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Wrestling: Five Indy promotions to watch in 2021

By Domenic Marinelli

Professional wrestlers Kyle Kingsley and Michael May (R) take part in a bout during an evening of wrestling entertainment presented by promoter 'All Star Superslam Wrestling' in Rhyl, north Wales on August 15, 2017.Founded in 1970, All Star Superslam Wrestling is the oldest active wrestling promotion in the UK, staging wrestling matches in theatres, leisure centres, town halls and holiday camps across the UK. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFF (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Professional wrestlers Kyle Kingsley and Michael May (R) take part in a bout during an evening of wrestling entertainment presented by promoter 'All Star Superslam Wrestling' in Rhyl, north Wales on August 15, 2017.Founded in 1970, All Star Superslam Wrestling is the oldest active wrestling promotion in the UK, staging wrestling matches in theatres, leisure centres, town halls and holiday camps across the UK. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFF (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) /
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There are certainly so many independent promotions to choose from these days, especially since so many of these promotions now broadcast their product over the internet—particularly YouTube—they are certainly all more accessible to wrestling fans the world over.

In a piece like this, mentioning all of those promotions that both need your attention and deserve it would be impossible, but we picked a few that certainly stand out regardless. And so why not get to the nitty-gritty right away? Here are 5 Indy promotions to watch out for in 2021.

IWS

The International Wrestling Syndicate is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada—specifically in Montreal East. At least their head office and dojo is. Very often they put shows on at Club Soda, which is an institution in the city where live music is usually the product of choice (and drinks, of course), so why not put on a little homegrown professional wrestling at a venue that usually showcases local and foreign bands?

The crowds definitely get rowdy, as the product is considered to be rather hardcore and thankfully so. The athletes that work for this brand, or rather in that territory, do their duty and everything in their capabilities to break the norm of what wrestling has become on TV.

The company was founded by professional wrestler SeXXXy Eddy. It was founded in 1998, so like many of the promotions on this list, it’s been around for a while.

Notable wrestlers to pass through the territory in one capacity or another have included: El Generico (Sami Zayn), Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens), Brodie Lee, John Morrison, Franky The Mobster, PCO, Rey Mysterio, The Green Phantom, and the list goes on from there.

During the pandemic, they put on matches in what they called on their YouTube channel: IWS Quarantine Sessions.

Chaotic Wrestling

Founded in 2000, this stable has been around even longer than Ring Of Honor and Impact Wrestling and perhaps that’s saying something. After all, Impact and ROH are, or rather can be considered the upper echelon of the minor wrestling promotions in North America, so…

They too have a YouTube channel, and the names to pass through this territory have certainly gone on to make a name for themselves and hardly any of them have a name that any wrestling fan is likely to forget. Wrestlers include Tommaso Ciampa, Sasha Banks, Kofi Kingston, Oney Lorcan, and even Ivar of the Viking Raiders tag team.

OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling)

All of these companies and/or territories have a rich history, but perhaps for the Ruthless Aggression Era of wrestling, this territory has the deepest roots, as it was the training ground for the likes of John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Dave Batista, Randy Orton and the talent that is Shelton Benjamin.

The company has had a few changes at the top in terms of management, but now, it is in the very capable hands of Matt Jones and Al Snow, who made a name for himself in ECW and of course WWE during the famed Attitude Era.

Of course, Snow also was the head trainer for Tough Enough for the first 4 seasons of the show.

OVW posts content on their YouTube channel and on their very own network via streaming. And as of March of 2021, they started airing on FITE, according to OVW’s Wikipedia page.

Innovate

And very much like OVW, Innovate is drenched in history as well. The company was founded in 2004 and hails from Kingsport, Tennessee. From its inception until 2017 they were in association with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

For true blue wrestling fans, the NWA needs no introduction, but for the sake of making this piece informative, I’ll add a brief one here:

The NWA was founded in 1948, its roots deep in the annals of professional wrestling history. WCW, TNA, and so many other promotions broke off of—what was considered at the time—a  parent company and according to Wikipedia a “governing body” of professional wrestling, and to so many territories across America. The WCW broke off in 1993 and TNA afterward…and TNA was given exclusive rights to the company’s World Heavyweight and Tag Team championships.

And there’s so much more to its aforementioned rich history, but I guess that’ll do for now, friends. You get the gist…right?

Innovate broke away from the NWA in 2017. They too broadcast on YouTube and the action they deliver is top-notch, so check them out next time you’re looking for some good, wholesome pro wrestling.

PWG

Pro Wrestling Guerilla is that one place that seems like any wrestler worth his salt during the last decade or decade in a half, needed to make a stop at because the territory shows up on so many wrestlers’ resumes in the wrestling business.

They too are on YouTube and are certainly worth your time.

Notables are: Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, Kenny Omega, Kevin Steen (Owens), AJ Styles, Sammy Guevara, Adam Cole….

Do I really need to keep going?

One other thing… Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has said that it’s: “the best wrestling in North America,” so I think you should definitely check them out on YouTube.

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