From the likes of New Texas Pro, PROGRESS Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Beyond Wrestling, these are five must-see matches for every fan of professional wrestling to go back and check out. This is one of those rare weekends where we didn’t just see one match of the year contender, not even two, but we saw three match of the year contenders take place – an absolutely wild concept. These matches include a bout for the top prize in New Texas Pro, a match between two of the hardest hitters from across the pond, a tag team dream match which turned out to be a match of the year, and two match of the year contenders that will live in infamy, forever. Check them all out below.

5. Danny Orion vs. Izzy James from New Texas Pro’s “Texas Indie Showcase VI”

Kicking off this list we saw Danny Orion put his New Texas Pro Championship on the line against a new and “improved” Izzy James. This was one of my favorite Texas events of the year, as it was a beautiful Texas showcase. The show, “Texas Indie Showcase VI,” truly lived up to that hype. We had promotions and wrestlers from all over Texas put on great display for fans from all over the world to check out on New Texas Pro. We saw the likes of Ethan Hunter battle Brick Savage in a Borracho Pro Showcase, Dimitri Alexandrov put his Texas Brass Knuckles Championship on the line against StudStache and Neil Diamond Cutter in a Death In The Family & WrestleRave Showcase, Alexis Lee battle Amira for the inaugural Happiness Pro Wrestling Championship in a Happiness Pro Wrestling Showcase, and so much more. However, the show stealer of the event was the main event, where New Texas Pro really took center stage. Danny Orion came into this match with a 140+ day reign going strong. He knocked off the likes of 1 Called Manders to win the title, then Bryan Keith, Kenny King, Gary Jay, Delynn Cavens, LVJ, Rafael Quintero, and even Izzy James. However, James came back with a vengeance in this one. Orion is someone who I consider to truly be the top star in Texas. His ceiling is insanely high, and he has all the potential to do great things in this business. He is a strong candidate for a breakout star of the year in 2027. Orion is someone who, if I see him on the card, I know it will be an amazing match. He is truly a can’t-miss star. As for Izzy James, he’s someone I’ve begun to take a liking to, as well. He is a great heel to watch, and someone brash and cocky, but someone you always want to see get punched in the face. He is a top talent in Texas, as well. This whole event was awesome and showcased a lot of what Texas has to bring to the table on the independent scene. However, this is one match you should really go back and check out. Watch it now on the New Texas Pro VOD channel on IWTV.

4. Trent Seven vs. Luke Jacobs from PROGRESS Wrestling’s “Wrestling Over Everything”

Next up on this list, we saw Trent Seven make his return to PROGRESS Wrestling and battle one of the absolute best that the UK has to offer, Luke Jacobs. This was a war in the best sense of the word. This whole show was absolutely stacked. Nikki Storm battled Frankie B in an amazing women’s match, Alexxis Falcon and Myla Grace compete in tag action (which, I NEED to see more of them together, amazing tag team brewing), The 0121 battle Diamond Eyes for the PROGRESS Wrestling Wrestling World Tag Team Championships in a hellacious battle for the top prize in the tag division, Rhio meet Lio Rush in an absolutely fantastic no disqualifications match, Luke Menzies (fka Ridge Holland) make his PROGRESS Wrestling debut, and one of PROGRESS Wrestling’s greatest rivalries ever renewed in the main event as Cara Noir put his PROGRESS Men’s World Championship on the line against Spike Trivet. Every single match on this show was simply amazing. There was not a single match that was under or just met expectations; every match exceeded and then some. Seven vs. Jacobs truly takes the cake for me. I remember when I interviewed Big Damo & Nikki Storm; Damo said that he was “shocked” he was even able to book a talent like Seven and that Seven was “available” for them to book. It’s easy to see why he feels this way. Seven is truly an amazing talent. He is a hard-hitting warrior who embodies British Strong Style. That’s what made this match genuinely so amazing. Seven has only grown as a wrestler since people last saw him in WWE. He is so much better than we’ve ever seen on television, and it’s criminal that he’s not on television again, yet… As for his opponent, the reason this match was so good was that it really did embody British Strong Style. Every hard-hitting move or strike that Seven threw at Luke Jacobs, Jacobs threw one right back. Jacobs is actually the person who got me into PROGRESS Wrestling. He’s the very first wrestler I saw in a UK wrestling ring, and someone who I’m very thankful for every day. Without Jacobs, I may not have found other amazing UK talent I like, such as Alexxis Falcon, Rhio, Man Like DeReiss, or Cara Noir. He opened up a brand new door for me, and I’m very thankful for that. This match was truly one of my favorite PROGRESS matches of the whole year. Any time Jacobs gets in that ring, I’m game. This was a banger of a match to kick off the PROGRESS Wrestling show. Go back and check it out on Hooked On Wrestling. It’s well worth it.

