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 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 ten matches from across three different recent indy shows.
Fight Life “Squared Circle Seance IV” in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, on November 2, 2025 (Triller+)
This is a small ballroom, and I’ve seen multiple shows from this venue. The lights were on, and it was easy to see. They’ve packed this room with maybe 150 fans; a lot of people were standing against the back wall. This was a 10-match show, so I picked out four that interested me.
Mortar vs. Gangrel. I’ve frequently described the short, thick Mortar as similar to Rhino. Gangrel is unchanged; he still had his hair in a ponytail, he wore dark sunglasses, and he carried a goblet of… whatever he’s drinking. This was the main event of the first half. Some basic tie-ups early on, and Mortar rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Gangrel put him in a headlock and kept him grounded. Gangrel hit a bodyslam and an elbow drop for a nearfall at 3:30, and he kept Mortar grounded. Mortar hit a plancha at 5:00, and they fought at ringside. Mortar was in charge in the ring, but Gangrel whipped him into the corner, and Mortar fell to the floor.
They briefly fought on the floor and got back in, but Mortar struck him in the ropes and took control again. Gangrel hit a powerslam at 10:30, and the crowd was fully behind him. Gangrel avoided a discus clothesline, and he hit a Russian Leg Sweep. Mortar hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 12:30. Gangrel hit his implant DDT for a nearfall, but Mortar got a foot on the ropes! Mortar rolled to the floor, and he drank from the goblet! He sprayed red fluid in Gangrel’s face, rolled him up, and scored the cheap pin. A deeply satisfying use of a veteran wrestler. Gangrel has thinned out and held up his part of this match quite well.
Mortar defeated Gangrel at 13:28.
* Gangrel drank from the goblet, and he sprayed fluid in Mortar’s eyes.
Ichiban vs. Dezmond Cole. This was the reason I tuned in. Standing switches to open. Ichiban hit a huracanrana. Fast reversals with neither man getting an advantage, and we had a standoff at 2:00. Dezmond hit a huracanrana. He hit his rolling kip-up stunner. Cole hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 5:00. He slowed Ichiban down in a headlock on the mat. He missed a Helluva Kick. Ichiban hit some spin kicks to the thighs, then a 619 at 7:00. Ichiban hit a superkick, but Cole caught him and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Ichiban hit a baseball slide dropkick in the ropes. In the ring, he hit a handspring-back-elbow and a missile dropkick, and he was fired up. He hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 9:30. Cole hit a powerbomb, and they were both down, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. They fought on the top rope, and Ichiban hit a swinging neckbreaker as they both crashed to the mat, and he got a nearfall, and they were both down at 12:00. They traded Mafia Kicks, and Ichiban hit a stunner. Cole hit a Lionsault Press on a standing Ichiban, and they were both down again, and we got a “both these guys!” chant.
Cole nailed a Michinoku Driver. He hit an RVD-style rolling guillotine leg drop for a nearfall at 14:00. A commentator said this is on pace to be the FL match of the year. Ichiban hit a Poison Rana. Cole hit a German Suplex, a flying knee strike, and a frog splash for a believable nearfall. They traded rollups. Ichiban flipped Dezmond into the corner. Cole tried for the Swanton Bomb, but Ichiban got his knees up! Ichiban hit a Canadian Destroyer, then his leaping Flatliner for the pin! A sharp match between two of my favorites on the indy scene today. The crowd chanted, “That was awesome!”
Ichiban defeated Dezmond Cole at 17:12.
BMT (w/Queen Ariel) vs. Sammy Diaz vs. Seabass Finn in an elimination match. Minutes earlier, these three had won a six-man tag, but now they must battle each other. BMT is a heel; the babyfaces hit stereo superkicks on him, then they fought each other. Sammy hit a powerslam on Finn, then a moonsault for a nearfall. Finn hit a stalling German Suplex on Diaz for a nearfall at 1:30. Sammy hit a brainbuster. BMT and Ariel struck Sammy in the corner. All three were down. A Doink the Clown character got in the ring and hit a Michinoku Driver on Ariel; those two had a match earlier in the show.
BMT hit a stunner on the Doink, sending him to the floor. Finn hit a clothesline, sending BMT to the floor. Diaz blocked Finn’s sunset flip, sat down, and grabbed the ropes for a cheap pin at 3:51. So, it’s just Ariel vs. Diaz now. Those two traded forearm strikes. BMT hit an enzuigiri. He hit a springboard fadeaway stunner for a nearfall at 6:00. They fought on the ropes, and Diaz hit a Frankensteiner, then a frog splash for a nearfall. Sammy hit a Buzzsaw Kick and a Poison Rana, then a running knee for a nearfall at 8:00. BMT pushed Diaz towards Ref Gina, but Sammy was able to pull up before striking her. However, it allowed BMT to get a rollup and pin Sammy. Decent.
