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 one or two 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.
West Coast Pro “Larger Than Life” in San Francisco, California on January 10, 2025 (free on YouTube).
WCPW just switched where they air their shows, going from IWTV to Highspots, so this whole show is not available to me. However, WCPW has now posted six of the matches for free on YouTube; I previously reviewed three other matches they released. This venue has busy artwork on the walls, and the chandeliers are too close to the ring, but they have a hot crowd of perhaps 200-250.
Ichiban and “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller vs. “Los Suavecitos” Danny Rose, Ricky Gee, and Adrian Quest. LS are Los Angeles-based, which makes them heels here in San Francisco. Ichiban’s team flew in from the Northeast, so it’s safe to say this is a first-time-ever meeting. Ichiban and Quest opened, with Ichiban hitting his “one!” punches in the corner. Waller entered and hit a German Suplex on Rose. Kylong hit a suplex, too. The MG guys hit a team suplex spot with all six men involved at 3:30, and the babyfaces all hit dives to the floor. Back in the ring, LS started stomping on Kylon and they were booed. Gee hit a stiff kick to the spine at 6:00.
Kylon hit a double Northern Lights suplex. Ichiban got the hot tag and hit a handspring-back-elbow and a missile dropkick. Waller nailed a flip dive over the ring post onto the heels at 7:30. Back in the ring, Kylon hit a second-rope belly-to-belly suplex. Quest hit a second-rope Phoenix Splash for a nearfall. LS hit some superkicks on Ichiban. The heels set up for a clothesline move with Ichiban on someone’s shoulders. However, Ichiban got a Victory Roll for the pin out of nowhere! That was really fun and it got the crowd going.
Ichiban, Kylon King, and Dustin Waller defeated Danny Rose, Ricky Gee, and Adrian Quest at 9:32.
* This next match was slated to be a two-on-two tag match, but…
Alan Angels and “Sinner & Saint” Judas Icarus and Travis Williams vs. Danny Garcia, Titus Alexander, and Starboy Charlie. Titus and Charlie came out first, but Angels and S&S attacked from behind. A promoter came out and said this would now be a six-man tag, and the crowd popped for the unadvertised return of Danny Garcia! All six brawled at the bell and we got a loud “Holy shit!” chant. Charlie hit a basement dropkick on Angels, and all the heels bailed to the floor to regroup. Charlie and Titus wanted to do Garcia’s dance, and Danny reluctantly joined in. Silly massive pop. The heels got back in and the action resumed. Travis hit a dropkick in the corner on Titus at 2:30.
Angels hit a standing neckbreaker on Titus. Judas and Titus traded forearm strikes. Titus nailed his picture-perfect dropkick at 6:00. Garcia got the hot tag and he traded blows with Angels. He hit a twisting neckbreaker on Judas, then one on Angels, then one on Williams! Williams hit a springboard dropkick on Charlie. S&S hit some quick team offense on Titus, with Williams hitting a brainbuster at 9:00. Angels hit his Halo Kick on Charlie for a nearfall, but Garcia made the save. All six began brawling again as the ref had lost control. Charlie hit a uranage and a corkscrew standing senton. Williams hit a clothesline on Charlie and suddenly all six were down at 11:30 and we got a “Fight forever! chant.
Titus and Williams got up and traded forearm strikes. Titus hit his modified Death Valley Driver. Titus hit a flip dive to the floor as Charlie hit a moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Garcia and Angels battled, with Danny hitting a piledriver! Charlie hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press to pin Williams. If you don’t know why there is so much buzz around all six of these guys, watch this match. This was an absolute blast.
Danny Garcia, Titus Alexander, and Starboy Charlie defeated Judas Icarus, Travis Williams, and Alan Angels at 13:40.
Rhodes Wrestling Association “High Tension” in Leander, Texas on January 19, 2025 (free on YouTube)
This is their training center; it’s small so all the seating is on just one side of the ring. It has a high ceiling and it’s well-lit, and it seems like an attractive venue to watch a show. Most of the wrestlers here are clearly new, which is fine if you know that going in.
Vert Vixen vs. Abadon for the RWA Women’s Title. This was mid-show. Abadon attacked Vert at the show last month to set up this match. Abadon weighs in “at 1,000 lost souls.” (Is that her usual intro?) They immediately traded punches. Vert is dressed like a military cadet in training clothes; it’s not her usual wrestling gear. Vert hit a guillotine legdrop, then a Northern Lights Suplex. Abadon grabbed her and applied a headlock. She stomped on Vert and kept her grounded, and she hit a legdrop while Vert was on the ring apron at 4:00, then a running knee. She beat up Vert in front of the fans in the front row as they battled at ringside.
They fought around the building toward the back, and it was hard to see. Vert hit a suplex onto the thin mat at ringside at 9:00, and she was fired up. Back in the ring, Vert hit a Buckle Bomb then a suplex, then a running knee, then a modified powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00. Abadon nailed a series of headbutts, then a running knee, then another. Abadon hit an implant DDT for a believable nearfall at 13:00. She shoved the ref! She got a kendo stick and repeatedly struck Vert with it, and the ref called for the bell. Abadon hit a Sister Abigail swinging faceplant after the bell, and they traded more punches.
Vert Vixen defeated Abadon via DQ to retain the RWA Women’s title at 14:09.
Future Stars of Wrestling “New Years Resolution” in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 25, 2025 (Triller+).
