From Friday, January 23rd, through Sunday, January 25th, we saw the likes of ACTION Wrestling, Beyond Wrestling, wXw, and PROGRESS Wrestling kick off their 2026 year with some fantastic shows, including some major new champions crowned, and some new names in the process of being made. Here are five must-see matches from this past weekend that every fan of professional wrestling should go back and check out.

5. Darian Bengston vs. Carlie Bravo from ACTION Wrestling’s “You Could Be Mine”

On Friday, January 23rd, ACTION Wrestling returned to Fayetteville, GA, for its event, “You Could Be Mine.” The event aired on IWTV the following day. The main event saw Darian Bengston put his ACTION Wrestling World Championship on the line against Carlie Bravo. The match between Bengston and Bravo was also one of the best matches of the weekend, and certainly the best match on the ACTION Wrestling card. Bengston entered this match having held the title for 50 days so far, with no signs of slowing down. He won it back from Tim Bosby in December at “Bangers Only 6.” Since that day, Bengston has looked to be on another level. He has defended his title with great honor and heart, defeating the likes of Kody Manhorn, Austin Luke, and now having another very tough challenge in AEW star Carlie Bravo of The Infantry. Where Bravo goes, you know Captain Shawn Dean won’t be far behind. So, Bengston would have to prepare to take on two of the most talented wrestlers on the AEW roster. Bravo and Bengston meshed very well in this one, and that was on full display. However, Bengston is showing the world that it will truly be no easy feat to get that ACTION Wrestling World Championship off of him. This match was just a blast to watch. Bengston and Bravo complemented each other very well. Go back and check this one out anytime on the ACTION Wrestling VOD channel on IWTV.

4. Aaron Rourke vs. Kylie Alexa from Beyond Wrestling’s “Wildest Dreams”

On Friday, January 23rd, Beyond Wrestling returned to Somerville, MA, for its big event, “Wildest Dreams.” The event streamed live on IWTV. The main event of the show saw Krule put his IWTV Independent Wrestling World Championship on the line against Gabby Forza. However, one of the more underrated matches on this card saw “Evil Gay,” Aaron Rourke, face off with the “Prettiest Prima Donna,” Kylie Alexa. For anyone who hasn’t kept up with the northeast independent wrestling scene, Rourke has been a measuring stick for anyone who you pair up against him. He’s been so good that he earned a WWE ID contract and has become a WWE ID prospect. He’s been on WWE Evolve on Tubi, and this is all a testament to his very hard work. Rourke is a former Create A Pro Champion and has really branched out to way more promotions than just his home promotion of Create A Pro. One of the biggest promotions he branched out to and has become a mainstay at is Beyond Wrestling. Rourke has shown exactly why he’s truly one of the best around today, regardless of who you put in front of him. In this match, he went up against Alexa, who, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated women on the independent scene today. One-half of the Paige sisters in NWA, with Kenzie Paige, Kylie is carving out her own path in the northeast. I can not say enough good things about Alexa. She is so entertaining and gets the crowd going in ways that many can only dream of. Whether a heel or a babyface, Alexa is one of the most charismatic and fun people to watch. Pair that with her ability to go in the ring, and she’s truly a remarkable talent. Go back and check this one out anytime on the Beyond Wrestling VOD channel on IWTV.

