By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is far more good indy wrestling out there 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 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 ten matches from across five different recent indy shows. This roundup has a high number of WWE ID matches!
Alpha-1 “Danger At The Diamond” in Hamilton, Ontario, at Bernie Arbour Stadium on July 3, 2026 (free on YouTube)
This was an outdoor show on a minor league baseball field. (The ring was set up on the third base line but NOT on the field. That would matter later.) This ring feels unusually small. It’s the middle of the day, so it’s sunny. Perhaps 100 people, mostly young kids, were watching the show. I opted to watch the opener and the main event. Hamilton is located south of Toronto, on the corridor between Detroit and Buffalo.
“The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice (w/Eric Carney) vs. Shane Sabre and Mike Forte for the Alpha 1 Tag Team Titles. I’ve seen Forte here a few times; he has long wavy hair. He opened against Scalice. Sabre entered at 3:00 and hit a running boot on VSK. Bryce tagged in to face Sabre. Shane hit an armdrag. VSK pushed Shane off the top rope to the mat; Bryce then jumped on Shane and hit repeated punches. VSK hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 5:00. The heel manager Carney hit some stomps on the grass. The Verdict worked over Sabre in the ring.
Forte made the hot tag at 7:00 and brawled with VSK. Bryce accidentally splashed onto VSK in a corner. Forte hit a double Sliced Bread. Carney distracted the ref. Bryce hit a double clothesline. Sabre hit an enzuigiri on Bryce. Forte hit a top-rope crossbody block on Bryce for a nearfall at 9:00. All four brawled. The champs hit stereo low-blow uppercuts. Bryce rolled up Sabre for the tainted pin. An okay match.
“The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice defeated Shane Sabre and Mike Forte to retain the Alpha 1 Tag Team Titles at 9:44.
“Touch of Class” Channing Thomas and Sam Holloway (w/TJ Crawford) vs. Xavier Walker and Brett Michael David. Channing had his Alpha 1 Title. They started brawling on the field. Commentator Reed Duthie noted a game has started on the field behind them. They brawled up the stairs and into the stands behind home plate. There are maybe 300 people watching the game, and it’s amusing to see their reactions as BMD and Channing brawled up and down the staircase! The cameras found Holloway and Xavier — the two tall guys in the match — brawling near a semi-trailer.
All four brawled down to the seating down the left field line. Again, many people were around, watching the Hamilton Cardinals baseball game. They finally made their way to ringside. Xavier leaned Channing against the fence and chopped him. They got in the ring, and we got a bell at 5:34 to officially begin! Holloway hit a big Mafia Kick on BMD and repeated stomps in the corner. Channing stomped on Brett, and the heels kept him in their corner. The number of people watching this main event is MANY more than who was watching that opener.
Xavier got a hot tag and brawled with the heels. TJ tried to trip Xavier, but Walker stomped on TJ’s fingers. Sam planted his foot in Xavier’s throat at 10:30. It was getting dark, but the stadium was still well-lit. Sam and Walker traded punches. Channing hit a Rude Awakening and a leaping elbow drop. He applied a Camel Clutch at 12:30. Holloway entered and hit a Mafia Kick on Walker for a nearfall at 14:00. Walker finally hit a punch that dropped Channing, and they were both down.
Brett finally got a hot tag at 15:30, and he hit some punches. Sam accidentally hit an elbow drop on Channing. BMD repeatedly punched Holloway in the corner. Channing crotched BMD in the corner. Channing crashed head-first into Sam’s butt. Walker hit some punches on Holloway. Xavier hit a superplex on Holloway, then BMD hit a frog splash on Xavier! Channing grabbed a chair and hit BMD with it, and the ref called for the bell. Lame finish. Suddenly, everyone who was on the show earlier was in the ring, and 16-20 guys were all brawling!
Xavier Walker and Brett Michael David defeated “Touch of Class” Channing Thomas and Sam Holloway via DQ at 17:58/official time of 12:24.
* Bryce Hansen, who had helped the babyfaces in that post-match brawl, posed with them after the heels had scampered. They set up a six-man tag for the next show. They invited the kids at ringside to come in the ring and celebrate with them! A fun atmosphere.
Wrestling For A Cause “Extravaslama” in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, at The Property Event Center on July 11, 2026 (IWTV)
Game Changer Wrestling was just here last weekend. I chose the first and second-to-last match of the show. In a match I didn’t watch, they had Tommy Dreamer vs. Bushwhacker Luke — I can’t imagine I would be entertained by that in 2026.
