnie hit an enzuigiri at 3:30. Freya applied a Cobra Clutch. Freya tied her in the ropes and chopped Brooks’ chest. Brittnie set up for a dive to the floor, but Freya cut it off with a big boot. Brittnie hit some kicks on the apron, then a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 6:00. Brittnie hit a bulldog for a nearfall. She came off the ropes, but Freya grabbed her by the throat and hit a chokeslam for the pin. Good for the time given.
Freya the Slaya defeated Brittnie Brooks at 7:27.
Terry Yaki vs. Donovan Dijak. As per usual, Dijak has a significant height and weight advantage. They jawed at each other at the bell, then an intense lockup. Yaki hit a dropkick at 2:30 that sent Dijak to the floor. Yaki went for a dive, but Dijak caught him and chokeslammed him onto the ring apron. Terry dove back in before the count-out, but Dijak immediately stomped on Terry’s back and kept him grounded. Dijak hit a release suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. Terry fired up and hit some punches. Dijak scooped him into his arms and again tossed Yaki aside.
Yaki hit a springboard fadeaway stunner, and he dove through the ropes onto Dijak. He hit a second dive. He tried a third, but Dijak blocked it. Yaki hit an Asai Moonsault at 9:00. In the ring, Yaki hit a springboard dropkick to the knee and a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Dijak set up for Feast Your Eyes, but Yaki escaped and got a rollup. Yaki hit another fadeaway stunner for a nearfall at 10:30. Terry came off the ropes, but Dijak caught him with a superkick.
Yaki hit an enzuigiri, but Dijak nailed his discus Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Yaki hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall, and they were both down. Dijak hit a spinning Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 13:30. Dijak hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. He got up and yelled at the female ref, and he barked at the crowd. Dijak nailed a Choke Bomb at 15:30, but Yaki kicked out at one! Yaki hit a Canadian Destroyer out of the ropes. Dijak caught Yaki coming off the ropes and nailed the Feast Your Eyes (pop-up knee strike for the pin. A really strong match.
Donovan Dijak defeated Terry Yaki at 16:15.
Mad Dog Connelly vs. Shane Mercer in a No Holds Barred match. This should be a war! Shane came out first. As per usual, Connelly carried his dog collar to the ring. He ran into the ring, charged at Mercer, and we’re underway! Connelly hit a backbody drop, and he clotheslined them both to the floor. They traded chops at ringside. They hit each other with garbage can lids. Mercer slammed him on the ring apron at 2:30, then he swung Connelly’s head into the guardrail. Mercer slammed him onto a guardrail link that was leaning against the ring at 4:30.
They brawled away from ringside and fought against the walls, with Connelly throwing chairs at him. They went out the door and into the parking lot, with the camera following them, but they went back into the building almost immediately. They finally got back into the ring at 8:00. Mercer hit some chops, and he whipped Connelly into a garbage can that was wedged in the corner for a nearfall. Shane threw a chair at Connelly’s head. They traded forearm strikes, and Mercer hit an Exploder Suplex.
Connelly threw a chair at Shane and got a nearfall at 11:30. Connelly hit a clothesline in the corner and threw another chair. Connelly put the Dog Collar on, so Mercer also put it on! Shane hit a Gorilla Press for a nearfall at 13:30. He hit Connelly over the head with a chair. Connelly hanged Mercery along his back; the ref checked Shane and called for the bell. Good brawl that didn’t get gross or bloody, even though I really do hate those chairshots and unprotected blows to the head. They continued to brawl after the bell!
Mad Dog Connelly defeated Shane Mercer at 14:55.
Pro Wrestling Epic “From Dusk Till Dawn 3” on October 4, in Sauget, Illinois, at Pop’s Nightclub
This club is in the St. Louis metro area and GCW has run shows here. They had a really good crowd of maybe 400.
Missa Kate (w/Frank the Clown) vs. Kelsey Heather (w/St. Louis Blues mascot). Kate jawed at the crowd and the hockey mascot before they locked up, and Kelsey focused on the left arm. Kelsey hit a shotgun dropkick at 2:00. Frank tripped Kelsey, so Bluey tripped Kate. Kate stomped on Heather in the corner and kept her grounded. She slammed Kelsey to the mat and got a nearfall at 4:00. Kate tied a leg lock around the waist and kept Heather grounded.