This show was released Monday night; it didn’t air live. This is their small training center with banners of graduates like Hammerstone, Killer Kross and Chris Bey hanging from the walls, and the crowd is maybe 100.
Marcus Mathers vs. Sam Holloway. WWE has had these two ID prospects face twice now, and this is match No. 3 in their series. (I previously reviewed their first match, and Sam has won both so far.) Again, Holloway is legit around 6’8″ and reminds me of Julius Creed, and he immediately hit a shoulder block and backed Marcus into a corner, and he stomped on Marcus and kept him grounded. Marcus clotheslined Sam over the top rope to the floor at 3:30. He dove through the ropes, but Sam caught him and repeatedly slammed his lower back into the ring frame. In the ring, Mathers shoved Sam shoulder-first into the corner at 5:00.
Mathers hit a twisting crossbody block and some punches, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. He hit a second one with a high bridge for a nearfall at 6:30. Marcus hit a basement dropkick on a knee, but Holloway caught him with a clothesline. Sam was limping from the attack on his leg. Marcus hit a brainbuster and a running knee for a believable nearfall at 9:00! Sam nailed a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Mathers got a rollup out of nowhere for the pin! Mathers sold being shocked he won. That was a really good match. Sam hit a Choke Bomb after the bell, then a frogsplash!
Marcus Mathers defeated Sam Holloway at 11:01.
New South “The Dump Sanders Holiday Special” in Gadsen, Alabama on December 21, 2024 (IWTV)
This show was just released this week on IWTV, even though it is a month old. Gadsen is located northeast of Birmingham (and northwest of Atlanta). It is really dark in this room but the ring is lit okay; I couldn’t tell you if there are 20 or 200 fans out there.
Donovan Dijak vs. Big Dave. This match was third in the lineup. My first time seeing Dave, who has long curly hair and he’s maybe 6’3″ but still much smaller than Dijak. He wore plain black trunks and has a Bruiser Brody vibe. They locked up and Dave slowly backed Dijak into a corner, so Dijak grabbed Dave’s long hair and he slowed Dave down with a headlock. They went to the floor and traded chops. Back in the ring, Dijak choked him in the ropes while taunting the crowd.
Dijak hit a clothesline at 8:00, and he mounted Dave and hit some punches. Dave nailed a fallaway slam for a nearfall at 10:30. Dijak went for a move off the second rope, but Dave caught him and hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall, and the crowd chanted “That was three!” Dijak hit his discus Mafia Kick for a nearfall. (The commentator inaccurately said “Feast Your Eyes,” which is not what that move is!) Dijak then nailed a Choke Bomb for a believable nearfall, and Dijak was shocked at the kickout. Dave nailed a clothesline for the pin! That was good action. The commentators gushed that this was the biggest win of Big Dave’s young career.
Big Dave defeated Donovan Dijak at 13:07.
WrestleRave “King of the Mountain” in Houston, Texas on January 11, 2025 (IWTV)
This is a training center with banners of past graduates hanging from the walls. It’s a small room and the crowd is maybe 100. Lighting is okay; the lights are on but it still feels a bit dark in here.
Ninja Mack vs. Robert Martyr. This match opened the show! Mack is one of my favorite indy stars, and he spent most of 2024 in NOAH, and he competed in NJPW’s Super Juniors Tag League, too. I’ve seen Martyr compete from California to New Jersey to Florida, and I’m just not seeing the ‘It Factor’ in him, as to why he is considered good enough to pay for his travel to shows cross-country. They immediately traded quick reversals on the mat, and they traded rollups and had a standoff at 3:00. This has been really good mat-based action. They fought to the floor, then got back in with Martyr tying up the left leg and into a half-crab, but Mack reached the ropes at 5:30.
Martyr flipped him, with Mack making a ‘superhero landing.’ Martyr threw several punches that Mack sidestepped. Martyr hit a dropkick on the knee as Mack was tied in the ropes at 8:30, and he tied Mack in a modified Figure Four, and he kept targeting the knee. Mack finally hit a German Suplex at 11:00 and kipped up! Martyr hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and a running knee to the side of the head. Mack applied a rear-naked choke. Martyr got a rollup for the pin. A really good match to open this show.
Robert Martyr defeated Ninja Mack at 11:53.
Cappuccino Jones vs. Vinny Pacifico. Jones is one of the 19 WWE ID prospects, and he’s comparable to the Human Tornado (who also competed on this show!) or Kevin Knight. He came to the ring with a coffee cup, and the commentators said it is 40 degrees in this building, so everyone could use a warm coffee. (I don’t know if it’s really 40 in there but everyone in the crowd was still wearing their jackets!) Anyhow, Jones is the heel here. Vinny is short, white, with short, trimmed hair and he comes out to Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life.” Vinny hit a shotgun dropkick, sending Jones into the corner, and they immediately brawled on the floor. In the ring, Vinny hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 2:30.
Jones hit an elbow drop and grounded Vinny. He purposely spilled Vinny’s energy drink. Vinny hit some clotheslines, then a DDT out of the ropes at 5:30, then an Angle Slam for a nearfall. Jones poured energy drink into his coffee! “This might make his heart explode!” a commentator said. Jones hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Vinny applied a crossface, but Jones rolled him over for a nearfall. Jones hit Vinny in the face with the energy drink can and scored the pin. The ref clearly saw it, so this should have been a DQ. The commentator said it was a “controversial finish.”
Cappuccino Jones defeated Vinny Pacifico at 8:09.
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