Titan Yin vs. Must CTV vs. JTG vs. KJ Orso for the Hometown Heroes Title. I have only seen JTG sporadically since I stopped watching NWA, but he looks nothing like when he was last in WWE — he’s grown out his hair and put on some decent muscle mass. Titan Yin is a thin man of Asian heritage, and he was on the GCW show last week; I hadn’t seen him before that. My first time seeing Must CTV; he’s white, short, with some tattoos on his right arm and right side of his chest, and he’s a heel. (Think Tom Lawlor; I like what I am seeing.) Orso cut a heel promo and got boos. He apparently was supposed to fight Trey Miguel, who hadn’t been cleared yet. So, this match was set up instead.
The babyfaces, JTG and Yin, opened with friendly reversals and rollups. JTG hit some armdrags. They both missed dropkicks and had a standoff at 1:30. CTV got in, tied Yin in the Tree of Woe and hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest. Orso and CTV high-fived, but then they brawled. Yin hit some roundhouse kicks on Orso, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 5:00. CTV and Yin hit stereo clotheslines. Orso hit a jumping knee on JTG.
JTG hit a bulldog and a Sling Blade on Orso for a nearfall. Yin hit punches to CTV’s ribs. Orso hit a back suplex and a brainbuster on Yin for a nearfall at 7:30. JTG hit a spinning uranage on Orso for a believable nearfall, but CTV made the save. Yin hit a top-rope double stomp, then a Lethal Injection on Must CTV for the pin! Good non-stop action.
Titan Yin defeated Must CTV, JTG and KJ Orso to retain the Hometown Heroes Title at 8:35.
Cappuccino Jones v. Tyler Breeze. Again, this is Cap’s home promotion, where he got “ID’d” by WWE. This crowd was HOT and split. They jawed at each other, and we had a feeling-out process early on. Tyler still looks TV-ready. Tyler relaxed in a corner. Moments later, Cap also relaxed on the ropes in a corner. Tyler hit a superkick at 3:00, and he celebrated. Tyler rolled to the floor to regroup. He was about to get back in, but thought better of it, and looped ringside. Cap finally went to the floor at 5:00 and brawled with Tyler at ringside.
In the ring, Breeze applied a half-crab at 9:00 and he kept Jones grounded. Cap eventually reached the ropes; Breeze was slow to let go of the hold. Jones hit a second-rope flying axe handle, and he was fired up. Cap hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Tyler hit a spin kick to the head. Cap dropped him with a hard forearm strike for a believable nearfall at 12:00. Breeze accidentally superkicked the ref!
Cap immediately hit the Decaffinator swinging neckbreaker for a visual pin, but we had no ref! Cap tried to revive the referee. Breeze hit a low-blow uppercut, then the “Beauty Shot” spin kick to the jaw. The groggy ref made a two-count! Breeze argued with the referee. Breeze set up for a piledriver, but Cap escaped. Cap blocked a superkick and hit a spinning back fist, then the top-rope Froggy Brew elbow drop for the pin. Good action, and a nice win for the hometown hero.
Cappuccino Jones defeated Tyler Breeze at 14:52.
wXw, “Broken Rules” in Frankfurt, Germany, at Batschkapp on July 11, 2026 (IWTV)
I love these wXw shows — the crowds are always so lively, and the production is top-notch. Former WWE wrestler Axel Tischer competed in one of the matches I skipped. I opted to watch the first and last matches (which I would argue feature the top three locals). This is a smaller room than the bigger shows wXw often uses.
Ricky Sosa vs. Peter Tihanyi. Tihanyi is maybe 6’2″, but Sosa has two inches on him. They took turns playing to the crowd before the bell. Standing switches early on. They jawed at each other, and Tihanyi worked the left arm. Sosa slapped him in the face. Tihanyi responded with an enzuigiri at 2:00. Tihanyi hit some chops that Sosa no-sold. Sosa hit a flying back elbow, a standing neckbreaker, and a Lionsault for a nearfall at 4:30. Peter clotheslined him to the floor. He set up for a dive, but Ricky caught him with a jumping European Uppercut! Ricky hit a missile dropkick in the ring for a nearfall at 6:30. These guys are moving at a fast pace!
Sosa tied him in a full nelson on the mat, and he re-applied it upon standing. Peter hit a springboard tornado DDT at 8:30, and they were both down. They got to their feet and traded punches and forearm strikes. Peter hit a running Meteora. Sosa hit a Styles Clash for a nearfall at 10:30. Sosa hit a dive over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Sosa went for a springboard move, but Tihanyi caught him and hit a stunner! Tihanyi then hit a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin! That was really good!
