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.
* I’m starting off with three straight matches involving WWE ID prospects!
City Championship Wrestling in New Baltimore, Michigan on January 30, 2025 (WWE ID on Twitter)
Google Maps shows that New Baltimore is in the far northeastern outskirts of the Detroit metro area. The crowd was shockingly only about 50 in a room with a really low ceiling. All the fans sat on two adjacent sides.
Sam Holloway vs. Freedom Ramsey. This is actually the first time I’ve seen Ramsey, who seems to be the most unknown of the 19 WWE ID prospects, and at first glance, he’s similar in looks and build to Anthony Bowens. Holloway is 6’8″ and I always compare him to Julius Creed. This was the main event. Holloway immediately hit a gut-wrench suplex. The commentators agreed this is the biggest match of Ramsey’s career. Sam knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Holloway crotched him in the corner at 2:30. Sam hit a bodyslam for a nearfall and he kept Ramsey grounded. The commentators played up this was “Michigan (Ramsey” vs. Ohio (Holloway)” with the Michiganders behind Freedom.
Ramsey hit a spinning heel kick to the face, then a shoulder tackle that sent Holloway into the corner at 5:30, then a faceplant for a nearfall. Ramsey nailed a flip dive to the floor on Holloway. In the ring, Holloway hit a twisting uranage for a nearfall at 8:00. Ramsey hit an enzuigiri and a dropkick. Holloway hit a double-underhook suplex, tossing Ramsey into the turnbuckles! Ramsey avoided a chokeslam attempt and he hit a spinebuster, and they were both down at 10:00. Ramsey hit a top-rope crossbody block, but Holloway rolled to the floor. Sam grabbed a chair, jabbed it into Ramsey’s gut, and the ref called for the bell. Good action; I liked what I saw of Ramsey in my first time seeing him. Holloway got back into the ring and chokeslammed Ramsey.
Freedom Ramsey defeated Sam Holloway via DQ at 10:34.
Millennium Pro Wrestling “King of the Beach” on Chatsworth, California on January 21, 2025 (WWE ID on Twitter)
Like the prior show, the crowd is only 50 or so; I’ve seen matches from this factory-looking venue before. Lighting is good.
Jack “Cartwheel” Summit vs. Jordan Oasis. I’ve seen Oasis just a handful of times; he’s been solid in the ring but I’ve never rated any match I’ve seen from him as a “good match,” so I was a bit surprised when he got the ID contract. He’s bald, muscular, with a thick, short beard, and he has the size advantage. This was the opening match. They immediately traded intense reversals on the mat. Jack hit a head-scissors takedown at 3:30, then a slingshot elbow drop. Jordan dropped him throat-first on the top rope, then immediately hit a German Suplex at 5:30 that popped the commentators; nice combo. He whipped Jack into a corner and kept the smaller Summit grounded.
Jordan hit a hard chop in the corner, then a snap suplex for a nearfall at 9:30. Jack hit a swinging DDT and they were both down. Jack hit an enzuigiri and his awesome Crucifix Driver at 12:00. Jack nailed a Sasake Special to the floor. In the ring, Jordan hit a backbreaker over his knee and a rolling cannonball as Jack was against the ropes. They traded rollups, and Jack hit a shotgun dropkick. He went for a top-rope cartwheel to the mat, but Oasis got his knees up to block it. Jordan immediately hit a clothesline to the back of the neck for the pin. Solid match. I’m not sold on Oasis yet; Jack is a great high-flyer but his lack of size will (unfortunately!) likely limit him in WWE.
Jordan Oasis defeated Jack “Cartwheel” Summit at 14:57.
Love Pro Wrestling “Cool Beans,” Edmonton, Alberta on January 31, 2025 (IWTV)
This is a dark lounge theater but the ring is well lit. The crowd was maybe 100 with many seated at lounge tables.
Taryn From Accounting and Steven Crowe vs. Zoe Sager and Reid Matthews for the LPW Tag Team Titles in a hardcore match. Sager is a short blonde and is the lone WWE ID prospect in this one; she’s comparable to former NXT wrestler Millie McKenzie. I’ve seen Taryn before and I know she had an AEW match against Skye Blue where she was just referred to as “TFA.” Zoe leapt onto the heels as they approached the ring and we’re underway! The guys crashed through a table at 1:30 on the floor, earning a “holy shit!” chant. It left just the two women to fight in the ring. Crowe is scrawny and he flipped Reid through chairs at ringside. The women fought at ringside. (So far, the men have only fought each other.) The guys went through the crowd. Reid finally threw Crowe back into the ring at 10:30 and that also earned a “holy shit!” chant.
