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 four different recent indy shows. This roundup has a high number of WWE ID matches!
CMLL “73rd Aniversario De La Arena Pueblo” in Pueblo, Mexico, at Arena Puebla on July 20, 2026 (free on YouTube).
The lighting is good, and the crowd is listed at 3,500. This has Spanish-only commentary; it’s too fast for me to comprehend.
“Team AEW” Beast Mortos and El Clon vs. “Team CMLL” Neon and Capitan Suicida. Clon opened against Neon. Neon hit a huracanrana. Mortos entered and hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a Pounce. Suicida hit a huracanrana on Mortos. Mortos hit an enzuigiri in the corner. El Clon hit a powerslam and ran up Capitan’s back (just like a guy named Arez used to do… Hmmm.) Clon and Neon fought on the floor. In the ring, Mortos ripped at Neon’s mask at 4:00. In the ring, Team AEW kept Neon in their corner. Mortos hit a delayed vertical suplex for quite a while before dropping Neon and getting a nearfall at 6:30.
Suicida got in, but Mortos choked him in the ropes. Neon hit an impressive springboard huracanrana. The CMLL duo hit stereo dives through the ropes, and everyone was down on the floor at 8:30. In the ring, Capitan hit a headscissors takedown on Clon, then one on Mortos. Clon and Neon traded reversals. Neon hit another headscissors takedown on Mortos at 11:00. Suicida hit a kip-up stunner. Mortos put Suicida across his shoulders and hit a backbreaker over his knee. Neon hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Mortos. Clon hit a Pele Kick. Capitan hit an enzuigiri. Neon hit a pop-up dropkick, and suddenly all four were down at 13:00.
This has been fun. They all got up and traded punches. Mortos was flipped to the floor, then Clon, too. Neon hit a flip dive over the top rope onto both AEW guys. Suicida hit a Trustfall drop but landed hard on the floor on his butt. Ouch! In the ring, Mortos tossed Suicida into a corner. He hit his pop-up Samoan Drop, with Clon making the cover for a nearfall at 15:30. Team CMLL each hit a Poison Rana. They hit stereo top rope dives and got simultaneous pins on Mortos and Clon. A really fun lucha match.
Capitan Suicida and Neon defeated Beast Mortos and El Clon at 16:43.
Mascara Dorada vs. Soberano Jr. vs. Volador Jr. vs. Esfinge. Dorada wore mostly pink-and-black today. Soberano Jr. wore mostly green. Esfinge is always easy to recognize in his sphinx mask. Volador and Soberano shook hands, then hugged; the rudos are working together! Dorada hit a double dropkick. Dorada and Esfinge hit stereo dives to the floor. In the ring, the rudos both went for covers. Volador grabbed and tugged on Esfinge’s mask. Volador hit a superkick on Esfinge; Soberano went for a cover at 3:00, which irritated Volador.
The heels hit some team moves on Dorada. Volador tied Dorada in a pendulum, and Soberano hit a leg drop on the back of Dorada’s head. The heels shoved each other. Esfinge hit a springboard dropkick on Soberano. Esfinge hit a dive to the floor onto Soberano. In the ring, Dorada hit a series of spin kicks on Volador, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:00. Volador Jr. hit a Code Red for a nearfall. Esfinge hit a jumping knee on Volador for a nearfall.
Volador hit a superkick for a nearfall at 6:30, but Soberano made the save. Soberano nearly removed Esfinge’s mask! Soberano hit a top-rope corkscrew press on Esfinge for a nearfall. He hit a superkick for a nearfall, but Dorada made the save. Volador hit a Lungblower to Dorada’s back for a nearfall at 9:00, and now he untied Dorada’s mask! Dorada hit a huracanrana on Volador, then a twisting plancha over the top rope to the floor. Esfinge hit a springboard crossbody block on Soberano for a nearfall. Soberano Jr. hit a frog splash to pin Esfinge. Fun lucha action.
Soberano Jr. defeated Volador Jr., Mascara Dorada and Esfinge in a four-way at 10:52.
MCW “Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XXV” at the RJ Meyer Arena in Joppa, Maryland on July 18, 2026 (free on YouTube)
The format of this tournament is five first-round matches, then a six-way finale (as the defending cup winner automatically qualifies). Also in action were the Headbangers. I was going to watch this entire show, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it — the production is awful. Lighting is decent, but two hard cameras were too far away. The only camera at ringside is fixed in a corner above the action. Visually, it’s not an attractive watch. I hate to say that, but I immediately opted to watch just the final two matches.