Peter Tihanyi defeated Ricky Sosa at 11:51.
“Cowboy Way” Thomas Shire and 1 Called Manders vs. Ahura and Elijah Blum. Again, this was the main event. (Cowboy Way was back in the U.S. the following weekend and competed on the GCW shows in Dallas and in Oklahoma.) Manders and the tattoo-covered Blum opened. Everyone got in and shoved each other. Blum tried some shoulder blocks on the bigger Shire, who no-sold them. Blum dropped him with a dropkick at 5:00. Cowboy Way worked over Blum in their corner. All four began shoving each other again, and this time they brawled.
Manders backed Ahura into a corner and hit some LOUD chops. Shire clotheslined Ahura to the floor. All four then brawled on the floor. Shire went back and forth, hitting European Uppercuts on each opponent. They made their way back to ringside. Shire and Ahura finally got back into the ring at 13:30. Manders hit a stiff clothesline to the back of Ahura’s neck. Manders hit a hard chop that sent Ahura to the floor. In the ring, Shire applied an abdominal stretch, as Cowboy Way kept Ahura grounded and in their corner.
Ahura finally hit a tornado DDT on Manders at 17:00. Blum made the hot tag and hit a running crossbody block on Manders, then a running, twisting neckbreaker. Blum hit a Lionsault Press on a standing Manders for a nearfall. Ahura and Blum hit a team powerbomb move for a nearfall, but Shire made the save at 18:30. Blum hit a shotgun dropkick on Manders, but Shire hit a pop-up forearm strike and a discus Mafia Kick on Blum for a nearfall.
Blum hit an Angle Slam on Shire! Ahura hit a Naito-style Destino for a nearfall, but Manders made the save. All four got in the ring and brawled. Ahura hit a Pump Kick at 21:30. Blum hit a twisting springboard dive to the floor! In the ring, Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Ahura for a nearfall. Ahura hit a clothesline on Manders, but Manders immediately kicked out! They got up and traded overhand chops. Shire held Ahura in place, and Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline for the pin! Really good, hard-hitting action.
“Cowboy Way” Thomas Shire and 1 Called Manders defeated Ahura and Elijah Blum at 24:12.
Premier Wrestling Federation “Hot Summer Nights III” in Newport, North Carolina, at the Carolina Wrestling Academy on July 19, 2026 (IWTV)
This is their usual training center, which is like a large pole shed. I enjoy their shows, but it always makes me sad that they draw 80 to 100 for a show.
* Bojack came to the ring mid-show, immediately after a tag match had ended. He turned heel last month, beating up his long-time teammate Diego Hill. He got on the mic and told the crowd that he’s responsible for not only the success of the High-Flying Star Machines, but the success of PWF. Lots of boos! He has a match … right now!
Bojack vs. Tenshi X. Bojack is in the 350-pound range; the slender Tenshi X is maybe half of that. I’m fairly certain these two are good friends outside the ring, which usually means they’ll be a bit snug in the ring, right? Tenshi looked perplexed. Bojack unloaded a hard chop that dropped Tenshi. Bojack hit a bodyslam, and he jawed at Tenshi. He made a cocky cover for a nearfall at 2:00. He hit some backbreakers over his knee and was dominating. However, he missed a senton. Tenshi hit some punches that had little effect.
Tenshi hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a DDT for a nearfall. Bojack was slow to get up, and Tenshi pleaded with Bojack. However, Bojack grabbed him by the throat; Tenshi hit a huracanrana, but Bojack nailed a decapitating clothesline for the pin! Even though he won, Bojack hit a piledriver! That was exactly what I wanted to see here. A nice follow-up on Bojack’s heel turn.
Bojack defeated Tenshi X at 6:37.
Pro Wrestling Supershow “Fitchburg Block Party” in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, at Academy and Main Street on July 3, 2026 (IWTV)
This was an outdoor show at a community festival, and the ring was set up in a parking lot. It was the middle of the day, so the lighting was good. I watched the opener, a mid-show match, and the main event. As per usual, PWS shows do NOT have commentary. Fitchburg is located about a 70-minute drive west of Boston.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale vs. Tyler Brooks. Jack had a WWE tryout a couple of months ago, and he’s quickly moved into the upper mid-card of the New England scene. I’m not sure if I’ve seen Brooks before; with his curly blond hair, he is comparable to Clark Connors, and he’s the heel. The bell rang, Tyler rolled to the ground, and he jawed at the kids in the front row. In the ring, Jack hit a shoulder tackle, and he dragged Tyler to the mat in a headlock.
