2023 was an excellent year for independent wrestling, which saw some of its best matches to date. There is much to be excited about in indie wrestling going into 2024.
There are many great indie promotions out there with top-tier talent. As we start the new year, let’s take a look at my top ten independent wrestling promotions going into this year.
10.) ETU (Expect The Unexpected) Wrestling:
One of the newer promotions on the list, ETU, has been picking up some steam lately. Founded in only 2021, ETU has featured some big up-and-coming stars, including Marcus Mathers from the tag team Wasted Youth, who is their current ETU Key To The East World Champion.
Their next event is called ‘One Time, For The One Time, and will take place on Sunday, March 4th, from Ridgefield Park, NJ, and streaming on IWTV. Already signed for the card is a massive match between Santana vs. Homicide.
9.) Limitless Wrestling:
Founded in 2015 in Maine, Limitless has become a well-known New England promotion. In addition to the incredible talent that has wrestled there, some who have gone on to wrestle in WWE, AEW, IMPACT, NXT, MLW, and NJPW, their promotion offers training at their wrestling school.
Their next event is called ‘End Of The Beginning” and is scheduled for Saturday, January 20th, 2024, from Yarmouth, Maine, and will be streaming on IWTV. One of the matches headlining the night will be former MLW World Champion Alex Hammerstone facing one of the top starts currently in the indies, TJ Crawford.
8.) Prestige Wrestling:
A prominent West Coast wrestling promotion is Prestige. Founded in 2017, this promotion has been known for putting on good shows.
Their current World Champion is former TNA World Champion Alex Shelley, one half of the great tag team, The Motor City Machine Guns. Other wrestlers that have wrestled for the promotion include 1 Called Manders, Speedball Mike Bailey, Janai Kai, AKIRA, Kevin Blackwood, Malakai Black, & Jonathan Gresham.
Their next event, ‘A Moment Of Violence,” is on February 24th from the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, at 7 pm PST. Scheduled to appear are former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali & current TNA Superstar Jordynne Grace.
7.) Beyond Wrestling/Wrestling Open:
Beyond Wrestling is another well-known New England promotion in the Northeast and across the US. It was established in 2009 by Drew Cordeiro. The company offers Wrestling Open for all up-and-coming, as well as experienced talent, live every Thursday at 8 pm from the White Eagle in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The list of wrestlers that have wrestled for the company is an impressive list including MJF, Deonna Purrazo, Kris Statlander, Kevin Owens (Steen), Carmelo Hayes, Rickey Shane Page, Eddie Edwards, and Ichiban, to name a few.
Beyond’s next event is ‘Lights…Camera…Wrestling!’ on Sunday, January 28th at 6 pm, live from Worcester, MA, and streaming on IWTV. Already scheduled on the card is TNA Superstar Josh Alexander vs. TJ Crawford.
6.) CAP (Create-A-Pro) Wrestling:
When talking about wrestling schools, one of the promotions that must come to mind is CAP. The promotion was established in 2014 and has been owned by former WWE Superstar Brian Myers and Pat Buck since 2015. The promotion holds events monthly and focuses on bringing experienced talent and alums to come in and help promote its up-and-coming talent.
The school is still going strong and has become a staple in Long Island, New York. Many wrestlers who have graduated from the school have gone on to become superstars in other promotions. Some graduates include Max Caster, Bronson, Mark Sterling, MJF, Kris Statlander, Bobby Orlando, and current CAP World Champion Aaron Rourke.
CAP’s next event is ‘Top Gun’ on Sunday, February 18th at 5 pm in Lynbrook, New York. Scheduled to appear are TNA’s superstars Brian Myers & Eric Young. No announcement on streaming options has been made available as of this writing.
5.) Defy Wrestling:
Defy is another prominent wrestling promotion on the West Coast, that was also founded in 2017 in Seattle, Washington.
Several top wrestlers have walked through the ropes and into a Defy ring. They included MJF, MVP, Nick Wayne, Matt Riddle, Blake Christian, Tom Lawlor, Xia Brookside, Matthew Justice & Swerve Strickland.
