From Friday, May 15th, through Sunday, May 17th, the independent wrestling scene was booming, especially in the northeast as the very highly-anticipated Wrestivus weekend took place, hosted by Beyond Wrestling. Taking place on Friday/Saturday at the White Eagle in Worcester, MA, and then on Sunday from the Worcester Public Market, several different promotions got together for a mini Collective-type weekend and showed up and showed out. I hope to see many more Wrestivus events that just get bigger and bigger. From the likes of PWJ, WWR+, BST, and CZW, here are five must-see matches from this past weekend.

5. Emily Jaye vs. Valentina Rossi vs. Jada Stone vs. Laynie Luck from PWJ’s “PWJ at Wrestivus”

Kicking off the list, we saw “The Stunner” Emily Jaye put her PWJ Women’s Championship on the line against TNA’s Jada Stone, and WWE ID prospects Valentina Rossi and the WWE ID Women’s Champion, Laynie Luck. Taking place on Saturday night, this was a four-way match for the ages that put one of the top up-and-coming women’s independent wrestling talents against three incredibly formidable challengers. Jaye first won the PWJ Women’s Championship back in July, holding the title for nearly 300 days. Her title win came against Ava Everett, Jazmine Allure, Kylie Rae, and Zayda Steel in a five-way match back at “PWJ Damaged Goods 2.” Since then, Jaye has ruled over the PWJ women’s division, defeating the likes of Allie Katch, Brittnie Brooks, and Billie Starkz in her first defense, and Priscilla Kelly in her second. Jaye has been cementing herself as one of the most talented, highest-ceiling, and biggest potential talents on the independent scene today. It’s truly only a matter of time before we see her on our televisions, regardless of what three-letter company signs her. She has the look, talent, charisma, and “it” factor that all of these companies want. She’s going to be highly sought in a mere couple of years down the line. As for her opponents in this one, Jada Stone is someone I’ve been very high on for a while. She’s finally making waves on TNA as one of their newest knockouts and truly deserves it all. She’s very talented and has all the makings to do great things. Valentina Rossi may be one of the most underrated talents in the entire professional wrestling landscape around today. I’m incredibly high on Rossi. She’s finally getting her flowers, since becoming a WWE ID prospect, and deserves every second of it. Rossi is someone who has been becoming a master of her game in every aspect possible. The character, the in-ring ability, the charisma, she has it all. She’s going to do great things in this business. Last but not least, Laynie Luck. FINALLY, Luck got her flowers when she got the WWE ID Women’s Championship, becoming a WWE ID prospect in the process. She has been running things on the Chicago landscape for years now, and it’s truly about time she gets signed. She’s so damn good, and she deserves it all. This match was truly a must-watch. Go back and check this one out on the Pro Wrestling Junkie VOD channel on IWTV.

4. Kylie Alexa vs. Shannon LeVangie from WWR+’s “Food Fight”

Next up on this list, we saw Kylie Alexa battle Shannon LeVangie on Sunday afternoon at Women’s Wrestling Revolution Plus’ big event, “Food Fight.” This show saw a ton of excellent action, including Laynie Luck & Allie Katch squaring off with Amity LaVey and Sammi Chaos in a tag match, a stellar main event between Gabby Forza and Valentina Rossi, Liviyah vs. Emily Jaye, Amira vs. Notorious Mimi, and so much more. However, the best match of the night that stands alone is the one that saw the “Prettiest Prima Donna” go up against the “Relentless” one. Since really bursting onto the scene in the New England area, Kylie Alexa has been showing fans why she’s as talented as she says she is. The 2026 Tournament For Tomorrow winner was known as one-half of The Paige Sisters/Pretty Empowered, with Kenzie Paige, for the longest time. However, Alexa is off to set her own path in this crazy world of professional wrestling. Kenzie Paige is one of the top, of the top, women’s wrestlers around today, and Kylie has been showing that she has all the talent in the world to get to that same level. She’s a damn-near perfect heel. She oozes charisma, and that’s seen right off the bat as she makes her way down to the ring. She has no problems telling fans off and letting them know what she thinks of them. On the contrary, Shannon LeVangie remains one of the top babyfaces on the independent scene in New England. Most notably as a member of the Chaotic Wrestling roster, she is the current Chaotic Wrestling Pan Optic Champion. Since making her return from injury, LeVangie has been off to show that she hasn’t missed a step. LeVangie is very talented in her own right, so this match was sure to be a match of the night contender, and it was much more than that. Truthfully, an argument can be made that this one could have gotten the main event spot instead of Forza and Rossi. However, both matches were great, so you can’t be too mad. Alexa and LeVangie left it all out in the ring in a truly beautiful showcase of women’s wrestling on the independent scene. WOMEN’S WRESTLING. That is all. Go back and check this one out on the WWR+ VOD channel on IWTV.