BMT defeated Sammy Diaz and Seabass Finn at 8:24.
Richard Holliday vs. JT Dunn for the Fight Life Title. A really nice build-up between the ring introductions and the ref getting this started; just the little things they’re doing right. An intense lockup to open and a feeling-out process as they traded standing switches. Holliday hit some chops in the corner. They traded chops and forearm strikes. They fought to the floor at 4:00 and looped the ring. Holliday shoved JT Dunn back-first into the ring post. In the ring, Holliday was in charge, and he whipped JT into the corner. They traded punches. Holliday applied a top hammerlock on the mat and kept Dunn grounded.
Holliday crashed into the ref in the corner at 12:00! Dunn hit a stunner for a visual pin, but we had no ref! Dunn got pushed into the ref! Holliday hit his signature move, the low blow uppercut, and he hit the 2008 twisting suplex. A second ref ran in and made a two-count. Holliday threw that ref to the floor! Holliday hit a low-blow uppercut on the original ref. Dunn hit a low-blow uppercut on Holliday! He hit a stunner for a nearfall at 15:00. Holliday hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall. They traded punches and forearm strikes, and Dunn hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. Dunn nailed his Death By Elbow rolling forearm for the pin! New champ!
JT Dunn defeated Richard Holliday to win the Fight Life Title at 17:56.
Chicago Style Wrestling “Second City Showdown V” in Franklin Park, Illinois, on November 21, 2025 (IWTV)
This was a nine-match show, and I picked the four that really interested me — the opener, then the final three bouts. They always draw well here; it’s packed with maybe 200 fans. The lights are on, and it’s easy to see. They have a lot of younger faces on their roster.
Marshe Rockett vs. Shain Boucher for the CSW Title. Again, this was actually the opener. I’ll reiterate that Boucher reminds me of a young Lash LeRoux. Rockett attacked during the ring introductions, and we’re underway! They traded punches, and it’s worth reiterating how big Rockett is; he’s got the size and build of Moose. Shain dove through the ropes onto him. In the ring, Boucher hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 1:30. Rockett hit a back-body drop and some chops, and he was in charge. Rockett hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00, and he glared at the ref.
Rockett hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Boucher hit a Lionsault for a nearfall, and he was fired up. Marshe slammed him face-first to the mat. Boucher hit a top-rope doublestomp to the collarbone for a nearfall, but Marshe grabbed the ropes at 7:00. Boucher thought he had won, but the ref pointed out Marshe in the ropes. Boucher hit a roundhouse kick to the head. Rockett hit a stunner for the pin. A very good opener; Rockett has been a good champion here. This felt longer than it was, which I mean as a compliment, as they got a lot in here.
Marshe Rockett defeated Shain Boucher to retain the CSW Title at 7:42.
Lili Ruiz vs. Shazza McKenzie vs. Aminah Belmont vs. Blair Onyx vs. Maggie Lee vs. Haven Harris vs. Sofia Sivan in a ladder match for the CSW Women’s Title. Sivan is new to me; she’s of average size with long, dark hair, and she wore pink with black trim. Her cagematch.net bio shows she’s had 38 total matches in two years, predominantly in Alabama and Florida. Blair wore her all-black outfit. The bell rang, and everyone immediately rolled to the floor to get ladders. They did a neat spot where Shazza, Haven, and Sofia all got knocked down and landed in the splits. Maggie, Blair, and Lili each fought on a different ladder, and they traded blows on top of their ladders and fell to the mat at 2:30.
Blair and Sofia fought over a ladder, and Onyx shoved it into Sofia’s gut in the corner. Maggie and Aminah fought over a ladder, but then they used it together to strike their opponents. Onyx put it over her head and spun it, a la Terry Funk, and struck her opponents. She climbed the ladder but paused, because she started arguing with the voices in her head! She’s crazy! Shaaza hit a splits stunner off the near-top of the ladder to the mat. Ouch! (I get that she’s flexible, but that feels like a way to rip a muscle, doing the splits from that height!)
Aminah tried climbing the ladder, but Haven and Maggie used cookie sheets to strike Belmont on her back. Lee and Haven then fought on top of the ladder, but fell to the mat at 8:00. Haven hit a Swanton Bomb on Belmont, who was lying on a horizontal ladder, at 9:30. Lee powerbombed Lili onto a ladder in the corner! Belmont and Blair now fought on top of the ladder, but Shazza tipped it over, and they fell to the mat. Shazza started to climb the ladder, but Warhorse ran into the ring and pulled her off the ladder and dragged her to the back!
