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.
* This is an international edition of Indy Roundup! With this roundup, I decided to watch six matches over three shows from two separate promotions from Europe. WWE ID prospect Marcus Mathers headed to France, and some other top names were in Germany last weekend. With the NJPW G1 Climax going on all month, there was simply no way I was going to be able to watch these three shows in their entirety anytime soon.
Association les Professionnels du Catch “Summer of Hype” in Paris, France on July 12, 2025 (free on YouTube)
I watched one of these APC shows a few weeks ago, but I don’t see an English commentary track, so I had French commentary. This is a plain white room, the lights are on, and the crowd of 300 was really hot and into the action.
Ricky Sosa vs. Ravage. Sosa, age 20, is the rising star here; he’s 6’4″ and he’s similar to Kevin Knight or Leon Slater. Standing switches to open and Sosa has a big height advantage over Ravage, who wears a mask and black-and-orange gear. Ravage tied a leg lock around the neck. Sosa got a unique rollup for a nearfall at 3:00, and Ravage rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Ravage hit a second-rope flying back elbow, and he kept Sosa grounded.
Sosa nailed a spin kick to the head at 7:00, then some clotheslines and a powerslam for a nearfall. He hit a superkick and a snap German Suplex. Ravage hit a back suplex. Ravage got a fork, swung, and missed. Sosa nailed a Styles Clash for a nearfall. Ravage hit Sosa in the head with the fork, right in front of the ref, and got disqualified. Good action. Not a must-see match, but Sosa is the real deal.
Ricky Sosa defeated Ravage via DQ at 9:00 even.
Marcus Mathers vs. Thiago Montero. I saw Thiago on the show I checked out a few weeks ago; he’s kind of a slimy, goofball, Enzo Amore-style heel. (I watched a Mathers’ match from the next day in the United States, where he got on the mic and said he came straight from the airport, after returning from this show in France.) The bell rang and they played to the crowd before locking up. Thiago hit some chops; he’s a bit bigger and thicker. Mathers hit a huracanrana and a dropkick at 2:30. He hit some punches in the corner. Thiago took control, slamming Mathers head into the turnbuckle. Mathers hit his mule kick.
They brawled to the floor, with Thiago in charge, and he hit more chops in front of the fans. They got back into the ring and Thiago dropped him snake-eyes on a turnbuckle at 6:00. Mathers set up for a dive but Thiago caught him and hit a DDT; he rolled Mathers back into the ring and got a nearfall at 8:30. Mathers hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block and a clothesline. Thiago hit a hard clothesline and a sideslam for a nearfall at 12:00. They traded rollups. Mathers got a backslide for a nearfall. Mathers hit a release German Supex;
Thiago hit a back suplex and a release powerbomb for a nearfall at 14:00. Mathers hit some kicks and his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the face, then a Canadian Destroyer and a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall. Mathers nailed a top-rope 450 splash for a visual pin at 16:30, but the ref was pulled to the floor by a slender Black kid. Mathers grabbed the kid by his shoulder, then he nailed a flip dive to the floor on Thiago and his helper. They got in the ring, Thiago hit Mathers in the head with a clipboard, then hit a double-arm DDT for the tainted pin.
Thiago Montero defeated Marcus Mathers at 18:23.
wXw “Drive of Champions” in Oberhausen, Germany on June 14, 2025 (Triller+)
I really like these wXw events. Lighting and overall production are good and Mett Dimassi provides English commentary, and I love the passion he brings to calling the action. This show was released on Triller+ on July 3, and I actually didn’t see a notice when it was put on the website. (It was only when the July show took place that I realized I missed the June event!) I’ll also add that wXw just signed a deal to also air shows on IWTV.
