From the likes of Game Changer Wrestling, Blitzkrieg! Pro and Limitless Wrestling, here are five must-see matches that any fan of independent wrestling should go back and check out. This list includes a fantastic intergender bout between an AEW star and a WWE ID prospect, two former WWE NXT talents going at it and showcasing how fantastic they are, a dream tag team match, a World Championship match at one of the biggest shows of the year for Limitless Wrestling, and a Last Man Standing war where two men simply wanted to kill each other. Check it all out down below.
5. Kris Statlander vs. Marcus Mathers from GCW’s “20 Years Of Bad Boy”
Kicking off the list, we saw Game Changer Wrestling return to the House of Independents on Thursday night to celebrate 20 Years of the Bad Boy, Joey Janela. This show, while riddled with a couple of big travel issues, was a top-notch event. The show itself saw so many tremendous matches, including a match between “Blackheart” Lio Rush and Leedz Lewis, Tracy Williams battling Juni Underwood, Bear Bronson square off with Marko Stunt, and an amazing tag team bout in the main event, which we will certainly get to a little bit later. However, one of the show stealers of the night for me saw former AEW Women’s World Champion, and current AEW star, Kris Statlander, go one-on-one with WWE ID prospect, and someone I consider one of the absolute best professional wrestlers in the world, Marcus Mathers. Statlander and Mathers showed in this match that while they don’t work together nearly a lot, they have some undeniable chemistry. Statlander and Mathers put on a 15+ minute clinic showing the world why they are where they are today. We even saw Mathers flirt with stealing Kris Statlander’s finishing move, only for it to be reversed in the climax of the match with a hurricanrana from the former AEW Women’s World Champion. Mathers had an excellent showing in this one, hitting a spinning flatliner for a very believable nearfall, a leaping death valley driver, and his big Mule Kick. Statlander also had an excellent showing, as she hit a big discus clothesline, a corner back elbow, followed by a running knee, and even broke out a pele kick. Both of these competitors threw everything they had and then some at each other. Go back and check this one out on TrillerTV+.
4. Joseph Sawyer vs. Javi from Blitzkrieg! Pro’s “My World”
At number four on this list, we saw a match between two men who sought to show the world exactly how damn good they are, despite no longer being with the most famous three letters in professional wrestling, WWE. Joseph Sawyer, formerly known as Joe Gacy of the Wyatt Sicks, and Javi, formerly known as Javier Bernal in WWE NXT, had a nearly 30-minute bout that showcased the best of what each of these men had to offer. This show as a whole was absolutely stacked. We also saw The Thirst’s Kelsey Raegan & Ravenna Vein vs. Dolphin Funeral, the Ancestral City Shooters vs. Miracle Generation, Amity LaVey vs. Jose Zamora, TJ Crawford vs. Devious Cass, and an AMAZING Last Man Standing match, but we’ll get to that last one later. Both Sawyer and Javi had a lot to prove in this match. This was a match that Sawyer told me personally that he was super excited to have, and on his birthday, nonetheless. He said, “We had a few matches under the WWE umbrella. We did a match on Level Up, we did a match on a Live Event, and we’ve trained together recently. In a way, I think we both wanted to do this match now, having different mindsets and different arsenals in our toolbox, if that makes sense. I think we’re going to be able to push the limit a little bit more in a way that we may not have been able to do in the past. I’m super excited. I think this is something we both want, and we’re both really going to put a lot into it. It’s definitely, to me, something I don’t think anybody should miss, in my opinion…” in our recent interview that you can read here. Sawyer also spoke very highly of Javi, stating that he hasn’t had a “real shot” at showing off his skillset. So, when these two finally locked up, you knew it was going to be special, and special it was. This was a damn near 30-minute war that Sawyer looked fantastic in, in victory, and even in defeat, Javi won. Javi has continued to show he can hang with whoever Blitzkrieg! Pro puts in front of him, and there may be a case to give him yet another Bedlam Championship shot. Go back and check this one out on the Blitzkrieg! Pro YouTube channel (Blitz! TV) or on the Blitzkrieg! Pro VOD channel on IWTV.