Lili started climbing the ladder at 13:00; two other ladders were in the ring, so all six remaining women were on a ladder, and they all brawled at the top. Blair headbutted Maggie to the mat. Suddenly, it was just Lili and Belmont, as the other four women were on the mat. Lili hit a DVD, tossing Aminah onto the four women below. Lili then pulled down the belt from the ceiling to win the match. A deeply satisfying match. Sivan looked good in her CSW debut.
Lili Ruiiz defeated Shazza McKenzie, Aminah Belmont, Blair Onyx, Maggie Lee, Haven Harris, and Sofia Sivan to retain the CSW Women’s Title at 14:54.
* “Warhorse” Jake Parnell dragged Shazza back to ringside and threw her into the guardrails. Gringo Loco made the save, and they started brawling, and our next match was underway!
“Warhorse” Jake Parnell vs. Gringo Loco. They got into the ring and we got a bell at 00:45 to officially begin. Loco hit a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall, but he missed a Swanton Bomb at 2:00. Jake hit a second-rope flying knee that sent Loco to the floor. Parnell followed, and they brawled at ringside. In the ring, Parnell choked Loco in the ropes and kept him grounded. Loco hit a flapjack for a nearfall at 6:30. He hit the Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Parnell hit a low-blow mule kick when the ref was out of position. He hit a top-rope flying elbow drop for the tainted pin. Shockingly short and mildly disappointing, just because I think so highly of both guys.
Jake Parnell defeated Gringo Loco at 8:13/official time of 7:28.
Ring of Destiny match to become No. 1 contender. I have zero idea what this match is, but it has most of this promotion’s top stars. Missa Kate was introduced first, followed by Victor Iniestra. He’s barely taller than her, and we’re starting with just these two. He hit a low-blow kick that she no-sold, and she hit some blows. We had a countdown clock, and our next competitor was Hans Carden at 1:00. He has a certain Matt Riddle look to him with a thin mustache. The guys worked together to beat up Kate. Solomon Tupu was No. 4 at 2:30, and he beat up the guys.
Tupu hit a double Cena-style fist drops on the guys. Victor Analog was No. 5 at 4:00; he’s a smarmy heel. “Hot Rod” Daddy Andy was No. 6. I never heard of him, but he’s bald and clearly older, perhaps even early 40s. Teenager Rhys Maddox was No. 7; I’ve seen him lately in Houston’s Reality of Wrestling. Ryan Matthews, a young kid I’ve seen a couple of times, was No. 8 at 8:30. He has a picture of his face on his butt and a good physique. Jax Johnson, a young Black man in street clothes, was No. 9. Nick Diamond was No. 10; he’s a young cocky heel and looks a bit like a thinner Joey Janela. I don’t think I’ve seen him before.
Rafael Quintero was No. 11 at 13:00. Everyone was brawling in and out of the ring; I have no idea how you win this, because we don’t have a ref in the ring. Jay Marston was No. 12, and he worked with teammate Tupu. Quintero hit a Canadian Destroyer. The young Joey Pierson was No. 13 at 16:00; he’s thin, short, with long brown hair. Nick Kotas was No. 14; I don’t think I’ve seen him, but he has slicked back, long, wet hair, and he wore pink trunks. Conan Lycan was No. 15 at 18:30. He’s massive, and he threw guys around. He’s the last one in.
So, we literally had all 15 in the ring, and I now see we have referees in each of the four corners on the floor. Daddy Andy was tossed — okay this is now Battle Royal rules, now that everyone is in. Pierson was tossed. Matthews was tossed. Marston eliminated two guys who were fighting on the apron. Analog tossed someone. Tupu tossed Analog. At 23:00, we have just five in the ring. Tupu got tossed! Our final four are Missa Kate, Lycan, Quintero and Carden. Carden hit low blows. Kate got a rollup, and a ref was now in the ring and counted a nearfall. (These rules feel made up on the fly.)
Carden hit a spinebuster on Quintero and put him in a half-crab at 27:00, but Kate kicked Carden. (This is an elimination match; why would she help to free Quintero?) Boz came to ringside and jawed at Kate! It allowed Carden to put her in a half-crab, and she tapped out at 28:03, so we’re down to three! Quintero hit a German Suplex on Carden, then a powerbomb for a pin at 28:35! So, it’s just Quintero vs. Lycan now! Conan hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Quintero hit a huracanrana. He dove through the ropes onto Lycan at 30:00. Quintero dove through the ropes, but Lycan caught him and powerbombed him.