3. Bobby Orlando vs. DJ Powers vs. Eye Black Jack from Beyond Wrestling’s “Wildest Dreams”

Also at Beyond Wrestling’s big “Wildest Dreams” event, we saw Bobby Orlando put his Wrestling Open Championship on the line against two of the brightest, young, up-and-comers in the northeast wrestling scene today, DJ Powers & Eye Black Jack, in a three-way match. Orlando first won the Wrestling Open Championship back in August at “Americanrana” when he defeated his long-time tag partner, Bryce Donovan, for the title. If you look up the term “fighting champion” in a dictionary, you will see Orlando. He has defeated the likes of Brad Baylor, Vinny Scalice, Timothy Thatcher, Christian Darling, Donovan Dijak, Eye Black Jack, and DJ Powers in singles action in his 150-day reign so far. In this one, however, he would have to fend off both Jack and Powers at the same time. Jack is coming off one of the best rookie years so far in professional wrestling history, ending it in a massive way with a showdown with Dijak at “Heavy Lies The Crown.” He has an incredibly bright future, and that’s not up for debate. The talent Jack has is undeniable and he will be a major player in professional wrestling for years, and years, to come. Much of the same can be said about Powers, who is a bit more cocky and brash than Jack is, though. Powers possesses a lot of talent, but is one of the most dislikable guys in the ring. That’s what makes him so fun to watch. Powers is a heel who you just want to see get punched in the face. However, the talent he has is so undeniable. He oozes charisma and knows exactly how to get a crowd to boo him. He has them in the palm of his hand to his credit. This was a brilliant three-way match between three of the very best in Beyond Wrestling. Go back and check this one out on the Beyond Wrestling VOD channel on IWTV.

2. Peter Tihanyi vs. Elijah Blum from wXw’s “Back To The Roots”

On Saturday, January 24th, wXw returned to Oberhausen, Germany, for its big event, “Back To The Roots.” The event streamed live on IWTV. The main event of the show saw Peter Tihanyi put his wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship on the line against Elijah Blum in a Pure Rules match. Tihanyi has held the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship for over 110 days. He has defeated the likes of 1 Called Manders, Metehan, Joseph French Jr., Shigehiro Ire, Axel Tischer, Hektor Invictus, Connor Mills, Ahura, and Zoltan. Despite not always being a “stand-up” guy, Tihanyi has always gotten the job done. Even as a heel, Tihanyi is one of the most fun and talented guys to watch in the ring. As for Blum, he’s been chasing the title for the past year, hoping to be the guy on multiple occasions. However, he was not able to get over the hump, losing twice to Manders, who was champion at the time. However, as of late, it seems Blum’s luck has turned around. He defeated Tischer in wXw’s last big show in December and got his shot again to kick off the year in 2026. Blum is one of my new favorite guys from overseas. He has the talent in the ring to go very far in this business. He also has a ton of charisma and is a fan favorite wherever he may end up. This was the perfect match to end the first show of the calendar year for wXw. It was a true changing of the tides moment, and it was also a fantastic match. I’m not much of a “Pure Rules” fan, but this match made me a fan of it, at least in wXw. This was a blast. Go back and check this one out anytime on the wXw VOD channel on IWTV.

1. Rayne Leverkusen vs. Alexxis Falcon from PROGRESS Wrestling’s “Chapter 189: In Darkest Night”

On Sunday, January 25th, PROGRESS Wrestling returned to the Electric Ballroom in London for its first big event of 2026, “Chapter 189: In Darkest Night.” The event streamed live on TrillerTV+, as well as on Hooked On Wrestling. The main event of the show saw Rayne Leverkusen put her PROGRESS Women’s World Championship on the line against Alexxis Falcon. Leverkusen won the PROGRESS Women’s World Championship from Rhio back in October at “Chapter 185: Jump In Line.” Over the course of her 91-day reign, she picked up wins over the likes of Session Moth Martina, Emersyn Jayne, and Kanji. She was a fantastic champion in PROGRESS and really proved herself to many fans in her first reign. This very well could be her first of many reigns. She’s very talented and is easy to cheer for, not to mention her in-ring work is pristine. As for her counterpart in this one, Falcon is another one of the top stars from across the pond. Falcon has had a fantastic 2025 calendar year in PROGRESS Wrestling, picking up wins over the likes of Hollie Barlow, Lana Austin, and Miyu Yamashita in singles action. In December, Falcon won a six-way match over Harley Hudson, Barlow, Austin, Maddy Morgan, and Rhio to earn her shot against Leverkusen. Falcon is someone whom I can’t say enough good things about. She’s one of the most fun people to watch in the UK and is someone who fans absolutely adore. She has an incredibly bright future in the world of professional wrestling, as does Leverkusen. I hope to see these two come to the United States very, very soon. Go back and check this one out anytime on TrillerTV+.