3. The Awakening (Amity LaVey, Sammi Chaos, & Vita VonStarr) vs. Gabby Forza, Jazmyne Hao, & Lili Ruiz from BST’s “Unbound”

Next on this list, on Saturday afternoon, we saw a major six-woman match take place at BST Wrestling, as part of the Wrestivus event. On one side, you saw the terrifying, scary, but incredibly dominant trio of The Awakening, consisting of Vita VonStarr, Amity LaVey, and Sammi Chaos. On the other side, we saw another dominant trio as Gabby Forza, Jazmyne Hao, and a debuting Lili Ruiz (at BST) teamed up to try and take down The Awakening. This was going to be no easy task, though, as VonStarr, LaVey, and now Sammi Chaos have been running roughshod all over BST. VonStarr is the former Monarchs Champion. However, she dropped it too B3CCA in November of last year. Before that, VonStarr was one of the most dominant Monarchs Champions as she held the title for 792 days, defeating the likes of Evie De La Rosa, Clara Carreras, JC Storm, Little Mean Kathleen, Delmie Exo, Sammi Chaos, Paris Van Dale, Ashley Vox, B3CCA, and The Crusher. Despite being without the title for a fairly short time now, VonStarr appears to be much more dangerous, as she is now flanked by Amity LaVey and Sammi Chaos. LaVey is one of the coolest-looking wrestlers around today. She has it all. She’s improved so much in the ring since I first saw her here on Long Island some years back. I cannot say enough good words about LaVey. As scary as she is, she’s simply amazing. Then you add Chaos to the fray, who has also improved so much since coming home from her tour in Japan. I had the pleasure of seeing Chaos live when she first started, and she has grown so much since then. She’s always been a presence, but the sky is truly the limit for all of them. On the other side of things, we saw Gabby Forza, who is one of the top women on the independent scene today. Forza is an absolute powerhouse. She makes light work of whoever is in front of her. Her tag partners, Jazmyne Hao and Lili Ruiz, were also powerhouses and certainly no slouches in their own right. The potential in this match was truly endless. I’m incredibly high on all six of these women. The sky is the limit for all of them, and expect this current crop of women on the independent wrestling scene to usher in the next revolution. Proud of all that they accomplish. Go back and check this one out on the BST Wrestling VOD channel on IWTV.

2. Myles Hawkins vs. Cappuccino Jones from CZW’s “Beyond The Limit”

On Saturday evening, we saw CZW also take part in the Wrestivus weekend-long event. Combat Zone Wrestling had a fantastic show in its own right. While there were many fun matches on the card, none topped the match between Myles Hawkins and WWE ID prospect, and the former WWE ID Men’s Champion, Cappuccino Jones. Hawkins and Jones had a match of the weekend contender, and in all accounts, many can argue that they did have the best match of the weekend. Hawkins has some of the most potential I’ve seen in anyone on the independent wrestling scene as of late. He has it all. He calls himself “99 overall” and for good reason. He truly is a “99 overall” talent. He has the look, charisma, talent, and most importantly, star power. He pinned the WWE Evolve Men’s Champion, Aaron Rourke, recently, too. So, his stock is only rising. He is one hell of a talent, and will be on our television screens much sooner than later. His entrance to the ring, before he even shows off his in-ring talent, already sets the stage for one of the biggest stars on the independent scene today. His gear is a beautiful mesh of Cody Rhodes, Will Ospreay, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. His look just absolutely screams star. As for Cappuccino Jones, despite dropping the WWE ID Men’s Championship, he is still one of the most talented WWE ID prospects around today. He has such a fun character that fans love and eat all up. Plus, his in-ring ability is fun to watch, as well. This was yet another star-making performance for Hawkins, as his stock is truly through the roof now. Go back and check this one out on the CZW VOD channel on IWTV.

1. J Boujii vs. Sammy Diaz from PWJ’s “PWJ at Wrestivus”

Coming in at number one on this list, let’s head back to the show that started off this list, PWJ. PWJ may have put on the best show this weekend by far, and it’s not particularly close. That’s saying something since there were many fun matches and shows this weekend. However, PWJ was head and shoulders above everyone. While this show saw many fun matches, including an incredible main event between Charles Mason and TJ Perkins for the top prize in PWJ, the four-way women’s match (see above), and much more, the best match of the show, and of the entire weekend, saw J Boujii put his PWJ Massacre Championship on the line against “Top Five Dead or Alive” Sammy Diaz. J Boujii first won the PWJ Massacre Championship back on March 1st, defeating Alan Angels at “March of Champions.” J Boujii is a name on the independent scene who doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as he should. He is such a talented individual to watch, whether it’s on PWJ or at any other promotion. I truly cannot get enough of J Boujii’s matches. His opponent in this one, Sammy Diaz, is called “Top Five Dead or Alive” for a reason. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a fan of Diaz for years now, and seeing him truly come into his own has been nothing short of remarkable. He is ruling the northeast independent scene and has been showcased a lot lately on Beyond Wrestling and Wrestling Open, rightfully so. This match was off the charts. The chemistry these two men had with each other was truly outstanding. When people have some great chemistry in a match, magic is truly made. The chemistry between Boujii and Diaz was untouchable, which is why some amazing magic was made. Go back and check this one out on the PWJ VOD Channel on IWTV.