All their events are available to watch on streaming network Wremix. Former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali will headline Defy’s next event. The event is Defy ‘SEVEN’ and takes place on February 9th from Washington Hall in Seattle, Washington at 8 pm PST.
4.) HOG Wrestling:
This known promotion was founded in 2012 by The Amazing Red & Brian XL in Queens, New York. Both are professional wrestlers who Mikey Whipwreck trained at House of Hardcore.
Amazing Red wrestled in TNA and Ring of Honor, and Brian XL also wrestled in ROH.
They are responsible for training such talents as Isiah Kassidy, one-half of the team Private Party, Charles Mason, Anthony Gangone, Ken Broadway, & Smiley. Their wrestling school is still in business and continues to work on creating new talent.
In addition to the talent they have trained, they are also known for bringing in the absolute best indie talent from all over the US. They have the most extensive list today of past and current superstars from all major promotions.
That talent includes AJ Styles, Adam Cole, The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe), Cameron Grimes, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Eddie Kingston, Jacob Fatu, Jay Lethal, Jeff Hardy, Joey Janela, Matt Cardona, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Rey Mysterio, RVD, Sami Callihan, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, The Brian Kendrick, and Zack Sabre Jr.
Select events were streamed on Thriller+; however, they have been streaming every event on the Premier Streaming Network platform since last year. Their current World Champion is Mike Santana from AEW.
Their next event is called ‘Reckoning’ and will take place at the NYC Arena in Queens, New York, on March 2nd at 7 pm. Already announced to headline is former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali.
3.) Wrestling Revolver:
This promotion was founded in 2016 by former IMPACT star Sami Callihan. The promotion has had some significant WWE Superstars that wrestled for the promotion, as well as current AEW, MLW, & TNA superstars.
Some stars who wrestled for the company are Rhonda Rousey, Jon Moxley, Keith Lee, Cameron Grimes, Lio Rush, Rich Swann, Killer Kelly, Mance Warner, & Masha Slamovich.
Their events stream live on Thriller+. The next event is in Dayton, OH, on January 25th at 8 pm and streaming on Thriller+. The event is loaded with talent, headlined by Jon Moxley vs Gringo Loco. Also scheduled to appear are Sami Callihan, Grizzled Young Veterans, The Rascalz, Jessicka Havok, Steve Maclin, Mance Warner, Masha Slamovich, & Killer Kelly.
2.) Game Changer Wrestling:
When thinking of the biggest indie promotions, GCW is one of two that come to mind. The promotion was initially founded by Ricky Otazu in 1999 and went by Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW). It was rebranded under its current name, GCW, in 2015 when Danny Demanto and current owner Brett Lauderdale purchased the company.
The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling and death matches, as well as MMA-inspired shoot-style matches. It typically has 6 monthly events, all streaming live on Thriller+, with shows all over the US.
The biggest names in the industry have competed for the promotion that are not currently under contract with WWE. These names include Jon Moxley, Matt Cardona, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Joey Janela, and Richard Holliday.
The promotion continues to expand, and its base continues to grow. There is no doubt the sky is the limit for this company in 2024. Their next event is GCW ‘Look At Me’ on February 26th in Tampa, FL, and streaming live on TrillerTV+.
1.) Major League Wrestling:
The other major Indie Promotion that comes to mind, other than GCW, would be MLW. Initially founded in 2002 by former WWE Writer Court Bauer, this company is considered a “Hybrid Wrestling” Company that features wrestlers with a mix of all different wrestling styles. It had a short run from 2002-2004 before being revived in 2017.
MLW has been known to take young talent and turn them into superstars. Some superstars that come to mind are the group of The Dynasty, featuring MJF, Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, current MLW World Champion Alex Kane, and Jacob Fatu, who has been a mainstay in the company and a crowd favorite!
MLW enjoyed a brief TV partnership with REELZ, showing a series called MLW Underground that ran for ten weeks, as well as a weekly show that still airs on YouTube & Thriller+ called MLW Fusion. With its current roster more prominent than ever and more and more shows being announced, MLW isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
Their next event is ‘MLW Superfight,’ which is taking place on February 3rd from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA, at 8 pm and streaming live on TrillerTV+.