Game Changer Wrestling has held shows here before, and it’s packed with maybe 250 fans. Again, lighting is good, but I just hate how far away the cameras are. I really can’t even make out their faces. The sound on commentary also has a bit more static than I would prefer, and it echoes! (You can hear the male commentator’s words repeated three seconds later.)
Izzy Moreno and Simone Valentina vs. Gia Scott and Sirena Linton (w/James Ellsworth). Sirena, who appeared in WWE LFG, recently had a match from Toronto I watched — it was the first time I had seen her in a full singles match (LFG edited stuff doesn’t count!). Izzy is the impressive teenage Bayley superfan. Gia has AEW losses to Jade Cargill, Abadon, and Willow Nightingale, and she’s had a handful of losses in MLW as well. She had a handful of ROH matches in the Sinclair era (before Tony Khan bought Ring of Honor).
Izzy and Simone both wore red gear, so that helps. Gia cut a heel promo, saying one of the babyfaces “is an ungrateful bitch.” Simone tackled Gia, and we’re underway! Linton jumped in and dragged Simone to the mat by her hair. Simone hit a bulldog for a nearfall on Gia at 1:30. The babyfaces hit a team suplex on Gia. The commentator talked about Izzy being the Bayley superfan in the NXT Black-and-Gold era.
Sirena hit a guillotine leg drop on Izzy for a nearfall, and she choked Izzy in the ropes. Sirena hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 3:30. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Gia and Simone both tagged in, and Simone hit some splashes in the corner, then a Bronco Buster. Sirena hit a Lungblower to Izzy’s face for the pin! That wrapped up out of nowhere! While it didn’t last long, Izzy continues to shine wherever she goes.
Gia Scott and Sirena Linton defeated Izzy Moreno and Simone Valentina at 5:49.
* A video package aired, showing the winners of the prior 24 tournaments, including Adam Cole, Sami Callihan, Lio Rush, Flip Gordon, and Action Andretti. Several names I didn’t recognize in there, but that’s a pretty good quintet of top-tier prior winners.
Tyler Breeze vs. Daron Richardson vs. Raheem Royal vs. Alex Divine vs. Chris Slade vs. Danny Grandview in an elimination match for the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup. Richardson and Royal are both regulars from HOG in New York. As per usual, Daron was loudly booed. I admittedly don’t know Divine, Slade, or Grandview. Slade won this tournament last year. Grandview immediately made me think of NXT prospect Brad Baylor; he’s cocky and brash with short, blond hair. A valet kissed him on the way to the ring. Grandview also has a title belt around his waist. Slade is a Black man with long brown dreadlocks; he wore a red trench coat and carried a sword. Divine is a Black man of average size.
Daron (with the poofy hair on top, I always think of Velveteen Dream) opened against Divine. The other four stood in the corners on the apron. Some basic action early on. Breeze hit a Beauty Shot spin kick for a nearfall at 3:00. Slade hit a Sling Blade. Divine hit a top-rope splash for a nearfall, but two henchmen pulled the ref from the ring. Several guys ran out of the back and brawled with these henchmen to the back. (It would make no sense for anyone in this match to pull the ref out! It’s an elimination match!) Slade has leapt off the stage onto several guys at 5:30.
In the ring, Royal hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Daron, but he missed a 450 Splash. Daron charged at Royal, but Royal got a clean rollup for a pin at 8:03. A livid Richardson attacked Royal! Grandview jumped in and hit a standing neckbreaker to pin Royal at 9:22. Grandview hit a backbreaker over his knee on Divine. Breeze set up for an Unprettier, but Grandview blocked it. Breeze hit a superkick on Grandview for a pin at 10:29! That’s three quick eliminations!
Grandview stomped on Breeze on the floor! The crowd booed him. Divine and Slade squared off in the ring. They are both slender and of similar size. Slade hit a Spanish Fly out of the corner. Breeze got back in and set up for a powerbomb. However, Blade got a rollup and pinned Breeze at 12:54! It’s just Blade vs. Divine! The entire locker room came out of the back and circled the ring. I am digging this vibe, as they all pounded on the mat. They traded quick kicks. Slade hit a jumping knee to the jaw at 15:00.