Jack did an Airplane Spin, but Tyler raked the eyes to escape. Tyler hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall, and he planted his foot in Jack’s throat. Brooks stomped on Jack and kept him grounded. He hit a snap suplex and got a nearfall at 5:30. Jack hit a big back-body drop and a flying shoulder tackle, then a swinging sideslam for a nearfall. Brooks got a rollup with his feet on the ropes, but the ref saw it. Jack immediately hit his twisting uranage for the pin! A crowd-pleasing opener.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated Tyler Brooks at 7:44.
Liviyah (w/DJ Powers) vs. Roxanne Fury. Teenager Liviyah recently signed with NWA, and she’s become a regular on indy shows across New England. Liv was a heel tonight, jawing at the crowd. I’ve seen Roxanne just one or two times; she has a splash of pink in her hair, and she has a bigger frame than Liv. The bell rang. DJ had a small bottle, and he sprayed her down at the bell. Liviyah slapped Roxanne at 1:00 for the first contact of the match. She grabbed a towel and choked Fury.
I love these shows with so many kids at ringside, absolutely screaming at the cheating! Fury repeatedly rammed Liv’s head into the ring post. She hit a shoulder block, sending Liviyah to the parking lot to regroup with DJ. In the ring, Fury remained in charge and hit some chops. They fought back to the floor. DJ stepped between them, allowing Liv a chance to catch her breath. Liv then attacked and hit some forearm strikes. Fury slammed her on the ring apron.
In the ring, Liv choked her in the ropes and kept Roxanne grounded. Fury hit a clothesline at 7:00, and they were both down. Fury got up and hit two more clotheslines and a uranage, then a basement crossbody block for a nearfall. Liv got a backslide for a nearfall. While Liv distracted the ref, DJ hopped on the apron and struck Fury in the head! Liv leapt onto Fury and scored the tainted pin!
Liviyah defeated Roxanne Fury at 9:00 even.
DJ Powers vs. Dustin Waller for the PWS Title. For me, Waller has moved into the top tier of indy workers on this scene. Ugh, he wore ugly gear that makes me think he’s a Green Power Ranger. Powers, as usual, is the heel. The sun was setting; I could still see, but it was darker. DJ knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, and Powers rolled to the floor. They brawled at ringside. Dustin was going for a springboard move, but DJ shoved him to the parking lot. DJ hit a superplex off the middle rope back into the ring at 4:30.
DJ hit a snap suplex and was in charge. He jawed at the kids while Dustin was down on the mat. Dustin got an inside cradle for a nearfall. Dustin hit a stunner. DJ nailed a neckbreaker over his knee at 6:30. This has been really crisp. Dustin hit some leaping shoulder tackles and a Blue Thunder Bomb. He nailed his running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 8:30. He set up for a Lethal Injection, but DJ caught him and hit a German Suplex for a nearfall.
Dustin hit a superkick and a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 10:30. He missed a 450 Splash. DJ hit a stunner and a Pedigree for a believable nearfall. DJ went for his Claymore Kick, but he accidentally struck the referee! Waller hit his Lethal Injection for a visual pin, but we had no ref! DJ grabbed his title belt and struck Waller in the head with it for a nearfall. The crowd popped for the kickout. DJ hit a frog splash for the pin. That was really good; these are two polished, young kids. (And I’ll add that both have topped 120+ matches annually in recent years; they are putting in the work!)
DJ Powers defeated Dustin Waller to retain the PWS Title at 12:49.
* Waller hit two superkicks and the Mamba Splash (frog splash) after the match to send the crowd home happy.
Final Thoughts: Some really good matches here. I’ll go with the Cowboy Way match for best of these 10 bouts. Powers-Waller had a good match before a hot crowd, and they were second-best. The Sosa-Tihanyi match takes third.
The outdoor show at the baseball stadium in Canada also was fun. So many kids, ages 5-13, around that ring and loudly cheering for the babyfaces. The brawl through the stands really worked for me, just seeing the reaction of some of the crowd, but I think it pulled a lot of kids from the stands and over to the ring to watch that main event.
I am fairly familiar with the rosters over these five shows, but as I often note — watching all five of these shows in their entirety would have taken perhaps 12 or 13 hours.
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