From the likes of Game Changer Wrestling, Chaotic Wrestling, and Chicago Style Wrestling, here are three must-see matches for every fan of professional wrestling to go check out from this past weekend. These matches include a tag team war, a return to the ring for the first time in six months by one of New England’s best, and a prize-fighting main event between two of the absolute best that the Midwest has ever seen take over the independent wrestling scene. Check out the three matches down below.
3. Savage Gnomes vs. The Cowboy Way from GCW’s “No Signal In The Hills Part 5”
In possibly one of the best tag team matches of the year, and maybe one of the best Game Changer Wrestling matches of the year, we saw the Savage Gnomes battle The Cowboy Way. Bear Bronson & Gabby Forza, collectively known as the Savage Gnomes, never shy away from a challenge, no matter how big, strong, or hard-hitting their opponent is. The Cowboy Way, consisting of 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire, much the same can be said about them. So, you just knew entering this match how insane it was going to be. Everything about this was perfect. The atmosphere. The fans. The action. Everything. This may have been one of the best GCW shows of the year. We saw a great moment in the main event between Vipress and the GCW Ultraviolent Champion, Otis Cogar. We also saw two friends go at it as Joseph Sawyer put his GCW World Championship on the line against his tag team partner, Samuel Shaw; Zara Zakher went one-on-one with B3CCA; a wild six-way DLC match for the #1 Contendership at the GCW Ultraviolent Championship, Bustah & The Brain team up with Hook to face off with Atticus Cogar, KJ Orso, & Sam Stackhouse, and so much more. However, the match that everyone was talking about after the show was the tag match. Gabby Forza has been so amazing to watch in a GCW ring. She’s someone who has my utmost respect. She is never scared of a fight and mixes it up with whoever is in front of her. She’s a powerhouse and one of my favorite wrestlers on the independents today. Bear Bronson is also one of my favorites. Seeing the trajectory he has been on since becoming a free agent and departing All Elite Wrestling has been nothing short of amazing. He’s showing that he’s not just a great wrestler, but he gives his all every time he steps in the ring, whether deathmatch or not. As for their opponents, I’m a big fan of 1 Called Manders. He and Thomas Shire go great together. This match was filled with four powerhouses who can get hit and hit back even harder. The fans in the arena were on their feet for most of it. This was a stellar tag team match. If you want to see a tag team wrestling clinic, I urge you to go check this one out. It’s available on TrillerTV+.
2. Mortar vs. Brian Fury from Chaotic Wrestling’s “Summer Chaos”
In the main event of one of Chaotic Wrestling’s biggest shows of the year, “Summer Chaos,” we saw Mortar return for the first-time in six months as he faced off with Brian Fury. Mortar took some time away to heal some “nagging injuries,” with no timetable set for his return. So, now, he’s back and arguably better than ever before – at least he looks it. This show was absolutely stacked. We also saw the likes of Tyree Taylor put his Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Championship on the line in a Falls Count Anywhere match against Armani Kayos, Brad Hollister put his Chaotic Wrestling New England Championship on the line against Tony Navarro, The Breadwinners look to finally capture the Chaotic Wrestling Tag Team Championships from Vegan Society, Jose Zamora in action, and so much more. However, when it comes to action, while these matches were all great, nothing topped the 30+ minute display we got from Mortar and Brian Fury. Now, I didn’t get to see much of Fury’s heyday. I’ve been a major indie fan for a while now, but Fury was a major player on the independents before I really got into it. From 2001 through 2016, Fury was the man to beat. What’s wild to me is that he still can go just as good as he used to be able to back in the day. Fury is a madman, and I loved every second of this rivalry and him tormenting Mortar’s real-life fiancé, Jaleesa. Seeing her get into the storyline was a blast. This whole show felt like a major show, and it was in large part due to this match. I can’t say enough how happy I am that Mortar is back wrestling. He is one of my favorite wrestlers on the entire New England scene. Mortar is a major player wherever he shows up, and he’s become one of the real pillars of Chaotic Wrestling. This was one of those great ‘Past vs. Present’ type of matches. We even got a super intriguing debut when the match concluded between these two absolute behemoths who took out Mortar. I’m super into what Chaotic is doing right now, and this show only grew that. Go back and check this one out, free of charge, on the Chaotic Wrestling YouTube channel. It’s well worth it.
1. Solomon Tupu vs. Rafael Quintero from CSW’s “Under Pressure”
The number one match on this list can be found in the Midwest, at Chicago Style Wrestling’s big event, “Under Pressure.” The main event of the show saw Solomon Tupu put his CSW Heavyweight Championship on the line against another pillar of the Chicago wrestling scene, Rafael Quintero. This show was also a blast. We saw the likes of Axel Rico & Maggie Lee take on Eric Schultz & Blair Onyx, Machine 17 put their newly won CSW Tag Team Championships on the line against AMB & Shain Boucher, Shazza McKenzie put her CSW Women’s Championship on the line against Sofia Sivan and Haven Harris, Hans Carden put his CSW Metra Division Championship on the line against Jay Marston, and so much more. But no match had the impact or action that we saw in the main event between Tupu and Quintero. Quintero is a former champion. He held the title for 70 days back in 2025, first defeating Marshe Rockett in December. He defeated 1 Called Manders in his one successful defense before dropping the title to the dominant Conan Lycan in February. So, you know he was fighting hard for that title as he was hoping to get a much longer run with it. As for Tupu, he has held the title now for just over 180 days. He first won it back in March when he defeated Conan Lycan. Since then, he has had some absolute wars with Iniestra, Erik Surge, 1 Called Manders, and Myron Reed to keep that gold around his waist. However, he was about to have one of his toughest challengers to date, as Quintero might be one of the best that Chicago has ever seen. It’s no secret how incredible Tupu is. He is a hell of a competitor. He’s a dominant champion, and he not only looks and acts the part, but he embodies what a true big man in wrestling should be. I cannot say enough good things about Tupu. Seriously, go check out his work. He’s a stud. As for his opponent, there’s a reason I call Quintero one of the best that Chicago has ever seen. Quintero is one of the most underrated bell-to-bell wrestlers on the independent scene today. He’s so good. He’s a natural-born babyface, super likable, and has the skill and ability to go with it. Go check this one out on the Chicago Style Wrestling VOD channel on IWTV. You will not be disappointed.