3. FTR vs. The Cowboy Way from RevPro’s “14 Year Anniversary Show”

And, now starts the three match of the year contenders in one weekend. Absolutely astonishing. This may have been the best show of the year, and I don’t know how close it is. Revolution Pro Wrestling headed to the OVO Arena Wembley, live in Wembley, UK, for its big event, its “14th Anniversary Show.” When I say this show was stacked, I mean absolutely stacked. The show was headlined by one of the best main events I’ve ever seen (which we DEFINITELY will get to that), but we also saw a ten-man tag to kick off the main show, featuring Will Ospreay, Luke Jacobs battle PAC, a six-way #1 Contenders match for the Undisputed British Women’s Championship, Leon Slater battle his trainer, Liam Slater, a Revolution Gauntlet match, Zack Sabre Jr. battle Jay Joshua, Alexxis Falcon put her Undisputed British Women’s Championship on the line against Kanji, and more. However, one of the best matches of the night, and probably the best tag team match of the year, saw The Cowboy Way’s 1 Called Manders & Thomas Shire put their Undisputed British Tag Team Championships on the line against FTR’s Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler. Ironically, two tag teams not from the UK were fighting for the Undisputed British Tag Team Championships, but this match was amazing. The Cowboy Way held the titles for just 48 days. They won the titles back at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s big July event, “Live In Sheffield July 2026,” when they knocked off the Slater Dojo. Over their short reign, they had one successful defense against Violence Is Forever’s Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku at PRODUCE Wrestling. The war saw Harwood get bloodied, and Shire get left an absolute bloody mess. This was a “war” in every sense of the word. If you’re a fan of tag team wrestling and most importantly, GOOD tag team wrestling, check this one out. This whole show was absolutely stacked. I was on the fence about signing up for RevPro’s On Demand site, but after seeing this show, I was absolutely so grateful and thankful I did. Go back and check this one out; you will not be disappointed.

2. Dustin Waller vs. Marcus Mathers from Beyond Wrestling “Americanrana”

Coming in at number two on this list, we saw two of the best in the northeast go at it in the main event of the 2026 version of Beyond Wrestling’s big event, “Americanrana,” as Dustin Waller battled Marcus Mathers in an absolute northeast showcase. This whole event was stacked. We saw the likes of Love Doug battle Brad Hollister & TJ Crawford, Jonathan Gresham vs. Rain Conway, Smart Mark Sterling and The Verdict compete in six-man tag action, Mance Warner put his Undisputed Independent Wrestling World Championship on the line against Bobby Orlando (in what should be an honorable mention on this list, that was an amazing match), Laynie Luck, Allie Katch, & Jody Threat go up against Angel Ortiz, Nessa Ferrari, & Jose Zamora in a trios match, Aaron Rourke battle Kylon King, Steph De Lander meet Sloane Jacobs, Timothy Thatcher go up against one of the best to come out of BIO Pro, Eye Black Jack, a four-way match to kick off the main show for the IWTV Independent Wrestling Tag Team Championships, and so much more. However, nothing beats, or even came close to the absolute 30+ minute clinic main event that Dustin Waller and Marcus Mathers put on. Waller even put his Opportunity Knocks Contract on the line, which gave the two men each something else to fight for. This match was so good that I simply cannot put into words. Dustin Waller is one of the top young stars on the independent scene today, especially here in the northeast. Waller is someone who, while he started in a tag team, Miracle Generation, that still does exist, has shown he’s so much more than a “tag team guy.” Waller is a beast in the ring, and his new cocky, arrogant, “better than you” attitude really has taken him to that next level. As for his opponent, come on. We all now how amazing Marcus Mathers is. Mathers is someone who continues to shock me with something new every time he’s in the ring. He’s a WWE ID prospect, which is amazing, but he should be the guy any brand builds around. He’s far too good to not. This was just one of those rare, 10 out of 10 matches. I knew when it was announced this was going to be amazing, but even I was shocked when it finished at just how good it truly was. This one was downright incredible, and a bonafide match of the year contender. Go back and check this one out on IWTV. It is truly a must-watch.

1. Connor Mills vs. Michael Oku from RevPro’s “14 Year Anniversary Show”

Coming in at number one, we saw yet another bona fide match of the year contender as Michael Oku put his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship on the line against Connor Mills in the main event of Revolution Pro Wrestling’s biggest show ever, its “14th Anniversary Show.” Oku entered this match with 83 days down in his third reign with the title. However, he had arguably his toughest challenge yet in Connor Mills. This match was a fantastic bout in the ring that left Mills a bloody mess when all was said and done, but it had a beautiful story behind it. Without giving too much away on what actually happened, Oku was heading down a bad path, becoming increasingly cockier and more arrogant with every day that passed that he held the gold. His real-life partner and wrestling valet, Amira Blair, had a tough decision to make at the end of this match to stop the monster that Oku was becoming. This was, as the kids say, peak cinema. Then you add in that this was just a five-star wrestling match, and it becomes a match-of-the-year contender, and truth be told, this could very well be the match that wins match of the year for 2026 when all is said and done. I don’t see many matches left that can top it, but who knows? As far as this one goes, Connor Mills is one of my favorites, and perhaps heading into this weekend, one of the most underrated wrestlers around today in the UK. He was seen as a tag team guy for a lot of his career, as he and Nico Angelo, collectively known as Diamond Eyes, set the UK tag division ablaze. However, he has shown that he is so much more than that. He’s a singles star waiting in the wings that any company can build around. He has a connection with the fans that many wrestlers can only wish for. That comes naturally to him. So, kudos to Mills for all he’s been accomplishing. As for Oku, we all know how good he is. He is truly a phenomenal talent. He is a shoo-in for a spot sometime in AEW, and I’m excited to see when that day finally does happen. He appeared during Ospreay’s entrance at All In, and I’d expect to see him a lot more someday. Nonetheless, be sure to go check this one out on RevPro’s On Demand streaming service. It’s so worth it.