3. Alec Price & Nick Wayne vs. Joey Janela & Megan Bayne from GCW’s “20 Years Of Bad Boy”
The main event of GCW’s “20 Years Of Bad Boy” show was originally supposed to be Bustah & The Brain’s Alec Price & Jordan Oliver, and Nick Wayne face off with Janelasus’s Joey Janela & Megan Bayne, and “Blackheart” Lio Rush. Unfortunately, Oliver wasn’t able to make the show, which caused the show to go a little bit off the rails. However, in wrestling, this is to be expected in GCW, rolled with the punches and still put on an absolute banger of a show, moving Rush to a singles match with Leedz Lewis, which was amazing, and having Alec Price & Nick Wayne team up. This is a team I’d definitely love to see more of, despite not being Price’s official tag partner. Price and Wayne complement each other very well as a team, and it showed in this one. They showed up and showed out, and honestly, no hate on Jordan Oliver, but it was a nice change of pace for Price. Nonetheless, I’m sure we’ll see Price and Oliver get back to normal soon. Janelasus, Joey Janela & Megan Bayne were the perfect opponents for Bustah & The Wayne. The two teams battled for close to 25 minutes with many, many, many big moments taking place in this match, including Nick Wayne hitting a big moonsault from the balcony, Megan Bayne hitting a Fallaway slam/Samoan Drop combo on both Wayne & Price, and Bayne suplexing Wayne on the hardest part of the ring, the apron. This match was everything I love about GCW and tag team wrestling. It was an absolutely fantastic showing by all four competitors. While it wasn’t the match that was advertised, it delivered on every front, and GCW and all four involved should pat themselves on the back. Amazing, amazing showing. Go back and give this whole show a watch, and especially this main event, followed by a nice segment honoring Janela after the match, only on TrillerTV+.
2. Donovan Dijak vs. Gabby Forza from Limitless Wrestling’s “Vacationland Cup 2026”
Coming in at number two on this list, we saw Donovan Dijak put his Limitless Wrestling World Championship on the line against “Your homie, the Gnomie,” Gabby Forza, in the main event of the 2026 edition of the Vacationland Cup. The event had so much amazing wrestling on it, including four opening round matches for the 2026 Vacationland Cup: Alec Price vs. Calvin Tankman, B3CCA vs. Jada Stone, Aaron Rourke vs. Bear Bronson, and Aiden Aggro vs. BRG. While one of the major matches, Conan Lycan vs. Calvin Tankman, had to be changed due to travel issues from “The Landshark,” I’m absolutely praying we get to see that hard-hitting, heavyweight classic sooner than later. We also saw a tag team showcase between The Cowboy Way and Star Struck, as well as Scott Garland going one-on-one with 23 Hazard in a Portland Street Fight. While this show was absolutely stacked, no match could beat out the main event between Dijak & Forza. The two went on to have a nearly 20-minute war. Forza was given a special “Gnome-like” entrance, and this match was simply booked perfectly. No outside interference, for the most part, and Bear Bronson came out to the ringside to cheer his real-life partner on. This led to some amazing moments where Dijak controlled the match and just made Bronson completely irate as he was forced to watch his partner get destroyed at times. However, you can’t keep Gnomeberg down, and Dijak found that out the hard way. Dijak landed three top rope elbow drops on Forza, but she kicked out at one and came alive in the late stages of this match. Forza made history, capturing the title and becoming the first woman to do just that. That’s saying something as we’ve seen many amazing women’s wrestler make their way through Limitless Wrestling. Names like Davienne, B3CCA, Kris Statlander, and Ashley Vox come to mind right away. Nonetheless, Forza did it. We got a banger of a main event, and a feel-good moment after. What more could you really ask for? Go back and check this one out for free on the Limitless Wrestling YouTube channel.
1. Bobby Orlando vs. Andy Brown from Blitzkrieg! Pro’s “My World”
Coming in at number one on this list, we saw Bobby Orlando face off against Andy Brown in a Last Man Standing war. This match was a fantastic callback to what made the “Last Man Standing” trope back in the day actually good. Lately, those Last Man Standing matches on television haven’t been hitting as hard as they used to. However, nobody told Bobby Orlando or Andy Brown that. They simply wanted to absolutely destroy each other. This match saw everything from Orlando taking a piledriver from Brown on a stage that was next to the ring, Brown back body dropping Orlando onto a chair on the outside of the ring, Orlando dodging a charging Brown who was sent face-first hard into a chair positioned in the corner, and many, many, many more hard-hitting matches. I was fortunate enough to be at this show live, and I have to be the first to admit that this was one of the hardest-hitting matches that I have ever seen live. I’ve been fortunate enough to go to many shows, including two WrestleManias, a Forbidden Door event, and many, many, many other great shows. However, this may have been the hardest-hitting match I’ve ever seen live. I was standing next to Perry Von Vicious, TJ Crawford, and many others whose jaws would be on the floor from what we were watching. This was about as hard-hitting a Last Man Standing match as you’d ever see. Orlando and Brown absolutely decimated each other to put a nail in the final coffin of this rivalry that started when Brown sided with Charles Mason and turned his back on the Blitzkrieg! Pro faithful. Orlando stands tall and confident, as he remains one of the absolute top babyfaces in the entire company. This one may have been one of the best matches I’ve ever seen in 2026. The hard-hitting aspect, the live atmosphere, the faces of the talent on the show next to me, it all added up to just a beautiful Last Man Standing affair. Go back and check this one out for free on the Blitzkrieg! Pro YouTube channel (Blitz! TV), OR on the Blitzkrieg! Pro VOD channel on IWTV. You will not be disappointed. This may have been one of the best Blitzkrieg! Pro shows of the entire year, and may have a case to be called the top show of 2026.