Kelsey fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a crossbody block at 6:00, then a handspring-into-a-splash in the corner, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall. She climbed the ropes, but Frank grabbed her ankle; she kicked free, but she missed a moonsault. Kate hit a running knee to the back of the head, then a superkick for a nearfall at 7:30. Kelsey hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall, but Frank put Kate’s foot on the ropes. Kate hit a swinging neckbreaker and applied a crossface.
Kelsey hit a Russian Leg Sweep, and she applied a crossface at 10:00! Kate reached the ropes. Kelsey fell to the floor. Bluey and Frank argued, and the mascot shoved Frank. Those two got into the ring! Frank shoved Blue to the mat. Frank did a Wassup flying headbutt to the mascot’s groin! Kelsey finally got back in and got a rollup for a nearfall, then the splits stunner for a visual pin, but Frank was arguing with the ref! Kelsey slapped Frank, but Kate caught Kelsey with a roundhouse kick to the skull for the pin.
Missa Kate defeated Kelsey Heather at 12:52.
Rhino and Heath (Slater) vs. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell and Herzog for the vacant PWE Tag Team Titles. I don’t think I’ve seen Viking character Herzog before; he has long straight hair, and his trunks almost look like a loincloth, and looks like he could play an Old Testament character. This took forever to get going, but Heath and Warhorse opened with standing switches. Heath hit a flying forearm. Rhino and Herzog entered at 2:00. Rhino dropped him with a shoulder tackle. They went to the floor and traded chops, and all four brawled. Rhino and Parnell went over the guardrail and into the crowd. Slater and Herzog brawled over to the bar.
The brawl continued around the building, with all four fighting. Rhino and Herzog got back into the ring at 8:30, with Rhino pushing his foot into Herzog’s throat. The heels began working over Heath in their corner. Rhino got a hot tag at 11:30 and hit some forearm strikes on both heels. Rhino nailed a Gore on Herzog! Jake hit a low blow uppercut and got the cheap pin. Lame finish, but the crowd loved the brawl through the crowd.
Jake Parnell and Herzog defeated Rhino and Heath (Slater) to win the vacant PWE Tag Team Titles at 12:49.
Pro Wrestling Supershow “Monster Mania” in Brockton, Massachusetts, on October 24, 2025 (IWTV)
* I’ve seen multiple shows now from this venue. Lighting is decent, and they drew 250-300. As per usual, there isn’t commentary here.
Dustin Waller vs. The Consistent AZ. This was the show-opener. Waller is having a great 2025, and my guess is AZ is brand new; he wore a generic black singlet. With his thick, wavy black hair, AZ looks like an 18-year-old Disco Inferno. He stalled on the floor and complained. In the ring, Waller hit repeated punches in the corner. AZ hit a splash in the corner and a suplex, then a guillotine leg drop for a one-count at 4:00. He hit a running knee in the corner. Seriously… this kid could play a gimmick as Disco Inferno’s son and everyone would believe it. AZ hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Waller tossed him across the ring by his hair. He hit some quick kicks and a Lethal Injection for the pin. AZ dominated the offense; Waller did a good job of walking him through that match.
Dustin Waller defeated The Consistent AZ at 6:28.
Liviyah vs. Ashley Vox. A reminder, this show happened a week before Liviyah dislocated her elbow. This match was the reason I tuned in. This is already their fifth singles match in about 14 months, and Ashley holds a 2-1-1 record. They took turns playing to the crowd. Liviyah, at perhaps 5’9″, is taller than Ashley, listed at 5’3″. They immediately tied up on the mat. Liviyah hit a dropkick at 2:00. Vox took control and kept Liviyah grounded.
Ashley hit a hard back elbow in the corner, then a rolling cannonball in the corner for a nearfall at 4:30. Liviyah hit a flying shoulder tackle and some clotheslines, and she was fired up. She hit a German Suplex at 6:30 and a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Liviyah hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Vox hit a superkick that showed a lot of light. Liviyah set up for the Eye of the Hurricane (her finisher!), but Vox fought free. Ashley immediately hit a running knee to the chest for the clean pin! Good action; I hoped that would go longer.
Ashley Vox defeated Liviyah at 8:34.
Final Thoughts: So many good wrestling shows out there, and the reality is no one could watch them all!!! Manders-Irie was really, really good and the best of these nine matches. Dijak-Yaki was really good for a close second. I’ll take Mercer-Connelly for third, as that was a pretty good brawl.
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