The women also got back into the ring, and Zoe hit an impressive Electric Chair on the bigger, heavier Taryn. Crowe hit a backbreaker over his knee on Sager (I do think that is the first time a man has struck a woman in this match) at 12:00. The heels took control and worked over Reid. Taryn hit a fisherman’s suplex on Zoe at 16:30. Crowe mounted Zoe and punched her. Taryn hit a piledriver on Zoe for a believable nearfall at 18:30. A hat filled with thumbtacks was dumped onto the canvas. However, Zoe slammed Crowe onto the tacks. Taryn hit a rolling Death Valley Driver through a board in the corner on Zoe at 21:30, but only got a nearfall. Zoe hit a Lungblower on Taryn.
Zoe and Reid got kendo sticks and hit the heels with them. The men brawled extensively; the hardcore action has made me grow restless watching this one. Zoe hit a superplex on Crowe as they both crashed onto six open chairs at 29:30. “Now are we done? Isn’t that enough?” the commentator shouted, and I agree. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!” at the kickout. This match has kept going but it feels like they ran out of things to do. The heels hit the babyfaces with the title belts at 32:30. Michael Richard Blais, a heel, got in the ring and he helped beat down Sager and Reid. The heels hit a Shield-style team powerbomb on Sager for a nearfall, but Reid made the save at 36:30.
Marz the Specialist finally hit the ring to even the sides (what took him so long?) and he beat up the heels and hit a dive to the floor on Blais. Reid ‘Pillmanized’ Crowe’s ankle around a chair. Reid started removing the canvas and foam to expose the boards, but Crowe hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 39:30. The top rope also was removed, as the heels choked Reid with it. The babyfaces hit stereo Blue Thunder Bombs to win the match. New champions! I admittedly would not have watched this if I knew it was going to be such a long match, and it’s not exactly my preferred match style.
Zoe Sager and Reid Matthews defeated Taryn From Accounting and Steven Crowe to win the LPW Tag Team Titles at 41:55.
Premier Wrestling Federation in Carteret, North Carolina on February 7, 2025 (IWTV)
This event was held at a sports bar; there are multiple TVs on in the background and it created quite a distraction; it definitely pulled me away from the in-ring action. Maybe 200 are watching and they are into it.
“High Flying Star Machines” Diego Hill and Bojack vs. August Fears and John Skyler for the PWF Tag Team Titles. This match was mid-show. I’m a huge fan of Hill, who I’ve compared to as a cross between Cedric Alexander and Wes Lee. Bojack is a massive 350 pounds or so but fairly agile for that weight. Fears wore white boxing trunks; I’ve seen him here a few times. Bojack and Skyler opened in a lockup and Skyler couldn’t budge the big man; Bojack easily shoved him to the mat. Fears got in at 2:30 and hit a bodyslam on Diego. Hill hit an impressive enzuigiri. Bojack hit a running splash in the corner on Fears, and he flipped Diego onto Fears for a nearfall. Diego hit his version of the Three Amigos at 5:00.
Bojack tagged in and hit a delayed vertical suplex on Fears for a nearfall. Diego hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, then a LOUD chop at 6:30. Skyler made a blind tag and attacked Diego from behind and hit a bodyslam for a nearfall. The heels worked over Hill in their corner. Bojack finally got a hot tag at 11:00 and knocked the heels down with shoulder tackles, and he hit a massive senton on Skyler, then a spinebuster for a believable nearfall. The heels hit a team DDT on Bojack for a nearfall at 13:30. Diego hit a handspring-back-spin kick. The HFSM hit a team Lungblower-and-powerbomb combo for the pin. Good match.
Diego Hill and Bojack defeated August Fears and John Skyler to retain the PWF Tag Team Titles at 14:13.
Remarkable Wrestling “Sky Is The Limit 3” on February 2 in New York (IWTV)
This is a really dark training center, and the ring is not well lit; this will turn off viewers, regardless of the quality of the in-ring product. The crowd was maybe 100-150.
David Graham vs. Notorious Mimi vs. Dustin Waller vs. Cono Cappuccia for the Remarkable Riot Title. This match went on second. Mimi is the former Sloane Jacobs in NXT and a star in the Apple+ docu-series on the Monster Factory. Waller is among my favorites in the northeast. I know I’ve seen Cono at least once just from his unique name. I don’t think I’ve seen Graham; he has short dark hair in a ‘man-bun’ and the commentators said this was his first title defense. The bald Cono opened against Waller while the other two waited for tags. Mimi entered and hit some hard overhand chops on the scrawny Graham. (She’s not heavy at all but she might outweigh him.) She hit a series of blows. “The crowd can count; that’s big for Long Island,” a heel commentator said.