In the ring, Lycan hit another Blue Thunder Bomb. They fought on the ropes, and Quintero hit a Sunset Flip Bomb out of the corner, a Canadian Destroyer, and a flying double knees in the corner. Lycan hit a clothesline and an Ospreay-style Stormbreaker swinging slam. They brawled into the crowd, then got back into the ring. They fought in the corner; Quintero dropped underneath and hit a standing powerbomb. He then nailed a top-rope Froggy Bow elbow drop for the pin! The final sequence with just these two was really good.
Rafael Quintero won the Ring of Destiny match at 34:32.
Live Pro Wrestling “Wrestlefesta” in New Bedford, Massachusetts, at the Vault Music Hall, on November 30, 2025 (free on YouTube)
This was just a four-match, 90-minute show, concluding with a comedy Halloween Royal Rumble match, with everyone in costumes. I watched a bit of that Rumble — there were a lot of trainees I didn’t recognize — and it didn’t interest me; I’m just not a comedy guy in my wrestling. So, I chose to watch two of the other three matches. This was a dark music venue, but it was packed with maybe 200 fans.
DJ Powers vs. Jose Zamora vs. Ashley Vox vs. Dustin Waller. This was a four-way, but Zamora and Powers are teammates, and they wore their identical red pants, so it’s essentially a tag match. Powers CLOCKED Ashley with a superkick at the bell, and she rolled to the floor. It allowed the heels to immediately work over Waller. Ashley got back in and hit a huracanrana on Jose. They did some ‘chicken fighting,’ with Ashley on Dustin’s shoulders. She dove through the ropes onto the heels at 4:00. Dustin then hit the plancha to the floor on them.
In the ring, the heels hit a team DDT on Waller, and they celebrated. They hit some quick team offense and worked over Dustin. Powers went for a cover at 7:30, but Jose pulled him off! It just dawned on them that they both can’t win! Jose went for a pin, but DJ pulled him off Dustin. They both tried a cover — the ref made a two-count. (Shouldn’t the ref have refused to count?) Ashley hit a top-rope crossbody block on the heels. She hit flying elbows in opposite corners on the heels.
Vox hit a huracanrana on Jose for a nearfall at 9:00. She got an inside cradle on Waller for a nearfall. She hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall, but the heels made the save. They hit knee drops to her back and worked her over. She flipped DJ into a spear on Jose! DJ hit a running knee that clocked her in the nose! Dustin went for a top-rope move, but DJ caught him with a superkick! Dustin hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Powers, then he nailed the Lethal Injection to pin Powers. That was a lot of fun.
Dustin Waller defeated Jose Zamora, DJ Powers, and Ashley Vox at 11:22.
Ichiban vs. Jason Blade went to a time limit draw at 10:00. I didn’t watch this.
“Star Struck” Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) vs. “Shot Through The Heart” Love, Doug and TJ Crawford for the Live Pro Tag Team Titles. Doug and Channing opened; Sidney tripped Doug. The commissioner, John Cena Sr., hit the ring to Cena’s music and the crowd chanted “John Cena’s Dad” (where fans used to sing “John Cena sucks!”). He confronted Bakabella but then said, “He’s not worth it.” He ejected Sidney! The guys resumed fighting at 4:00 (even though they had barely tied up before now). STTH were in charge early on, and they cleared the ring. In the ring, the heels began working over Doug and kept him in their corner.
STTH hit stereo dropkicks, then a team back suplex on Greene for a nearfall at 7:30. The heels began working over TJ in their corner and kept him grounded. Doug entered at 10:00 and hit some clotheslines. Doug hit the “Slice of Love” (mid-ring Sliced Bread) for a nearfall at 12:00, and all four were down. Doug hit a springboard double back elbow. TJ slammed both opponents and got a nearfall at 14:30. STTH both had the champs tied up in submission holds, but the heels escaped. Doug hit a Rebound Lariat and pinned Greene! New champions!
Love, Doug and TJ Crawford defeated Channing Thomas and Anthony Greene to win the Live Pro Tag Team Titles at 16:28.
Liviyah won the Halloween costume battle royal. I skimmed through this, and it didn’t hold my interest.
Final Thoughts: Some really good action across these three shows. But the reality is that watching all three events in their entirety was nine hours I didn’t have, so I watched about 40 percent of each show instead. Unsurprisingly, Ichiban vs. Dezmond Cole was really good and the highlight. The women’s seven-way ladder match earned second.
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