Blade hit a superkick. This crowd was fully behind Divine. Divine hit a springboard crossbody block for a nearfall. Divine hit a spear in the corner and another crossbody block for a nearfall, and they were both down. Divine went for a top-rope twisting splash, but Slade got his legs up at 17:00. Slade hit a Sling Blade for a nearfall. Slade hit a top-rope twisting frog splash, and they were both down. Divine got a powerbomb for a nearfall at 21:00.
Divine came off the ropes, but Slade caught him with a jumping knee to the chin for a nearfall at 23:00. Slade hit a Kamigoye knee strike to the collarbone. The ref checked on Divine, who wouldn’t let the ref stop the match. Divine hit another running knee for a nearfall. He hit a spin kick to the jaw, and Divine went to the floor. Slade dove onto him. In the ring, Slade hit a springboard Swanton for a nearfall at 27:00.
Divine hit a flying forearm, and they were both down. Divine hit a frog splash for a believable nearfall, and they were both down again. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Slade hit a series of kicks. He went for a Lethal Injection, but Divine tied him in a sleeper, and they fell to the mat. Slade flipped his weight over and got a nearfall. Despite the production, this has been an entertaining match. Slade tied him in a Walls of Jericho (vertical Boston Crab), but Divine escaped at 30:30. Divine hit a dropkick. They fought on the ropes. Divine hit a top-rope twisting splash for the pin!
Alex Divine defeated Tyler Breeze, Daron Richardson, Raheem Royal, Chris Slade, and Danny Grandview to win the Shamrock Cup at 32:25.
Chicago Style Wrestling “In The Heat Of The Night” at the VFW Post 5040 in Franklin Park, Illinois, on July 17, 2026 (IWTV)
This is their usual large room, and it’s packed with maybe 250 fans. Lighting is good. Chris Masters competed in a tag match earlier in the show, which I skipped.
Shazza McKenzie vs. Blair Onyx vs. Lili La Pescadita (w/Victor Iniestra) vs. Haven Harris for the CSW Women’s Title. Lili and Iniestra continue to have problems getting along, and she ordered him to the back. All four women are regulars here, although Haven is much newer to the scene. Blair wore black with gold trim; that might be new gear. Shazza shoved each woman at the bell. Haven hit a dropkick on her. Haven is maybe 5’10” and towers over the other three. Blair bit Haven’s forearm! Blair hit a stunner at 1:00. Lili rolled up Blair for a nearfall and hit a dropkick, then a tornado DDT for a nearfall.
They did a Tower of Doom spot out of the corner, and all were down at 3:00. Lili hit an enzuigiri on Haven. Shazza hit a Saito Suplex. Blair set up for a piledriver, but she instead slammed Shazza on her stomach for a nearfall at 4:30. Haven hit a Lungblower to Blair’s face, but Onyx creepily bridged back up to her feet. “That’s just not natural!” a commentator said. Blair and Haven brawled to the back! Lili blocked Shazza’s Splits Stunner. Lili hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00.
Iniestra returned to ringside with a chair, and he got in the ring! He struck Lili across the back! “You are a true piece of …!” a commentator said. Victor jabbed the chair into her ribs. “This is his girl! What is he doing? You bastard!” the other commentator said. Victor continued to beat her up. “This is uncomfortable to watch,” another said. I guess this is a no-DQ match, because Shazza climbed on top of Lili and got the pin. (I had stopped my stopwatch at 6:12, when Iniestra first struck Lili.)
Shazza McKenzie defeated Haven Harris, Blair Onyx, and Lili La Pescadita Ruiz at about 7:00.
“The Elegance Brand” Maggie Lee and Heather Reckless vs. Alfonso Gonzalez and 12-Gauge (w/Hunter Holdcraft). This was the co-main event. The Hype are degenerate gamblers here, and they have a whiteboard with gambling odds on it. The women wore fairly identical red gear. 12-Gauge is pretty short, but he still towers over Heather; he dropped to his knees at the bell, so Heather slapped him and hit a DDT! Maggie hit a German Suplex on Alfonso, then a Coast-to-Coast dropkick. 12-Gauge tripped Heather on the top turnbuckle at 3:00, and the guys worked over Reckless in their corner.