Waller got in and hit a DDT on Graham, then a rolling DVD at 4:30. Mimi hit a tornado DDT on Waller, then a top-rope crossbody block on him. Cono hit a swinging faceplant on her. They did a tower spot with Mimi on the bottom, and everyone was down at 6:00. She tried getting a pin on each opponent. She nailed a spin kick to Graham’s jaw. Waller badly missed a Lethal Injection on Mimi. (I’m surprised at how bad that one looked; that’s on her.) Graham hit a twisting suplex and pinned Cono. Solid match; Graham didn’t impress me in his win. The commentators noted that it was “student pinning mentor.”
David Graham defeated Cono Cappuccia, Notorious Mimi, and Dustin Waller to retain the Remarkable Riot Title at 7:54.
* Cono got on the mic, said Graham has been wrestling for less than a year, and he’s proud of him. Prince Ahmed attacked Graham, but Cono made the save.
DOA “Shot in the Dark” in Portland, Oregon on February 1, 2025 (IWTV)
A good crowd on hand of maybe 200 fans. Lighting was good. This appears to be a bar/nightclub.
Amira vs. Danny Limelight for the DOA Grand Championship. This was the main event. Amira is a short powerhouse and I’ve seen a lot of her in the Pacific Northwest. Danny is really channeling a younger Chavo Guerrero vibe of late. Standing switches to open; Danny isn’t particularly tall — he’s listed at a generous 5’8″ — but he towers over her, and he knocked her down with a shoulder tackle. She backed him into a corner and hit a series of punches at 3:00 as the crowd counted along. She nailed a rolling cannonball in the corner, then a dive to the floor, and the crowd was behind her. In the ring, Danny hit a Divorce Court armbreaker at 5:00. Amira nailed a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall.
Limelight yanked her forward with her shoulder striking the middle turnbuckle, and he took over, and he choked her in the ropes. He hit a dropkick at 8:30 and mockingly posed on the mat. He hit a clothesline in the corner. Amira finally hit a second-rope tornado DDT and they were both down at 11:00. This crowd was hot and 100 percent behind her. She hit an F5 for a nearfall, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall. He applied a crossface and rolled her to the center of the ring, but she eventually reached the ropes at 14:00. She hit a top-rope superplex and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Amira hit a shotgun dropkick and a German Suplex for a nearfall. She nailed the Mark Henry-style World’s Strongest Slam for the pin. Entertaining match. He shook her hand in a show of respect.
Amira defeated Danny Limelight to retain the DOA Grand Championship at 17:31.
Action Wrestling “We Back Up” in Fayetteville, Ga. on January 24, 2025 (IWTV)
I’ve seen a show from this awkwardly-shaped venue before; the ring is pushed up against one wall, so the crowd of maybe 150 are shoehorned around it. Lights are on and it’s easy to see.
Tim Bosby vs. Rob Killjoy for the Action Title. This was the main event. Bosby is 20 and reminds me of WWE’s Jason Jordan; he seems to have an amateur background. I was impressed when I first saw him in Memphis Wrestling, and he quickly won this title belt in Tennessee on a show I previously reviewed. Killjoy is the two-decade vet who looks like a Duck Dynasty cast member; he’s a good hand. Killjoy immediately hit two dropkicks at the bell and some chops. Bosby hit a release German Suplex at 1:30. Bosby hit another suplex, then another German Suplex. The crowd was fully behind Killjoy. Bosby charged but crashed shoulder first into the corner at 4:00.
Killjoy hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 6:00. (The Southern accent of these commentators is killing me! I never hear anyone with this type of drawl.) Bosby hit a hip-toss. Killjoy hit a tornado DDT and a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, but Bosby got a foot on the ropes. (It appears a manager put the foot there.) Bosby hit an F5 Slam for the pin. Shorter than anticipated.
Tim Bosby defeated Rob Killjoy to retain the Action Wrestling Title at 8:48.
Final Thoughts: Some good action overall between these seven matches, and it’s always nice to see five WWE ID prospects in action. That Zoe Sager tag brawl was wayyyy too long; if they had kept it to 17-25 minutes, it would have been much better. I had Dustin Waller, Diego Hill and Bojack all on a list of wrestlers who deserve a WWE ID contract. I’ll admit that nothing here blew me away; nothing earned a “very good, must-see” status.
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