Leon Slater vs. Ahura. I’ve noted that Ahura has the same face and beard of a younger, thinner Damien Sandow. (The resemblance is really striking. Ahura has since lightened the color of his hair.) Anyhow, he’s got a very good physique, and he’s a top-tier guy here. A heel who wrestled earlier (possibly Norman Harras?) has joined Mett in the booth and he ripped into Leon, calling him “a stubborn child.” A feeling-out process early on and Ahura knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 2:30. Leon hit a leg lariat and a dropkick, sending Ahura to the floor. They traded chops at ringside, and Leon whipped him into a guardrail at 4:30.
Ahura dropped Slater ribs-first across the guardrail! The crowd was all over Ahura for that. In the ring, Ahura grounded Leon, and he hit a gutbuster over his knee at 7:30. Slater finally got up and hit a series of punches, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 9:30, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Ahura kept him grounded for several minutes. Slater hit a running Claymore kick, and they were both down at 13:00. Ahura hit a top-rope twisting splash to the floor; it looked like his head struck the knee of a fan in the front row.
In the ring, Oku hit a stunner, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Ahura nailed a Gotch-style piledriver for a nearfall at 16:00; Mett went NUTS for the kickout. Ahura hit a bodyslam. The crowd came alive and offered alternating chants for each man. Slater hit a plancha to the floor and threw him back into the ring. He went for the Swanton 450 Splash, but Ahura got his knees up. Ahura then hit a hard clothesline for the pin. Almost no reaction for the finish; I think the crowd expected a kickout after all of that!
Ahura defeated Leon Slater at 18:53.
1 Called Manders vs. Elijah Blum in a Texas Death Match for the wXw World Title. I’m aware this is an unusually long match, so I’m just going to start 15 minutes in. (wXw has a clock in the lower left corner.) The ring was covered in debris, Manders was bleeding from his forehead, and Blum hit a standing neckbreaker across an open chair seconds after I tuned in. Blum grabbed a kendo stick and struck Manders repeatedly on his back. He dumped a bag of thumbtacks on the mat at 18:00. However, Manders hit a second-rope Oklahoma Stampede onto the thumbtacks for a pin at 20:24. (The rules of this match are that Blum now has 10 seconds to get to his feet after a pin.) Blum rolled to the floor, which helped him land on his feet.
Manders began tearing apart the ring! He pulled up the canvas, then the thin foam, revealing the hardwood boards underneath. Blum hit a Russian Leg Sweep onto that hardwood, and the ref counted a double pin at 25:39. Manders got up first; Blum kipped up to his feet at the nine-count to keep the match going! He hit a plancha to the floor. Blum grabbed a chair wrapped in barbed wire and pushed it into Manders’ forehead at 28:00. Blum shoved a barbed-wire board into the ring. However, Manders hit an Oklahoma Stampede onto the barbed-wire board for a pin at 30:10. Blum got back up at the nine-count, but not as quickly as the last time.
Manders went under the ring and got yet another barbed-wire board and slid it into the ring. He set up a rather elaborate double-decker board bridge in the middle of the ring (the ref actually helped create the structure.) Blum hit a Samoan Drop, sending Manders through the bridge for a pin at 36:12. (This was quite a visual; the structure held together long enough and this looked great.) Ahura’s music played! That distracted Blum, but we never saw Ahura, though. Manders got up and hit his decapitating clothesline! Manders wrapped his arm in barbed wire and got another pin at 37:59. The ref counted to ten! The match is over!
1 Called Manders defeated Elijah Blum to retain the wXw World Title at 38:32.
* Ahura got in the ring and shook Manders hand, but then he struck him and hit him with Manders’ title belt.
wXw “Broken Rules: Frankfort II” in Frankfort, Germany on July 19, 2025 (Triller+)
Read my notes above from the wXw show the prior month. Good lighting and production here.
Axel Tischer vs. Zozaya. Axel (f/k/a Alexander Wolfe) is a top name here. Zozaya is young with shaggy black hair, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him both here and in England’s Progress Wrestling; I’ve compared him to Nick Wayne, but with a bigger frame. They immediately went to the mat. Axel hit a flying shoulder tackle at 3:00. Zozaya hit an impressive dropkick. They went to the floor and brawled at ringside, and Zozaya hit a running kick as Axel was seated in the first row. Back in the ring, Zozaya got knocked down and sold a knee injury at 5:00, and the ref checked on him.