Hunter is injured, but he pulled on Heather’s hair in the corner. Alfonso hit a bodyslam on Heather for a nearfall. Maggie got a hot tag at 6:30 and hit Mafia Kicks on each guy. She hit a second-rope double Blockbuster. She hit a top-rope Swanton on 12-Gauge for a nearfall. Heather hit a top-rope double stomp for a visual pin at 8:00, but Hunter pulled the referee out of the ring. The ref ejected Hunter.
Maggie hit a flip dive to the floor onto Alfonso and 12-Gauge. In the ring, Heather went for a moonsault, but 12-Gauge got his knees up. 12-Gauge hit a Michinoku Driver on Reckless for a nearfall. From the floor, Maggie kicked Alfonso. Alfonso accidentally kicked 12-Gauge to the floor! Maggie tied Alfonso in a surfboard, and Heather hit a top-rope double stomp on Alfonso’s chest for the pin! Good finisher.
Heather Reckless and Maggie Lee defeated Alfonso Gonzalez and 12-Gauge at 10:20.
Solomon Tupu vs. 1 Called Manders for the CSW Title. Manders just returned from competing in Germany days earlier. This was the main event. The commentators noted that Manders has a prior win over Tupu. An intense lockup at the bell. Manders stalled on the floor. Back in the ring, they hit several shoulder blocks until Tupu dropped him at 2:30. They rolled to the floor and traded chops. They went past the guardrail and fought in the front row. Manders threw him into the chairs at 4:30. He picked up a guardrail link and jabbed it onto Tupu. Tupu threw the guardrail link onto Manders.
They continued to loop along the wall and traded forearm strikes. They sat on chairs at 8:00 and traded punches and chops. Manders grabbed a beer and chugged it; Tupu punched him, and Manders sprayed beer everywhere. Manders hit a back-body drop onto a guardrail link on the floor at 10:00, earning a “holy shit!” chant. They got into the ring, and Tupu suplexed him, and they were both down at 12:00.
Tupu hit some headbutts and a uranage out of the corner, then a senton for a nearfall. (The commentators said they lost power but I am not seeing any changes. The show continued without any notable difference.) Manders hit an Oklahoma Stampede (bulldog powerslam) for a nearfall at 13:30. Manders hit a running body block. Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall. Tupu hit a Samoan Drop. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Tupu slammed him to the mat. Tupu hit a rolling cannonball, then a frog splash for the pin. Yeah, that was really good.
Solomon Tupu defeated 1 Called Manders to retain the CSW Title at 16:19.
Combat Zone Wrestling “Blacklight 6” at the Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, in Croydon, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 2026 (IWTV)
This brewery is just a long-and-narrow warehouse, so most fans are seated on just two sides of the ring. There is only room for one row on the narrow sides of the building. Lighting and overall production are okay. The crowd was maybe 150.
Griffin McCoy vs. Ichiban. McCoy is maybe 6’2″, cocky, and always the heel. A clean lockup and Ichiban hit a springboard crossbody block for a nearfall in the first minute. He hit an armdrag and a dropkick. He backed McCoy into a corner and hit a series of “One!” punches at 2:00. Griffin dropped him face-first onto the apron. In the ring, Griffin applied a Fujiwara Armbar and kept Ichiban grounded. Ichiban hit a stunner at 4:30. Ichiban hit an enzuigiri and a second-rope missile dropkick, and he was fired up.
Ichiban hit a slingshot leg drop for a nearfall at 6:00. Griffin hit a top-rope flying forearm. He hit a dive through the ropes and crashed onto Ichiban. Ichiban went for a springboard move into the ring, but McCoy caught him with a kick at 8:00. McCoy hit a top-rope swinging Sidewalk Slam! He went back to a Fujiwara Armbar on the mat. Griffin hit a Brainbuster, but Ichiban hit a Stundog Millionaire, and they were both down at 10:00.
Ichiban got up and hit some jab punches, then an impressive huracanrana. McCoy leapt off the ropes, but Ichiban caught him with a stunner! Ichiban hit a springboard tornado DDT for a nearfall. McCoy hit a Blue Thunder Bomb from off his shoulders for a nearfall at 12:00, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Griffin hit a twisting neckbreaker off the second rope, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Ichiban got some rollups. McCoy re-applied the Fujiwara Armbar. Ichiban got a rollup and the flash pin! That was really fun.
Ichiban defeated Griffin McCoy at 14:23.
* McCoy and Vinny Talotta beat up Ichiban after the bell, until Desean Pratt made the save.
* Desean Pratt was slated to face Chris White. Pratt came out first. White came out but said he’s not fighting tonight. Instead, Dustin Waller attacked Pratt from behind, and we’re underway! White joined commentary, and he ripped into Pratt, claiming Desean isn’t on his level.
Dustin Waller vs. Desean Pratt. Pratt is a thick Black man; I’ve only seen him a few times, but I’m impressed. He recently debuted in Wrestling Revolver, too. Waller hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. He choked Pratt in the ropes. Pratt hit a huracanrana and a leg lariat at 1:30. Some basic offense between them, and they traded chops. Dustin hit a jumping knee and a superkick, but Pratt hit a powerslam at 5:00.
Pratt hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall, then a gutbuster over his knees. Waller hit his own Michinoku Driver, then a Lethal Injection for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Waller missed a 450 Splash. Pratt hit a tornado DDT, then a top-rope double stomp to the chest for the pin! Good while it lasted. Chris White jumped in the ring and beat up Pratt, but Ichiban made the save. He hit a Canadian Destroyer on Waller!
Desean Pratt defeated Dustin Waller at 7:30.
Akira vs. Eran Ashe for the CZW Title. The massive, bald Ashe is more than 300 pounds, possibly 350. (If Ricochet put on 150 pounds, he would look a lot like Ashe). Akira used to have his hair in a mohawk, but it is now floppy and down to his shoulders. (But it’s still dyed pink/purple). They locked up, and Ashe easily shoved Akira to the mat. Apparently Akira beat Ashe for this belt, so it’s a rematch. (I wasn’t aware that Ashe had even lost it.) They tied in a knuckle lock, and Ashe took control. Akira hit a basement dropkick at 2:00. Akira hit some Yes Kicks to the chest.
They fought to the floor. Akira charged, but Ashe grabbed him and slammed him against the ring at 3:30. He continued to beat down on Akira on the floor. Ashe picked up a fan and bodyslammed the guy onto Akira at 6:00! A young kid in the crowd helped Akira get back into the ring. Humorous, and the crowd applauded his courage for helping out Akira. Ashe charged at Akira but crashed into a chair wedged in the corner at 9:30. Akira hit a basement dropkick into the corner. Akira hit more Yes Kicks to the chest, then a DDT for a nearfall at 11:30. Ashe hit an Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckles, a uranage, and a massive senton for a believable nearfall.
Akira hit a Sunset Bomb out of the corner! Akira hit a frog splash for a nearfall at 13:30. Ashe hit a low blow kick! He nailed a Tiger Driver-style flipping powerbomb for a believable nearfall, and the crowd rallied for Akira. Ashe got the belt and swung but missed. Moments later, he struck Akira with the belt on the knee and head and got a nearfall. Akira had a trickle of blood on his forehead. Ashe returned to the back, and he came out with a weed wacker! He used it on Akira’s stomach and got a nearfall at 17:00. Ashe tied up Akira’s legs and cranked back on them. The ref checked on Akira, determined he had passed out, and called for the bell! New champion!
Eran Ashe defeated Akira to regain the CZW Title at 18:18.
Final Thoughts: I want to reiterate the action in that Shamrock Cup match was great, and both Divine and Slade should be pleased with the match. That said … I couldn’t tell you what either man looks like. The cameras were so far away, I couldn’t see their faces at all. One of the joys of going to an indy wrestling show is being right there, with the action feet away from you. I don’t understand why they used fixed cameras far from the ring and didn’t use ringside cameras as well. I seriously planned to watch the whole event until I saw the production values.
* I’ve seen parts or all of several CZW shows in the past year. This is an okay venue. I always think of CZW as a “hardcore wrestling” promotion, but they’ve clearly dialed back on that. I like the top tier of guys I’m seeing there (Ashe, Pratt). I could have done without the weed wacker spot, but that match didn’t really get gross.
* The CMLL show was a fun environment. I enjoy listening to the Spanish commentary, picking out a few words I know here and there. I understand that both El Clon and Beast Mortos now have clearance to return to the U.S., too.
There was a lot to like over these four shows… but again, watching all four events would have taken perhaps 10 hours.
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