Zozaya got up and was limping, but he wanted to continue; Tischer immediately kicked out the damaged left leg. Mett was livid at Axel’s actions (hey, he didn’t cheat!) Tischer hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. “What a disgusting display!” Mett shouted. They got to their feet and traded forearm strikes. Zozaya hit a plancha to the floor at 9:00 but was still selling the leg injury. He hit a doublestomp to the back in the ring for a nearfall. Axel countered with a half-crab, then he hit a German Suplex at 11:00. Zozaya hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall.
Tischer hit a top-rope flying clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a snap suplex at 13:30. Zozaya hit a leaping headbutt in the corner, then a top-rope Spanish Fly and a dropkick, but he collapsed and sold the leg pain upon landing; he finally went for a cover but Axel got a foot on the ropes. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Zozaya’s leg gave out and he fell. It allowed Tischer to hit a Pedigree and a leaping sit-out powerbomb for the pin. A really compelling match. Yes, Zozaya is one of those Europeans to keep an eye on.
Axel Tischer defeated Zozaya at 16:01.
Michael Oku and Aigle Blanc vs. Laurance Roman and Nick Schreier. All four are babyfaces here. Oku was just on the ROH PPV a week earlier. Blanc is the masked French native who has curly blond hair, and I’ve said it almost could be Matt Riddle with that physique and hair — he is among those rumored to be WWE-bound. The short, bald Roman is like a 5’7″ version of Castagnoli. Schreier is a young kid (think 19-year-old Tyler Bate); the crowd loves him, but he usually loses. Roman and Schreier have identical gear — I guess I wasn’t aware they were a regular tag team now. Oku and Roman opened; Oku went for his half-crab early on, but Roman fought it off.
Blanc and Nick tied up at 2:30, and they traded quicker reversals. Oku and Aigle worked over Schreier. Aigle almost hit Oku, but was able to stop. Roman got a hot tag and hit a running boot on Blanc for a nearfall at 6:00. Blanc hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor on both opponents, and that got a big pop. In the ring, Oku hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker on Schreier for a nearfall at 7:30. Roman again got a hot tag and hit some punches, then a top-rope missile dropkick on Blanc. He slammed Oku stomach-first to the mat for a nearfall at 9:30.
Schreier and Blanc got back in. Oku hit a plancha to the floor on Roman. Schreier hit a stunner on Blanc. Oku and Blanc applied stereo half-crabs at 11:30, but Schreier and Roman got to the ropes. They all got up and traded forearm strikes. Schreier hit a Canadian Destroyer on Blanc for a nearfall, but Blanc made the save, and suddenly everyone was down at 14:00 and we got a “This is awesome!” chant (in English!) Oku unloaded some kicks on Schreier, and Blanc hit a Tombstone piledriver on Nick, but Roman made the save.
Oku nailed the Fosbury Flop to the floor on Roman. In the ring, Oku nailed a Six-Star frogsplash, and Blanc immediately hit a 450 Splash for a nearfall at 16:00, as the crowd popped for Nick’s kickout. Oku and Blanc hit a team Dragon Suplex move. Roman finally got back into the ring and hit some punches. Blanc and Oku hit stereo frogsplashes. Schreieer hit a frogsplash to pin Blanc. That was really good, and it got a standing ovation.
Nick Schreier and Laurance Roman defeated Michael Oku and Aigle Blanc at 18:07.
Final Thoughts: The wXw shows are so easy to follow, and I can’t state enough the great job Dimassi does in storytelling. I don’t think as highly of the local talent in France, but I’ve also seen fewer of those shows. I don’t mind having skipped the first half of that Manders’ match, as I still watched 23 minutes of it. A lot of the top European stars competed across these six matches.
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